Patent ID: 7441084
Filing Date: 2008-10-21
Classification: G06F,G11B

Abstract:
1. A method of presenting a user with settings of a plurality of adjustable parameters on an electronic visual display, where at least one user selected adjustable parameter setting is applicable to caching a form of a digital data work in a storage provided in a non-volatile memory, the digital data work being stored on a media having a slower data-transfer rate than the non-volatile memory used to cache the digital data work, to enable a later, selective apparent rapid conversion of the digital data work to a playable form that is available in a visible store, the visible store including a collection of media exposed directly to a user, said caching occurring during play of the digital data work stored on a removable digital medium, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a plurality of user adjustable parameter settings in the electronic visual display, said parameter settings controlling how much of an available non-volatile memory is used for the caching of digital data works, the cache and the digital data representing the digital data work stored thereon, being hidden from and unplayable by the user and being utilized to allow for a subsequent, selective apparent rapid conversion of digital data works to the playable form that is available in the visible store, the digital data works appearing in the visible store faster than if transferred from the removable digital medium; (b) receiving user input selecting at least one of the plurality of adjustable parameter settings in the visual display for adjustment and user input selectively setting the adjustable parameter setting that was selected, wherein the user input specifies as a limit a number of digital data works that may be cached in the non-volatile memory; (c) responding to the user setting the adjustable parameter setting that was selected and set, so that the setting affects how much of the available non-volatile memory is used for the caching of the digital data works; and (d) maintaining the cache so that when the number of cached digital data works reaches the user specified limit, the oldest item in the cache will be expired to enable newer digital data representing the digital data work to be added to the cache.