Device driver for accessing computer files

Claim 2

A computer device driver within an operating system for accessing compressed files held in archives in a storage device, said device driver comprising: means for creating virtual files and folders in a random access memory (RAM), said virtual files and folders corresponding to files and folders in said archives and appearing to users as files and folders within an existing folder; means for representing said virtual files and folders from said storage device; means for making available the contents of said virtual files and folders to all levels of an operating system; means for reading a compressed file corresponding to a virtual file from said storage device, decompressing said compressed file in said RAM and retaining the decompressed file in said RAM in whole or in part so that operations can be performed on the decompressed file by the operating system; means for accessing said decompressed file in said RAM and changing the contents of said file; means for updating said file in said archives after an operation on said file; means for selectively supplying said operating system with information from said file; and means for returning said file to said archive in said storage device.

Claim 3

The driver of claim 1 further including means for compressing said decompressed file.

Claim 4

The driver of claim 1 wherein said means for accessing and changing the contents of said decompressed file is responsive to a request from an operating system.

Claim 5

The driver of claim 3 wherein said request from said operating system is selected from the set of requests for reading, writing, opening, and closing said file.

Claim 6

The driver of claim 3 wherein said request from said operating system is selected from the set of requests to renaming, copying, moving, deleting, or obtaining the attributes of said file.

Claim 7

The driver of claim 1 wherein said decompressed file in said RAM is accessible to an operating system and user programs.

Claim 8

The driver of claim 1 wherein said driver is part of an operating system.

Claim 9

A computer device driver within an operating system for interfacing with other parts of said operating system and application programs, and for accessing compressed files held in archives in a storage device, said device driver comprising: means for creating virtual files and folders in a random access memory (RAM), said virtual files and folders corresponding to files and folders in said archives and appearing to users as real files and folders within an existing real folder; means for representing said virtual files and folders from said storage device; means for updating said files and folders in said archives after an operation from said operating system on said virtual files and folders; means for selectively supplying said operating system with information from said virtual files and folders; and means for updating and returning said files and folders to said archive in said storage device.

Claim 10

A computer device driver within an operating system for interfacing with other parts of said operating system and application programs, and for accessing compressed files held in archives in a storage device, said device driver comprising: means for creating virtual files and folders in a random access memory (RAM), said virtual files and folders corresponding to files and folders in said archives and appearing to users as real files and folders within an existing real folder; means for representing said virtual files and folders from said storage device; means for updating said files and folders in said archives after an operation from said operating system on said virtual files and folders; means for selectively supplying said operating system with information from said virtual files and folders; and means for updating and returning said files and folders to said archive in said storage device.

Claim 11

The driver of claim 8 wherein said virtual folder is stored in RAM.

Claim 12

The driver of claim 8 further comprising means for receiving a request from said operating system, said request from said operating system selected from the set of requests for reading, writing, opening, and closing said file.

Claim 13

The driver of claim 8 further comprising means for receiving a request from said operating system, said request from said operating system selected from the set of requests for renaming, copying, moving, deleting, or obtaining the attributes of said file.

Claim 14

A computer device driver within an operating system for interfacing with other parts of said operating system and for accessing compressed files held in archives in a memory device, said compressed files accessible using a directory structure, said device driver comprising: means for creating virtual folders or directories in RAM, said virtual folders and directories representing archives on said memory device and accessible by all levels of said operating system; means for representing files and folders contained in said archives as files and folders in the virtual folders corresponding to said archives; means for reading a compressed file from said archive in said memory device, decompressing said file in RAM, and retaining the decompressed file in RAM in whole or in part so that operations can be performed on the decompressed file by the operating system without having first to write the decompressed file to the memory device; means for accessing said file in said RAM and changing the contents of said file; means responsive to accessing said files for adjusting said virtual directory structure; and means for returning said file to said archive in said memory device.

Claim 15

A computer device driver within an operating system for interfacing with other parts of said operating system and for accessing compressed files held in archives in a memory device, said compressed files accessible using a directory structure, said device driver comprising: means for creating virtual folders or directories in RAM, said virtual folders and directories representing archives on said memory device and accessible by all levels of said operating system; means for representing files and folders contained in said archives as files and folders in the virtual folders corresponding to said archives; means for reading a compressed file from said archive in said memory device, decompressing said file in RAM, and retaining the decompressed file in RAM in whole or in part so that operations can be performed on the decompressed file by the operating system without having first to write the decompressed file to the memory device; means for accessing said file in said RAM and changing the contents of said file; means responsive to accessing said files for adjusting said virtual directory structure; and means for returning said file to said archive in said memory device.

Claim 16

A computer system comprising: an operating system having multiple levels; a permanent storage device for permanently storing archives, said archives containing files and folders; temporary memory for temporarily storing files, folders, or directories; computer device driver means within said operating system for interfacing with other parts of said operating system and application programs, and for accessing compressed files held in archives in said storage device, said device driver means comprising: means for creating virtual files and folders in a random access memory (RAM), said virtual files and folders corresponding to files and folders in said archives and appearing to users as files and folders within an existing folder; and means for representing said virtual files and folders from said storage device means for updating said virtual files and folders after an operation on said files and folders; means for selectively supplying said operating system with information from said files and folders; and means for returning said files and folders to said archive in said permanent storage device.

Claim 17

A computer system comprising: an operating system having multiple levels; a permanent storage device for permanently storing archives, said archives containing files and folders; temporary memory for temporarily storing files, folders, or directories; computer device driver means within said operating system for interfacing with other parts of said operating system and application programs, and for accessing compressed files held in archives in said storage device, said device driver means comprising: means for creating virtual files and folders in a random access memory (RAM), said virtual files and folders corresponding to files and folders in said archives and appearing to users as files and folders within an existing folder; and means for representing said virtual files and folders from said storage device means for updating said virtual files and folders after an operation on said files and folders; means for selectively supplying said operating system with information from said files and folders; and means for returning said files and folders to said archive in said permanent storage device.

Claim 18

The system of claim 13 wherein said permanent memory comprises a plurality of PROMs.

Claim 19

The system of claim 13 wherein said temporary memory comprises a plurality of RAM banks.

Claim 20

The system of claim 13 further comprising an application program.

Claim 25

A computer device driver within an operating system for accessing compressed files held in archives in a storage device, said device driver comprising: means for creating virtual files and folders in a random access memory (RAM), said virtual files and folders corresponding to files and folders in said archives and appearing to users as files and folders within an existing folder; means for representing said virtual files and folders from said storage device; means for making available the contents of said virtual files and folders to all levels of an operating system; means for reading a compressed file corresponding to a virtual file from said storage device, decompressing said compressed file in said RAM and retaining the decompressed file in said RAM in whole or in part so that operations can be performed on the decompressed file by the operating system; means for copying, moving, renaming, deleting, and getting the attributes of said decompressed file; means for reading, writing, opening and closing said file; means responsive to copying, moving, renaming, or deleting of a file and adjusting the virtual directory structure; means for updating said files in said archives after an operation on said files; means for supplying said operating system with information from said compressed file in said storage device as needed by said operating system; and means for returning said file to said archive in said storage device.

Claim 26

A computer device driver within an operating system for accessing compressed files held in archives in a storage device, said device driver comprising: means for creating virtual files and folders in a random access memory (RAM), said virtual files and folders corresponding to files and folders in said archives and appearing to users as files and folders within an existing folder; means for representing said virtual files and folders from said storage device; means for making available the contents of said virtual files and folders to all levels of an operating system; means for reading a compressed file corresponding to a virtual file from said storage device, decompressing said compressed file in said RAM and retaining the decompressed file in said RAM in whole or in part so that operations can be performed on the decompressed file by the operating system; means for copying, moving, renaming, deleting, and getting the attributes of said decompressed file; means for reading, writing, opening and closing said file; means responsive to copying, moving, renaming, or deleting of a file and adjusting the virtual directory structure; means for updating said files in said archives after an operation on said files; means for supplying said operating system with information from said compressed file in said storage device as needed by said operating system; and means for returning said file to said archive in said storage device.