Apple Applies for Two File-System Patents Likely Linked to Leopard

On October 18, the US Patent & Trademark Office published two of Apple’s patent applications pertaining to file systems respectfully titled Mirrored File System and Sharing compiled versions of files . Both patent applications were originally filed for by Apple in April 2006 which may indicate that the new file system patents relate to its upcoming Mac OS X Leopard.

Patent: Mirrored File System

Apple’s Abstract: Mounting and populating a mirrored version of at least a portion of a file system of a recruiter machine at a volunteer machine performing one or more data processing tasks for the recruiter machine is disclosed. In some embodiments, an input stored in such a dedicated file system for the recruiter machine at the volunteer machine may be locally retrieved and reused, if still consistent with a corresponding input stored in a file system at the recruiter machine, when performing a data processing task for the recruiter machine at the volunteer machine. In some embodiments, if an input required by the volunteer machine to perform a data processing task for the recruiter machine is not cached in such a dedicated file system for the recruiter machine at the volunteer machine in a state that is consistent with a corresponding input stored in a file system at the recruiter machine, the input is obtained from the recruiter machine.

Apple lists William M. Bumgarner (San Jose, CA), Adam C. Swift (San Jose, CA) and Andrew R. Gross (Los Gatos, CA) as the inventors of patent 20070245311. For the full details of this patent, see Mirrored File System.

Patent: Sharing Compiled Versions of Files

Apple’s Abstract: Sharing compiled versions of files among machines is disclosed. In some embodiments, upon determining at a machine that a file needs to be compiled, a previously compiled version of the file is requested and received from one or more other machines. In such a case, the processing associated with generating a compiled version of the file at the machine can be eliminated. Similar techniques can be employed to share and/or reuse a previously generated output of any repeatable computing task whose inputs can be characterized.

Apple lists Anders I. Bertelrud (Burlingame, CA) as the sole inventor of patent application 20070245323. For the full details of this patent, see Sharing Compiled Versions of Files.

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Written and researched by Neo.