Dynamic data distribution network with sink and source files for particular data types

Claim 3

The method of data distribution of claim 1, wherein each sink file includes a consumer identification used by the data consumer for the data with which the sink file is associated and said method further includes the step of: transferring the consumer identification of the data from the sink file to the data consumer when the data are transferred from the sink file to the data consumer.

Claim 4

The method of data distribution of claim 2, further including the step of: informing a data consumer that there are new data available in one of the sink files associated with the data consumer and of an identity of the sink file, when new data are copied into the sink file, and wherein: said step of transferring the data from said sink file to the data consumer occurs after the data consumer is informed that new data are available in the sink file.

Claim 5

The method of data distribution of claim 2, wherein after said data are generated by the data producer, the data are copied into the source file associated with the data and the data are then copied from the source file to the sink files from which the data are transferred to the data consumers.

Claim 6

The method of data distribution of claim 1, further including the step of: informing a data consumer that there are new data available in one of the sink files associated with the data consumer and of an identity of the sink file when new data are copied into the sink file, and wherein: said step of transferring the data from said sink file to the data consumer occurs after the data consumer is informed that new data are available in the sink file.

Claim 9

The method of data transfer of claim 6, further including the step of: providing the data consumer with a notice that it has data available for processing when data are written into one of said sink files associated with the data consumer, wherein said notice identifies a specific sink file in which data are available; wherein: said transferring of data from said specific sink file to the data consumer associated with said specific sink file occurs in response to the data consumer receiving said notice that data are available in said specific sink file.

Claim 10

The method of data transfer of claim 7, wherein said notice that data are available in said specific sink file associated with a data consumer is sent to a specific location in said data consumer based on a pointer contained in said sink file.

Claim 11

The method of data transfer of claim 7, wherein when said data are copied into said specific sink file, said data are written over any old data contained in said sink file.

Claim 12

The method of data transfer of claim 7, wherein when said data are copied into at least one said sink file, at least some of the old data in said sink file are saved.

Claim 13

The method of data transfer of claim 10, wherein: said at least one sink file in which at least some of the old data are stored has a selected capacity for storing data, and when said capacity for storing data is reached as said data are copied into said sink file some of said data previously stored in said sink file are overwritten, and an overrun count indicative of the number of times the data in said sink file have been overwritten is incremented; and when the data from said sink file are transferred to the data consumer, said overrun count is also transferred to the data consumer and said overrun count is zeroed.

Claim 14

The method of data transfer of claim 7, furthering including the steps of: establishing a selected source file for receiving a specific type of data generated by a plurality of the data producers; and distributing the specific type of data generated by the plurality of data producers by placing a copy of the data in a sink file associated with the data based on said sink file identifiers in said source file associated with the specific type of data.

Claim 15

A dynamic data distribution network for use with a digital data processing system that includes data producers, which generate data, and data consumers that use the data generated by the data producers, each data consumer having a consumer identification for a particular type of data used by the data consumer, comprising: a plurality of sink files for storing data used by the data consumers, each of said plurality of sink files being associated with a specific type of data used by a different one of the data consumers and containing a buffer for storing the data used by the data consumer and, further, containing the consumer identification for the data used by the data consumer, each sink file having a particular sink file identification; a plurality of source files, each of said plurality of source files being associated with a particular type of data generated by one of the data producers, and including a sink file table that contains said sink file identifications for said sink files associated with the data consumers that use the particular data generated by the one of the data producers, each source file having a particular source file identification; distribution means for receiving distribute data commands, the distribute data commands including data to be distributed and including said source file identification for said source file associated with the data to be distributed, said distribution means, in response to receiving a distribute data command, storing the data to be distributed in said buffers of said sink files associated with the data consumers that use the data, based on reference to said sink file identifications in said sink file table contained in said source file associated with the data; and read means associated responsive to read data commands from the data consumers for reading the data to be distributed and the consumer identification associated with the data from said sink file associated with a data consumer that generates the read data command to the data consumer.

Claim 16

A dynamic data distribution network for use with a digital data processing system that includes data producers, which generate data, and data consumers that use the data generated by the data producers, each data consumer having a consumer identification for a particular type of data used by the data consumer, comprising: a plurality of sink files for storing data used by the data consumers, each of said plurality of sink files being associated with a specific type of data used by a different one of the data consumers and containing a buffer for storing the data used by the data consumer and, further, containing the consumer identification for the data used by the data consumer, each sink file having a particular sink file identification; a plurality of source files, each of said plurality of source files being associated with a particular type of data generated by one of the data producers, and including a sink file table that contains said sink file identifications for said sink files associated with the data consumers that use the particular data generated by the one of the data producers, each source file having a particular source file identification; distribution means for receiving distribute data commands, the distribute data commands including data to be distributed and including said source file identification for said source file associated with the data to be distributed, said distribution means, in response to receiving a distribute data command, storing the data to be distributed in said buffers of said sink files associated with the data consumers that use the data, based on reference to said sink file identifications in said sink file table contained in said source file associated with the data; and read means associated responsive to read data commands from the data consumers for reading the data to be distributed and the consumer identification associated with the data from said sink file associated with a data consumer that generates the read data command to the data consumer.

Claim 17

The dynamic data distribution network of claim 13, further including: a plurality of queues for storing said sink file identifications, each of said plurality of queues being associated with a separate one of the data consumers; wherein: said distribution means writes said sink file identification into said queue associated with the data consumer with which said sink file is associated when said distribution means writes data to be distributed into said sink file; and said read means in response to receiving a read data command from a data consumer reads said queues associated with the data consumer to obtain said sink file identifications and, if said queues contain a sink file identification, said read means reads the data to be distributed and the consumer identification for said data that are contained in said sink file identification.

Claim 18

The dynamic data distribution network of claim 14, wherein: each said queue associated with a data consumer has a distinct queue identification; each said sink file further includes said queue identification for the data consumer for which said sink file stores data; and said distribution means writes said sink file identification regarding the storage of new data to be distributed into one of said queues based on said queue identification contained in said sink file in which the next data to be distributed are stored.

Claim 19

The dynamic data distribution network of claim 14, wherein data buffers of select sink files are configured to contain a single version of the data to be distributed and, when said distribution means writes new data to said data buffers of said select sink files, said distribution means writes over any old data contained in said data buffers.

Claim 20

The dynamic data distribution network of claim 14, wherein: said data buffers of select sink files contain multiple versions of the data, and said data buffers further include an overrun count field containing an overrun count that indicates how many times data in said buffers are overwritten; said distribution means writes data to be distributed into said data buffers of said select sink files so that multiple versions of said data to be distributed are contained in said data buffers and, when said data buffers are full, said distribution means selectively overwrites the data to be distributed in said data buffers and increments said overrun count; and said read means reads said overrun count from each of said overrun count fields of said select sink files when reading the data to be distributed and zeroes said overrun counts after reading the data.

Claim 21

The dynamic data distribution network of claim 14, wherein said distribution means informs the data producer that it has distributed the data to be distributed after said data has been stored in said sink files associated with the data consumers that use said data.

Claim 22

The dynamic data distribution network of claim 14, wherein: at least one said source file is associated with a particular type of data generated by a plurality of data producers.

Claim 23

The dynamic data distribution network of claim 13, wherein: each said source file includes a buffer for storing the data with which said source file is associated; and said distribution means, upon receiving the distribute data command, writes the data into said buffer of said source file associated with the data to be distributed and copies said data from said buffer of said source file to said buffers of said sink files associated with the data consumers that use said data.

Claim 24

The dynamic data distribution network of claim 13, wherein said distribution means informs the data producer that it has distributed the data to be distributed after said data has been stored in said sink files associated with the data consumers that use said data.