Relative logarithmic time stamps for reduced memory map size

• Main Author: RUST; ROBERT A
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 02.11.1999
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDEDFOR ELSEWHERE; BASIC ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY; CALCULATING; CHECKING-DEVICES; CODE CONVERSION IN GENERAL; CODING; COMPUTING; COUNTING; DATA PROCESSING SYSTEMS OR METHODS, SPECIALLY ADAPTED FORADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL, SUPERVISORYOR FORECASTING PURPOSES; DECODING; ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING; ELECTRICITY; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; PHYSICS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE,COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL, SUPERVISORY OR FORECASTINGPURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS

A system and method for managing a time stamp wherein a table of time stamps is maintained. Each time stamp corresponds to the age of a block of data. The age of the data is determined from the value of the time stamp in the table. When a block of data is written, the time stamp corresponding to the data is individually reset by writing a zero to the stamped value. Each stamp is aged by updating the time stamps at predetermined time intervals. Aging a time stamp includes reading the time stamp, determining whether to advance the time stamp, and advancing the time stamp. A random number is generated for each time stamp. The random number is compared to an increment threshold value. If the random number matches the increment threshold value, the time stamp is incremented.