CN212659066U - Storage device and storage system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a storage device and a storage system. The storage device includes: a storage medium for storing information; the display module is used for continuously displaying display information from the upper computer after the storage equipment is disconnected from being electrically coupled with the upper computer; and the connector is electrically connected with the storage medium and/or the display module and is used for electrically coupling the storage equipment with the upper computer.

Description

Storage device and storage system

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to the field of memories, and in particular, to a memory device and a memory system.

Background

Non-volatile memory has the advantages of fast write characteristics and non-volatility of information after power is off, and is widely used in a variety of scenarios, such as being a drive or a large capacity removable memory for a computing device.

The storage information of the non-volatile storage device may be read by a coupled computer system or host. But when the storage device is not coupled to the computer system or host, the computer system or host cannot read the storage information to display the storage information of the non-volatile storage device to a user. This is inconvenient for the user to know the information stored in the storage device in time. If a user has at least two nonvolatile memory devices, the information stored in different nonvolatile memory devices is different, and in order to facilitate finding the nonvolatile memory device storing the specific information, an information tag, such as a paper tag, may be respectively provided to each nonvolatile memory device. However, this does not facilitate updating the information on the information tag when the stored information changes.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

In view of the above, the present disclosure provides a storage device, wherein the storage device includes: storage medium, display module assembly and connector. Wherein the storage medium is used for storing information; the display module is used for continuously displaying display information from the upper computer after the storage equipment is disconnected from being electrically coupled with the upper computer; and the connector is electrically connected with the storage medium and/or the display module and is used for electrically coupling the storage equipment with the upper computer.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the display module is further configured to display information from the upper computer when electrically coupled with the upper computer.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the storage medium has a storage space attribute, and the display information includes at least part of the information and/or at least part of the storage space attribute information.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the display module is configured to continuously display the display information without power supply after the storage device is electrically decoupled from the upper computer.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the display module comprises a passive display module.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the passive display module comprises an electronic ink screen.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the storage device further comprises: and the connector is electrically connected with the storage medium and the display module respectively and is used for electrically coupling the storage equipment with the upper computer.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a connector includes: the first sub-connector, the second sub-connector, the adapter plate and the external sub-connector. One end of the first sub-connector is electrically connected with the storage medium through a first line; one end of the second sub-connector is electrically connected with the display module through a second circuit; the first end of the adapter plate is electrically connected with the other end of the first sub-connector, and the second end of the adapter plate is electrically connected with the other end of the second sub-connector; the external connector is electrically connected with the third end of the adapter plate; the adapter board is used for collecting information from the first sub-connector and the second sub-connector or shunting information from the external sub-connector to the first sub-connector and the second sub-connector.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first line includes a first power line, a first control line, and a first data line; and/or the second line includes a second power line, a second control line, and a second data line.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first line is located on the circuit board; and/or the second line is located on the row line.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the storage device further comprises: a housing, the storage medium being located within the housing; the display area of the display module is positioned on at least one side of the shell and is exposed out of the shell.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the housing includes a cover plate, the cover plate including a hollowed-out area; and the display module is positioned in the hollow area.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the casing further includes a protection plate, and the protection plate is located in the hollow area and located above the display module.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the storage device further comprises: and the power supply is used for supplying power to the display module.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the display module comprises an active display module.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the active display module includes any one of: liquid crystal displays, light emitting diode displays; the display module is after the electric coupling of storage device disconnection and host computer, based on the power supply display information of power.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the storage device further comprises: the switch is used for controlling the power supply to supply power to the display module so that the display module can display information.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the storage device further comprises: and the timing circuit is used for timing the continuous display time length of the display module and outputting a signal when the continuous display time length exceeds a preset time length threshold value so that the switch is in a disconnected state.

The present disclosure also provides a storage system, wherein the storage system includes: the device comprises an upper computer and a storage device, wherein the storage device comprises a storage medium, a connector and a display module, and the storage medium is used for storing information; the display module is used for continuously displaying display information from the upper computer after the storage equipment is disconnected from being electrically coupled with the upper computer; the connector is electrically connected with the storage medium and/or the display module and is used for electrically coupling the storage device with the upper computer.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the storage medium has storage space attributes; and the upper computer is used for determining the display information based on the information and/or the storage space attribute.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the host computer includes a storage device connector for electrically coupling with a connector of a storage device.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the host computer is used to read or write to the storage medium.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the host computer is configured to determine storage space attributes of the storage medium.

According to the technical scheme, the embodiment of the disclosure has at least the following beneficial effects:

the storage medium uses an electronic ink screen and the like as an electronic information label, realizes that the display content can be fixed without power consumption, and is convenient for repeated use and content updating. In addition, the electronization of the label is also beneficial to the electronization of data management, and the effects of more convenient management and easier storage and maintenance are achieved compared with a paper label. In addition, newly-built, delete and update can be carried out to the display content through the host computer at any time, has expanded the dimension of the information that provides, has improved user experience.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the disclosure and not to limit the disclosure. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an application scenario of a storage device and a storage system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an information tag on a prior art storage device;

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a structural diagram of a storage device according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a storage device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a coupling of a storage device with an upper computer according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a storage device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 schematically illustrates a schematic diagram of displaying information of an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 8 schematically illustrates a display information diagram of another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a storage space according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 10 schematically illustrates a display information diagram of another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a schematic structural diagram of a memory device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 12 schematically shows a structural diagram of a storage device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 13 schematically illustrates a structural schematic of a storage system of an embodiment of the disclosure; and

fig. 14 schematically shows a flowchart of an information processing method of an embodiment of the present disclosure.

1-a protective plate; 2-cover plate;

3-a storage medium; 311-a first data line; 312 — a first control line; 313-a first power line;

4-a display module; 41-flat cable; 411 — second data line; 412-a second control line; 413-a second power supply line;

5-a connector; 51-a first sub-connector; 52-a second sub-connector; 53-to-external sub-connectors; 54 an adapter plate; 55-upper computer to external sub-connector;

6-a shell;

7-a power supply;

8-a switch;

10-a storage device; 20-an upper computer;

1300-storage system.

Detailed Description

For the purpose of promoting a better understanding of the objects, aspects and advantages of the present disclosure, reference is made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be described clearly and completely with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention, and it is obvious that the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, not all embodiments. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the embodiments disclosed herein without making any creative effort, shall fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

The present disclosure provides a storage device, a storage system, and an information processing method, the storage device including a display module in addition to a storage medium for storing information. Wherein the display module is configured to: on the one hand, in response to the display information from the upper computer received when the storage device is electrically coupled with the upper computer, the display module continuously displays the display information from the upper computer after the storage device is disconnected from being electrically coupled with the upper computer. On the other hand, the storage medium is controlled to update information or output information in response to an instruction from the upper computer received when the storage device is electrically coupled with the upper computer. Therefore, after the upper computer is electrically coupled with the storage device, the display module can be controlled to display information stored in the storage device and/or attribute information of the storage medium and the like based on the information acquired from the storage medium, and convenience for checking the information stored in the storage device and/or the attribute information of the storage medium and the like after a user disconnects the electrical coupling between the storage device and the upper computer is effectively improved. In addition, after host computer and storage device electricity coupling, can update the information of storage in the storage medium or control the display module assembly by the host computer after editing the information that reads out and show, effectively reduced the degree of difficulty of controlling the display module assembly, need not to add too much hardware cost, effectively reduced hardware cost.

Fig. 1 schematically illustrates an application scenario of a storage device and a storage system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The storage device 10, such as a nonvolatile memory, can hold information without supplying power thereto, and is widely used in various scenes such as a removable memory, a digital camera, and the like. In the related art, the storage space of the nonvolatile memory may be reused. The host computer 20 can perform read and write operations on information stored in the electrically coupled nonvolatile memory device 10. Since the information stored in the non-volatile memories at different times may be different, if a user does not use a certain non-volatile memory for a long time, the information stored in the non-volatile memory may not be remembered. For another example, if a user has a plurality of nonvolatile memories, the information stored in each nonvolatile memory may not be recorded. This may cause inconvenience to the user. In order to determine the information stored in the nonvolatile memory, in the related art, the nonvolatile storage medium may be electrically coupled to the upper computer 20, and then the information in the storage device 10 is read by the upper computer 20 and displayed on a display screen of the upper computer 20 for a user to refer. However, when the electrical coupling between the storage device 10 and the upper computer 20 is disconnected, the user cannot refer to the information in the storage device 10. The storage device 10 provided by the embodiment of the disclosure comprises the storage medium 3 and the display module 4, the display module 4 is used for responding to the display information from the upper computer 20 received when the storage device 10 is electrically coupled with the upper computer 20, and the display module 4 continuously displays the display information from the upper computer after the storage device 10 is disconnected from being electrically coupled with the upper computer 20, so that a user can check the information at any time after controlling the display module 4 to display specific information.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an information tag on a prior art storage device.

As shown in fig. 2, when using a removable storage device (such as a removable hard disk), a user may attach a label (such as a paper label) to the outside of the storage device 10 to facilitate quick understanding of the information of the storage device 10 when the storage device 10 is not powered on. Accordingly, if it is desired to change the tag contents, this can be done by replacing the new tag. Such tags are very inconvenient for management of a large number of storage devices 10.

For example, in order to facilitate a user to view identification information of each storage device 10, a file name, such as a movie name (e.g., idanni) and its category (e.g., high definition), may be written (or printed, etc.) on a paper label. Further, the following information may be provided: user identification (such as name of person, department name, organization name, etc.), update date, available space, and used space. However, such information may need to be updated, especially with respect to file names, update dates, available space, etc., which is frequent. In the prior art, information to be displayed can be updated by replacing a new label (such as a paper label), and great inconvenience is brought to a user through processes of searching for the new label, writing the information and the like. Therefore, only information such as the name of the user, which rarely changes, is recorded on the paper label in the prior art, and even in order to avoid replacing the label, part of the users choose not to use the label.

The storage device provided by the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to fig. 3 to 12.

Fig. 3 schematically shows a structural diagram of a storage device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown in fig. 3, the storage device 10 includes: a storage medium 3 and a display module 4. Wherein the storage medium 3 is used for storing information. The display module 4 is used for responding to display information from the upper computer 20 received when the storage equipment 10 is electrically coupled with the upper computer 20, and the display module 4 continuously displays the display information from the upper computer after the storage equipment 10 is electrically decoupled from the upper computer 20; and/or control the storage medium 3 to update information or output information in response to an instruction from the upper computer 20 received when the storage device 10 is electrically coupled with the upper computer 20.

The display information may be information determined by the upper computer 20 after processing based on information read from the storage medium 3. For example, the display information may be information related to the directory name of the directory, the user identification information read from the folder name, the size of the storage space of the storage medium 3, the proportion of the used storage space of the storage medium 3, and the like. For another example, the display information may be information input by the user at the host computer 20.

The upper computer 20 is a computer capable of directly sending out control instructions, and includes but is not limited to: personal computers, mainframes, notebook computers, tablet computers, and the like.

The display module 4 and the upper computer 20 can be electrically coupled through an interface, which can be an interface meeting some specific standard, specific protocol or custom standard, custom protocol. For example, the display module 4 receives display information from the upper computer 20 through an interface supporting a display protocol. For another example, the storage medium 3 receives a read/write operation from the upper computer 20 through a port supporting a protocol for storing data transmission, such as a serial communication protocol, a USB communication protocol, and the like. The communication protocol corresponding to the display module 4 and the communication protocol corresponding to the storage medium 3 may be the same or different.

In an embodiment the storage medium 3 has storage space properties and the display information comprises at least part of the information and/or at least part of the storage space property information. Wherein the storage space attribute includes but is not limited to at least one of the following: size information of the storage space, remaining available space information of the storage space, update time of the storage space, partition information of the storage space, and the like.

In one embodiment, the display module 4 comprises a passive display module, such as the display module 4 is used for continuously displaying the display information without power after the storage device 10 is electrically disconnected from the upper computer 20. This facilitates the use of the display module 4 to implement the function of a label that can be edited repeatedly. If display module assembly 4 and host computer 20 electricity after-coupling, display module assembly 4 can carry out the display information refresh based on the power supply of host computer 20 and the display information who sends, after display module assembly 4 disconnection and the electricity coupling between host computer 20, no power ground lasts to show the display information who is refreshed. That is, after the storage device 10 is electrically coupled to the upper computer 20, the upper computer 20 may refresh the current display information based on the storage space attribute of the storage device 10, the stored information, or the information input by the user.

Wherein, continuously displaying the display information without power supply may include the following situations: the upper computer 20 is not required to continuously supply power to the display module 4 (for example, the storage device is provided with a power supply, such as a battery, a large-capacity capacitor and a solar battery), and the power supply is not required to continuously supply power to the display module 4 (for example, the storage device is not provided with a power supply). Like this, compare from the display module assembly of taking the power or needing external power supply just can move, above-mentioned scheme has further reduced storage device's energy dependence, and the commonality when data need long-term storage or service environment when not permitting external power supply promotes greatly.

For example, the display module 4 includes an active display module, and the active display module may be a liquid crystal display module, a light emitting diode display module, or other display modules that require continuous power supply. For example, the liquid crystal display module includes a backlight module, a liquid crystal, and a Thin Film Transistor (TFT) panel, wherein the backlight module may include a back plate, LED lamps, a reflective film, an LGP, upper and lower diffusion films, an anti-reflection film, and the like. The TFT panel may include a glass substrate, a thin film transistor layer, a polarizer, a color film, and the like. After the liquid crystal display module is electrically coupled with the upper computer 20, the display module 4 can display based on the power supply and the display information sent by the upper computer 20. After the storage device 10 is electrically disconnected from the upper computer 20, the active display module displays display information based on power supplied by other power sources.

For example, the display module 4 may be an electronic ink screen. For example, an electronic ink screen includes two substrates and electronic ink. The electronic ink screen does not consume power during the display period, and consumes power in the process of refreshing the display page.

Because the electronic ink screen has the characteristics that the display content is kept unchanged after power failure, and the electric quantity is not required to be consumed when the display content is unchanged, the electronic ink screen is added on the storage device 10 for information display, so that the defect that the label is externally attached to the storage device 10 can be well overcome. Thus, the purpose that the label of the storage device 10 is not easy to damage, can be used for multiple times, is convenient to update information content, can fixedly display the content without power supply and is not lost for a long time can be achieved. In addition, the electronization of the tag is also beneficial to the electronization of data management, for example, in cooperation with a communication module, particularly a wireless communication module, an upper computer can synchronously or asynchronously perform data management on a plurality of storage devices 10 through the communication module, read stored information and automatically or manually refresh the information to the display module 4, so that the efficiency of data management is further improved. It will be appreciated that if the storage device 10 is configured with a wireless communication module, the storage device 10 may need to be equipped with a corresponding drive source.

In one embodiment, after the display module 4 is electrically coupled to the upper computer 20, the upper computer 20 reads the information stored in the storage device 10 and automatically refreshes the current display information based on the read information and the preset rule. Such as the file name based on the root directory, the file name of the directory of the specified number of levels, the file name of the file occupying the most storage space, the file name of the file specified by the user, the storage space update date, the date when the storage device is powered on (first or last, etc.), the number of times of power-on, and the like. Therefore, the upper computer 20 can automatically refresh the display information of the storage device 10, and the use convenience of a user is effectively improved. It should be noted that the preset rule may be stored in the storage device 10, and after the storage device 10 is electrically coupled to the upper computer 20, the upper computer 20 reads the preset rule. The preset rule may be set by a user, or may be pre-entered into the storage device 10, which is not limited herein.

For another example, after the display module 4 and the upper computer 20 are electrically coupled, the upper computer 20 reads information stored in the storage device 10, and automatically determines that the display information may need to be updated currently based on the read information and a preset rule, if the information automatically acquired by the upper computer 20 is different from the current display information, the upper computer 20 may notify a user to prompt whether to refresh the display information, and if the user inputs an instruction indicating to refresh, the upper computer 20 performs a display information refresh operation on the display module 4. On the basis of effectively promoting the convenience degree of the display information of the updated display module 4, the probability of refreshing the display information of the unintended user can be reduced.

For another example, after the display module 4 is electrically coupled to the upper computer 20, the upper computer 20 reads the information stored in the storage device 10, and automatically determines the display information that needs to be automatically updated currently and the information that needs the user to confirm whether the display information is updated based on the read information and the preset rule. If the user sets that the display module 4 needs to display the user name, the file name of the specified file and the latest update date, the information about the latest update date can be automatically updated when the read information indicates that the file name of the specified file is updated, the user is asked whether to automatically update the file name of the specified file, and the display module 4 is controlled to update the display information after receiving the update related instruction confirmed by the user.

For another example, after the display module 4 and the upper computer 20 are electrically coupled, the upper computer 20 reads a file name in the information stored in the storage device 10, determines whether a user name (such as a company name, a department name, a person name, etc.) is included in the file name based on the read file name and a preset rule, and if it is determined that the user name exists, the display of the upper computer 20 or the display module 4 prompts the user whether to update the user name.

The storage medium 3 may be a nonvolatile storage medium. The non-volatile storage medium may include a plurality of storage spaces into which one or more data blocks may be written by the processor when written by the host computer 20 coupled to the storage device 10. Before overwriting one or more data blocks in the storage space in which the one or more data blocks are stored, the previously stored data blocks need to be erased. After the nonvolatile storage medium is subjected to multiple read-write operations, defects may be generated in the nonvolatile storage medium or reliability of the nonvolatile storage medium may be affected. Therefore, the more frequently used nonvolatile memories (such as flash memories) have more defects. Reducing the number of read/write operations for the storage medium 3, etc., can effectively improve the reliability, usable time, etc., of the storage device 10. The convenience of inquiring the relevant key points of the storage information in the storage device 10 by the user is improved, the frequency of the read-write operation for the storage medium 3 is effectively reduced, and the display module 4 can better meet the requirements. Meanwhile, the configuration can meet the individual requirements of users, the service life of the device is prolonged, meanwhile, the diversification of the display content is realized, and the device has more advantages compared with a storage device for fixedly displaying single content.

Fig. 4 schematically shows a structural diagram of a storage device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown in fig. 4, the storage device 10 may further include: and a connector 5, wherein the connector 5 is electrically connected with the storage medium 3 and the display module 4 respectively, and is used for electrically coupling the storage device 10 with the upper computer 20. The connector 5 design may be dependent on the communication protocol. Such as the number of pins and the arrangement of the connector 5, according to the communication protocol. The connector 5 needs to be adapted to the connector of the upper computer 20 so that the storage device 10 can be electrically coupled to the upper computer 20 conveniently. For example, the communication protocol may include a first communication protocol for transmitting data between the storage medium 3 and the upper computer 20 and a second communication protocol for the upper computer 20 to send display information to the display module 4. For example, the first communication protocol may be a USB communication protocol, a serial communication protocol, a parallel communication protocol, and the like.

In one embodiment, the storage device 10 may include: a storage medium 3, a display module 4 and a connector 5. Wherein the storage medium 3 is used for storing information. The display module 4 is used for continuously displaying the display information from the upper computer 20 after the storage device 10 is electrically disconnected from the upper computer 20. The connector 5 is electrically connected with the storage medium 3 and/or the display module 4 for electrically coupling the storage device 3 with the upper computer 20.

In one embodiment, the connector 5 includes: a first sub-connector 51, a second sub-connector 52, an interposer 54, and an external sub-connector 53.

Wherein one end of the first sub-connector 51 is electrically connected to the storage medium 3 through a first wiring. One end of the second sub-connector 52 is electrically connected to the display module 4 through a second line. The interposer 54 has a first end electrically connected to the other end of the first sub-connector 51 and a second end electrically connected to the other end of the second sub-connector 52. The external sub-connector 53 is electrically connected to a third terminal of the interposer 54. The patch panel 54 is used to collect information from the first sub-connector 51 and the second sub-connector 52, or to shunt information from the external sub-connector 53 to the first sub-connector 51 and the second sub-connector 52. Therefore, the information transmission between the storage medium 3 and the display module 4 and the upper computer 20 is realized simply, and the integration of the storage medium 3 and the display module 4 is realized conveniently. The adapter plate 54 and the circuit board on which the storage medium 3 is placed may be integrally provided. The adapter plate 54 and the circuit board on which the storage medium 3 is located may also be provided in a separate type, and are connected and fixed by the first sub-connector 51, so that the storage medium can be replaced when the storage medium is abnormal (e.g. damaged). Similarly, connecting the display module 4 through the second sub-connector 52 also facilitates assembly and replacement of the display module 4, reducing the difficulty of assembling the storage device 10. The first sub-connector 51 may conform to a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface standard, a high-speed serial computer bus (PCIE) interface standard, a Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) standard, or the like.

In one embodiment, the first line includes a first power line 313, a first control line 312, and a first data line 311, and/or the second line includes a second power line 413, a second control line 412, and a second data line 411. Therefore, the read-write operation of the storage medium 3 is convenient to realize, and the display module 4 is controlled to refresh the display information.

In one embodiment, the first line is located on the circuit board and/or the second line is located on the flex 41. The flat cable 41 can increase the flexibility and convenience of assembling the display module 4, for example, the display module 4 can be disposed above the storage medium 3 and in a designated area, so as to expose at least a portion of the display area of the display module 4 in the window of the housing 6 of the storage device 10. In addition, the display module 4 and the storage medium 3 can be close to each other, so that the storage medium 3 can be conveniently cooled through a heat conducting member and the like on the display module 4.

Fig. 5 schematically illustrates a schematic diagram of a storage device coupled to an upper computer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown in fig. 4 and 5, the connector includes an interposer 54, a first sub-connector 51, a second sub-connector 52, and an external sub-connector 53.

The storage medium 3 is connected to the first sub-connector 51. The display module 4, such as an electronic ink screen module, is connected to the second sub-connector 52. The pins of the first sub-connector 51 and the second sub-connector 52 are connected to the external sub-connector 53 through the interposer 54. The storage medium 3 is a physical storage unit, and provides a function of data storage. The electronic ink screen module comprises an electronic ink screen, a power circuit and a driving display circuit, wherein the power circuit and the driving display circuit drive the electronic ink screen, and the electronic ink screen module provides an external interface. The external interface includes a power line (power pin), a control line (control pin), and a data line (data pin). Specifically, the power lines include a first power line 313 and a second power line 413, the first power line 313 being used to supply power to the storage medium 3, and the second power line 413 being used to supply power to the display module 4. The control lines include a first control line 312 and a second control line 412, the first control line 312 is used for controlling the storage medium 3, and the second control line 412 is used for controlling the display module 4. The data lines include a first data line 311 and a second data line 411, the first data line 311 is used for transmitting data corresponding to read-write operations between the upper computer 20 and the storage medium 3, and the second data line 411 is used for transmitting data of display information to the display module 4. The external-to-external sub-connector 53 of the memory device 10 mates with at least one upper-computer-to-external sub-connector 55 of the upper computer 20 to electrically couple the memory device 10 and the upper computer 20. The external sub-connector 53 of the storage device 10 and the external sub-connector 55 of the upper computer 20 may be in various forms such as a male connector and a female connector which are matched with each other, and are not limited herein. The upper-computer-to-external sub-connector 55 of the upper computer 20 may be electrically connected by a bus equal to a processor (e.g., a central processing unit) of the upper computer 20.

In another embodiment, the storage device 10 may further comprise a housing 6.

Fig. 6 schematically shows a structural diagram of a storage device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown in fig. 6, the housing 6 may include at least one side plate surrounding one side of the storage medium 3 and/or the display module 4, respectively. The housing 6 may provide mechanical support and protection for the storage medium 3 and/or the display module 4. The housing 6 may be formed by injection molding, stamping, or the like. The housing 6 is required to have a window area so as to expose at least a portion of the display area of the display module 4.

Specifically, the storage medium 3 is located inside the housing 6. The display area of the display module 4 is located on at least one side of the housing 6 and is exposed outside the housing 6.

For example, the display area is located in the housing 6 and is not covered, for example, the surface portion of the display area of the display module 4 is used as a part of the housing 6, and simultaneously, the functions of displaying information and protecting the storage medium 3 thereunder are achieved, and the display screen setting mode of the electronic device such as a mobile phone can be referred to.

For another example, the display region is located inside the housing 6 and covered with the protection plate 1 (integrally formed with or separate from the housing 6).

For another example, the display area protrudes out of the housing 6 and is not covered. This facilitates increasing the perspective of the storage device 10.

In one embodiment, the housing 6 includes a cover plate 2, and the cover plate 2 includes a hollow area, and accordingly, the display module 4 is located in the hollow area. The cover plate 2 may be a flat plate, a curved plate with a certain curvature, or the like. The cover plate 2 includes but is not limited to: acrylic sheets, plastic sheets, glass sheets, and the like. The cover plate 2 may have a hardened layer thereon to improve wear resistance.

For example, a hollow area is disposed on the housing 6, and the display area is flush with the hollow area of the housing 6 and is not covered.

For another example, the display region is flush with the hollow region of the housing 6 and is covered by the protection plate 1 (which is integrally formed with or separate from the housing 6).

In one embodiment, the housing 6 further includes a protection plate 1, and the protection plate 1 is located in the hollow area and above the display module 4. The display module 4 may be fixed on the storage medium 3 or the housing 6 by, for example, a heat-conducting adhesive, a heat-conducting member, or the like. The display module 4 may be fixed to the protective plate 1 by a material having high transmittance and may be located on the lower surface of the protective plate 1.

The following is an exemplary description of the display information of the display module.

Fig. 7 schematically shows a schematic diagram of displaying information of an embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown in fig. 7, the file name of the specified file is displayed on the display module 4. In the movie and television industry, for example, paper labels are generally used for labels attached to the outside of the storage device 10, but the paper labels are easily damaged or lost after being used for many times, and it is inconvenient to update information on the labels. However, the storage device 10 is recyclable, and if the used storage device is discarded or damaged due to inconvenience of tag updating, waste of resources and environmental pollution may be caused. The above problem can be effectively improved if the storage device 10 can be used to store movie data of different movies at different time periods, respectively, and can conveniently update the display information of the tag based on the stored information or user input. As shown in fig. 7, when the storage device 10 is electrically coupled to the host, the host can control the display module 4 to display the specified information, such as the file name (e.g., movie name related information) stored in the storage device 10. If the storage device 10 has the power supply 7 to supply power to the display module 4, or the display module 4 does not need to supply power continuously when displaying information, even if the electric coupling between the storage device 10 and the host computer is disconnected, the display module 4 can also continuously display specified display information, so that a user (such as different users) can conveniently determine relevant points of the information stored in the storage device 10. In addition, if the display information needs to be updated, the storage device 10 may be electrically coupled to an operable upper computer such as a computer, a tablet computer, a mobile phone, a server, or even an information updating device specially matched with the storage device 10.

Fig. 8 schematically shows a display information diagram of another embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown in fig. 8, the attribute information of the storage medium 3 is displayed on the display module 4. Such as storage medium 3, the available space (available storage space) is 66%. This facilitates the user in determining whether the storage device 10 is capable of satisfying the needs of its own information storage. In addition, every time after storage device 10 electricity is coupled to host computer 20, host computer 20 just can be automatically based on the information that reads and update the display information, need not the manual change again of user, has promoted user's degree of convenience. It should be noted that, in the case of a storage medium 3 that may be damaged locally, after the storage device 10 is electrically coupled to the upper computer 20, the display information of the available space may be automatically updated, and the user may also be prompted to indicate that the storage medium is damaged and information reflecting the damage level.

Fig. 9 schematically illustrates a storage space diagram according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

The user is generally unaware of the number of blocks (one memory unit divided) and the number of available blocks that the memory device 10 includes. However, after the storage device 10 is electrically coupled to the upper computer 20, the number of blocks or available blocks can be read by the upper computer 20, so as to determine the available space and the occupation ratio of the storage device 10. Each block has associated with it a state, i.e. "use" or "editable" or "free", which is available or to be edited. After the non-volatile memory is initialized, and before the user edits it, the block is typically considered "free," or it may become "free" after the host makes it available for reuse in the file system. For example, in the first block of fig. 9, directory, storage space attribute information, etc. may be stored, and the "use" state is set. The shaded blocks are memory spaces where information has been stored, which may be in an "editable" or "free" state. A block of blank portions is a storage space where no information is stored and may be in a "free" state. The available space of the storage device 10 can be determined simply and quickly based on the usage of the blocks.

For example, the storage device 10 requests its storage space-related information to the host computer 20 through the connector 5 based on a preset instruction. The upper computer 20 responds to the request, and sends the read storage space attribute information to the display module 4 of the storage device 10 to control the display module 4 to display at least part of the storage space attribute information. It should be noted that the storage space attribute information may be continuously displayed to the user, or may be displayed according to a request (e.g., a user request, a device request based on a preset period, etc.).

Fig. 10 schematically shows a display information diagram of another embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown in fig. 10, the attribute information of the storage medium 3 and the file name of the specified file are displayed on the display module 4. Specifically, the attribute information of the storage medium 3 includes available space 66%, and the file name includes a ferranian number (high definition). In other embodiments, the display information may also include a user name, which may be extracted from the file name based on a predetermined format. For example, the file name naming format is: file name + department name + date, the user name can be read from the file name.

Fig. 11 schematically shows a structural diagram of a storage device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown in fig. 11, the storage device 10 further includes: a power supply 7. The power supply 7 is used for supplying power to the display module 4 or supplying power to other components such as a communication module and the like which need a driving source. The power supply 7 may be fixed to the storage device 10 in a peripheral manner, or may be fixedly disposed inside the storage device 10. Specifically, the power source 7 includes, but is not limited to: the battery, the large-capacity capacitor, the super capacitor, the solar battery and the like can be used as a power supply for supplying power to the display module 4.

In one embodiment, the display module 4 includes any one of the following: liquid crystal displays, light emitting diode displays. The display module 4 displays display information based on the power supplied by the power supply 7 after the storage device 10 is electrically disconnected from the upper computer 20.

Fig. 12 schematically shows a structural diagram of a storage device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown in fig. 12, the storage device 10 further includes: and a switch 8. The switch 8 is used for controlling the power supply 7 to supply power to the display module 4, so that the display module 4 displays display information. For example, when the user wishes to view the storage space attribute information of the storage device 10, the switch 8 may be turned on to supply power to the display module 4 to display the storage space attribute information. When the user wishes to save the power of the power supply, the switch 8 can be turned off to cut off the power supply for the display module 4. The switch 8 may be a mechanical switch: such as a button, a sliding resistance switch, etc., and may also be an electronic switch, such as a photoelectric, voltage-sensitive, capacitive-induction touch switch, a triode, etc.

In one embodiment, the storage device 10 further comprises: a timing circuit. The timing circuit is used for timing the continuous display duration of the display module 4 and outputting a signal when the continuous display duration exceeds a preset duration threshold value, so that the switch 8 is in a disconnected state. The timing circuit may be the same as the prior art and is not limited herein. The preset time threshold may be set by the user or may be fixed in the program.

Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a storage system.

Fig. 13 schematically shows a structural diagram of a storage system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown in fig. 13, the memory system 1300 may include: an upper computer 20 and a storage device 10. The storage device 10 comprises a storage medium 3 and a display module 4, wherein the storage medium 3 is used for storing information.

The upper computer 20 and the storage device 10 are configured to: in response to the display information from the upper computer 20 received when the storage device 10 is electrically coupled with the upper computer 20, the display module 4 continuously displays the display information from the upper computer after the storage device 10 is electrically decoupled from the upper computer 20; and/or control the storage medium 3 to update information or output information in response to an instruction from the upper computer 20 received when the storage device 10 is electrically coupled with the upper computer 20. The upper computer 20 is used, for example, to perform a read operation or a write operation on the storage medium 3. For another example, the upper computer 20 is used to determine storage space attributes of the storage medium 3.

When the storage device 10 is electrically coupled with the upper computer 20, the upper computer 20 can perform read-write operation on the storage medium 3. The upper computer 20 may send display information to the display module 4 based on the result of the read-write operation (e.g., display information determined after the operation) to control the display module 4 to display the display information.

In one embodiment, the storage device 10 may include: a storage medium 3, a display module 4 and a connector 5. Wherein the storage medium 3 is used for storing information. The display module 4 is used for continuously displaying the display information from the upper computer 20 after the storage device 10 is electrically disconnected from the upper computer 20. The connector 5 is electrically connected with the storage medium 3 and/or the display module 4 for electrically coupling the storage device 3 with the upper computer 20.

In one embodiment, the storage medium 3 has storage space properties. The upper computer 20 is used for determining display information based on the information and/or the storage space attribute. For example, the display information includes information such as the ratio or size of the available space, a file name, a user name, and an update date.

In one embodiment, the host computer 20 includes a host computer connector for electrically coupling with the connector 5 of the storage device 10. For example, the connector of the upper computer is a female interface for use with the connector 5 of the storage device 10.

In one embodiment, the upper computer 20 may include a processor that can perform various appropriate actions and processes according to a program stored in a Read Only Memory (ROM) or a program loaded from a storage section into a Random Access Memory (RAM). The processor may comprise, for example, a general purpose microprocessor (e.g., a CPU), an instruction set processor and/or associated chipset, and/or a special purpose microprocessor (e.g., an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC)), among others. The processor may also include on-board memory for caching purposes. The processor can comprise a single processing unit or a plurality of processing units for executing reading and writing operations on the storage device and controlling the display module to display information.

In the RAM, various programs and data necessary for system operation are stored. The processor, the ROM, and the RAM are connected to each other through a bus. The processor performs various operations by executing programs in the ROM and/or RAM. Note that the program may also be stored in one or more memories other than the ROM and RAM. The processor may also perform various operations of the method flows according to embodiments of the present disclosure by executing programs stored in the one or more memories.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the upper computer 20 may further include an input/output (I/O) interface, which is also connected to the bus. The host computer 20 may also include one or more of the following components connected to the I/O interface: an input section including a keyboard, a mouse, and the like; an output section including a display such as a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT), a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), and the like, and a speaker; a storage section including a hard disk and the like; and a communication section including a network interface card such as a LAN card, a modem, or the like. The communication section performs communication processing via a network such as the internet. The drive is also connected to the I/O interface as needed. A removable medium such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a semiconductor memory, or the like is mounted on the drive as necessary, so that a computer program read out therefrom is mounted into the storage section as necessary.

According to the storage system 1300 provided by the embodiment of the disclosure, the electronic ink screen is added to the storage device as a tag for displaying information, so that the display content can be updated repeatedly. In addition, the storage medium uses the electronic ink screen as the electronic information label, realizes that the display content can be fixed without power consumption, is convenient for repeated use and content updating, and achieves the effects of more convenient management, more easy storage and more convenient maintenance compared with a paper label.

Fig. 14 schematically shows a flowchart of an information processing method of an embodiment of the present disclosure. The storage device comprises a storage medium and a display module.

As shown in fig. 14, the information processing method performed by the storage device may include operations S1401 to S1403.

In operation S1401, in response to the display information from the upper computer received when the storage device is electrically coupled to the upper computer, the display module continuously displays the display information from the upper computer after the storage device is disconnected from the electrical coupling to the upper computer.

In operation S1403, the storage medium is controlled to update information or output information in response to receiving an instruction from the upper computer while the storage device is electrically coupled to the upper computer.

The upper computer, the display module, the storage medium, the display information and the like can refer to the related contents in the above embodiment, and are not described in detail herein.

In one embodiment, the storage device further comprises a switch and a power supply. Accordingly, the method may further include the following operations.

And responding to the opening operation or the closing operation aiming at the switch, and controlling the power supply to supply power or cut off the power for the display module. For the switch and the power supply, reference may be made to the related contents in the above embodiments, which are not described herein again.

In one embodiment, the method may further include the following operations. The continuous display duration of the timing display module is longer than a preset duration threshold value, and a signal is output when the continuous display duration exceeds the preset duration threshold value, so that the switch is in a disconnected state. The timing function may be implemented by using a timing circuit, and for the timing circuit and the preset duration threshold, reference may be made to the related contents in the above embodiments, which are not described herein again.

The above is an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, and it should be noted that the exemplary embodiment is only used for understanding the present disclosure, and is not used to limit the protection scope of the present disclosure. Moreover, unless otherwise specified, all of the embodiments are applicable to the apparatus embodiment, the method embodiment and the system embodiment at the same time, and technical features appearing in the same or different embodiments may be used in combination without conflict with each other.

It is to be understood that the above definitions of various elements are not limited to the specific structures or shapes mentioned in the embodiments, and that the substitution thereof is easily made by those skilled in the art, and the above described specific embodiments, further detailed description of the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present disclosure, it is to be understood that the above described are only specific embodiments of the present disclosure and are not to be construed as limiting the present disclosure, and any modification, equivalent substitution, improvement and the like made within the spirit and principle of the present disclosure should be included in the protection scope of the present disclosure.

Claims (20)

1. A storage device, the storage device comprising:

a storage medium for storing information;

the display module is used for continuously displaying display information from the upper computer after the storage equipment is disconnected from being electrically coupled with the upper computer;

and the connector is electrically connected with the storage medium and/or the display module and is used for electrically coupling the storage equipment with the upper computer.

2. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the display module comprises an electronic ink screen.

3. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the connector comprises:

a first sub-connector having one end electrically connected to the storage medium through a first line;

and one end of the second sub-connector is electrically connected with the display module through a second circuit.

4. The storage device of claim 3, wherein the connector further comprises:

the first end of the adapter plate is electrically connected with the other end of the first sub-connector, and the second end of the adapter plate is electrically connected with the other end of the second sub-connector; and

the external sub-connector is electrically connected with the third end of the adapter plate;

the patch panel is configured to collect information from the first sub-connector and the second sub-connector, or shunt information from the pair of external sub-connectors to the first sub-connector and the second sub-connector.

5. The storage device of claim 3, wherein:

the first line includes a first power line, a first control line, and a first data line; and/or

The second line includes a second power line, a second control line, and a second data line.

6. The storage device of claim 3, wherein:

the first circuit is positioned on the circuit board; and/or

The second line is located on the row line.

7. The storage device of claim 1, further comprising:

a housing, the storage medium being located within the housing;

the display area of the display module is located on at least one side of the shell and is exposed out of the shell.

8. The storage device of claim 7, wherein the housing comprises a cover plate comprising a hollowed-out area; and

the display module is located in the hollow area.

9. The storage device of claim 8, wherein the housing further comprises a protective plate positioned over the hollowed-out region and over the display module.

10. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the display module comprises a passive display module.

11. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the display module is further configured to display the display information from the host computer when electrically coupled to the host computer.

12. The storage device of claim 1, further comprising:

and the power supply is used for supplying power to the display module.

13. The storage device of claim 12, wherein the display module comprises an active display module;

and the active display module is used for displaying the display information based on the power supply of the power supply after the storage equipment is disconnected from the electric coupling with the upper computer.

14. The storage device of claim 12, further comprising:

and the switch is used for controlling the power supply to supply power to the display module so that the display module displays the display information.

15. The storage device of claim 14, wherein the storage device further comprises:

and the timing circuit is used for timing the continuous display time length of the display module and outputting a signal when the continuous display time length exceeds a preset time length threshold value so that the switch is in a disconnected state.

16. A storage system, comprising:

an upper computer;

the storage equipment comprises a storage medium, a display module and a connector;

wherein: the storage medium is used for storing information; the display module is used for continuously displaying display information from the upper computer after the storage equipment is disconnected from being electrically coupled with the upper computer; the connector is electrically connected with the storage medium and/or the display module and is used for electrically coupling the storage device with the upper computer.

17. The storage system of claim 16, wherein the host computer includes a host computer connector for electrically coupling with a connector of the storage device.

18. The storage system of claim 16, wherein the host computer is configured to perform a read operation or a write operation on the storage medium.

19. The storage system according to claim 16, wherein the host computer is configured to determine the display information based on the information and/or storage space attributes of the storage medium.

20. The storage system of claim 16, wherein the host computer is configured to determine storage space attributes of the storage medium.

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