GB2320126A

GB2320126A - Diskette read and display device

Info

Publication number: GB2320126A
Application number: GB9723224A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Adie
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-11-04
Filing date: 1997-11-04
Publication date: 1998-06-10
Anticipated expiration: 2017-11-04
Also published as: GB2320126B; GB9723224D0

Abstract

A pocket size, portable, diskette read and display device 1 includes a diskette drive unit 2 into which a 3.5 inch electronic data diskette 3 is inserted. Information concerning : diskette reference identification; directory and file names; file application type; byte space utilised; byte space remaining; date of last contents amendment; is shown on a screen display 4, which is connected to the diskette drive unit 2 by means of a bus and a controlling circuit board. The diskette drive unit 2 may be replaced by a CD drive.

Description

DISKETTE READ AND DISPLAY DEVICE This invention relates to a device for reading and displaying the contents of 3.5 inch electronic data diskettes, by means of a pocket size, portable mechanism.

The contents to be displayed are typically: - diskette identification name or number; - title and application-type of files and directories contained on the diskette; - capacity of diskette taken up by stored contents both in terms of bytes and as a percentage; - remaining diskette capacity both in terms of bytes and as a percentage; - date of last amendment.

This ability to read and display diskette contents is known through the use of a standard diskette drive, corresponding software and monitor, present in modern computer systems. At the time of adding a file to a diskette or modifying a file already held on a diskette the updated contents can be identified on the monitor screen and subsequently written onto an adhesive label and attached to the diskette.

Many users however do not update the label descriptions or do not write all relevant information onto the label or in many cases do not apply a label at all to the diskette. This causes inconvenience where the person wishing to know the contents of an unlabelled diskette or wishing to confirm the contents of a labelled diskette is in a location where no computer with corresponding monitor is readily available.

The opportunity to be able to determine the contents of a diskette without resorting to the use of computer and monitor would be advantageous.

According to the present invention there is provided a diskette read and display device comprising a diskette drive unit and an integral attached screen display unit of for example a liquid crystal type.

The diskette drive unit is similar to a standard computer diskette drive and has the same kind of slot entry for accepting the diskette. When a diskette is pushed into the drive unit the contents of the diskette are read in the same way as in a standard computer diskette drive, and selected electronic data information contained on the diskette is passed from the drive unit by means of a controlling circuit board with programmable chips via a bus to a screen display unit.

The device can be powered by battery or electricity supplied by a cable connected to an external source. The battery may be rechargeable.

Additional features may be incorporated into the basic version described by introducing further supplementary programmable chips to the controlling circuit board which would for example allow the diskette to be formatted and/or allow the identification of any virus present on the diskette.

The present invention may also be modified to incorporate a data transfer means such as for example a cable or an infra-red device to allow connection to and communication with a computer.

As a further option it would be possible to link the read and display device to a label printing or copying device to ensure fast, accurate and comprehensive information is applied to the new diskette label. Alternatively a linked reproduction device could transfer updated diskette details onto an erasable label which through the use of for example photosensitive or electomagnetically chargeable surface material could be continually updated without removal from the diskette.

The present invention applies also to the reading and displaying of other forms of portable, electronic data information holders related to computer files and directories. For example compact discs, zip drive diskettes or solid state disks may also be read and displayed using the same principle in that the main elements of the invention remain as described with the substitution of the 3.5 inch drive unit with a compact disc drive unit, zip drive unit, or solid state disk drive unit.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a front view of the read and display device with diskette inserted.

Figure 2 shows a side view of the read and display device.

Figure 3 shows a perspective view from the front of the read and display device.

Figure 4 shows a perspective view from the back of the read and display device with the battery cover removed.

Figure 5 shows the schematic relationship between the drive unit, the contolling circuit board, the bus and the display screen.

According to the invention a read and display device 1 comprises a drive unit 2 which accepts a diskette 3 and displays selected information on a screen display 4.

The drive unit 2 passes information to the screen display 4 by means of a bus 5 and a controlling circuit board 6 upon which are located program chips 7.

The device is switched on by sliding the diskette 3 into the drive unit 2. Power to drive the device 1 is provided by removing a battery cover 11 and inserting a battery 12 which may be rechargable. Alternatively power can be obtained through an external cable coming from an electrical supply and connecting to the device input socket 13.

A mode key 8 is pressed to change the type of informaton to be displayed on the screen.

Additional scroll keys 9 are used to move the listed information up and down on the screen display 4 in order to view further information relevant to the selected screen mode which cannot be completely displayed within the dimensions of the screen display 4.

As the diskette 3 is withdrawn from the read and display device 1 the drive unit 2 is switched off and information may be held on the screen display 4 for a predetermined duration following removal before the screen display 4 switches off, allowing the contents of the screen display 4 to be written onto the diskette label 10 if required.

Claims

1. A pocket size, portable, diskette read and display device for showing information contained on 3.5 inch electronic data diskettes, comprising a battery powered diskette drive unit connected to an integral display screen of for example a liquid crystal type by means of a bus and controlling circuit board.

2. A diskette read and display device as claimed in Claim 1 wherein an optional alternative power supply is made available through either an attachable cable connected to an external electricity source as well as through a rechargeable battery.

3. A diskette read and display device as claimed in Claim 1 wherein a further possibility to format the 3.5 inch diskette is available either through the introduction of a supplementary program chip onto the controlling circuit board or through modification of the existing program chips.

4. A diskette read and display device as claimed in Claim 1 wherein a further possibility to identify the presence of viruses on the 3.5 inch diskette is available through the introduction of a supplementary programmable chip onto the controlling circuit board.

5. A diskette read and display device as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the device may be used additionally as an external diskette drive for a computer by introducing further program chips to the controlling circuit board and by providing a means of data transfer between a computer and the device through a connecting cable or an infra red device.

6. A diskette read and display device as claimed in Claim 1 wherein a supplementary printer or copier may be attached to the device to provide up to date information concerning the contents of the diskette on a label.

7. A diskette read and display device as claimed in Claim 1 wherein an erasable information label or erasable information surface is applied to the diskette to avoid the need to remove and replace labels from and to the diskette.

8. A diskette read and display device as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the 3.5 inch diskette drive unit is replaced by a compact disc drive unit or a zip drive unit in order to read and display information relating to the contents of compact discs or zip drive diskettes.

9. A diskette read and display device substantially as described herein with references to Figures 1-5 of the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. A hand held, portable read and display device for identifying and displaying the number of files, their corresponding name and reference number, and the name or symbol of their corresponding application program, as well as the capacity of the diskette storage space taken up by the files and the resulting remaining space available in terms of bytes and as a percentage of maximum available capacity, and the date of the last file amendment, contained on 3.5 inch electronic data diskettes, and comprising: a battery powered diskette drive unit connected to an integral display screen of for example a liquid crystal type, by means of a bus and controlling circuit board.

2. A read and display device as claimed in Claim 1 wherein no open-out hinged covers or other mechanisms to unfold the device are required during loading of the diskette or in operation.

3. A read and display device as claimed in Claims 1 and 2 wherein the diskette drive is constructed in such a way that the diskette is not required to be fully inserted into the diskette drive in order to be read.

4. A read and display device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein an optional alternative power supply is made available through either an attachable cable connected to an external power source as well as through a rechargeable battery.

5. A read and display device substantially as described herein with references to figures 1-5 of the accompanying drawings.

5. A read and display device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4 wherein a further possibility to format the 3.5 inch diskette is available either through the introduction of a supplementary program chip onto the controlling circuit board or through the modification of the existing program chips.

6. A read and display device as described in any one of Claims 1 to 5 wherein a further possibility to identify the presence of viruses on the 3.5 inch diskette is available through the introduction of a supplementary chip onto the controlling circuit board.

7. A read and display device as described in any one of Claims 1 to 6 wherein the device may be used additionally as an external diskette drive for a computer by introducing further program chips onto the controlling circuit board and by providing means of data transfer between a computer and the device through a connecting cable or an infra-red device.

8. A read and display device as claimed in Claims 1 to 7 wherein a supplementary printer or copier may be attached to the device to produce up to date information concerning the diskette files onto a label.

9. A read and display device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 8 wherein an erasable information label or erasable information surface is applied to the diskette to avoid the need to remove and replace labels from and to the diskette.

10. A read and display device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 9 wherein the 3.5 inch diskette drive unit is replaced by a compact disc drive unit or a zip drive unit or a solid state disk drive unit in order to read and display information relating to the files held on the respective compact discs, zip drive diskettes or solid state disks.

11. A read and display device substantially as described herein with references to figures 1-5 of the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. A pocket size diskette read and display device which is capable of fitting into a shirt pocket without folding or dismantling, which can be operated without having to open up hinged flaps or covers, which allows the user to identify which files are held on which 3.5 inch diskettes, and identifies the date of last amendment of the files, which shows how much storage space has been used up by the stored files and how much storage space remains on the diskette, which is capable of formatting the diskette, which performs the tasks described without having to insert the diskette fully into the drive unit of the device, but which does not access or process the files or provide a means of entering data, comprising: a battery powered diskette drive unit connected to an integral display screen of for example a liquid crystal type, by means of a bus and controlling circuit board.

2. A read and display device as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the overall dimensions of the device do not exceed 160mm in length by 75mm wide and 20mm deep.

3. A read and display device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 or 2 wherein an optional alternative power supply is made available through either an attachable cable connected to an external power source as well as through a rechargeable battery.

4. A read and display device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein a further possibility to identify the presence of viruses on the 3.5 inch diskette is available through the introduction of a supplementary chip onto the controlling circuit board.