JP2002222391A - Device and method for managing memory card - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device/method for managing memory cards by which information recorded in the memory cards is detected instantly, information can simply be retrieved with respect to a large number of the memory cards simultaneously and what kind of operation is given concretely to which memory card can easily be grasped. SOLUTION: The memory card management device A is provided with a plurality of memory card slots 11 for loading memory cards 10, an instruction inputting means 4, a memory card slot control means 1, a display information working means 2 and a display device for displaying information prepared by the means 2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for managing a memory card which is a recording device for various data, and more particularly to an apparatus and a method for simultaneously managing a large number of memory cards.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, memory cards, which are recording devices for various data for computers (PCs), various audio devices, and video devices, have been used in various situations. When a memory card is used, data can be easily exchanged between PCs or between a PC and various audio / video devices, so that the use frequency of the memory card has become extremely high. At the same time, the number of memory cards owned by one person has also increased.

By the way, as described above, a memory card is
Various data such as C-related data and audio / video data can be recorded. However, in order to read data recorded in the memory card, it is naturally possible to read the data recorded in the memory card using the memory card. Must be attached to the device. At this time, the conventional PC, audio equipment, and video equipment had only about one or two memory card slots, and thus possessed as many as ten or more memory cards, and required one of them. When searching for, it was necessary to frequently exchange memory cards.

[0004] In addition, despite the fact that the memory card records PC-related data, the data cannot be read out even if the memory card is mounted on an audio device and reproduced, for example. The data in the memory card cannot be read unless a device that can read the data is used.Therefore, it is necessary to exchange the memory card frequently and properly combine the device and the memory card. This has made the work and management of the memory card cumbersome.

Therefore, various devices have been proposed for managing a plurality of memory cards. For example, JP-A-4-
A memory card search device X described in Japanese Patent No. 367074 is provided with a plurality of memory card slots 111 as shown in FIG.
0 is inserted, and the terminal 112 that issues a search request is operated so that the information recorded in the memory card 111 can be searched at one time.

[0006]

However, the memory card 110 that can be used in the above-described memory card search device X must have an identification display lamp 113 for displaying a search result. Various types of memory cards generally do not have such an identification display lamp 113, that is, the types of memory cards 110 that can use the memory card search device X are very limited. This is a problem because the search device X cannot be used unless the user has the dedicated memory card 110.

[0007] Further, in the conventional memory card search device, since the user interface for operating the memory card is not properly prepared, it is possible to grasp which operation is actually performed on which memory card. This is very difficult and is problematic in terms of operability.
Further, the conventional memory card search device can only perform data search, so that it is inconvenient and inconvenient because, for example, data dubbing between memory cards cannot be performed.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to immediately detect information recorded on a memory card, and furthermore, to simultaneously detect a large number of memory cards at once. A memory card management device and a memory card management device capable of easily performing an information search and easily ascertaining which operation is being performed on which memory card. Is to provide a way.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, a memory card management device according to the first aspect of the present invention allows a memory card as a recording device for various data to be mounted thereon, A memory card management device having a memory card slot for performing data processing such as data search, writing, reading, reproduction, etc., and an instruction input means for inputting an instruction of data processing to be performed on the memory card. The presence or absence of the memory card in the memory card slot, the presence or absence of recording of various data in the memory card mounted in the memory card slot, and the recording of data in the memory card mounted in the memory card slot. Data type and data amount when the And said data type that can be recorded on the memory card and the recording data amount is, information on along with collected via the memory card slot according to an instruction inputted by the instruction input means,
Memory card slot control means for instructing the memory card slot to perform data processing on the memory card mounted on the memory card slot, and information collected by the memory card slot control means as inputs, Display information processing means for processing the information into display information that can be viewed and outputting the processed information to the outside.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the memory card management apparatus according to the first aspect, further comprising a display unit for displaying the display information processed by the display information processing unit. , Characterized in that.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the memory card management apparatus according to the second aspect, the memory card slot control means controls the physical configuration of the memory card slot. The display information processing means collects the information input from the memory card slot control means using the information regarding the physical arrangement. In the GUI (Graph
The display information is processed so that it can be displayed as an "ical user interface" screen, and the display means is an entire display means capable of simultaneously displaying all the display information processed by the display information processing means.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the memory card management apparatus according to the third aspect, a display monitor is provided as the overall display means.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the memory card management device according to the second aspect, the display means is configured to store the display information processed by the display information processing means in the memory. Individual display means capable of displaying for each card slot, one individual display means corresponding to one memory card slot,
The display information displayed on the individual display means is information on the memory card slot corresponding to the individual display means.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the memory card management apparatus according to the fifth aspect, one or a plurality of indicators are provided as the individual display means, and the individual indicators are turned on and off. The content of the display information is indicated by a blinking state.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the memory card management apparatus according to the sixth aspect, the indicator is provided near the memory card slot or in the memory card. It is characterized by.

In the memory card management device according to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the memory card management device according to the sixth or seventh aspect, the on / off state of the indicator is controlled by the display information processing means. That is characterized by

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the memory card management device according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, the insertion state of the memory card in the memory card slot is provided. And a state correspondence processing means for instructing the memory card slot control means how the memory card slot performs data processing on the memory card.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the memory card management apparatus according to the ninth aspect, an insertion control device for controlling an insertion state of the memory card is provided inside the memory card slot. A plurality of the status handling units are operated in conjunction with the insertion control device.

The memory card management device according to an eleventh aspect of the present invention is the memory card management device according to the tenth aspect, wherein the insertion control device operates in conjunction with the instruction input means. I do.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the memory card management apparatus according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects, wherein the plurality of memory card slots are provided. It is characterized by the following.

In the memory card management method according to the thirteenth aspect of the present invention, a memory card as a recording device for various data can be mounted, and data search, writing, reading, reproduction, etc. can be performed on the memory card. A memory card management method using a memory card slot for performing data processing, an instruction input step of inputting an instruction for data processing performed on the memory card, and the presence or absence of the memory card in the memory card slot, Whether or not various data are recorded on the memory card mounted on the memory card slot, and the type and amount of data when data is recorded on the memory card mounted on the memory card slot. Recording on the memory card installed in the memory card slot Information about the available data type and the amount of data that can be recorded, via the memory card slot, and according to the instruction input in the instruction input step, the information is stored in the memory card mounted in the memory card slot. A memory card slot control step of instructing the memory card slot to perform data processing on the memory card, and inputting the information collected in the memory card slot control step, processing the information into display information that can be viewed, and externally processing the information. And a display information processing step of outputting the information to the computer.

According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the memory card management method according to the thirteenth aspect, further comprising a display step of displaying the display information processed by the display information processing step. , Characterized in that.

In the memory card management method according to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, in the memory card management method according to the fourteenth aspect, the memory card slot control step is characterized in that the memory card slot is physically in any form. In the display information processing step, the information input from the memory card slot control step, using the information on the physical arrangement, in the display step, GUI (Graphical UserInte)
(rface) processing so that the display information can be displayed as a screen, and the display step is performed using an entire display device that can simultaneously display all of the display information processed in the display information processing step.

In a memory card management method according to a sixteenth aspect of the present invention, in the memory card management method according to the fifteenth aspect, the whole display step is performed using a display monitor.

In a memory card management method according to a seventeenth aspect of the present invention, in the memory card management method according to the fourteenth aspect, the display step includes the step of: displaying the display information processed in the display information processing step in the memory. The display is performed using an individual display device that can be displayed for each card slot, and the display information displayed on the individual display device is provided with one individual display device corresponding to one memory card slot. Information on the memory card slot corresponding to the display device.

According to the memory card management method of the present invention, in the memory card management method of the present invention, one or more indicators are used as the individual display devices, and the lighting of the indicators is performed. The content of the display information is indicated by a blinking state.

[0027] In a memory card management method according to a nineteenth aspect of the present invention, in the memory card management method according to the eighteenth aspect, the indicator is provided near the memory card slot or in the memory card. It is characterized by.

According to a twentieth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the memory card management method according to the twelfth aspect, wherein the indicator is turned on and off.
The blinking state is controlled in the display information processing step.

According to a memory card management method of the present invention, in the memory card management method of any one of claims 13 to 20, the state of insertion of the memory card in the memory card slot is provided. And a state correspondence processing step of instructing the memory card slot control step on how the memory card slot performs data processing on the memory card. .

According to a memory card management method of the present invention, in the memory card management method of the present invention, an insertion control device for controlling an insertion state of the memory card is provided inside the memory card slot. A plurality of the state corresponding processing steps are operated in conjunction with the insertion control device.

According to a memory card management method of the present invention, in the memory card management method of the present invention, the insertion control device operates in conjunction with the instruction input step. I do.

According to the memory card management method of the present invention, the memory card management method of any one of claims 13 to 23 is provided.
The memory card management method according to the item, wherein a plurality of the memory card slots are used simultaneously.

[0033]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The embodiment described here is merely an example, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to this embodiment.

(Embodiment 1) First, claim 1 of the present invention
A memory card management device according to claims 4 and a memory card management method according to claims 13 to 16 will be described as a first embodiment with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the memory card management device A according to the first embodiment, and FIGS. 2 to 5 are schematic diagrams showing an example of the memory card management device A. . As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the memory card management device A includes a memory card slot 11 in which a memory card 10 is mounted, an instruction input unit 4, a memory card slot control unit 1, and a display information processing unit 2. Have. Although the number of memory card slots 11 is not particularly limited, a description will be given here assuming that a plurality of (n) memory card slots are provided. The display device 3 for displaying information created by the display information processing means 2 as described later may be used by connecting it to the outside of the memory card management device A as shown in FIG. 2, the display device 3 may be incorporated in the memory card management device as shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. When the display device 3 is externally connected as shown in FIG. 3, the main body of the memory card management device A can be simplified, and when the display device 3 is incorporated as shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 4 or FIG. The simplicity that the device does not need to be connected is realized.

First, each member constituting the memory card management means A will be described with reference to FIGS. The memory card slot 11 can receive a memory card 10 which is a recording device for various data such as video data and audio data. Then, data processing such as data search, write, read, and reproduction is performed on the inserted memory card 10.

The instruction input means 4 instructs data processing to be performed on the memory card 10 inserted in the memory card slot 11, for example, searching, writing, and reading data recorded on the memory card 10. An instruction to perform data processing such as reproduction is input. The input instruction is output to the memory card slot 11 via the memory card slot control means 1 and receives the instruction.
Performs data processing on the memory card 10 inserted therein.

The memory card slot control means 1 determines whether or not there is a memory card 10 in each memory card slot 11, whether or not various data are recorded in the memory card 10 mounted in the memory card slot 11, Inserted memory card 1
0 and the data type and amount of data that can be recorded on the memory card 10 mounted on the memory card slot 11 and the information about the data type and amount of data that can be recorded on the memory card And outputs it to the display information processing means 2. Further, in accordance with an instruction input by the instruction input means 4, data processing is performed on the memory card 10 inserted in the memory card slot 11, for example, data search,
It instructs the memory card slot 11 to perform writing, reading, reproduction, and the like. Further, the memory card slot control means 1 includes information on the physical arrangement of the memory card slot 11 provided in the memory card management device A,
For example, in the case of FIG. 3, it relates to the physical arrangement of the memory card slot 11 "having a total of 16 memory card slots arranged in four rows vertically and four rows horizontally". If information is also collected, when creating display information in the display information processing means 2 to be described later, it is possible to intuitively determine which memory card 10 is being operated using this information on the physical arrangement. It becomes easy to create information that can be grasped. In the first embodiment, it is assumed that such an information collecting function is provided.

The display information processing means 2 inputs and manages the information collected by the memory card slot control means 1, processes the information into display information which can be visually recognized, and outputs the display information to the outside. For example, in the case of the memory card management device A having the form illustrated in FIG.
It has a total of 16 memory card slots arranged in rows and four rows. "," Of which memory card slots 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d, 1
1e has memory cards 10a, 10b, 10
c, 10d, and 10e are inserted. ", The video data is stored in the memory cards 10a and 10b,
Sound data is recorded in 0c. "The information collected by the memory card slot control means 1 through each memory card slot 11 is collectively managed," No information is recorded on the memory cards 10d and 10e (they are empty memory cards). " The information is processed and output as display information that can be visually recognized on the display device 3. Although the format of the display information processed and output by the display information processing means 2 is arbitrary, a form in which the information of the display information processing means 2 can be easily and collectively viewed on the display device 3, for example, a display device In step 3, it is preferable to process the information so that it can be displayed as a GUI screen.

The display device 3 displays the display information processed by the display information processing means 2. The display device 3 according to the first embodiment may be, for example, a display monitor.

The operation of the memory card management device A composed of the members described above will be described with reference to FIGS. First, the memory card 10 is inserted into the memory card slot 11. (Here, as shown in FIG.
It is assumed that the memory cards 10a to 10e are inserted into five memory card slots 11a to 11e. Next, the memory card slot control means 1 controls the memory card slot 11 of the memory card management device A.
Check which memory card slot 11 the memory card 10 is inserted into, and check each inserted memory card 10
The types of data recorded in a, 10b, 10c, 10d, and 10e are confirmed, and such information is collected and managed. At the same time, the memory card slot control means 1 determines the presence or absence of the memory card 10 in each memory card slot 11, the type of data recorded on the memory card 10 mounted on the memory card slot 11, Information on the physical arrangement and the physical arrangement is collected and collectively managed, and the information is output to the display information processing means 2.

The display information processing means 2 processes the information input from the memory card slot control means 1 into display information that can be visually recognized on the display screen 3 as a GUI screen, for example, and outputs the display information to the display means 3. Then, the display information is displayed on the display unit 3.

Next, while confirming the information displayed on the display means 3, the user inputs an instruction of data processing to be performed on each memory card 10 by the instruction input means 4.
For example, when dubbing the sound data recorded on the memory card 10c to the so-called empty memory cards 10d and 10e in which no information is recorded, the sound data recorded on the memory card 10c by the instruction input means 4 Is instructed to be dubbed to the memory cards 10d and 10e, the memory card 1 receiving the instruction is
0c is inserted into the memory card slot 11c.
The reproduction of the sound data recorded on the memory card 10c is started, while the memory card slots 11d and 11e into which the memory cards 10d and 10e are inserted are inserted into the memory card 10c reproduced by the memory card slot 11c.
Input the acoustic data recorded in the memory card 1
Recording is performed on 1d and 11e. During this time, the memory card slot control device 1 is set so that the other memory cards 11a and 11b are not erroneously dubbed.
Controls the memory card slots 11a and 11b into which the memory cards 10a and 10b are inserted. That is, the memory card slot control device 1 prevents sound data of the memory card 10a from being input to the memory card slots 11a and 11b.

Each of the memory card slots 11a to 11
e, the ongoing operation in e is also managed collectively by the memory card slot control means 1, and the information on the ongoing operation in the memory card management device A is based on the information input from the memory card slot control means 1. Thus, the display information processing means 2 processes the display information as display information by the display information processing means 2 so that the display information can be displayed on the GUI screen in real time. In other words, the user can understand at a glance the display means 3 which memory card is currently in what state and what kind of processing is being performed.

The memory card management device A according to the present embodiment operates as described above. In addition to the above-mentioned example, for example, the owned memory card 10 is inserted into the memory card slot 11 and the The usage method of searching for the memory card 10 recording the acoustic data, the number of recordable areas left in the memory card 10 inserted in the memory card slot 11,
Can be checked for a plurality of memory cards 10 at a time,
It is possible to use it.

With the memory card management apparatus A described above, it is possible to manage and operate a plurality of memory cards 10 at a time, and easily recognize which memory card 10 is in what state. It can be a very user-friendly device.

In the memory card management device according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the physical location of the memory card slot 11 and the position of the display device 3 are made to correspond to each other. If, for example, the display device 3 is arranged at a position very close to the memory card slot 11, the user can more intuitively grasp which memory card 10 the user is operating. In addition, an easy-to-understand operation feeling can be realized. In the example shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, it is perceived that the inside of the memory card management device is seen through the display device 3,
Easy-to-understand operability can be realized.

The memory card management device A has been described above. However, if the same effect can be obtained, it is not necessary to use the above-described members. That is, a memory card which is a recording device for various data can be inserted, and data search, write, read,
A memory card management method using a memory card slot for performing data processing such as reproduction and the like, comprising: an instruction input step of inputting an instruction for data processing to be performed on the memory card; Presence / absence, presence / absence of recording of various data in the memory card inserted in the memory card slot, and type and data of data when data is recorded in the memory card inserted in the memory card slot And information on the amount of data that can be recorded on the memory card mounted on the memory card slot and the amount of data that can be recorded on the memory card slot, are collected through the memory card slot, and are input by the instruction input step. Follow the instructions given to the memory card slot A memory card slot control step of instructing the memory card slot to perform data processing on the mounted memory card; and information collected in the memory card slot control step is input and the information is visually recognized. It is only necessary that a memory card management method having a display information processing step of processing into display information to be enabled and outputting the processed information to the outside can be realized.

[0049] Further, a display step of displaying the display information processed in the display information processing step is provided, and in the memory card slot control step, the physical form of the memory card slots is determined. Information on the physical arrangement is also collected, and in the display information processing step, information input from the memory card slot control step is converted into a GUI (Gr.
(a. User Interface) screen, and the display step includes:
A more suitable memory card management method can be achieved by using an entire display device that can simultaneously display all of the display information processed in the display information processing step.

(Embodiment 2) Next, the memory card management device according to any one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that one individual display means is provided for each memory card slot. And the memory card management method according to claims 17 to 20 of the present invention,
An embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the memory card management device B, and FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the memory card management device B. The components of the memory card management device B will be described with reference to these drawings, but the members that perform the same operations as those of the memory card management device B described in the first embodiment are given the same numbers, The description is omitted.

The memory card management device B can display the display information processed by the display information processing means 2 for each memory card slot 11 as compared with the memory card management device A described in the first embodiment. Individual display means
The only difference is that one memory card slot 11 is provided. In the second embodiment, the indicator 5 is provided as individual display means.

The indicators 5 are provided one by one next to each memory card slot 11, and the contents of the display information collected by the memory card slots 11 and processed by the display information processing means 2 are turned on and off. It is indicated by the state.

For example, when the memory card 10 is inserted into the memory card slot 11, the indicator 5 is turned on, and the memory card 10 is inserted into the memory card slot 11.
If no is inserted, the indicator 5 is turned off, and the memory card 10 in which only audio data is recorded is searched from the memory card 10 inserted in the memory card slot 11 through the instruction input means 4, for example. In this case, only the indicator 5 corresponding to the memory card slot 11 in which the corresponding memory card 10 is inserted repeats blinking.
0c is stored in the empty memory card 10
In the case of dubbing to d and 10e, the memory card 10c playing the audio data flashes at a long interval,
Empty memory card 10d, 1
If 0e blinks at short intervals, the state of the memory card 10 can be easily determined by the lighting / flashing state of the indicator 5.

As a method of using the indicator 5, the color of the indicator 5 is changed depending on the state of the memory card 10. For example, when audio data is recorded on the memory card 10, blue is turned on, and when video data is recorded, blue is lit. It is also conceivable that red light is turned on.

Further, although not specifically shown here, if a plurality of indicators 5 are provided for one memory card slot 11, it is conceivable to display a finer grained state. For example, if two indicators 5 are provided for one memory card slot 11,
The first indicator 5 indicates the type of data, and the other indicator 5 indicates the state of the memory card 10.
A blinking method is conceivable.

The on / off state of the indicator 5 in the second embodiment is controlled according to the contents of the display information created by the display information processing means 2. Since the memory card management device B according to the second embodiment is configured as described above, the state of the memory card 10 inserted into the memory card slot 11 can be immediately changed by just looking at the state of the indicator corresponding to the memory card slot 11. And a highly operable memory card management device.

Although not particularly shown or described in detail,
In the second embodiment, the indicator 5 may be provided in the memory card 10 in advance. By doing so, the configuration of the memory card management device B can be simplified.

Although the memory card management device B has been described above, a configuration other than that described above may be used as long as the same effect can be obtained. That is, a memory card management method using a memory card slot that allows a memory card as a recording device for various data to be mounted and that performs data processing such as data search, write, read, and playback on the memory card. An instruction input step of inputting an instruction of data processing to be performed on the memory card; presence / absence of the memory card in the memory card slot; and various types of data in the memory card mounted in the memory card slot. Whether data is recorded, the type and amount of data when data is recorded on the memory card mounted on the memory card slot, and data can be recorded on the memory card mounted on the memory card slot Information on the type of data and the amount of data that can be recorded. A memory that collects data via a memory card slot and instructs the memory card slot to perform data processing on the memory card mounted in the memory card slot in accordance with an instruction input in the instruction input step. A card slot control step, a display information processing step in which information collected in the memory card slot control step is input, and the information is processed into display information that can be viewed and output to the outside, and the display information processing step A display step of displaying the display information processed by the display information processing step, wherein the display step is performed using an individual display device capable of displaying the display information processed in the display information processing step for each of the memory card slots. , The individual display device is connected to one of the memory card slots. And the display information displayed on the individual display device is information on the memory card slot corresponding to the individual display device, thereby realizing a memory card management method. I just need.

Further, as an individual display device, one or a plurality of indicators are used in the vicinity of the memory card slot, and the contents of the display information are indicated by the lighting and blinking states of the indicators. If provided in the vicinity of the memory card slot or on the memory card, and the lighting / flashing state of the indicator is controlled in the display information processing step, a more suitable memory card management method can be obtained. The device is not limited to the above-described configuration as long as the device can realize a simple method.

(Embodiment 3) Next, claim 9 of the present invention will be described.
And instructing the memory card slot control means how the memory card slot performs data processing on the memory card in accordance with the state of insertion of the memory card in the memory card slot according to claim 11.
A memory card management device provided with a state correspondence processing means and a memory card management method according to claims 21 to 23 will be described below as a third embodiment.

FIG. 8 shows the state of the memory card slot 11 corresponding to the insertion state of the memory card 10 in the memory card slot 11 provided in the memory card management device A.
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the state correspondence processing means 20 instructing the memory card slot control means 1 how to perform data processing on the memory card 10. The state correspondence processing means 20 will be described with reference to FIG. Note that the memory card slot 11 shown here is provided in the memory card management device A described in the first embodiment, but this is the same as the memory card management device B described in the second embodiment. May be prepared for.

As shown in FIG. 8, the state correspondence processing means 2
0 is provided with a plurality of insertion control devices for controlling the insertion state of the memory card 10. In the third embodiment, the insertion control device includes a first switch 21 and a second switch 21.
The switch 22 is used. Although the first switch 21 and the second switch 22 have a saucer shape, they are not limited to this shape as long as the same effects can be obtained as described below.

First, as shown in FIG. 8A, when the memory card 10 is inserted into the memory card slot 11, the tip of the memory card 10 contacts the first switch 21 as shown in FIG. In this state, the first switch 21 is turned on, the memory card slot 11 recognizes that the memory card 10 has been inserted, and outputs this information to the memory card slot control means 1. Then, when the memory card 10 is further inserted, this time, FIG.
As shown in (1), the first switch 21 that is still in contact with the memory card 10 contacts the second switch 22. Then, the second
The switch 22 is turned on, and the memory card slot 11 outputs to the memory card slot control device 1 that the second switch 22 is turned on.

The operation of the memory card slot 11 when the first switch 21 and the second switch 22 are turned on may be set in advance, or when these switches are turned on. Alternatively, the memory card slot controller 1 may be automatically notified that these switches have been turned on. When the operation of the memory card slot 11 is set in advance, for example, when the first switch 21 is turned on, data is written to the memory card 10 or recorded on the memory card 10 in the memory card slot 11. When the second switch 22 is turned on, a program corresponding to the data recorded on the inserted memory card 10 is started in the memory card slot 11, It is conceivable to set in advance such as automatically starting the execution. If only the switch is turned on automatically, the command input by the command input means 4 is not accepted unless the switch is turned on.
Such a configuration is adopted. The display device 3 (or the indicator 5) always keeps showing the state of the memory card 10, that is, the state such as "current data is being reproduced" or "current data is being recorded".

With such a configuration, a memory card management apparatus having such a state correspondence processing means 20 can directly operate the memory card 10 only by inserting and removing the memory card 10. Also, by properly inserting the memory card 10, it becomes possible to prevent malfunction of the memory card management device,
Since it is possible to specifically and intuitively determine which memory card 10 is being operated, and to prevent malfunction, a suitable memory card management device can be provided.

Further, in the memory card management device provided with the state correspondence processing means 20, the instruction input device 4
The first switch 21 in conjunction with the instruction input by
If the second switch 22 is operated, for example, when the instruction input device 4 instructs the removal of the memory card 10, the first switch 21 and the second switch 2
2 automatically reacts and automatically ejects the memory card 10, thereby also providing a highly operable memory card management device.

Although the memory card management device provided with the status correspondence processing device has been described above, a configuration other than that described above may be used as long as the same effect can be obtained.
That is, a memory card management method using a memory card slot that allows a memory card as a recording device for various data to be mounted and that performs data processing such as data search, write, read, and playback on the memory card. An instruction input step of inputting an instruction of data processing to be performed on the memory card; presence / absence of the memory card in the memory card slot; and various types of data in the memory card mounted in the memory card slot. Whether data is recorded, the type and amount of data when data is recorded on the memory card mounted on the memory card slot, and data can be recorded on the memory card mounted on the memory card slot Information on the type of data and the amount of data that can be recorded. A memory that collects data via a memory card slot and instructs the memory card slot to perform data processing on the memory card mounted in the memory card slot in accordance with an instruction input in the instruction input step. A card slot control step, a display information processing step in which information collected in the memory card slot control step is input, and the information is processed into display information that can be viewed and output to the outside, and the display information processing step A memory card management method comprising a display step of displaying the display information processed by the memory card slot, the memory card slot corresponding to the insertion state of the memory card in the memory card slot, How to process data Instructs the memory card slot control step, with a state corresponding process steps, as long as it can realize a memory card management method.

The display device used in the display step at this time may be a display device or an indicator. Further, inside the memory card slot, a plurality of insertion control devices for controlling the insertion state of the memory card are provided, the state corresponding processing step is operated in conjunction with the insertion control device, and the insertion control device is By operating in conjunction with the instruction input step, a more suitable memory card management method can be realized, and the device is not limited to the above-described configuration as long as it can realize such a method.

In the memory card management apparatus according to the first to third embodiments described above, a plurality of memory card slots are mounted. However, by mounting a plurality of memory card slots, The following operations can be performed.

That is, the information of the memory card is obtained and displayed, the content is changed or edited, the data is moved or copied between the memory cards, and the memory card management device is connected to an external device. Information recording device, for example, P
Performing operations such as copying information recorded on the external information recording device to the memory card, and copying information from the memory card 10 to the external information recording device in connection with the hard disk of C. Can be.

As shown in FIG. 9, the memory card management device described above is built in equipment such as a PC, an audio device, a video device, a network home appliance, an electronic book, and an information terminal. It is conceivable to use these devices as peripheral devices. The memory card management method described above can be used for these devices.

[0073]

As described above, according to the memory card management device of the first aspect of the present invention, the instruction input means for inputting an instruction for data processing, various information in the memory card slot are collected, Memory card slot control means for writing and reading data to and from the memory card, and display information processing means for managing the information collected by the memory card slot control means and outputting the information to the outside; This has the effect that operations such as searching for data recorded on the memory card and writing and reading data to and from the memory card can be performed at once. The same effect can be obtained by the memory card management method according to the thirteenth aspect of the present invention.

According to the memory card management measure of the second aspect of the present invention, since the display means for displaying information is provided, it is possible to easily visually recognize which memory card is operated. It has the effect of. Also, the memory card management method according to claim 14 of the present invention can provide the same effect.

According to the memory card management device of the third aspect of the present invention, the memory card slot control means can collect information on the physical arrangement of the memory card slots and display the information as a GUI screen. In this way, the display means is a general display means that displays all the information at the same time, so that all the information can be easily visually recognized at a glance as to which memory card is being operated. And the operability can be made very excellent. In addition, the same effect can be obtained by the memory card management method according to claim 15 of the present invention.

According to the memory card management device of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the display monitor is provided as the entire display means, so that the displayed information is easily viewed. Also, the same effect can be obtained by the memory card management method according to claim 16 of the present invention.

According to the memory card management device of the fifth aspect of the present invention, one individual display means corresponding to one memory card is provided as the display means.
This has the effect that the state of each memory card can be easily determined. Further, the same effect can be obtained by the memory card management method according to the seventeenth aspect of the present invention.

According to the memory card management device of the sixth aspect of the present invention, one or a plurality of indicators are provided close to one memory card slot. This has an effect that the state of the memory card inserted into the memory card slot can be immediately recognized. Also, the memory card management method according to claim 18 of the present invention can provide the same effect.

According to the memory card management device of the present invention, since the lighting state of the indicator is controlled by the display information processing means, the state of the memory card can be immediately recognized by looking at the lighting state of the indicator. It has the effect of. The same effect can be obtained by the memory card management method according to the nineteenth aspect of the present invention.

According to the memory card management device of the eighth aspect of the present invention, since the indicator is provided directly on the memory card, there is an effect that the configuration of the memory card management device can be simplified. Also, the memory card management method according to the twentieth aspect of the present invention can provide the same effect.

According to the memory card management apparatus of the ninth aspect of the present invention, since the memory card management apparatus is provided with the state correspondence processing means for performing data processing on the memory card in accordance with the state of insertion of the memory card into the memory card slot, It is possible to determine what kind of processing of a memory card is to be performed simply by inserting the memory card into the memory card slot, and to prevent malfunction or erroneous operation of the device. The same effect can be obtained by the memory card management method according to the twenty-first aspect of the present invention.

According to the memory card management device of the tenth aspect of the present invention, since a plurality of switches are provided and the processing of the state correspondence processing means is linked with the operation of the switches, the insertion state of the memory card is regulated by the switches. At the same time, the processing contents of the memory card are automatically determined by the state of the switch. Claim 22 of the present invention
The same effect can be obtained by the memory card management method described in (1).

According to the memory card management device of the present invention, since the switch operates in conjunction with the instruction input means, for example, the data processing of the memory card can be performed without directly operating the memory card. The memory card insertion state is automatically operated, for example, the memory card is automatically ejected when the operation is completed. Also, the same effect can be obtained by the memory card management method according to claim 23 of the present invention.

In the memory card management device according to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, since a plurality of memory card slots are provided, there is an effect that a plurality of memory cards can be managed collectively. The same effect can be obtained by the memory card management method according to claim 24 of the present invention.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the concept of a memory card management device according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a memory card management device according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing another example of the memory card management device according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing another example of the memory card management device according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing another example of the memory card management device according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a concept of a memory card management device according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a memory card management device according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a concept of a state-adaptive processing device according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of use of the memory card management device according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a conventional memory card management device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List A memory card management device B memory card management device 1 memory card slot control means 2 display information preparation means 3 display means 4 instruction input means 5 indicator 10 memory card 11 memory card slot 20 state correspondence processing means 21 first switch 22 second switch X Memory card management device 110 Memory card 111 Memory card slot 112 Terminal 113 Identification display lamp

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Masayuki Yoshikawa 1006 Kadoma Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture Inside Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. F term (reference) 5B058 CA26 KA02 KA06 KA13 YA20

Claims (24)

[Claims] 1. A memory card having a memory card slot capable of mounting a memory card as a recording device for various data, and performing data processing such as data search, write, read, and reproduction on the memory card. An instruction input means for inputting an instruction of data processing to be performed on the memory card, presence / absence of the memory card in the memory card slot, and information on the memory card inserted in the memory card slot. Whether or not various data are recorded, the type and amount of data when data is recorded on the memory card mounted on the memory card slot, and the data recorded on the memory card mounted on the memory card slot Information on the types of data that can be recorded and the amount of data that can be recorded A memory that collects data via a memory card slot and instructs the memory card slot to perform data processing on the memory card mounted in the memory card slot in accordance with an instruction input by the instruction input means. Card slot control means, and display information processing means for inputting information collected by the memory card slot control means, processing the information into display information that can be viewed, and outputting the display information to the outside. Memory card management device. 2. The memory card management device according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit that displays the display information processed by the display information processing unit. 3. The memory card management device according to claim 2, wherein the memory card slot control means stores information on a physical arrangement of the memory card slot in a physical manner. The display information processing means uses the information regarding the physical arrangement to display information input from the memory card slot control means on the display means using a GUI (Graph).
a memory card that is processed so that it can be displayed as a personal user interface screen, and the display means is an entire display means that can simultaneously display all of the display information processed by the display information processing means. Management device. 4. The memory card management device according to claim 3, wherein a display monitor is provided as the entire display unit. 5. The memory card management device according to claim 2, wherein the display unit is an individual display unit that can display the display information processed by the display information processing unit for each of the memory card slots. One individual display means is provided corresponding to one memory card slot, and the display information displayed on the individual display means is information on the memory card slot corresponding to the individual display means. Characteristic memory card management device. 6. The memory card management device according to claim 5, wherein one or a plurality of indicators are provided as the individual display means, and the contents of the display information are indicated by lighting and blinking states of the indicators. Characteristic memory card management device. 7. The memory card management device according to claim 6, wherein the indicator is provided near the memory card slot or in the memory card. 8. The memory card management device according to claim 6, wherein a lighting and blinking state of the indicator is controlled by the display information processing means. 9. The memory card management device according to claim 1, wherein the memory card slot is connected to the memory card in accordance with an insertion state of the memory card in the memory card slot. A memory card management device, comprising: a state correspondence processing unit that instructs the memory card slot control unit how to perform data processing on the memory card slot control unit. 10. The memory card management device according to claim 9, further comprising: a plurality of insertion control devices for controlling an insertion state of the memory card inside the memory card slot, wherein the state correspondence processing unit includes the insertion control device. A memory card management device that operates in conjunction with the memory card. 11. The memory card management device according to claim 10, wherein said insertion control device operates in conjunction with said instruction input means. 12. The method according to claim 1, wherein
Item 3. The memory card management device according to Item 2, wherein the memory card slot is provided in plurality. 13. A memory card using a memory card slot which allows a memory card as a recording device for various data to be mounted thereon and performs data processing such as data search, write, read, and reproduction on the memory card. An instruction inputting step of inputting an instruction of data processing to be performed on the memory card; a presence / absence of the memory card in the memory card slot; and a method of managing the memory card inserted in the memory card slot. Whether or not various data are recorded, the type and amount of data when data is recorded on the memory card mounted on the memory card slot, and the memory card mounted on the memory card slot Recordable data type and recordable data amount Information is collected through the memory card slot, and the memory card slot is instructed to perform data processing on the memory card mounted in the memory card slot according to an instruction input in the instruction input step. A memory card slot control step of performing, and a display information processing step of inputting the information collected in the memory card slot control step, processing the information into display information that can be viewed, and outputting the display information to the outside, A memory card management method, characterized in that: 14. The memory card management method according to claim 13, further comprising a display step of displaying the display information processed in the display information processing step. 15. The memory card management method according to claim 14, wherein the memory card slot control step also includes information on a physical arrangement of the memory card slots in a physical manner. The display information processing step collects information input from the memory card slot control step by using the information on the physical arrangement in the display step.
I (Graphical User Interface)
e) a memory card which is processed so that it can be displayed as a screen, and wherein the display step is performed using an entire display device which can simultaneously display all of the display information processed in the display information processing step. Management method. 16. The memory card management method according to claim 15, wherein the whole display step is performed using a display monitor. 17. The memory card management method according to claim 14, wherein the display step uses an individual display device capable of displaying the display information processed in the display information processing step for each of the memory card slots. The display information displayed on the individual display device is information on the memory card slot corresponding to the individual display device. A memory card management method, characterized in that: 18. The memory card management method according to claim 17, wherein one or a plurality of indicators are used as the individual display devices, and the contents of the display information are indicated by lighting and blinking states of the indicators. Characteristic memory card management method. 19. The memory card management method according to claim 18, wherein the indicator is provided near the memory card slot or on the memory card. 20. The memory card management method according to claim 18 or 19, wherein a lighting and blinking state of the indicator is controlled in the display information processing step. 21. The memory card management method according to claim 13, wherein the memory card slot is connected to the memory card according to an insertion state of the memory card in the memory card slot. A memory card management method, comprising: instructing the memory card slot control step how to perform data processing on the memory card slot control step. 22. The memory card management method according to claim 21, further comprising a plurality of insertion control devices for controlling an insertion state of the memory card inside the memory card slot, wherein the state corresponding processing step is performed by the insertion control device. A memory card management method, which operates in conjunction with a memory card. 23. The memory card management method according to claim 22, wherein the insertion control device operates in conjunction with the instruction input step. 24. The memory card management method according to claim 13, wherein a plurality of said memory card slots are used at the same time.