JPH09319464A - Connector, switching circuit, and information processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To share a fixed disk with another information processor by providing a dedicated connector and a fixed disk switching circuit at an information processor. SOLUTION: When utilizing a 2nd fixed disk 3 built in another information processor 2, at an information processor 1, the fixed disk is connected through dedicated connection cables 6 to input side and output side shared connectors 4 and 5 and signals required for controlling the 2nd fixed disk 3 are exchanged. When this dedicated connection cable 6 is connected to the (input side) shared connector 4, the information processor 1 automatically recognizes the 2nd fixed disk 3 as a 2nd fixed disk through a switching circuit 7. When the dedicated connection cable 6 is connected to the (output side) shared connector 5, the other information processor 2 automatically disconnects the 2nd fixed disk 3 through the switching circuit 7.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information processing device, and more particularly to a connector and a switching circuit connected to a peripheral device control circuit.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a peripheral device built in an information processing device is shared with another information processing device, it is necessary to replace the peripheral device.

File slots, file bays, and the like are known as conventional publicly known examples.

This prior art standardizes the connection part and the outer shape of the peripheral device so that the peripheral device built in the information processing device can be easily removed, and is standardized based on this standard. It can be easily attached to another information processing device.

[0005]

The first problem is that the conventional peripherals can be accessed only by those built in the main body of the information processing apparatus, and a dedicated conversion board is required to use the external peripherals. Will be required.

Further, the peripheral equipment built in the information processing apparatus requires specialized knowledge and a lot of trouble to be accessed from another information processing apparatus, and the files of the peripheral equipment built in the other information processing apparatus are required. To use it, it is necessary to copy it to the peripheral device of the information processing device to be used or replace the peripheral device.

The reason is that the conventional information processing apparatus does not have a connector for sharing a peripheral device with another information processing apparatus.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to enable easy access from other information processing devices without the need to remove and install peripheral devices incorporated in the information processing devices, and This is to eliminate the need to hold the same file in fixed disks of a plurality of information processing devices, and to eliminate the need to copy files between information processing devices each time it is used.

Therefore, (1) the connector of the present invention has a function of connecting a peripheral device built in the information processing apparatus to another information processing apparatus and allowing the other information processing apparatus to access the peripheral apparatus. It has a feature. (2) The switching circuit of the present invention has a function of disconnecting the built-in peripheral device from the information processing device when the cable is connected to the connector of (1) and connecting the other information processing device connected by the cable. It is characterized by having. (3) The information processing apparatus according to the present invention includes the connector of (1) above.
It is characterized by having the switching circuit of (2).

[0010]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an information processing apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a structural diagram showing the shared connectors (input side) 4 and (output side) 5 of the fixed disk shown in FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the switching circuit 7 of FIG.

In FIG. 1, when the second fixed disk 3 built in another information processing apparatus 2 is used in the information processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, a shared connector (input side) of the fixed disk is used. Connect to 4 with dedicated connection cable 6,
The signals necessary for controlling the second fixed disk 3 are transmitted and received.

When the dedicated connection cable 6 is connected to the shared connector (input side) 4, the input connection signal 1 shown in FIG.
3, the information processing apparatus 1 is connected to the fixed disk control circuit 9 so that the switching circuit 7 automatically recognizes the second fixed disk 3 as the second fixed disk.

At this time, the built-in second fixed disk 10 is automatically separated. Then, the first fixed disk 8 is used as it is as the first fixed disk.

When the dedicated connection cable 6 is connected to the shared connector (output side) 5, the output connection signal 14 shown in FIG. 3 is detected, and the switching circuit 7 causes the other information processing device 2 to automatically make the second fixed connection. The disk 3 is separated and the control signal is output to the dedicated connection cable 6.

Next, specific structures and operations of the shared connectors (input side) 4 and (output side) 5 of the fixed disk will be described with reference to FIG.

In addition to the fixed disk control signal, a signal line for recognizing that the dedicated connection cable 6 is connected is wired to the shared connector.

With this signal line, the information processing apparatus has an input connection signal 13 and an output shown in FIG. 3, which of the shared connector (input side) 4 and the shared connector (output side) 5 the dedicated connection cable 6 is connected to. It can be recognized as the connection signal 14.

Further, by the same method, it can be recognized that the dedicated connection cable 6 is not connected to either of them.

Next, the specific structure and operation of the switching circuit 7 will be described with reference to FIG.

The changeover circuit 7 comprises a changeover switch 11 and a changeover switch control circuit 16.

The changeover switch control circuit 16 is connected to which side of the shared connector the dedicated connection cable is connected by the input connection signal 13 and the output connection signal 14 due to the connection of the recognition signal line in FIG. The changeover switch 11 is controlled by recognizing whether it is not connected to either of them.

When the changeover switch 11 is connected to the input side, the changeover switch 11 connects between ACs, and the signal 1 from the shared connector is connected.
2 and the signal 15 to the fixed disk control circuit are connected, and if they are connected to the output side, BC is connected,
The signal 17 to the second fixed disk and the signal 12 from the shared connector are connected. Further, when the changeover switch 11 is not connected to either the input side or the output side, A
B is connected to connect the signal 17 to the second fixed disk and the signal 15 to the fixed disk control circuit.

[0024]

The first effect is that the built-in peripheral device can be shared with other information processing devices without causing work such as removal and installation of the built-in peripheral device, and the same file can be processed by a plurality of information processing devices. This is to eliminate the need to hold the fixed disk of the device and to eliminate the need to copy files between information processing devices each time the device is used.

The reason is that a dedicated connector for sharing a peripheral device with another information processing apparatus is provided, and when connected to the connector, the signal connection of the peripheral device is switched by the switching circuit.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an information processing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a shared connector (input side) of the fixed disk of FIG.
4 is a structural diagram showing 4 and (output side) 5. FIG.

3 is a configuration diagram showing a switching circuit 7 in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Information processing device (input side) 2 Information processing device (output side) 3 Second fixed disk 4 Shared connector (input side) 5 Shared connector (output side) 6 Connection cable 7 Switching circuit 8 First fixed disk 9 Fixed Disk control circuit 10 Second fixed disk 11 Changeover switch 12 Fixed disk control signal from shared connector 13 Input connection signal 14 Output connection signal 15 Signal to fixed disk control circuit 16 Changeover switch control circuit 17 To second fixed disk signal

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A connector having a function of connecting a peripheral device built in an information processing device to another information processing device and allowing the peripheral device to be accessed from the other information processing device. 2. When a cable is connected to the connector according to claim 1, it has a function of disconnecting the built-in peripheral device from the information processing apparatus and connecting it to the other information processing apparatus connected by the cable. Switching circuit characterized by. 3. An information processing apparatus comprising the connector according to claim 1 and the switching circuit according to claim 2.