JPS63175261A - External memory device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To correctly set a recording medium back to its original storing cell even though a service interruption occurs in a record or reproduction mode, by providing a position record holding means which holds the information recorded to a position recording medium when the power supply of an external memory is cut off. CONSTITUTION:A register 18, for example, is used as a position recording means to record the position where a recording medium is held in a storing means 15. When the recording or reproducing is through with the recording medium via a recording/reproducing means 13, the recording medium is set back into its original storing cell based on the cell address recorded on the position recording means 18. A back-up battery 19, for example, is connected to the means 18 as a position record holding means to work when the power supply of an external memory is cut off. Thus the recording medium can be easily sent back into its original storing cell by means of the cell address recorded into the external memory. As a result, the cell address is never lost despite a sudden cut-off of a power supply. Then the recording medium can be correctly sent back into its storing cell.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an external storage device, and in particular to an external storage device that has a large number of exchangeable recording media in the device and automatically transfers these recording media to recording/reproducing means. This invention relates to an external storage device that can be loaded and has an automatic loading means.

〔overview〕

The present invention has a plurality of exchangeable recording media in a device,
In an external storage device equipped with an automatic loading means that can automatically load these recording media into the recording/reproducing means, a position record records the position where the recording medium was held before being transferred to the recording/reproducing means. and a position recording holding means for retaining the information recorded in the position recording means when the external storage device is powered off, thereby returning the recording medium from the recording/reproducing means to the original storage cell. This makes it easy to handle, prevents the location recording information from being lost even in the event of an unexpected power cut, and allows the recording medium to be correctly returned to its original storage cell.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, this type of external storage device with an automatic loading means stores a large number of recording media in a storage in the device, and automatically takes out the medium from each storage cell of the storage selected based on instructions from software. Load (mount) this into the recording/playback means in the same device, and after the recording or playback operation is finished, similarly remove the recording medium from the recording/playback means based on the instructions of the software (demount) and place it in the storage. It was stored in the specified storage cell.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

The above-mentioned conventional external storage device with automatic loading means returns the recording medium to the storage cell specified by the software after the recording or playback operation of the recording medium is completed, so the software memorizes the position to which the recording medium should be returned. This had the disadvantage of making the software complicated. Furthermore, since the stored information disappears when the power is turned off, there is a drawback that if a power outage occurs during recording or reproduction, it is difficult to return the recording medium to its original storage cell.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate the above drawbacks, thereby simplifying the process of returning a recording medium to its original storage cell, and correctly returning the recording medium to its original storage cell even if there is a power outage during recording or playback. An object of the present invention is to provide an external storage device with an automatic loading means that can be loaded.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention provides a storage means for individually holding a plurality of recording media, a recording/reproducing means for recording and/or reproducing information on the recording medium, and an arbitrary function between the storage means and the recording/reproducing means. a position recording means for recording the position where the recording medium transferred to the recording/reproducing means was held before being transferred; The apparatus is characterized in that it includes a position record holding means for holding the information recorded in the position record means when the power of the apparatus is turned off.

Further, in the present invention, it is preferable that the position record keeping means includes a backup power source.

[Effect]

For example, a register is used as the position recording means to record the position (cell address) at which the recording medium is held in the storage means. After the recording/reproducing means finishes recording or reproducing the recording medium, the recording medium is returned to the original storage cell using the cell address recorded in the position recording means. Furthermore, a backup battery, for example, is connected to this position recording means as a position record holding means, in preparation for when the external storage device is powered off.

Therefore, when returning the recording medium to its original storage cell, the host device no longer needs to manage the restorage cell address as in the past, and can easily restore the storage medium using the cell address recorded in the external storage device. It becomes possible to return the device to the storage cell, and the required software becomes simple. Furthermore, even if the power is unexpectedly cut off, the cell address is not lost, making it possible to accurately return the recording medium to its original storage cell.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

The figure is a block configuration diagram of an optical disk device with automatic loading means as an embodiment of the present invention. The optical disk device 10 of this embodiment is connected to host devices 20 and 30. The optical disk device 10 includes a host device connection unit 11 that controls the interface when transferring data and status, a microprocessor 12 that controls and monitors the operation of the entire optical disk device, and a microprocessor 12 that rotates the optical disk medium. , a recording/reproducing means 13 for reading and writing data using a laser beam, a recording/reproducing control section 14 for controlling data transfer to the recording/reproducing means 13, giving operation instructions, detecting errors, etc., and is shaped like a cartridge. A hangar 15 as a storage means that can store a large number of optical disk media and is composed of a collection of storage cells (each storage cell is assigned a number, ie, a cell address) that stores one optical disk medium; 15 storage cells and the recording/playback means 13; an automatic loading means control section 17 that gives operation instructions to the automatic loading means 16; detects errors; and a microprocessor. 12 is automatic loading means 1
6 to take out an optical disk medium from an arbitrary storage cell in the hangar 15 and instruct it to be transferred to the recording/reproducing means 13, and when that operation is completed, the cell in the hangar 15 where the medium was stored before being transferred. It includes a register 18 as a position recording means for storing addresses, and a rechargeable battery 19 as a position record holding means that supplies electric power to the register 18 when the optical disk device 10 is powered off. Note that the microprocessor 12, the recording/reproduction control section 14, the automatic loading means 16, and the automatic loading means control section 17
constitutes a means of transportation.

A feature of the present invention is that a resistor 18 and a battery 19 are provided in the figure.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained. Upper device 20
The instructions and data sent from the host device through the host device connection section 11 are decoded by the microprocessor 12, and when it is determined that the instruction is a medium transfer instruction, the microprocessor 12 automatically transfers the instruction through the automatic loading means control section 17. The loading means 16 is instructed to transport the optical disk medium. If the transfer operation at this time is an operation of transferring the optical disk medium from the nth storage cell of the hangar 15, that is, the cell address #n, to the recording/reproducing means 13, the microprocessor 12 causes the automatic loading means 16 to terminate the operation. After waiting, when it is confirmed that the process has completed normally, the cell address #n is stored in the register 18. In other words, the register 18 records
This means that the storage cell address of the medium loaded in the reproducing means 13 before being transferred is recorded.

Even if the host device 20 and the optical disk device 10 are powered off while the optical disk medium is loaded in the recording/reproducing means 13, the register 18 continues to supply power according to batch January 9! The information recorded there is retained because it is available continuously.

Therefore, when the power supply is resumed, the host device 20 recognizes the optical disk medium still loaded in the recording/reproducing means 13 and sends an unload (UNROAD) command to record/reproduce the optical disk medium. After making it possible to demount from the means 13, the automatic loading means 16 instructs the recording/reproducing means 13 to store the optical disk medium in the storage 15 again. At this time, the microprocessor 12 instructs the automatic loading means control unit 17 to use the cell address recorded in the register 18 as the restorage cell address.

Therefore, even if the host device 20 does not know the re-storage cell address of the medium mounted before the power was turned off, it can return the medium to its original cell. The host device 2° can then mount the new medium on the recording/playback means 13 and perform necessary recording and/or playback processing.

Similarly, the medium mounted by the host device 30 can be returned to the original storage cell by the host device 20.

In this embodiment, the number of host devices is two, but even if a larger number of host devices are connected, they can be controlled in exactly the same way. Further, in this embodiment, the register 18 is replaced by the battery 19.
However, register 18
It is clear that it is possible to use non-volatile memory such as a floppy disk drive, magnetic bubble memory, etc. in place of the batch 1/9.

Further, although this embodiment uses an optical disk device as the external storage device, the present invention can be similarly applied to magnetic disk devices and the like.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention records the cell address where the recording medium was stored immediately before mounting the recording medium of the external storage device on the recording/reproducing means, and then the recording medium is used for recording/reproducing. When returning from the reproducing means to the original storage cell, the host device uses the cell address recorded in the external storage device without being instructed by the host device to specify the original storage cell address. There is no need to manage it, and it can also be demounted by a higher-level device that is different from the one used when mounting it and returned to its original storage cell, which has the effect of simplifying the software.

Furthermore, even if the power is unexpectedly cut off while the recording medium is mounted on the recording/playback means, it becomes possible to return the recording medium to its original storage cell without operator intervention after the power is restored. effective.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an optical disk device of an automatic loading means according to an embodiment of the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Optical disk device, 11... Upper device connection part, 12... Microprocessor, 13... Recording/playback means, 14... Recording/playback control part, 15... Hangar, 16 ... automatic loading means, 17 ... automatic loading means control section, 18 ... register, 19 ... battery, 2
0.30... Upper device. Agent: Patent Attorney Nao Takashi Ide・i゛-2・・Kakegi (, I & En)

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) Storage means (15
), a recording/reproducing means (13) for recording and/or reproducing information on the recording medium, and a transport means for transporting the recording medium to an arbitrary position between the storage means and the recording/reproducing means. (12, 14, 16
, 17), a position recording means (18) for recording the position where the recording medium transferred to the recording/reproducing means was held before being transferred, and when the power of the external storage device is turned off, An external storage device characterized by comprising: position record holding means (19) for holding information recorded in the position record means. (2) The external storage device according to claim (1), wherein the position record holding means includes a backup power source.