KR0176488B1 - Automatic changing device for cd-rom - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a CD-ROM automatic exchange device for automatically exchanging and accessing a predetermined type of CD-ROM title. The CD-ROM exchanger includes a selection unit for selecting data output from a plurality of disk drives of a CD-ROM exchanger, and serial data output from the selection unit. A decoder that performs a series of data processing such as error correction on the parallel data converted by the code conversion unit for converting the data or the command data output from the computer, and converts the output data of the decoder into readable data by the computer to the computer And a host interface unit for converting command data output from the computer or outputted from the computer into readable data by the CD-ROM exchanger, and a microcomputer for outputting control signals to the respective units. Remove the corresponding disk By automatically exchange the disk drive and playback, you can find the desired disc at high speed and also prevent damage to the disc and gives comfort because the disk exchange is performed automatically.

Description

CD-ROM automatic changer

1 is a block diagram of a CD-ROM automatic exchange device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a detailed block diagram of the controller of FIG.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

100: cdrom exchange 200: host computer

300: controller 301, 306: input / output terminal

302: selection unit 303: code conversion unit

304: decoder 305: host interface

307: micom

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic CD-ROM exchanger, and more particularly, to an automatic CD-ROM exchanger for automatically exchanging and accessing a certain type of CD-ROM title. Usually, when a CD-ROM drive is attached to a personal computer, various music can be listened to even without a CD-ROM title. In other words, the computer provides a cool CD player function. However, since a CD-ROM drive is installed in a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a host computer), only one disk can be accessed, and there is an inconvenience of manually changing the disk in order to watch or listen to another disk. In other words, if all the contents related to a CD-ROM are included, it can be directly accessed. If not, for example, patent materials, library books, and dictionaries are stored in each CD-ROM, and the contents are continuously accessed. In order to do this, you have to change disks manually. Accordingly, there has been a problem that the disk access time is long, and the disk is easily damaged by exposing the disk to the outside.

Disclosure of Invention The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a CD-ROM disc changer and to automatically change and replay a disc according to a disc change command from a host computer, thereby providing a convenient disc for a user. The present invention provides a CD-ROM automatic exchange device which can be found at high speed and also prevents a disk from being damaged.

A feature of the CD-ROM automatic swapping device according to the present invention for achieving the above object is that a predetermined number of disks on which a plurality of CD-ROM disks are mounted and a predetermined disk for loading and reproducing the corresponding disk mounted in the bank by a disk exchange command. A CD-ROM exchanger comprising a CD-ROM exchanger in which a drive is installed, and a computer for outputting a disk exchange command to the CD-ROM exchanger, the CD-ROM exchanger comprising: a selection unit for selecting data output from a plurality of disk drives of the CD-ROM exchanger; A code conversion unit for converting the serial data output to parallel data, a decoder for performing a series of data processing such as error correction to the parallel data converted from the code conversion unit or command data output from a computer, and output data of the decoder To convert the computer into readable data A host interface unit and a microcomputer that output control signals to the units are provided.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, a preferred embodiment of an automatic changer according to the present invention will be described.

1 is a block diagram of a CD-ROM automatic exchange device according to the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the CD-ROM changer 100 includes a plurality of CD-ROM disk drives 102a for loading and playing banks 101a and 101b for mounting predetermined CD-ROM disks and CD-ROM disks mounted in the banks 101a and 101b. To 102d). In this case, the use of one or more of the banks 101a and 101b is a CD-ROM which is frequently used when a plurality of host computers are connected to the CD-ROM exchanger 100 and loaded into a disk in a multi-task to perform multitasking. The disk is mounted in each bank to speed up the disk's access speed. At this time, the number of CD-ROM disks mounted in the bank varies depending on the capacity of the bank. In addition, the CD-ROM changer 100 is equipped with two or more CD-ROM disk drives. In the present invention, four CD-ROM drives 101a to 102d are held as basic units. Therefore, up to four users can automatically exchange desired disks among the disks mounted in the bank through each computer. That is, the CD-ROM changer 100 stores a predetermined CD-ROM disc, loads the disc into a predetermined drive, and plays the disc on the host computer by a disc exchange command output from the host computer. At this time, the CD-ROM exchanger 100 converts the command system input from the host computer 200 to the CD-ROM exchanger 100 in order to have compatibility with the general CD exchanger. A detailed block diagram of the controller 200 is shown in FIG. 2. That is, the input / output terminal 301 connecting the CD-ROM exchanger 100 and the controller 200 selects data to be output from the first to fourth drives 102a to 102d of the CD-ROM exchanger 100. The unit 302 is connected. At this time, the selector 302 uses RS422 or RS232C communication protocol for long distance communication between the CD-ROM exchanger 100 and the host computer 200 and selects data with the multiplexer. The selector 302 is connected with a code converter 303 for converting serial data output from the selector 302 into parallel data, and the code converter 303 has an error in the converted parallel data. A decoder 304 for performing a series of data processing procedures, such as correction, is connected, and the decoder 304 converts the data into a decipherable cheetah in the host computer 200 and inputs / outputs a terminal to the host computer 200 ( The host interface unit 305 which outputs through 306 is connected. At this time, the microcomputer 307 is connected to the selector 302, the decoder 304, and the host interface 305, and outputs a selection signal to the selector 302, while simultaneously providing a decoder 304 and an osto interface unit ( 305, a control signal is output. In this case, the microcomputer 307 also performs a control operation when decoding the command output from the host computer 200 and outputting the command to the CD-ROM exchanger 100. In the present invention configured as described above, banks 101a and 101b of the CD-ROM exchanger 100 are equipped with a predetermined CD-ROM disk. At this time, each of the banks 101a and 101b may be equipped with CD-ROMs having the same title or CD-ROMs having different titles. The number of CD-ROM disks to be loaded depends on the storage capacity of the bank. In addition, the CD-ROM changer 100 is provided with two or more CD-ROM drives, and in this embodiment, four CD-ROM drives 102a and 102d are installed. Therefore, up to four users can automatically exchange and play a desired disk among CD-ROM disks mounted in a bank via each host computer 200. At this time, the selection of the disk drives 102a to 102d is performed by the circular queuing method and there is at least one spare drive. That is, a CD-ROM disk is loaded into the first, second, and fourth CD-ROM drives 102a, 102b, and 102d from the banks 101a and 101b. When a disk exchange command is input, a new disk is loaded into the third drive 102c. Then, the CD-ROM disk in the fourth drive 102d is remounted by the loader at the corresponding positions in the banks 101a and 101b, and the fourth drive 101d is in an idle state to prepare for receiving the next disk. In this case, the controller 300 converts the command output from the host computer 200 into a command decipherable by the CD-ROM exchanger 100 and outputs the command to the CD-ROM exchanger 100, and selectively outputs data of the CD-ROM exchanger 100. It functions as a switch that separates and converts the host computer 200 into a readable data format and outputs the same to the host computer 200. That is, a plurality of data output through the digital input / output terminals 301 of the predetermined CD-ROM drives 102a to 102d are selected by the selection unit 302 and input to the code conversion unit 303. At this time, if there are four computers 200 connected to the CD-ROM exchanger 100 and three users are currently using the CD-ROM exchanger 200, data is output through three digital input / output terminals 301. . In addition, the size of the CD-ROM exchanger 100 can be converted according to the difference in the storage capacity of the bank, but since the size is usually larger, the CD-ROM exchanger 100 is installed in one place and using a RS422 or RS232C communication protocol capable of remote communication. The CD-ROM exchanger 100 and the controller 300 are connected to enable communication with a plurality of host computers and a single CD-ROM exchanger 100. Therefore, the multimedia implementation becomes possible. At this time, the short distance performs data transmission with the host computer using the RS232C communication protocol, and the long distance performs data transmission using the RS422 communication protocol. In this case, the host computer 200 may select and use the CD-ROM changer 100 as a disk drive having a capacity of several hundred gigabytes (GByte). Meanwhile, serial data selected by the multiplexer of the selector 302 among the data of the CD-ROM exchanger 100 input through the RS422 communication line is converted in parallel by the code converter 303 and then decoder 304. Is entered. The code conversion unit 303 undergoes a series of data processing such as error correction and then inputs the host interface unit 305. In this case, data conversion and error correction are performed by the code conversion unit 303 and the decoder 304 so that the number of communication lines (for example, 6 to 7 lines) between the CD-ROM exchanger 100 and the host computer 200 is one line. We can reduce by number. Meanwhile, the data input to the host interface 305 is processed into data that can be read by the host computer 200 and then input to the host computer 200. Therefore, the CD-ROM exchanger 100 and the host computer 200 may automatically perform disk exchange even at a long distance. In addition, the command output from the host computer 200 is also properly processed by the host interface unit 305 and input to the CD-ROM exchanger 100. At this time, when the E drive is set as the CD-ROM disk drive of the host computer 200 by the disk operating system (DOS) in the host computer 200, an embodiment of the disk exchange is performed as follows. That is, when the command E: 127 is input from the host computer 200, the controller 300 decodes the data decipherable by the CD-ROM exchanger 100 and inputs the data to the CD-ROM exchanger 100. Therefore, the CD-ROM exchanger 100 loads disk 127 mounted in the banks 101a and 101b to an empty drive among the first to fourth CD-ROM disk drives 102a to 102b, and the CD-ROM disk loaded to the drive. Data is input to the host computer 200 through the controller 300. Then, video and audio are reproduced through the E drive of the host computer 200. The next time the E: 128 command is received from the host computer 200, disk 127 loaded in the predetermined CD-ROM drive of the CD-ROM exchanger 100 is in a paused state and disk 128 in the banks 101a and 101b is inserted. It is loaded into a predetermined CD-ROM drive and played back. Meanwhile, as the number of host computers connected to the CD-ROM changer 100 increases, the allocated CD-ROM drive of the CD-ROM switch 100 decreases. In addition, the number of CD-ROM drives and the number of banks of the CD-ROM exchanger and the number of host computers connected to the CD-ROM exchanger may vary.

As described above, according to the CD-ROM automatic exchange apparatus according to the present invention, a CD-ROM disk is mounted in a bank of a plurality of CD-ROM exchangers and a plurality of CD-ROM drives are installed in the CD-ROM exchanger. By loading the disc into an empty CD-ROM drive and playing it, it is easy to store the disc and prevents the disc from being damaged, and it is convenient for users because the disc does not have to be loaded into the drive every time the disc is replaced. It is effective to shorten. In addition, by connecting a large number of computers through a communication line to a single large-capacity CD-ROM exchanger, it is possible to exchange and play desired disks through a computer, so that large-scale data such as patent search and library data can be installed without a manager. In addition, there is an effect that the storage, management, and search of a large amount of data is performed efficiently.

Claims (1)

A CD-ROM exchanger comprising a bank for mounting two or more CD-ROM disks and a plurality of disk drives, wherein the CD-ROM exchanger selects a disk stored in the bank and loads the disk in a specific drive according to a user's disk / drive selection command; A selection unit connected to the CD-ROM exchanger for selecting data output from the plurality of disk drives; A code converter for converting serial data output from the selector into parallel data; A decoder for performing a series of data processing such as error correction on the parallel data converted by the code conversion unit or parallel data output from a computer; An interface unit converting the output data of the decoder into command data output from the computer into data decipherable by a CD-ROM exchanger; And a microcomputer for generating the disk / drive selection command according to a user input command and controlling the operation of each unit.