WO2011105843A2

WO2011105843A2 - External storage apparatus and method for controlling same

Info

Publication number: WO2011105843A2
Application number: PCT/KR2011/001313
Authority: WO
Inventors: 박준민
Original assignee: 주식회사 인디랩
Priority date: 2010-02-26
Filing date: 2011-02-25
Publication date: 2011-09-01
Also published as: WO2011105843A3

Abstract

The present invention relates to an external storage apparatus and to a method for controlling same. The external storage apparatus comprises: a hard disk module including a platter on which data is recorded, a head arm for accessing data on the platter, and a voice coil motor for driving the head arm; a switch unit which is turned on/off by a user; and a switching controller which determines whether or not to supply power to the hard disk module in accordance with the on/off operation of the switch unit.

Description

External storage device and its control method

The present invention relates to an external storage device and a control method thereof. More specifically, the present invention relates to an external storage device and a control method thereof capable of preventing data damage due to power shock and cable disconnection by automatically managing power off of a memory or a hard disk storing data.

In general, an external storage device is attached to or detached from a host device including a multimedia device such as a computer or a TV to store data. The external storage device stores data in a flash memory or a hard disk.

In this case, it is common to supply power and input / output data using a USB port having a 'hot plug-in' function with a computer or home appliance. For example, a computer such as Microsoft's 'Windows' is an external storage device. USB mass storage device.

If you exit the file manager after inputting / outputting data to an external storage device using the file manager on the window, the window considers that the data input / output operation is completed. However, external storage devices continue to perform data input / output operations for processing buffered data and the like, and in most cases, additional drives of a flash memory or a hard disk are driven for a predetermined time or more.

In this case, unintentionally unplugging the USB cable generates a surge voltage in the internal circuit of the external storage device or the flash memory itself, causing a failure. In other cases, an error in which a head accesses data on a hard disk is suddenly stopped causes a scratch error or a file allocation table (FAT) to be corrupted, and valuable data is frequently lost.

To prevent this, users can run 'Device Manager' on 'Windows' before unplugging the USB cable to remove 'USB Mass Storage Device' in software or 'Safely Remove Hardware' provided by RAM resident program in task bar. A method of running an application to halt a 'USB mass storage device' in software is used.

However, even if the external storage device is driven by software on the 'Windows' as described above, for example, the end point of processing such as buffer storage data of the external storage device is completely controlled by the software stop command signaled by the software on the 'Windows'. It cannot be synchronized. Therefore, the external storage device does not stop immediately and continues to drive for some time, and if the USB cable is unplugged before the external storage device stops driving completely, the above-described error cannot be prevented.

Conventionally, even when a window is popped up on the monitor, the hard disk of the external storage device is hard to copy. The disk module continues to operate. That is, the operation is completed on Windows, but the hard disk module of the external storage device actually continues driving and reading and writing files.

If the USB cable is suddenly unplugged, the power will be cut off suddenly at the time when a data error may occur. Therefore, the hard disk module or the head drive stops suddenly during the rotation of the hard disk module or the reciprocating movement of the head arm. Problems causing bad sectors have occurred.

Although the conventional external storage device continues to operate, no means for protecting the external storage device by informing the user whether the USB cable is detached or a means for actively responding to the surge voltage caused by the cable detachment are not provided. .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problem, and even when a data processing is in progress, even if a power supply of the external storage device is turned off or the USB cable is unplugged by the user during the operation of the external storage device, the inflow of the external storage device It is an object of the present invention to provide an external storage device capable of blocking a surge voltage and preventing a data error and a control method thereof.

In one embodiment, an external storage device of the present invention comprises: a hard disk module including a platter on which data is written, a head arm for accessing data on the platter, and a voice coil motor for driving the head arm; A case in which the hard disk module is mounted; A switch unit for turning on / off power applied to the hard disk module; It includes. The power supply of the hard disk module is determined according to whether the switch unit is on or off.

In one embodiment, an external storage device of the present invention includes a spindle motor, a head arm for accessing data on a platter rotated by the spindle motor, a voice coil motor for driving the head arm, the spindle motor, and the A hard disk module including an HDD controller for controlling an operation of the voice coil motor; A USB port connected to an external host device; An interface controller controlling data input / output between the USB port and the hard disk module; A switch unit turned on / off by a user; A switching controller which senses an on / off state of the switch unit to turn on / off the hard disk module or the interface controller; A case surrounding the hard disk module, the USB port, the interface controller, the switch unit, and the switching controller; It includes.

In one embodiment, a method of controlling an external storage device of the present invention includes a hard disk module including a HDD controller, a USB port connected to an external host device, and data input / output between the USB port and the hard disk module. An external storage device having an interface controller for controlling, a switch unit that is turned on / off by a user, and a switching controller that senses an on / off state of the switch unit to turn on or off the hard disk module or the interface controller. Preparing a; Connecting the USB port of the external storage device to the host device; Connecting driving power to the hard disk module or the interface controller when the switch unit is pressed; Performing a data input / output operation; If the switch unit is pressed while the hard disk module or the interface controller is turned on, turning off the power supply of the hard disk module or the interface controller after a predetermined time ΔT2 for the parking of the hard disk module has elapsed; It includes.

According to the present invention, the possibility of an initial storage instability, sudden inflow of surge voltage, sudden disconnection of a USB cable or an external power supply line supplying power, and a failure of an external storage device are minimized.

In addition, compared to the conventional method of determining the stop state of the hard disk module as the interface state of the host device side, the stop time of the hard disk module is judged by detecting whether data is input or output on the main PCB side provided on the external storage device side. The stop time can be grasped to prevent data errors.

In addition, compared to the conventional simple method in which the hard disk module is turned on / off according to the detachment of the USB cable as in the related art, the present invention cuts the surge voltage because the power supply of the hard disk module is turned on / off according to the user's switch input. The effect, of course, can be significantly reduced by delaying the power off for a certain period of time, thereby shutting off the power supply after the parking or after the end of the data operation.

In addition, since the switch unit is operated by an operation of touching the outside of the case, the operation state can be visually confirmed according to the state of the beep sound or the display lamp, thereby greatly improving the operation stability and customer satisfaction.

1 is a perspective view illustrating an external appearance of an external storage device of the present invention.

2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an internal structure of an external storage device of the present invention.

3 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 2 viewed from the opposite side.

4 is a circuit diagram illustrating a pin arrangement of an interface controller according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram illustrating a pin arrangement of a SATA signal terminal and a SATA power terminal as an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram illustrating a pin arrangement of a USB port as an embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of an external storage device of the present invention.

8 is a block diagram when the switching controller and the interface controller are one-chip as one embodiment of the present invention.

9 is a block diagram when the switching controller and the HDD controller are one-chip as one embodiment of the present invention.

10 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of an external storage device of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment in which the interface controller is powered off after spin up.

12 is a graph illustrating a decrease in current consumption according to a power supply delay of an interface controller according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this process, the size or shape of the components shown in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity and convenience of description. In addition, terms that are specifically defined in consideration of the configuration and operation of the present invention may vary depending on the intention or custom of the user or operator. Definitions of these terms should be interpreted as meanings and concepts corresponding to the technical spirit of the present invention based on the contents throughout the present specification.

1 to 9, an embodiment of an external storage device 100 of the present invention will be described.

According to the present invention, the switch unit 130 is mounted on the external storage device 100 and the power of the external storage device 100 is cut off by the on / off operation of the switch unit 130. That is, whether the external storage device is on / off is not determined according to whether the USB cable is attached or detached as in the related art, but the present invention is an external type according to whether the switch unit 130 provided in the external storage device 100 is turned on or off. It is determined whether the storage device 100 is turned on or off.

When the switch unit 130 is turned off, the hard disk module 160 of the external storage device 100 does not start even when the USB cable is connected to the host device 10 such as a computer. In addition, when the switch unit 130 is turned on while the USB cable is connected, the hard disk module 160 starts to operate. Therefore, surge voltage is prevented from flowing into the external storage device 100 when the USB cable is attached or detached. That is, an initial power instability, a sudden influx of surge voltage, a sudden disconnection of the surge voltage during sudden disconnection of a USB cable or an external power supply line supplying power minimizes the possibility of an error of the external storage device 100.

On the other hand, regardless of whether the switch 130 is on or off, if the user unplugs the USB cable from the USB port 170 of the external storage device 100 during operation of the external storage device 100, the external storage device There is a possibility that a data error occurs because the power supplied to the 100 is cut off. In addition, even if the data input / output is terminated in the 'file manager' on the computer OS, the external storage device 100 may continue to operate for data input / output operations still remaining in the buffer memory or the like, thereby causing a data error. The user incorrectly judges that the operation of the external storage device 100 is stopped by viewing only the pop-up or display of the 'file manager' displayed on the monitor screen 11 even though the external storage device 100 is still in operation. May be unplugged from the host device 10 and a data error may occur.

As a countermeasure, the present invention provides the external storage device 100 regardless of the pop-up state or display contents of the data input / output message window displayed on the monitor screen of the host device 10 such as a computer such as a file manager of a window system. A switching controller 140 is provided to detect whether the operation is completely stopped.

As an embodiment, when the external storage device 100 is in operation, the switching controller 140 maintains the power supply state of the external storage device 100 for a predetermined time even when the switch unit 130 is turned off or the USB cable is disconnected. As a result, the power is controlled so that the power is not interrupted until the data read / write operation of the hard disk module 160 is completed. For example, a power supply may be installed inside the external storage device 100 so that the head arm of the hard disk module 160 may be immediately evacuated to the parking zone during sudden disconnection of the USB cable. Bad sectors can be prevented by supplying minimal current.

In an embodiment, the auxiliary power supply unit may include a battery, a capacitor, a power generation unit for generating a predetermined current according to the rotation of the hard disk module 160, and a voice coil motor for moving the head arm. At least one of the power generation means for generating a current in accordance with the change in the electromagnetic field.

On the other hand, various embodiments of the switching controller 140 for detecting the operation of the hard disk module 160 is possible.

In one embodiment, the switching controller 140, for a plurality of read arrays extending out of the HDD controller 163, detects whether data is inputted or outputted through high / low voltage detection of a specific read of the HDD controller 163. The electronic device determines whether the hard disk module 160 is stopped.

In one embodiment, the switching controller 140 determines whether the hard disk module 160 is stopped by recognizing whether the spindle motor 161 or the voice coil motor 162 is operating.

Meanwhile, another embodiment of the external storage device 100 will be described.

The USB port 170 of the external storage device 100 is connected to the host device 10 using a USB cable. When the USB cable is connected to the host device 10 or the power cable is connected to the external power supply unit 180, the driving power is also connected to the switching controller 140 so that the switching controller 140 and the switch unit 130 can be operated. Wait

When the user touches the touch area 121 corresponding to a part of the outside of the case 102, a physical quantity such as a capacitance change or a pressure change is detected by the touch pad 120 in close contact with the case 102. Accordingly, the touch state of the switch unit 130 is recognized.

When the switch unit 130 is pressed while the USB cable is connected, an operation start time is input. In this case, the driving power is connected to the hard disk module 160 or the interface controller 150, and the first beep sounds or the display lamp 114 blinks as a start sound.

'Operation start time' refers to a driving power connection time of the hard disk module 160 and may correspond to a driving power connection time of the interface controller 150.

On the other hand, to reduce the peak value of the current consumption during the spin up time of the spindle motor 161, it is necessary to delay the power connection of the interface controller 150. To this end, the interface controller 150 is connected to a power source after the start of operation of the hard disk module 160.

It is preferable that the switch unit 130 is not operated for the protection of the hard disk module 160 for a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds) from the start of operation. When the switch unit 130 is pressed during spin up, the hard disk module 160 is prevented from failing, for example, when the power is cut off while the hard disk module 160 is not parked.

When the switch unit 130 is touched while the hard disk module 160 or the interface controller 150 is turned off, the external storage device 100 is turned on and the first beep sound or the display lamp 114 blinks. At this time, power supply to the hard disk module 160 or the interface controller 150 is started, and the switch unit 130 is held for a predetermined time ΔT1 so that the switch unit 130 maintains an inaccessible state for ΔT1. .

In response to the command of the host device 10, data is input and output to the hard disk module 160 via a USB cable. When the data job is finished, touch the switch unit 130 again. When the switch unit 130 is touched while the hard disk module 160 or the interface controller 150 is turned on, the power is turned off. First, a second beep is generated to indicate that the touch of the switch unit 130 is recognized. . The indicator lamp 114 may blink or turn off in a different state than when the power is turned on.

The power supply of the hard disk module 160 or the interface controller 150 is cut off after a predetermined period ΔT2 elapses after the switch 130 is input. This is to secure a predetermined time ΔT2 for parking of the hard disk module 160.

When the external storage device 100 is powered off, disconnect the USB cable or external power cable. At this time, the operation of the switching controller 140 is also turned off. If the USB cable is not disconnected after the power supply of the external storage device 100 is turned off, the standby mode of the switching controller 140 continues, and when the switch unit 130 is touched, spin up of the hard disk module 160 is performed. You can resume data I / O by restarting.

On the other hand, if the switch unit 130 is touched while data is being transmitted from the hard disk module 160 or the interface controller 150, the operation cannot be finished as it is. A warning sound is generated or a warning message is displayed to the user through the display lamp 114, and the power supply of the hard disk module 160 or the interface controller 150 is turned off after data input / output is completed. Of course, it is desirable to further add a time delay for parking of the hard disk module 160.

The blinking state of the display lamp 114 may be various embodiments. For example, the display lamp 114 blinks at the same cycle or at different cycles at power on / off. In the data transmission, the indicator lamp 114 may blink in a shorter period.

If there is no data input / output when the hard disk module 160 is turned on, the display lamp 114 is continuously turned on. On the other hand, when the switch unit 130 is pressed during data transmission, the indicator lamp 114 turns red or blinks at a different cycle than when the power is turned on or off for a warning to transmit a warning message. When the switch unit 130 is turned off, the display lamp 114 is turned off.

The external storage device 100 includes a hard disk module 160, a USB port 170, an interface controller 150, a switch unit 130, a switching controller 140, and a case 102.

The internal structure of the hard disk module 160 is not shown in detail, and all currently available hard disk modules 160 may be embodiments. The hard disk module 160 includes a spindle motor 161, a head arm for accessing data on the platter, and a voice coil motor 162 for driving the head arm.

In addition, the hard disk module 160 includes a preamp module for amplifying analog read / write signals, and overall operation of the HDD including read / write data, or the spindle motor 161 and the voice coil motor 162. HDD controller 163, which controls power switching and driving of (VCM), DRAM that caches data by acting as a buffer memory, and finely adjusts head position by detecting vibration to improve read and write performance. The accelerometer, a bootstrap code, or a flash memory in which firmware of the hard disk module 160 is installed may be installed.

In one embodiment, the switching controller 140 is connected to the HDD controller 163 to determine the spin up start / end time point and the data input / output start / end time point.

The switch unit 130 may be a dip switch that is turned on / off while sliding left and right, but as an embodiment, the touch pad 120 that is switched by a capacitance change or a pressure change on the surface of the case 102 may be closed. It is desirable to be.

In one embodiment, the switch unit 130 includes a touch pad 120 in close contact with the case 102. The outside of the case 102 corresponding to the inside of the case 102 in which the touch pad 120 is in close contact forms the touch area 121. When the user touches other portions except the touch area 121, the switch unit 130 does not operate. The switch unit 130 operates only when the touch area 121 is correctly touched.

When the touch area 121 outside the case 102 is touched by the user, a capacitance change or a pressure change occurs in the touch pad 120 located inside the case 102. The switching controller 140 turns on / off the switching element 141 for turning on / off the power supply of the hard disk module 160 or the interface controller 150. At this time, the switch unit 130 is turned on / off according to the capacitance change or the pressure change sensed by the touch pad 120. Therefore, the switch unit 130 may be provided without disturbing the beautiful design of the case 102, and there is an advantage that the external storage device 100 does not need to be vibrated or impacted for the operation of the switch unit 130. have. In addition, the switching surge voltage generated when the switch 130 is turned on / off may be minimized.

2 and 3, a USB port 170, an interface controller 150, and a switching controller 140 are mounted on the main PCB 190, and a touch pad 120 constituting the switch unit 130 is also mounted. Can be. The hard disk module 160 and the main PCB 190 are installed in the case 102.

The USB port 170 is connected to the external host device 10, and is exposed to a portion opened at the side of the case 102, and is a port to which the USB cable is attached and detached. The pin arrangement of the USB port 170 is shown in FIG. USB port 170 is composed of a total of four input and output terminals, such as VBUS terminal 1 terminal, DM terminal 2 terminal, DP terminal 3 terminal, GND terminal 4 terminal. The VBUS terminal corresponds to the power supply terminal. When the USB cable is connected, high voltage is applied and when the USB cable is disconnected, the VBUS terminal is in the same voltage state as the ground terminal.

The interface controller 150 controls data input / output between the USB port 170 and the hard disk module 160. For example, the interface controller 150 converts a data format input and output through the USB port 170 into a data format of the hard disk module 160 such as SATA, IDE, SCASI, or the like.

The pin arrangement of the interface controller 150 is illustrated in FIG. 4. 5 shows the pin arrangement of the SATA signal terminal 168 and the SATA power terminal 167. 4 to 6, the configuration and operation of the interface controller 150 will be described.

The RXP_A terminal 43 and the RXN_A terminal 42 of FIG. 4 are connected to the RXP terminal and the RXN terminal of the SATA signal terminal 168, respectively, and correspond to a terminal through which data is input to the hard disk module 160.

The TXP_A terminal of No. 39 and the TXN_A terminal of No. 40 are connected to the TXP terminal and the TXN terminal of the SATA signal terminal 168, respectively, and correspond to the terminal through which data is transferred from the hard disk module 160.

The DM terminal 22 and the DP terminal 23 are connected to the DM terminal and the DP terminal of the USB port 170 of FIG. 6, respectively, and serve to input / output USB data. The conversion from the SATA format to the USB format is performed inside the interface controller 150.

The VBUS terminal marked with 16 is connected to the VBUS terminal of the USB port 170 of FIG. 6 to detect whether a USB cable is connected. In the present invention, the VBUS terminal of the USB port 170 is connected to at least one of the interface controller 150 or the switching controller 140, the connection of the USB port 170 and the host device 10 in accordance with the applied voltage of the VBUS terminal Whether it is recognized by the interface controller 150 or the switching controller 140.

The PHYRDY_A terminal denoted by No. 50 and the PHYRDY_C terminal denoted by No. 51 are terminals indicating an operating state of the hard disk module 160 and indicate data input / output states between the USB port 170 and the hard disk module 160. For example, if a high voltage is output to the PHYRDY_A terminal and the PHYRDY_C terminal, this means that the hard disk module 160 is in the data input / output operation. If a low voltage is output, the operation of the hard disk module 160 is stopped. It means the stopped state.

In one embodiment, the switching controller 140 detects a voltage change of the PHYRDY_A terminal or the PHYRDY_C terminal, thereby starting the spin up of the spindle motor 161 (corresponding to the driving start) or data input / output of the hard disk module 160. You can find the completion time (corresponding to the end of driving).

A plurality of general purpose input output (GPIO) terminals provided in the interface controller 150 may be used for various functions according to user programming, and are null terminals for which functions are not specified at the time of product shipment.

For example, the GPIO7 terminal marked with 10 outputs the connection state of the USB port 170 according to the voltage state of the VBUS terminal, or outputs the input / output of the USB data signal according to the voltage state of the DM terminal and the DP terminal. The display lamp 114 may be programmed to a terminal that blinks the display lamp 114 according to the activation state of the port 170.

The switching controller 140 detects the on / off state of the switch unit 130 to turn on / off the hard disk module 160 or the interface controller 150. When the switching controller 140 detects an on state of the switch unit 130, the switching controller 140 connects and drives power to the hard disk module 160. When the switching controller 140 detects an off state of the switch unit 130, the hard disk unit is parked after the head arm is parked. Turning off the power of the module 160 prevents data errors and prevents damage due to surge voltages.

For example, the switching controller 140 uses a micom chip that can be freely programmed by a developer. 7 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of an external storage device 100 of the present invention. Referring to this, the switching controller 140 is mounted on the main PCB 190 as a separate component from the interface controller 150 and the HDD controller 163 as a microcomputer.

For example, the USB data or the SATA data are input / output to the interface controller 150 and the HDD controller 163 through the signal line 193. The power line 192 is connected to the interface controller 150 and the HDD controller 163 via the switching controller 140, and the switching element 141 is provided inside the switching controller 140 as shown.

As another embodiment, not shown, the embodiment in which the switching element 141 is installed as a separate component outside the switching controller 140 is possible. The switching element 141 is a switch that is automatically operated according to the command of the switching controller 140 and functions to turn on / off the driving power of the interface controller 150 or the driving power of the hard disk module 160.

On the other hand, when external power is supplied from the external power supply unit 180 in addition to the power supplied from the VBUS terminal of the USB port 170, a data error may occur when the USB cable is unplugged. External power supplied from the external power supply unit 180 may be used. Therefore, the hard disk module 160 may be safely parked using the external power supplied from the external power supply unit 180.

That is, when the power supply through the VBUS terminal is cut off by disconnecting the USB port 170 and the host device 10, the hard disk module 160 is parked by using the power supplied from the external power supply unit 180. After the hard disk module 160 is parked, the power supply of the hard disk module 160 or the interface controller 150 may be turned off.

8 is a block diagram when the switching controller 140 and the interface controller 150 are one-chip as one embodiment of the present invention. Referring to this, an embodiment in which the switching controller 140 and the interface controller 150 are integrated into a one-chip type is illustrated as the switching controller 140 is embedded in the interface controller 150.

According to FIG. 8, the switching controller 140 is programmed into the interface controller 150 itself without providing the switching controller 140 in a separate micom form, and then using a plurality of GPIO terminals provided in the interface controller 150. There is an advantage that the input and output of the command, thereby greatly simplifying the number of components and circuit configuration.

Thus, the simplification of the component count and circuit configuration has a simple cost reduction effect, and reduces the power consumption of the external storage device 100. Due to a lack of power of the USB port 170, it is possible to easily solve intrinsic quality problems such as the external storage device 100 not being recognized by the host device 10.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram when the switching controller 140 and the HDD controller 163 are one-chip as one embodiment of the present invention. Referring to this, an embodiment in which the switching controller 140 and the HDD controller 163 are integrated into a one-chip type by being embedded in the HDD controller 163 is illustrated. Even in this case, the switching controller 140 is programmed into the HDD controller 163 itself, and then a command is input and output using a plurality of null terminals provided in the HDD controller 163, thereby greatly simplifying the number of components and the circuit configuration. You can.

In this case, since the switching controller 140 can access all of the signal input / output inside the HDD controller 163, the switching controller 140 is connected to the HDD controller 163 to start the spin up or the hard disk module. The data input / output completion time of the 160 can be known. That is, the operation start / end timing of the hard disk module 160 can be determined through various physical quantities such as whether the spindle motor 161 is rotated, whether the head arm is operating, whether SATA data is flowing, and whether the head arm is parked. .

10 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of the external storage device 100 of the present invention. 1 to 10, the operation and control method of the external storage device 100 will be described in more detail.

The control method is largely divided into two categories, an on step S100 and an off step S200. In the on step (S100), first check the USB connection state. In one embodiment , whether the USB port 170 and the host device 10 are connected according to the applied voltage of the VBUS terminal is recognized. When the USB cable is connected, power is supplied to the switching controller 140 to start a control operation.

Next, it is checked whether the switch unit 130 is touched. When the switch unit 130 is pressed while the USB cable is connected and the hard disk module 160 or the interface controller 150 is turned off, the drive of the hard disk module 160 is started and the spin-up of the spindle motor 161 is started. Is initiated or the seek operation of the head arm is initiated. At this time, the first beep is generated to notify the user of the driving start state or the display lamp 114 blinks to notify the user of the driving start state.

When the switch unit 130 is pressed during the driving start operation, the power supply of the hard disk module 160 may be suddenly turned off because the switch 130 corresponds to the off command rather than the on command. In order to prevent this, it is necessary to make the switch unit 130 in an unrecognized state for a predetermined time. That is, when the switch unit 130 is pressed while the hard disk module 160 or the interface controller 150 is turned off, the switch unit 130 is recognized for the period ΔT1 by holding the switch unit 130 for a predetermined time ΔT1. Keep it disabled.

Since the driving start command is input, the switching controller 140 supplies driving power to the hard disk module 160 or the interface controller 150. At this time, since the current is very consumed during the spin-up of the spindle motor 161 in a situation where the supply amount of the current through the USB port 170 is limited, there is a fear that a recognition failure and a data transmission error of the external storage device 100 may occur.

In order to improve this, the switching controller 140 detects the on state of the switch unit 130 and immediately supplies driving power to the hard disk module 160, and the spindle controller 161 spins up the interface controller 150. Supply power after a certain period of time. Therefore, the peak value of the current consumption is reduced in accordance with the power supply delay of the interface controller 150, so that problems such as recognition failure can be solved.

When the data input / output operation is completed, the user may use the external storage by a simple operation of touching the switch unit 130 without the hassle of stopping the driving of the external storage device 100 by software on a window as in the related art. The power supply of the device 100 may be turned off or the interface connection with the host device 10 may be disconnected (the same effect as stopping the driving of the external storage device 100 in software on a window).

Meanwhile, the data error rate is lowered by securing a time during which the hard disk module 160 can be parked when the power is turned off. When the switch unit 130 is pressed while the hard disk module 160 or the interface controller 150 is turned on, the switching controller 140 performs a hard disk after a predetermined time ΔT2 for parking of the hard disk module 160 has passed. The power supply of the module 160 or the interface controller 150 is turned off.

That is, the power supply of the hard disk module 160 or the interface controller 150 is turned off after a predetermined time ΔT2 has elapsed since the completion of the data input / output, thereby preventing data errors due to device damage due to surge voltage or poor parking.

Here, the second beep sound is generated, the display lamp 114 is flickered, or the display lamp 114 is turned off to notify the user of the driving end state. When power is applied to the hard disk module 160 or the interface controller 150, the external storage device 100 is disconnected by the host device 10 by software and the external storage device 100 is opened by the host device 10. The icon will disappear. When the driving termination state is reached, driving power is cut off from the hard disk module 160, the interface controller 150, and the display lamp 114 except for the switching controller 140, and the switch unit 130 enters the standby mode.

On the other hand, if the switch unit 130 is touched while data is being transmitted from the hard disk module 160 or the interface controller 150, the power-off does not proceed immediately, and after the data transfer is completed, the hard disk module 160 or the interface controller The power supply of 150 is turned off. As described above, whether data transmission is completed may be recognized by detecting a voltage change of the PHYRDY_A terminal or the PHYRDY_C terminal, or by detecting the state of each terminal of the HDD controller 163.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment in which the interface controller 150 is powered off after spin up. 12 is a graph illustrating a decrease in current consumption according to a power supply delay of the interface controller 150 as an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 12, the solid line graph shows the spindle motor 161 to spin up (for example, 5200 RPM, which is a normal speed of the slim hard disk module 160) while power is supplied to both the hard disk module 160 and the interface module. Display the current consumption with a peak value of 800mA.

The dotted line graph shows the consumption current reduced to a peak value of 500 mA when the driving power of the interface controller 150 is turned off when the spindle motor 161 spins up as in the present invention.

In general, the maximum amount of current supplied through the VBUS terminal of the USB port 170 does not exceed 800 mA, so when the current is insufficient, the indicator lamp 114 does not operate, is not recognized by the host device 10, or other current. There is a possibility of malfunction due to lack, but this problem is improved by the embodiment of the present invention.

In one embodiment, if the switch unit 130 is pressed while the hard disk module 160 or the interface controller 150 is turned off, the hard disk module 160 immediately supplies driving power to the interface controller 150. In this case, it is preferable to supply power after a predetermined time after the spindle motor 161 spins up.

To this end, a switching element 141 for turning on / off the supply power of the hard disk module 160 and an auxiliary switching element 142 for turning on / off the supply power of the interface controller 150 with a time delay may be provided. .

As a result of the power supply delay of the interface controller 150, the peak value of the current consumption of the external storage device 100 may be reduced to solve the quality defect.

Although embodiments according to the present invention have been described above, these are merely exemplary, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and equivalent embodiments of the present invention are possible therefrom. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention will be defined by the following claims.

Claims

A spindle motor, a head arm for accessing data on a platter rotated by the spindle motor, a voice coil motor for driving the head arm, and an HDD controller for controlling operations of the spindle motor and the voice coil motor. Hard disk modules;

A USB port connected to an external host device;

An interface controller controlling data input / output between the USB port and the hard disk module;

A switch unit turned on / off by a user;

A switching controller which senses an on / off state of the switch unit to turn on / off the hard disk module or the interface controller;

A case surrounding the hard disk module, the USB port, the interface controller, the switch unit, and the switching controller; External storage device comprising a.
The method of claim 1,

The switching controller,

An external storage device that connects power to the hard disk module when the switch unit detects an on state and drives the power supply; and detects an off state of the switch unit to turn off the power of the hard disk module after the head arm is parked.
The method of claim 1,

The switch unit includes a touch pad in close contact with the inside of the case,

The outside of the case corresponding to the inside of the case in which the touch pad is in close contact forms a touch area,

When the touch area outside the case is touched by the user, a capacitance change or a pressure change occurs in the touch pad located inside the case.

And the switching controller turns on / off a switching element for turning on / off a power supply of the hard disk module or the interface controller according to the capacitance change or the pressure change sensed by the touch pad.
The method of claim 1,

The switching controller

The external storage device is integrated into the interface controller and integrated with the interface controller in a one-chip type.
The method of claim 1,

The switching controller

The external storage device is integrated in the HDD controller and integrated with the HDD controller in a one-chip type.
The method of claim 1,

When the switching controller detects the on state of the switch unit, the hard disk module immediately supplies driving power, and the interface controller supplies power after a predetermined time after the spindle motor spins up.

The external storage device to reduce the peak value of the current consumption in accordance with the power supply delay of the interface controller.
The method of claim 1,

When the switch unit is touched while the hard disk module or the interface controller is turned off, the switching controller generates a first beep or flashes an indicator lamp to start supplying power to the hard disk module or the interface controller. By holding the switch unit for a predetermined time ΔT1, the switch unit is kept in an unrecognizable state for the ΔT1,

When the switch unit is touched while the hard disk module or the interface controller is turned on, the switching controller generates a second beep or turns off the display lamp, and a predetermined time ΔT2 for parking of the hard disk module has elapsed. An external storage device to turn off the power supply of the hard disk module or the interface controller afterwards.
The method of claim 7, wherein

When the switch unit is touched while data is being transmitted from the hard disk module or the interface controller, the switching controller generates a warning sound or displays a warning message to the user through the display lamp. External storage device to turn off the power supply of the disk module or the interface controller.
The method of claim 1,

A VBUS terminal of the USB port is connected to at least one of the interface controller or the switching controller,

It is recognized whether the USB port and the host device are connected according to the applied voltage of the VBUS terminal,

When the switch unit is pressed while the USB port and the host device are connected, the switching controller supplies driving power to the hard disk module or the interface controller.

When the switch unit is pressed while the hard disk module or the interface controller is turned on, the switching controller turns off the power supply of the hard disk module or the interface controller after a predetermined time ΔT2 for parking of the hard disk module has elapsed. External storage device.
The method of claim 1,

The interface controller includes a PHYRDY_A terminal or a PHYRDY_C terminal for indicating a data input / output state between the USB port and the hard disk module.

The switching controller detects a voltage change of the PHYRDY_A terminal or the PHYRDY_C terminal or is connected to the HDD controller to recognize when the spindle motor starts to spin up or when data input / output of the hard disk module is completed.

The switching controller starts supplying power to the interface controller after the spin-up start time or turns off the power supply of the hard disk module or the interface controller after a predetermined time ΔT2 elapses from the completion of the data input / output. Device.
The method of claim 1,

A VBUS terminal of the USB port is connected to at least one of the interface controller or the switching controller,

It is recognized whether the USB port and the host device are connected according to the applied voltage of the VBUS terminal,

In addition to the power supplied from the VBUS terminal is provided with an external power supply for supplying external power,

When the power supply through the VBUS terminal is cut off by disconnecting the USB port and the host device, the hard disk module is parked by using the power supplied from the external power supply, and the hard disk module is parked. The external storage device to the power supply of the hard disk module or the interface controller is turned off.
A hard disk module including a platter on which data is written, a head arm for accessing data on the platter, and a voice coil motor for driving the head arm;

A switch unit turned on / off by a user;

A switching controller determining whether to supply power to the hard disk module according to whether the switch unit is on or off; External storage device comprising a.
The method of claim 12,

The switching controller,

While the hard disk module is in operation, even if the switch unit is turned off or the USB cable connected to the host device is disconnected, the power supply of the hard disk module is not blocked until the data input / output operation of the hard disk module is completely terminated. ,

The external storage device to cut off the power supply of the hard disk module when the data input and output operation of the hard disk module is completed.
The method of claim 13,

An auxiliary power supply for supplying a current capable of immediately evacuating the head arm of the hard disk module to the parking zone; External storage device comprising a.
The method of claim 12,

HDD controller for controlling the operation of the voice coil motor is provided,

The switching controller detects whether the data is inputted or outputted by detecting a high / low voltage of a specific read of the HDD controller with respect to a plurality of read arrays extending out of the HDD controller, and stops the operation of the hard disk module. External storage device to determine whether.
The method of claim 12,

The switching controller determines whether the hard disk module is stopped by recognizing whether the spindle motor or the voice coil motor is operated.
A hard disk module including an HDD controller, a USB port connected to an external host device, an interface controller controlling data input / output between the USB port and the hard disk module, a switch unit on / off by a user, Preparing an external storage device in which a switching controller configured to sense an on / off state of the switch unit to turn on / off the hard disk module or the interface controller;

Connecting the USB port of the external storage device to the host device;

Connecting driving power to the hard disk module or the interface controller when the switch unit is pressed;

Performing a data input / output operation;

If the switch unit is pressed while the hard disk module or the interface controller is turned on, turning off the power supply of the hard disk module or the interface controller after a predetermined time ΔT2 for the parking of the hard disk module has elapsed; Control method of an external storage device comprising a.
The method of claim 17,

When the switch unit is pressed while the hard disk module or the interface controller is turned off, generating a first beep to notify a driving start state;

If the switch unit is pressed while the hard disk module or the interface controller is turned off, flashing a display lamp to indicate a driving start state;

If the switch unit is pressed while the hard disk module or the interface controller is turned off, holding the switch unit for a predetermined time ΔT1 to maintain the switch unit in an unrecognizable state for the ΔT1;

If the switch unit is pressed while the hard disk module or the interface controller is turned on, generating a second beep to indicate a driving end state;

If the switch unit is pressed while the hard disk module or the interface controller is turned on, turning off the display lamp to indicate a driving end state;

Turning off the power supply of the hard disk module or the interface controller after the data transfer is completed when the switch unit is touched while data is being transmitted from the hard disk module or the interface controller; Control method of an external storage device comprising at least one of.
The method of claim 17,

When the switch unit is pressed while the hard disk module or the interface controller is turned off, a predetermined time for supplying driving power to the hard disk module immediately, and the spindle motor of the hard disk module is spined up to the interface controller. Power is supplied after this,

And a peak value of current consumption is reduced according to a power supply delay of the interface controller.
When the hard disk module is in operation, the power supply of the hard disk module is controlled so that the power supply of the hard disk module is not blocked until the data input / output operation of the hard disk module is completely terminated even when the switch unit is turned off or the USB cable is disconnected. The control method of the external storage device to cut off the power supply of the hard disk module when the I / O operation is completed.