Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Dynamic mechanism subsystem – Access of multiple storage elements
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-27
2001-05-29
Ometz, David L. (Department: 2754)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Dynamic mechanism subsystem
Access of multiple storage elements
C369S034010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06240058
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a disk-changing unit, in particular for CD disks, comprising a tower housing, at least one interchangeable disk magazine, at least one disk drive, and if applicable, a disk-loading/ejecting drawer having respectively the same outside dimensions and which can be interchanged, replaced or added in the manner of modules by inserting or removing them from respective receiving bays, comprising a transporting device for moving a disk between the disk magazine, the disk drive and, if applicable, the disk loading/ejecting drawer, an operating device and a computer-controlled control unit.
Such disk-changing units, which as a rule have several disk magazines and/or disk drives, are used in particular in data processing systems and computer systems. Tower housings are frequently used for computers that accommodate, among other things, disk drives, interface cards, slide-in printed circuit board modules, hard disks and a CD disk drive for reading and/or recording of information from or onto a CD disk.
EP 0 439 483 B1 discloses a disk playback unit with two interchangeable, opposite arranged disk magazines, which are fitted with disk holders holding respectively one disk and are positioned in horizontal receiving compartments. A transporting device that can be moved in a stacking direction of the disk magazines moves a desired CD disk with the associated disk holder back and forth between the receiving compartment of the respective disk magazine and a playback unit.
DE 39 31 715 A1 furthermore discloses a disk playback unit with an interchangeable disk magazine, which contains CD disks in receiving compartments that are arranged one above the other. The disk magazine, which is inserted in the manner of a drawer into the disk playback unit housing, is secured in position inside the housing with a latching device.
A CD disk changing unit of the aforementioned type is also known from the not previously published DE 195 19 343 A1, which has several disk drives inside a tower housing that are installed fixedly and cannot be interchanged, as well as several disk magazines that can be inserted one above the other and one beside the other. A transporting device that moves up and down is arranged between the disk magazines and the disk drives. In addition, a disk loading/ejecting drawer is provided on the front of the tower housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,206,845 discloses a disk-changing unit with a tower housing, at least one interchangeable disk magazine, at least one interchangeable disk magazine, at least one disk drive and, if applicable, one disk loading/ejecting drawer, which have respectively the same outside dimensions and can be interchanged or added in the manner of modules by inserting them or removing them from respective receiving bays.
All of the aforementioned disk changing units or disk playback units have the disadvantage of a rigid arrangement of the disk drives and the disk loading/ejecting drawer inside the tower housing. The disk magazines only are arranged interchangeably, wherein a disk magazine can be replaced only by another one. Such disk changing units or disk playback units consequently have a limited use or they are difficult to handle. However, for many applications it may be necessary for the disk changing unit to have fewer disk magazines and instead have more disk drives or have fewer disk drives and more disk magazines. Frequently, this depends on the amount of data to be filed or information to be retrieved from a data file.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of the invention to create a CD disk changing unit of the aforementioned type, which for each operational mode can be fitted individually with disk magazines and, if applicable, a disk loading/ejecting drawer.
This object is solved according to the invention in that the disk magazine and, if applicable, the disk loading/ejecting drawer can be interchanged and/or replaced and/or added while the disk changing unit is operational, wherein the control unit is provided with a control program for indicating the momentary use of a disk and for controlling the release of a corresponding disk magazine so that it can be removed from the tower housing.
Having the same outside dimensions for the electronic components used to access the CD disks makes it possible to interchange, replace or add such components individually, as desired by the user. A disk magazine can thus be replaced easily, for example, with another disk magazine while the disk changing unit is operational. In addition, a disk magazine can be replaced in a modular fashion with a disk drive or vice versa, a disk drive can be replaced with a disk magazine. Furthermore, mockups of the components for accessing the disks can be inserted into the receiving bays, so that optically a fully equipped disk changing unit exists at all times. It is also possible to install more disk magazines, disk drives or disk loading/ejecting drawers in addition to the disk magazines and/or disk drives already inside the tower housing. This modular interchangeability of the electronic components makes it possible to adapt the disk changing unit in an optimum manner to the respective user requirements. For example, a plurality of disk magazines and only a low number of disk drives can be provided if the disk changing unit is primarily used for data file storage, which requires that the storage capacity is kept high. On the other hand, if the goal is primarily to read information out of a data file and/or record on disks, then the disk changing unit can be provided with a larger number of disk drives for reading and/or recording of information from or onto the CD disk while a lower number of disk magazines is provided. The disk changing unit thus can be fitted out completely with modules and can be configured for the most part by the user him-/herself. The disk changing unit can be easily combined with a single-user computer or a server for a network system. In that case, the disk changing unit can be set up next to the computer or server, so that the respective electronic components can be interchanged, replaced or added easily and comfortably. The disk changing unit consequently is easy to handle.
Based on one advantageous modification of the invention, the momentary use or non-use of a disk or the release or non-release of a disk magazine can be indicated with the aid of an indicator element respectively assigned to it. Furthermore, an operating element is preferably assigned to each disk magazine for querying the respective release. When the operating element is actuated, the associated disk magazine is released for removal. While the disk changing unit is operational, it is possible to inquire whether the content of a disk magazine is in use at the moment by actuating a push button. Once the push button is pushed, the control program in the control unit checks whether or not a disk has been removed from the associated disk magazine. If all disks are accommodated in the disk magazine, the associated indicator element is activated and indicates the release of the disk magazine to the user. If the disk magazine is pushed in briefly by hand, a spring-loaded latching device for the disk magazine is released, as a result of which the disk magazine jumps slightly from the receiving bay in the tower housing. Subsequently this disk magazine can be inserted for another disk magazine into the corresponding receiving bay until the latching device secures the disk magazine. If a disk associated with the disk magazine is located outside of the disk magazine, then this disk is requested (e.g. from a disk drive) and stored in the disk magazine, whereupon the disk magazine is released so that it can be unlatched and thus removed. Of course, the aforementioned control program can be used in an analog manner also for the disk drives and/or the disk loading/ejecting drawer. Owing to the fact that the disk magazine can be interchanged and/or replaced and/or added while the disk-changing unit is operational, the disk magazine is automatically
Görner Martin
Heidersberger Borge
Pitz Ulrich
Schellong Horst
Theil Wolfgang
Kinberg Robert
NSM Aktiengesellschaft
Ometz David L.
Venable
Voorhees Catherine M.
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