Library apparatus

Details Library apparatus Library apparatus

1998-08-10

2002-10-15

Hudspeth, David (Department: 2651)

Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval

Automatic control of a recorder mechanism

Reexamination Certificate

active

06466389

ABSTRACT:

This invention relates to a library device, and more particularly, to a magnetic tape cartridge recognition device in a magnetic tape library apparatus which is connected to a large computing system as a large-capacity storage device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
To process growing volumes of information in computing systems, many fully-automatic library devices that do not require operators are appearing these days, as a means of storing large volumes of information. These library devices use single-reel tape cartridges as storage media, and handle cartridges fully automatically.
To automate cartridge transportation, a fully-automatic library has a media handling robot called an accessor as a cartridge transporting device which can be moved in the library device. While moving on a lengthwise rail in the library device, this accessor inserts or ejects a cartridge and mounts a cartridge on or demounts one from a data recording and regenerating device automatically.
To insert a cartridge into or eject one from this automated library device, the address of each cartridge frame (hereinafter, called cell) should be related to the cartridge to be stored. For cartridge identification, bar codes on the cartridges are read and the read data is managed.
FIG. 1
shows an example of a conventional library device
2
. The library device
2
has an accessor unit
9
, a drum unit
10
, and a drive unit
12
which can be installed in a flexible layout.
FIG. 2
is a cutaway view showing the internal structure of the library device
2
. The library device
2
has two cartridge access stations
4
(CAS), one on the front side of the left accessor unit
7
and the other on the front side of the right accessor unit
9
.
Each cartridge access station
5
has a cartridge entry
6
and a cartridge exit
8
. The cartridge entry
6
and exit
8
can rotate 180 degrees around their vertical axes.
Drum units
10
a,
10
b
have cell drums
15
a,
15
b
each containing several cells. The cells drums
15
a,
15
b
each consist of cell segments
17
a
-
17
f.
The cell segments
17
a
-
17
f
have n-stage cells in three rows.
Each cell accommodates a cartridge that stores magnetic tape. The cartridge can be an I3480-type magnetic tape cartridge or any other suitable device. By opening the direct entry exit (DEE) door
64
of the drum unit
10
a,
the operator can insert a cartridge into, or eject one from one of the cell segments
17
a
to
17
f
located in front of the DEE door
64
.
Four drive units
12
a
-
12
d
record and regenerate information on magnetic tape stored in each cartridge. Each drive unit
12
a
to
12
d
of the library device
2
has several tape drive units (for example, four tape drive units in each drive unit). These tape drive units have cartridge entry-exit ports. A cartridge entry-exit port is a plane including the X axis, tilted by 5.5 degrees from the vertical plane relative to the Y axis.
The housing
4
accommodates PC boards for controlling the cartridge access station
5
, drum units
10
a,
10
b,
drive units
12
a-
12
d,
and two accessor units
14
.
The accessor
14
has a hand assembly
16
which can be moved vertically (direction Y in the figure) along the vertical column
18
projecting from the rail base
32
. The rail base
32
enables the accessor
14
to move horizontally (direction X in the figure) along the guide rail (X rail)
20
. The accessor
14
is an X-Y move mechanism. A sensor
163
is attached to the rail base
32
of the accessor
14
to detect the position flag
165
on the accessor unit
9
.
FIG. 3
is a cutaway view showing the internal structure of a drum unit
10
a
in the library device
2
. The drum unit
10
a
contains a drum
3
which is driven by a motor (not illustrated in the figure). The drum
3
contains seven rows of cell segments (
17
a
to
17
f
in FIG.
2
). The cell segments
17
of each row accommodate several DEE magazines
30
each having cells
5
in three rows and seven stages. The DEE magazine
30
can accommodate up to
21
cartridges
1
. The operator can insert a DEE magazine
30
in each cell by opening the DEE door
64
of the drum unit
10
a
from the DEE operation panel
31
.
The drum unit
10
a
contains a DEE controller
33
, a power sequencer
34
, a power supply
35
for DEE and LBR, a drum power supply
36
, an AMC interface
37
, a driver unit
38
, a drum controller
39
, a local bar code reader (LBR) assembly
40
, a controller
41
for local bar code reader, a vertical column base
78
, and a bar code reader
68
for reading the back bar code label
1
B of a cartridge
1
. The drum unit
10
a
also has an operator panel
43
on the front.
The local bar code reader assembly
40
is placed at the corner adjacent to the downstream DEE door in the rotating direction of the housing drum
3
of the square-column-shaped drum unit
10
a.
Since the drum unit
10
a
uses a polyhedral rotating cell drum
15
a,
a local bar code reader
68
can be mounted on a corner of the housing.
The accessor
14
accesses a cell
50
on the cell drum
15
a
through a port on the back of the drum unit
10
a.
Before the cell segment
17
where the operator inserted or ejected a cartridge reaches the back of the drum unit
10
a,
the local bar code reader
68
can read a bar code label on the cartridge
1
.
FIGS.
4
(
a
) and
4
(
b
) show only the local bar code reader
40
in FIG.
3
. The bar code reader
68
on the local bar code reader
40
is linked to the slide guide
76
and moves together with the guide. This slide guide
76
moves back and forth along the slide rail
74
. The slide rail
74
is attached to the vertical column base
78
. The vertical column base
78
supports the bar code reader
68
, lower pulley
72
, upper pulley
106
, pulse motor
70
, and slide rail
74
. There is a timing belt
108
between the lower pulley
72
and upper pulley
106
. The timing belt
108
is secured on the slide guide
76
of the bar code reader
68
.
A balancing weight
110
is attached to the timing belt
108
to counterbalance the weight of the bar code reader
68
. This bar code reader
68
can rotate around the slide guide
76
in the axial direction. The motor
82
on the slide guide
76
drives the bar code reader
68
.
The pulse motor
70
rotates the lower pulley
72
. Rotation of the lower pulley
72
is conveyed through the timing belt
108
and moves the slide guide
76
along the slide rail
74
where the bar code reader
68
is mounted. A sensor secured on the slide guide
76
detects the flags of the position flag bar. Flags detected by the sensor are counted to determine the position of the slide guide
76
on the vertical column base
78
. These sensors and the position flag bar configure the position detection mechanism of the bar code reader
68
.
The flange
78
a
at the bottom of the vertical column base
78
is secured on the base of the drum unit
10
a
with screws, and the flange
78
b
at the top is secured on the top of the drum unit
10
a.
Therefore, the local bar code reader
40
can be disengaged from the drum unit
10
a
if the screws affixed to the flanges
78
a,
78
b
are removed.
The controller
41
on the vertical column base
78
sends control signals to control the bar code reader
68
. These control signals reach the bar code reader
68
through the signal cable
42
. By connecting or disconnecting a connector (not illustrated), the bar code reader
68
and the signal cable
42
can be connected or disconnected. The controller
41
sends drive signals to the drum motor (not illustrated) of the cell drum
15
through another signal cable (not illustrated).
FIG. 5
shows the structure of the accessor
14
shown in FIG.
2
. The accessor
14
consists of a rail base
32
which moves along the lengthwise guide rail (X rail) of the library device
2
, a vertical column
18
projecting from the rail base
32
, and a hand assembly
16
which moves along the vertical column
18
. The accessor
14
transports a cartridge along the X rail
20
.
The rail base
32
has a drive roller
19
A and a follower roller
19

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