Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval – Automatic control of a recorder mechanism
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-19
2003-04-22
Sniezek, Andrew L. (Department: 2651)
Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval
Automatic control of a recorder mechanism
C360S092100, C360S098040
Reexamination Certificate
active
06552866
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to a data carrier archiving system with a data carrier store comprising a plurality of storage compartments and at least one disk drive for data carriers and with a data carrier transport unit movable in the space in three different spatial directions by means of a handling unit for transporting the data carriers between different compartments of the data carrier store and/or the at least one disk drive.
In this respect, a data carrier is to be understood as any storage medium for symbols which is in a position to store pictures, language, music or other data.
Data carrier archiving systems of this type are known from the state of the art. In the case of such data carrier archiving systems, there is always the risk that stored and updated information concerning the position of the data carrier transport unit, which is provided for the control of the handling unit for moving the data carrier transport unit, either becomes lost or displays errors with increasing operation of the data carrier archiving system and so a point in time arrives, at which the data carrier transport unit is no longer in a position, on account of inexact positioning, to grip a data carrier, for example, in the compartment of the data carrier store provided for this correctly and reliably.
For this reason, it is necessary to provide the handling unit for the movements of the data carrier transport unit again with correct position information concerning the exact position of the data carrier transport unit; this can, for example, be carried out in that manual, so-called “teach processes” are carried out, with which the data carrier transport unit is moved manually to a predetermined position which then serves as reference position for the further movement of the data carrier transport unit by means of the handling unit.
The previous solutions for the exact determination of the position of the data carrier transport unit are all very time-consuming and sometimes very complicated and so the checking of the position of the data carrier transport unit is avoided when it is not absolutely necessary.
The object underlying the invention is therefore to improve a data carrier archiving system in such a manner that checking of the positioning of the data carrier transport unit is possible with measures which are as simple as possible.
This object is accomplished in accordance with the invention, in a data carrier archiving system of the type described at the outset, in that the data carrier transport unit is provided with a position detection unit, by means of which scanning of a reference object can be carried out after random operational phases for the exact determination of a position of the data carrier transport unit in at least one of three different spatial directions.
The advantage of the inventive solution is to be seen in the fact that by means of the position detection unit and a reference object provided for this an ascertainment of the position of the data carrier transport unit is possible in a simple manner and without considerable time being required.
This can be realized particularly favorably when the position detection unit optically detects a position of an object of measurement influenced by the position of the data carrier transport unit in the space relative to the reference object.
As a result of the optical detection of the positions of the object of measurement, the position detection can be realized, on the one hand, quickly and, on the other hand, also inexpensively since an optical detection of an object of measurement can be carried out with inexpensive constructional units.
A particularly simple solution which also ensures a high measurement accuracy provides for the position detection unit to be arranged on a housing of the data carrier transport unit so that its position can be detected as exactly as possible.
With respect to the design of the object of measurement itself, the most varied of solutions are conceivable. For example, one advantageous embodiment provides for the object of measurement to represent a part of the data carrier transport unit which can interact with the reference object. Such an object of measurement forming part of the data carrier transport unit could be, for example, a measurement arm provided on the data carrier transport unit, the individual positions of which are monitored when this is in mechanical interaction with the object of measurement.
With respect to the design of the reference object, no further details have been given in conjunction with the preceding description of the individual embodiments. One advantageous embodiment, for example, provides for the reference object to have, for example, the shape of a cube with known dimensions.
However, in order to be able to scan the reference object advantageously with the movable measurement arm, it is provided for the reference object to have the shape similar to that of an area of the data carrier which interacts with the at least one gripping arm during the gripping of this data carrier.
A particularly simple solution from a constructional point of view provides for the at least one measurement arm to be mounted on a support member thereof so as to be movable, preferably pivotable.
In a particularly favorable embodiment, it is provided for the support member, for its part, to be movable in a gripping direction relative to the data carrier transport unit.
In order to be able to use the measurement arm as object of measurement with as little resources as possible, it is preferably provided for the at least one measurement arm, held standing in a starting position by an elastic biasing means, to be movable out of its starting position contrary to the action of the elastic biasing means. Such a solution has the advantage that a position which is always taken up automatically by the measurement arm is already predetermined mechanically by the elastic biasing means and so, with respect to the monitoring of the individual positions, a starting position is available, into which the measurement arm returns automatically when it is not acted upon.
Thus, the position detection unit may be designed in a particularly advantageous manner when the position detection unit detects deviations of the at least one gripping arm from the starting position. In this respect, two positions of the measurement arm are sufficient in the simplest case. It is, however, even more advantageous when more than two positions may be detected.
In order to increase the sensitivity of the position detection even more, it is preferably provided for the position detection unit, with a predetermined movement of the at least one measurement arm, to detect regions of the measurement arm moving to different extents, wherein the advantage is to be seen in the fact that it is possible, with as precise a detection of the respective position of the measurement arm as possible, to detect regions moving to a greater extent during the predetermined movement of the measurement arm whereas, when the precision is intended to be less great, it is sufficient to detect regions of the measurement arm moving to a lesser extent.
The detection of regions of the measurement arm moving to different extents may be preferably realized in a simple manner during the detection of the pivot position since these regions move to different extents during the movement of the measurement arm depending on their radial distance.
In order to be able to have access to the data carrier in an advantageous manner, it is provided for the measurement arm to be movable in a gripping direction relative to the housing of the data carrier transport unit in order to interact with the reference object and for the position detection unit securely arranged on the housing of the data carrier transport unit to detect different measurement sections of the at least one measurement arm in different positions of the measurement arm in the gripping direction so that the movement of the measurement arm relative to the housing of the data carrier transport unit can be utilize
Grau Software GmbH
Sheridan & Ross P.C.
Sniezek Andrew L.
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