Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support – Digital data processing system initialization or configuration
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-02
2002-03-12
Heckler, Thomas M. (Department: 2787)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support
Digital data processing system initialization or configuration
C206S308300, C206S720000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06357001
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to an improved static dissipation bag for a hard drive and other electronic components, an improved method of installing a hard drive or other electronic component into a computer or other electronic device, and a low-cost back-up system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There have been many advances in the computer industry over the last decade including remarkable improvements to microprocessors, their capacities, their speeds of operation, increased RAM capacities for desktop and laptop computers, and dramatic increases in memory capacity, the speed of operation of hard disks, and the mother boards. Although replacement or substitution of the microprocessing chip with a more powerful chip normally requires replacing the mother board in a computer, the RAM memory can be easily upgraded, and is continually upgraded in computers. Likewise, the hard disk memory can be increased by adding or substituting a new hard drive into a computer to increase not only the hard drive memory but also the hard drive operational speeds. With the increase in the memory requirements for software, the computer bought today frequently must be upgraded with increased RAM and/or hard drive memory a year later to take advantage of the newest software.
When the hard drive of an existing computer is to be substituted with an upgrade, most typically, the data on the old hard drive is backed up to an external source, such as a network, tape drive, recordable CD, zip drive, or the like The old drive is removed and the new hard drive is installed. The Microsoft Windows operating system, or less frequently, an alternative operating system, is then installed. Finally, the data on the back-up source is then transferred to the new drive.
In the present invention, when the hard drive of an existing computer is to be substituted with an upgrade, i.e., a hard drive with greater memory and/or operating speed, the data on the existing hard drive is transferred to the new hard drive directly, preferably prior to removal of the old hard drive and installation of the new hard drive. This method is used by a few hard drive manufacturers. However, this method can be fraught with certain difficulties. Electronic components and the computer can build up electric static charges. Electrostatic discharge can damage computer components, the new and old hard drive, the write and read heads on the hard drives, and the like. Thus, it is important to dissipate electrostatic charge safely and under controlled conditions, rather than having an accidental electrostatic discharge that can damage the computer and/or its components,
During the data transfer from the existing hard drive in the computer to the new hard drive, which resides outside the computer during the data transfer step, shock movement to the new hard drive cannot only damage components of the hard drive, including the disks covered with magnetic coating and the recording and reading heads, but it also can move the recording head, causing a data write error. After the data transfer has taken place (which can be quite lengthy when there is a great deal of data to be transferred), the computer operating system authenticates successful transfer of the data, and if it finds an error in the data transfer, the data transfer step must be re-run. If the magnetic material on the disks has been damaged, the hard drive will have to be reformatted or replaced, and if one or more of the recording heads has been damaged, the hard drive will have to be replaced.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to an improved method of shipping and installing a new hard drive in a computer comprising the steps of packaging a new hard drive in a static dissipation bag having a conductive coating on its exterior surface; boxing the packaged new hard drive in a shock-absorbing medium within a transportation box, connecting the new hard drive to the PCMCIA port, or equivalent port, of a computer, transferring the data on the existing hard drive in the computer to the new hard drive while the new hard drive is packaged in the static dissipation bag and boxed in the shock-absorbing medium within the transportation box; disconnecting the new hard drive from the computer port after the data transfer is complete; grounding the static dissipation bag to the computer and to an operator, the operator removing the packaged new hard drive from the transportation box and the static dissipation bag and installing it in the computer.
The method can be used to replace an existing hard drive with a new hard drive.
The new hard drive can be placed on the surface of the static dissipation bag by the operator after the static dissipation bag is grounded to the computer and the operator. The new hard drive installation is carried out by the grounded operator. The existing hard drive can then be removed from the computer by the grounded operator and placed on the surface of the static dissipation bag. The new hard drive is installed in the computer by the grounded operator. The existing hard drive can be packaged in the static dissipation bag by the operator. The existing hard drive can also be boxed in the shock-absorbing medium within the transportation box. The existing hard drive can also be packaged in the static dissipation bag by the operator after removal of the existing hard drive from the computer and before installation of the new hard drive in the computer.
The new hard drive can be connected to the first end of a connector cable and the new hard drive and the connected first end of the connector cable can be packaged in the static dissipation bag with the second end of the connector cable extending out from the static dissipation bag. The second end of the connector cable can be packaged within a second static dissipation bag for added protection against static charge. The second end of the connector cable is connected to the PCMCIA or equivalent port of the computer to effect the data transfer from the existing hard drive to the new hard drive. The first end of the connector cable is disconnected from the new hard drive after the data transfer from the existing hard drive has been completed. Thereafter, the first end of the connector cable can be connected to the existing hard drive and the existing hard drive and the connected connector cable can be packaged in the static dissipation bag after installation of the new hard drive in the computer. The packaged existing hard drive can be boxed in the shock-absorbing medium within the transportation box.
The existing hard drive packaged in the static dissipation bag and boxed in the shock-absorbing medium (“stored hard drive”) can be used as a back up hard drive. The second end of the connector cable of the stored hard drive is connected to the PCMCIA or equivalent port of a computer; the data stored in the computer to be backed up is transferred to the stored hard drive while the stored hard drive is packaged in the static dissipation bag and boxed in the shock-absorbing medium within the transportation box. After the data transfer to the stored hard drive, the connector cable is disconnected from the computer. The static dissipation bag can be optionally grounded to the computer prior to and/or during the data transfer step.
The present invention is also directed to an improved method of shipping and storing a back-up hard drive for a computer comprising the steps of: packaging a hard drive in a static dissipation bag having a conductive coating on its exterior surface; boxing the packaged hard drive (“back-up hard drive”) in a shock-absorbing medium within a transportation box; connecting the back-up hard drive to the PCMCIA or equivalent port of a computer; transferring the data on the existing hard drive in the computer to the back-up hard drive while the back-up hard drive is packaged in the static dissipation bag and boxed in the shock-absorbing medium within the transportation box; disconnecting the back-up hard drive from the computer after the data transfer is complete.
The s
Brower Charles
Brown Curt
Hohman Charles
CMS Peripherals, Inc.
Heckler Thomas M.
Lane William G.
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