Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Article handling
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-07
2001-04-10
Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3651)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Article handling
C369S034010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06216057
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for auditing the contents of library elements capable of holding storage cartridges in an automated library.
2. Description of the Related Art
An automated information storage and retrieval system, also known as an automated library, includes an array of storage cells, i.e., storage slots, that hold storage cartridges, such as optical disks or magnetic tapes that are portable and removable from the library. The term “storage cartridge” as used herein refers to any structure for housing such removable information media The library further includes one or more drives to read information from the storage cartridges located in the storage cells.
FIG. 1
illustrates an automated library
2
, such as the International Business Machines Corporation (“IBM®”) 3995 Optical Library Dataserver, which is described in IBM publication “3995 ECKD Storage Administration Guide”, document no. GA32-0242-02 (IBM Copyright, 1994), which publication is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. A similar automated library system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,652,742, entitled “Cartridge Retention in Storage Cell Arrays,” assigned to IBM, the assignee of the subject patent application, which patent is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The library
2
includes a controller, an input/output station, a picker assembly
4
, a carriage assembly
6
, storage cells
8
a, b,
and optical disk drives (not shown). The term “library element” as used herein refers to any slot in the automated library
2
in which storage cartridges may be disposed, e.g., the input/output stations, the storage cells
8
a, b,
the disk drives, etc. The library controller includes a processor, RAM, and other controls and interfaces to direct the actions of the library components. The controller further interacts with a host processor to respond to library commands transmitted from the host processor. The input/output station is the opening through which the user may insert or remove a cartridge. An operator panel on the outside of the box housing the tape library allows the user to communicate with the library controller. When adding a cartridge through the input/output slot, the user may indicate the addition of a cartridge using the operator panel. The library
2
also includes an access door
12
through which the user may add or remove cartridges maintained in the storage cells
8
a, b.
The library
2
has two columns of storage cells
8
a, b
and optical disk drives
10
a, b
that perform read and write operations with respect to the storage cartridges. A picker assembly
4
is capable of manipulating the storage cartridges in the library elements. A carriage assembly
6
moves the picker assembly
4
, and any cartridge held by the picker assembly
4
, among the library elements. The carriage assembly
6
transports the picker assembly
4
to a destination library element. The picker assembly
4
can rotate to turn the cartridge over. The picker assembly
4
has a finger mechanism to remove or insert a storage cartridge to a library element. Once inserted in the drive
10
a, b,
data can be read from the cartridge and sent to a host processor. Data transmitted from the host processor can be written to the storage cartridge inserted in the drive
10
a, b.
The picker assembly
4
may also be equipped with a machine vision system, such as a bar code reader, to read a label on the cartridge when the picker assembly
4
is positioned near a library element During an inventory of the library, such as when a new library is installed, the machine vision system scans the library elements. The machine vision system then informs the library controller of the identity of the stored cartridges and their location in the library elements. Alternatively, in a library without a vision system, each cartridge must be loaded into a drive
10
a, b
in order to read cartridge identifier information stored within the cartridge. After reading the identifying information, the storage cartridge is returned to the originating library element. The library controller records the identity and location information in a database to “know” the contents of each storage cell and the identity and location of the storage cartridges within the array of library elements.
An audit of the storage cartridges in library elements updates information in a cartridge map indicating the contents of the library elements. The cartridge map is stored in a memory accessible to the library controller. To audit the contents of the library elements, the library controller directs the machine vision system, if available, to first determine whether the library elements are empty. The library controller would then direct the machine vision system to read the label on the storage cartridge in the library element. The library controller would then update the cartridge map to reflect the current status of the library elements determined during the audit. This auditing process often takes several minutes. If the library
2
does not include machine vision equipment for reading the cartridges, then the audit is even more time consuming because each cartridge must be loaded into a drive
10
a, b
to obtain information on the contents of the storage cartridge before updating the cartridge map with the current information on that cartridge.
Typically, an inventory of the entire array of library elements must be taken whenever the library operator opens the access door
12
, even if the operator did not alter the contents of any library element in the array. In the current art, the system “assumes” that all library elements have been altered whenever the access door is opened.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To overcome the limitations in the prior art described above, the present invention discloses a system for indicating whether a group of at least one library element was accessed. The library elements are contained within a housing and are capable of holding storage cartridges. A controller is signaled when an access door of the housing is in an open position. An operator may access the library elements when the access door is in the open position. A motion detector directed toward the group of library elements is activated to detect whether at least one library element in the group was accessed. The motion detector signals the controller upon detecting that at least one library element in the group was accessed. The controller then indicates in a memory area that at least one of the library elements in the group was accessed after the controller is signaled that the access door is in the open position and that at least one library element in the group was accessed.
In further embodiments, the library elements in the group of library elements are audited after determining that the memory area indicates that at least one of the library elements in the group was accessed Auditing is performed by accessing the library elements in the group. For each accessed library element, the actual contents of the accessed library element are determined. Then, a cartridge map with information on the contents of the accessed library element is updated with information on the actual contents of the library element. The cartridge map is stored in the memory area and maintains information on contents of the library elements.
In yet further embodiments, the motion detector is comprised of light emitting sensors that detect when a library element is accessed by detecting when a light beam generated by one of the sensors is interrupted. Only those library elements in groups covered by a light beam that is interrupted are audited.
The preferred embodiments of the present invention reduce the need to audit all the library elements when the access door is opened. By using a motion detector to detect a section of library elements that may have been accessed, only those library elements within such section are audited. The preferred embodiments thus reduce audit time by avoiding an audit of library el
Ellis Christopher P.
International Business Machines - Corporation
Konrad Raynes & Victor
Tran Khoi H.
Victor David W.
LandOfFree
System for auditing storage cartridges in a library storage... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with System for auditing storage cartridges in a library storage..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and System for auditing storage cartridges in a library storage... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2555844