Visual meter for providing a long-term indication of dynamic parameters

• US 20030030926A1
• Filed: 10/17/2002
• Published: 02/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Compaq Information Technologies Group LP (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Flynn, Edward M., Aguren, Jerry G.
• Granted Patent: US 6,628,205 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 360/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/077 Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07703 the interface being visual
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/655 Memory in cassette [MIC]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/0305 Semiconductor memories
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/042 Auxiliary features sensing such features G11B15/06
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/10 Indicating arrangements; Warning arrangements G11B15/04, G11B19/04, G11B27/34, G11B27/36 take precedence

Abstract

A media meter mounts to a surface of a removable storage media or other product, and provides a visual indication of one or more parameters of the storage media or other product. The media meter includes circuitry that detects status signals transmitted by rf transmissions or directly connected by wires between an auxiliary memory device mounted on the storage media or product, or receives status signals via rf transmissions directly from the auxiliary memory. As another alternative, the media meter may be integrated with the auxiliary memory to receive status signals directly from the auxiliary memory. The status signals indicate the capacity of the storage media, the number of read and/or write errors that have occurred during back-up and retrieval, the number of times the storage media has been loaded with data or other information, and other dynamically-varying parameters. The media meter selects appropriate parameters to display, or may perform other analysis to determine other parameters of the storage media, such as the viability of the storage media. The media meter includes a parasitic power source that uses the rf communications to power the circuitry. The media meter includes a display device capable of maintaining a display of the selected parameter for extended periods.

Claims

1. A meter indicating a parameter relating to a removable storage media, said removable storage media being capable of storing information when the removable storage media is loaded in a drive, and said removable storage media including an auxiliary memory chip that stores information including dynamically-varying parameters of the removable storage media, comprising:

a receiver mounted on the removable storage media that receives transmissions from said drive when said drive is transmitting information to the auxiliary memory chip;

control circuitry mounted on the removable storage media and coupled to said receiver; and

a display mounted on the removable storage media and coupled to said control circuitry;

wherein said control circuitry selects at least one of the parameters for displaying on said display to visually indicate the status of at least one dynamically-varying parameter.

2. The meter of claim 1, further comprising a memory coupled to said control circuitry, and wherein said memory stores information received by said receiver prior to selection by said control circuitry.

3. The meter of claim 2, wherein information only is loaded into said memory if said drive is performing a write operation to said auxiliary memory chip.

4. The meter of claim 1, further comprising a parasitic power source that provides power to said meter from the received transmissions.

5. The meter of claim 1, further comprising conditioning circuitry coupled to said receiver that converts the received transmission to a digital format.

6. The meter of claim 1, wherein the display comprises a graph.

7. The meter of claim 1, wherein the display comprises a plurality of microspheres of dye with electrostatically charged pigmentation.

8. The meter of claim 7, wherein the display further comprises multiple pairs of electrodes mounted on opposite sides of said microspheres that cause the electrostatically charged pigmentation to move from side to side to effect color changes.

9. The meter of claim 8, wherein the multiple pairs of electrodes are configured to represent bars in a bar graph.

10. The meter as in claim 1, wherein the meter comprises a label that is affixed to said removable storage media.

11. The meter as in claim 1, wherein the receiver comprises an rf receiver, and the transmissions from said drive comprise rf transmissions.

12. The meter as in claim 1, wherein the removable storage media comprises a hard drive.

13. The meter of claim 1, wherein the removable storage media comprises a tape cartridge that is capable of storing data backed-up from a computer system.

14. The meter of claim 1, wherein the removable storage media comprises a tape cartridge that is capable of storing video from a camcorder.

15. The meter of claim 1, wherein the removable storage media is capable of storing audio.

16. A meter indicating a dynamically-varying parameter relating to a removable storage media, said removable storage media being capable of storing information and including an auxiliary memory chip that stores information regarding parameters of the removable storage media, comprising:

an rf receiver mounted on the removable storage media that receives rf transmissions from said auxiliary memory chip relating to one or more parameters of the removable storage media;

control circuitry mounted on the removable storage media and coupled to said rf receiver; and

a display mounted on the removable storage media and coupled to said control circuitry;

wherein said control circuitry selects at least one of the parameters for displaying on said display to visually indicate the status of said at least one parameter.

17. The meter of claim 16, further comprising a memory coupled to said control circuitry, and wherein said memory stores information received by said rf receiver prior to selection by said control circuitry.

18. The meter of claim 16, further comprising a parasitic power source that provides power to said meter from the received rf transmissions.

19. The meter of claim 16, further comprising conditioning circuitry coupled to said rf receiver that converts the received rf transmission to a digital format.

20. The meter of claim 16, wherein the display comprises a bar graph.

21. The meter of claim 16, wherein the display comprises a plurality of microspheres of dye with electrostatically charged pigmentation.

22. The meter of claim 21, wherein the display further comprises multiple pairs of electrodes mounted on opposite sides of said microspheres that cause the electrostatically charged pigmentation to move from side to side to effect color changes.

23. The meter of claim 22, wherein the multiple pairs of electrodes are configured to represent bars in a bar graph.

24. The meter as in claim 16, wherein the meter comprises a label that is affixed to said removable storage media.

35. The auxiliary memory device as in claim 23, wherein the receiver comprises an rf receiver, and the transmissions from said drive comprise rf transmissions.

36. The auxiliary memory device as in claim 23, wherein the receiver comprises a direct connection receiver, and the transmissions from said drive comprise transmissions via one or more electrical conductors.

25. An auxiliary memory device that includes a meter capable of indicating a parameter relating to a product, said auxiliary memory capable of storing information when inserted in a drive, comprising:

a receiver mounted on the product that receives transmissions from said drive that includes information relating to the status of said product;

a memory, mounted on the product, that couples to said receiver to receive and store said information relating to the status of said product;

control circuitry mounted on the product and coupled to said memory; and

a display mounted on the product and coupled to said control circuitry;

wherein said control circuitry selects at least a portion of the information relating to the status of said product for displaying on said display to visually indicate the status of said product.

26. The auxiliary memory device of claim 25, wherein said control circuitry is capable of changing the portion of information relating to the status of said product that is displayed on said display.

27. The auxiliary memory device as in claim 26, wherein the display includes a bar graph and a legend, and both said bar graph and said legend may be changed by said control circuitry depending on which portion of said information is selected for display by said control circuitry.

28. The auxiliary memory device as in claim 25, further comprising a parasitic power source that provides power to said meter from the received transmissions.

29. The auxiliary memory device as in claim 25, wherein the auxiliary memory device comprises a chip that is affixed to said product.

30. The auxiliary memory device as in claim 25, wherein the product comprises a removable storage media.

31. The auxiliary memory device as in claim 30, wherein the removable storage media comprises a tape cartridge that is capable of storing data backed-up from a computer system.

32. The auxiliary memory device as in claim 30, wherein the removable storage media comprises a tape cartridge that is capable of storing video from a camcorder.

33. The auxiliary memory device as in claim 30, wherein the removable storage media is capable of storing audio.

34. The auxiliary memory device as in claim 30, wherein the removable storage media comprises a hard drive.

37. A label capable of being secured to a product that provides a visual display of a parameter relating to the product, comprising

a plurality of upper transparent electrodes;

a plurality of lower electrodes;

a plurality of microspheres positioned between said upper electrodes and said lower electrodes;

a substrate positioned below said plurality of lower electrodes, said substrate receiving one or more integrated circuit that selectively energize some of said plurality of upper electrodes and said plurality of lower electrodes;

an antenna positioned below said plurality of lower electrodes that is capable of receiving rf transmissions from a remote source indicating which upper electrodes and lower electrodes to energize, and wherein said antenna couples to said one or more integrated circuits to provide said rf transmissions to said one or more integrated circuit.

38. A label as in claim 37, further comprising an insulating layer above said plurality of upper electrodes.

39. A label as in claim 37, wherein said substrate includes one or more cutout in which said one or more integrated circuit is received.

40. A label as in claim 39, wherein said antenna is configured in a loop and is positioned beneath said substrate.

41. A label as in claim 37, wherein the plurality of upper electrodes and low electrodes are arranged in pairs, and wherein said one or more integrated circuit selectively energizes pairs of upper and lower electrodes to change the color of said microspheres that are located between said pairs.

42. A label as in claim 37, wherein the label may be adhered to a product to provide a long-term visual indication of a parameter relating to said product.

43. A label as in claim 37, wherein the long-term visual indication is greater than 6 months.

44. A label as in claim 37, wherein the product comprises a removable storage media.

45. A label as in claim 40, wherein a first protective cover is provided above said upper electrodes, and a second protective cover is provided below said antenna.

46. A label as in claim 37, wherein the one or more integrated circuit receives power from the rf transmissions.