Apparatus, system, and method for selectively protecting a motion sensitive component in a computerized device

• US 20070168047A1
• Filed: 01/17/2006
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Locker, Howard, Wong, Tin-Lup, Cromer, Daryl
• Granted Patent: US 7,430,452 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/04 Arrangements for preventing, inhibiting, or warning against double recording on the same blank or against other recording or reproducing malfunctions
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 21/12 Raising and lowering; Back-spacing or forward-spacing along track; Returning to starting position otherwise than during transducing operation

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for balancing the read and write requirements of applications running in a computerized system against the requirements to protect a motion sensitive device in the system and requirements to protect data. The apparatus includes an application interface, a motion policy module, and a control module. The application interface delivers configuration parameters and system information to the motion policy module which establishes a policy for controlling the motion sensitive devices. The control module is configured to selectively communicate with one or more applications running in the computerized system and motion sensitive devices on the system. The control module executes actions to protect motion sensitive devices and system data and to maintain data read and write rates on the system in accordance with the configured protection policies and inputs from motion sensor devices.

Claims

1. An apparatus to protect a motion sensitive device in a computer system, the:

apparatus comprising;

a motion policy module configured to manage a motion response policy;

a motion detection module configured to detect acceleration events; and

a control module configured to selectively execute an action in response to a detected acceleration event in accordance with the motion response policy.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the executed action comprises shutting down the motion sensitive device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the executed action comprises notifying a motion-aware application of the acceleration event.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the executed action comprises signaling an application to modify the amount of storage allocated to input/output buffers.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the executed action comprises signaling a motion-aware application to modify its data output rate.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising,

a motion intensity analysis module in communication with the motion detection module, the motion intensity analysis module configured to provide motion analysis information to the control module for use in selecting the action to be executed.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an application interface configured to receive motion policy configuration information from a user of the computing device and communicate the motion policy configuration information to the motion policy module.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the motion sensitive device is a hard disk drive and the executed action comprises parking the heads of the disk drive.

10. The system of claim 8, the memory further comprising,

a motion intensity analysis module in communication with the motion detection module, the motion intensity analysis module configured to deliver motion analysis information to the control module for use in selecting the action to be executed.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the executed action comprises signaling a motion policy aware application to modify its data output rate.

9. A system for protecting a motion sensitive device, the system comprising:

a Hard Disk Drive (HDD);

a processor;

an accelerometer coupled to the processor and the HDD, the accelerometer configured to measure acceleration events of the HDD; and

a memory comprising,

a motion policy module configured to manage a motion response policy;

a motion detection module configured to receive acceleration event notifications from the accelerometer; and

a control module configured to selectively execute an action in response to an acceleration event in accordance with the motion response policy.

12. A signal bearing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a set of operations to protect a motion sensitive device, the operations comprising:

managing a motion response policy;

receiving an acceleration event from an accelerometer;

comparing the acceleration event to the motion response policy;

selectively executing an action in response to the acceleration event in accordance with the motion response policy.

13. The signal bearing medium of claim 12, wherein managing motion response policy uses policy information from a user of the digital processing apparatus.

14. The signal bearing medium of claim 12, wherein setting motion response policy uses policy information from an application running on the digital processing apparatus.

15. The signal bearing medium of claim 12, wherein selectively executing an action comprises shutting down the motion sensitive device.

16. The signal bearing medium of claim 12, wherein selectively executing an action comprises sending a signal to applications currently running on the digital processing apparatus to notify said applications of current motion levels.

17. The signal bearing medium of claim 16, wherein the applications currently running on the digital processing apparatus are configured to modify their data output rates in response to the signal.

18. A method for protecting a motion sensitive device in a computing device, the method comprising:

managing a motion response policy;

detecting an acceleration event; and

selectively executing an action in response to the acceleration event in accordance with the motion response policy.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the motion response policy includes a matrix of actions dependent on motion intensity, motion type and the type of applications currently running on the computing device.

20. The method of claim 18, the method further comprising classifying the acceleration event according to intensity.