Electronic Library for Managing Data on Removable Storage Devices

• US 20080013411A1
• Filed: 02/21/2007
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sandisk Technologies Incorporated (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Thorp, Tyler, Haukness, Brent, Hutton, Henry
• Granted Patent: US 8,661,185 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 369/30.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0664 at device level, e.g. emulation of a storage device or system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0679 Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0688 Non-volatile semiconductor memory arrays

Abstract

An electronic library for managing data from removable data storage devices is described. The electronic library may have a stand-alone housing with a plurality of receptacles, at least two of the receptacles sized to connect with at least a first type of removable data storage device. An interface positioned on the housing permits concurrent access to removable data storage devices connected with the plurality of receptacles. A data access module in the housing may be configured to emulate a single removable data storage device containing data folders with corresponding to each removable data storage device. A refresh module in the housing may be configured to refresh each memory address of a removable data storage device in communication with one of the plurality of receptacles so that data integrity may be preserved.

Claims

1. An electronic library for managing a plurality of removable data storage devices, the electronic library comprising:

a housing having a plurality of receptacles, wherein each of the receptacles is sized to connect with at least a first type of removable data storage device;

an interface associated with the housing, the interface configured to permit access to each of the plurality of removable data storage devices connected with the plurality of receptacles; and

a data access module positioned in the housing, the data access module configured to identify the electronic library to a host device as a single storage device, and to identify each removable data storage device in communication with one of the receptacles as a respective folder associated with the single storage device.

2. The electronic library of claim 1, wherein the data access module comprises a computer-readable memory comprising processor-executable instructions for configuring a processor to identify the electronic library to a host device as a single removable data storage device, and to identify each removable data storage device in communication with the receptacles as the respective folder associated with the single storage device.

3. The electronic library of claim 1, wherein the data access module comprises a memory configured to receive a copy of data from any removable data storage device connected with the receptacles, and configured to represent the copy of data as a folder associated with the memory.

4. The electronic library of claim 3, wherein the memory is further configured to delete data received from a particular one of the plurality of removable data storage devices upon removal of the particular one of the plurality of removable data storage devices from the electronic library.

5. The electronic library of claim 1, wherein the first type of removable data storage device comprises a non-volatile memory.

6. The electronic library of claim 5, wherein the non-volatile memory comprises one of a Secure Digital (SD), CompactFlash (CF), Memory Stick (MS), MultiMediaCard (MMC), xD-Picture Card (xD) or SmartMedia (SM) memory card.

7. The electronic library of claim 1, further comprising a data access indicator associated with the housing, the data access indicator configured to identify a particular removable data storage device when data from the particular removable data storage device is being accessed.

8. The electronic library of claim 7, wherein the data access indicator comprises a visual indicator.

9. The electronic library of claim 8, wherein the visual indicator comprises an alphanumeric display.

10. The electronic library of claim 8, wherein the visual indicator comprises a plurality of light emitting devices, each light emitting device positioned adjacent a respective one of the plurality of receptacles.

11. The electronic library of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of receptacles is positioned along a top surface of the stand-alone housing.

12. The electronic library of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of receptacles is positioned along a side of the stand-alone housing.

13. The electronic library of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of receptacles is positioned horizontally along a side of the stand-alone housing.

14. The electronic library of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of receptacles is positioned vertically along a side of the stand-alone housing.

15. The electronic library of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a curved surface and wherein at least one of the plurality of receptacles is positioned along the curved surface.

16. The electronic library of claim 1, further comprising a power supply contained within the housing.

17. The electronic library of claim 16, wherein the power supply comprises one of a rechargeable battery or a non-rechargeable battery.

18. An electronic library for managing and concurrently accessing a plurality of removable data storage devices, the electronic library comprising:

a stand-alone housing having a plurality of receptacles, at least two of the receptacles are each sized to connect with at least a first type of removable data storage device;

an interface positioned on the housing, the interface configured to permit concurrent access to all removable data storage devices connected with the plurality of receptacles; and

a memory refresh module positioned within the housing and configured to determine if a memory refresh is needed for each of the plurality of removable data storage devices and refresh each memory location in each of the plurality of removable data storage devices determined to need the memory refresh.

19. The electronic library of claim 18, wherein the memory refresh module is configured, for each removable data storage device, to determine if a refresh time threshold has been exceeded.

20. The electronic library of claim 18, wherein the memory refresh module is configured to scan each removable data storage device and execute the memory refresh for each scanned removable data storage device lacking a refresh time stamp.

21. The electronic library of claim 18, wherein the memory refresh module is configured to scan each removable data storage device for a refresh time stamp and determine that the memory refresh is necessary for each scanned removable data storage device having a refresh time stamp older than a refresh time threshold.

22. The electronic library of claim 20, wherein the refresh module is further configured to associate a new refresh time stamp with each removable storage device lacking the refresh time stamp.

23. The electronic library of claim 21, wherein the refresh module is further configured to reset the refresh time stamp for each removable storage device determined to need the memory refresh.

24. The electronic library of claim 18, wherein the refresh module is further configured to continuously scan each of the plurality of removable data storage devices and refresh each memory location in each of the plurality of removable data storage devices determined to need the memory refresh.

25. The electronic library of claim 18, wherein the refresh module is further configured to only determine if the memory refresh is needed for each of the plurality of removable data storage devices and refresh each memory location in each of the plurality of removable data storage devices determined to need the memory refresh during idle periods in data access activities for the plurality of removable data storage devices.

26. The electronic library of claim 18, wherein the memory refresh module comprises a computer readable memory comprising processor executable instructions for configuring a processor to access each memory location in each of the removable data storage devices in communication with the plurality of receptacles.

27. The electronic library of claim 18, further comprising a data access module positioned in the housing, the data access module configured to identify the electronic library to a host device as a single storage device, and to identify each removable data storage device in communication with one of the receptacles as a respective folder associated with the single storage device.

28. The electronic library of claim 27, wherein the data access module comprises a computer readable memory comprising processor executable instructions for configuring a processor to identify the electronic library to a host device as a single removable data storage device, and to identify each removable data storage device in communication with the receptacles as the respective folder associated with the single storage device.

29. The electronic library of claim 27, wherein the data access module comprises a memory configured to receive a copy of data from each removable data storage device connected with the receptacles, and configured to represent the data copied from each removable data storage device as respective folders associated with the memory.

30. The electronic library of claim 29, wherein the memory is further configured to delete data received from a particular one of the plurality of removable data storage devices upon removal of the particular one of the plurality of removable data storage devices from the electronic library.

31. The electronic library of claim 18, wherein the first type of removable data storage device comprises a non-volatile memory.

32. The electronic library of claim 31, wherein the non-volatile memory comprises one of a Secure Digital (SD), CompactFlash (CF), Memory Stick (MS), MultiMediaCard (MMC), xD-Picture Card (xD) or SmartMedia (SM) memory card.

33. The electronic library of claim 18, further comprising a data access indicator associated with the housing, the data access indicator configured to identify a particular removable data storage device when data from the particular removable data storage device is being accessed.

34. The electronic library of claim 33, wherein the data access indicator comprises a visual indicator.

35. The electronic library of claim 34, wherein the visual indicator comprises an alphanumeric display.

36. The electronic library of claim 34, wherein the visual indicator comprises a plurality of light emitting devices, each light emitting device positioned adjacent a respective one of the plurality of receptacles.

37. The electronic library of claim 18, wherein at least one of the plurality of receptacles is positioned along a top surface of the stand-alone housing.

38. The electronic library of claim 18, wherein at least one of the plurality of receptacles is positioned along a side of the stand-alone housing.

39. The electronic library of claim 18, wherein at least one of the plurality of receptacles is positioned horizontally along a side of the stand-alone housing.

40. The electronic library of claim 18, wherein at least one of the plurality of receptacles is positioned vertically along a side of the stand-alone housing.

41. The electronic library of claim 18, wherein the housing comprises a curved surface and wherein at least one of the plurality of receptacles is positioned along the curved surface.