Transferring Storage Devices Within Storage Device Testing Systems

• US 20110106298A1
• Filed: 04/16/2009
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teradyne Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Teradyne Incorporated
• Inventors: Merrow, Brian S., Polyakov, Evgeny, Whitaker, Brian J., Garcia, Edward, Truebenbach, Eric L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,712,580 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/218
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 17/225 wherein the disks are transferred from a fixed magazine to a fixed playing unit using a moving carriage
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1816 Testing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2516 Hard disks
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/128 of the plurality of recording/reproducing devices, e.g. disk drives, onto a chassis

Abstract

A method of transferring storage devices within a storage device testing system includes actuating an automated transporter to retrieve multiple storage devices presented for testing, and actuating the automated transporter to deliver each retrieved storage device to a respective test slot of the storage device testing system and insert each storage device in the respective test slot.

Claims

1. A method of transferring storage devices within a storage device testing system, the method comprising:

actuating an automated transporter to retrieve multiple storage devices presented for testing; and

actuating the automated transporter to deliver each retrieved storage device to a respective test slot of the storage device testing system and to insert each storage device in the respective test slot.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

actuating the automated transporter to retrieve multiple storage device transporters;

actuating the automated transporter to retrieve the storage devices presented for testing by carrying each of the storage devices with respective storage device transporters; and

actuating the automated transporter to deliver the storage device transporters, each carrying one of the storage devices, to the respective test slots.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising inserting each of the storage device transporters into a respective test slot, engaging the carried storage device with a respective connector of the storage device testing system, the inserted storage device transporters providing closure of their respective test slots.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the storage devices are present in at least one storage device tote presented to the storage device testing system.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising actuating the automated transporter to retrieve each of the storage devices from the at least one storage device tote with the corresponding storage device transporter by positioning the storage device transporter below the storage device, lifting the storage device off a storage device support of the storage device tote, and carrying the storage device in the storage device transporter away from the storage device tote.

6. The method of any of claim 1, wherein the automated transporter comprises a manipulator comprising:

a manipulator body; and

first and second connectors disposed on the manipulator body and arranged in a substantially V-shaped configuration with respect to each other, each connector being configured to releasably attach to a storage device transporter.

7. A method of transferring storage devices within a storage device testing system, the method comprising:

actuating an automated transporter having a manipulator to retrieve an untested storage device presented for testing, the manipulator being configured to transport multiple storage devices; and

actuating the automated transporter to deliver the retrieved untested storage device to a respective test slot of the storage device testing system and insert the untested storage device in its respective test slot for testing.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the manipulator comprises:

a manipulator body; and

first and second connectors disposed on the manipulator body and arranged in a substantially V-shaped configuration with respect to each other, each connector being configured to releasably attach to a storage device transporter.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

actuating the automated transporter to retrieve a storage device transporter;

actuating the automated transporter to retrieve the untested storage device presented for testing by carrying the untested storage device with the storage device transporter; and

actuating the automated transporter to deliver the storage device transporter to the respective test slot.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising inserting the storage device transporter into a respective test slot, engaging the carried storage device with a respective connector of the storage device testing system, the inserted storage device transporters providing closure of their respective test slots.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the untested storage device is present in a storage device tote presented to the storage device testing system.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising actuating the automated transporter to retrieve each of the storage devices from the at least one storage device tote with the corresponding storage device transporter by positioning the storage device transporter below the storage device, lifting the storage device off a storage device support of the storage device tote, and carrying the storage device in the storage device transporter away from the storage device tote.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising actuating the automated transporter and the manipulator to retrieve a tested storage device from its respective test slot and carrying the tested storage device to a destination location.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising actuating the automated transporter to retrieve the tested storage device from its respective test slot by actuating the manipulator to engage a respective storage device transporter of the tested storage device and carrying the tested storage device with its respective storage device transporter to the destination location.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising actuating the automated transporter to deliver the storage device carried by its respective storage device transporter to a receptacle of a destination storage device tote.

16. A method of transferring storage devices within a storage device testing system, the method comprising:

actuating an automated transporter having a manipulator to retrieve a first storage device housed in a first test slot of the storage device testing system, the manipulator being configured to transport multiple storage devices;

actuating the automated transporter to deliver the retrieved first storage device to a second test slot;

actuating the automated transporter to retrieve a second storage device from the second test slot while carrying the first storage device; and

actuating the automated transporter to insert the first storage device into the second test slot while carrying the second storage device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

actuating the automated transporter to deliver the retrieved second storage device to the first test slot; and

actuating the automated transporter to insert the second storage device into the first test slot.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the manipulator comprises:

a manipulator body;

first and second connectors disposed on the manipulator body and arranged in a substantially V-shaped configuration with respect to each other, each connector being configured to releasably attach to a storage device transporter;

wherein the manipulator transports the first and second storage devices in corresponding releasably attached storage device transporters.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the storage devices are each carried in a corresponding storage device transporter, and wherein inserting each storage device into one of the test slots comprises inserting the corresponding storage device transporter into the respective test slot, engaging the carried storage device with a respective connector of the storage device testing system, the inserted storage device transporter providing closure of its respective test slot.

20. A storage device testing system comprising:

an automated transporter;

at least one rack arranged about the automated transporter for access by the automated transporter;

multiple test slots housed by each rack, each test slot being configured to receive a storage device for testing;

a transfer station arranged for access by the automated transporter, the transfer station presenting multiple storage devices for testing; and

a manipulator attached to the automated transporter, the manipulator being configured to carry multiple storage devices.

21. The storage device testing system of claim 20, wherein the manipulator is configured to releasably attach to multiple storage device transporters.

22. The storage device testing system of claim 20, wherein the manipulator comprises:

a manipulator body; and

first and second connectors disposed on the manipulator body and arranged in a substantially V-shaped configuration with respect to each other, each connector being configured to releasably attach to a storage device transporter.

23. The storage device testing system of claim 20, wherein the transfer station comprises a transfer station housing configured to receive and support multiple storage device totes in a presentation position for servicing by the automated transporter, wherein each storage device tote comprises a tote body defining multiple storage device receptacles configured to each house a storage device.