Storage apparatus using removable media and its read/write control method

• US 6,404,707 B1
• Filed: 01/21/2000
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Tokumitsu, Kenji, Noro, Teruo, Kaneda, Yasunori
• Primary Examiner(s): DINH, TAN X
• Application Number:
  US09/489,025
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 369/34, 369/30, 369/33, 369/36, 369/37, 369/38, 369/39, 369/178
• US Class Current: 369/30.06
• 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 33/1406 Reducing the influence of the temperature

Abstract

There has been disclosed a storage apparatus comprising a plurality of drive units each for writing and reading out data into and from a removable storage medium a transport unit for transporting a storage medium between a plurality of slots for accommodating storage mediums and the driving units and a control unit for controlling transportation of a storage medium by the transport unit.

The control unit controls the transport unit in accordance with a command issued by a computer connected to the storage apparatus, setting a storage medium in a drive unit. The drive unit writes and reads out data into and from the storage medium in accordance with a parameter determined for a combination of the drive unit and the storage medium.

Claims

1. A storage apparatus comprising a drive unit for writing and reading out data into and from a removable storage medium, said drive unit including:

a processor;

a driving means for rotating said storage medium; and

a read/write means for writing data into said storage medium and reading out data from said storage medium,

wherein said processor controls operations to write data into said storage medium and read out data from said storage medium in accordance with a parameter obtained from a host computer connected to said storage apparatus said parameter including a set of storage medium ID, drive ID and learning values related to an environment of said drive unit.

2. A storage apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said parameter is determined in accordance with a condition of an environment in which said drive unit is operating.

3. A storage apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said condition is a temperature of an environment in which said drive unit is operating.

4. A storage apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

said drive unit has a read means for reading out information from said storage medium with said information used for identifying said storage medium from other storage mediums; and

said processor receives said information, passing on said information to the outside.

5. A storage apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

said medium has a storage means for storing relations between a plurality of said drive units and said parameters;

said driving unit has an access means for making an access to said storage means; and

said processor makes an access to said storage means through said access means to read out one of said parameters for one of said driving units associated with said processor.

6. A storage apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of slots for accommodating a plurality of said storage mediums;

a transport unit for transporting said storage mediums between said slots and said drive unit; and

a control unit for controlling said transport unit.

7. A storage apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said control unit identifies a particular one of said storage mediums set in said drive unit in accordance with a slot accommodating said particular storage medium.

8. A storage apparatus according to claim 6 wherein:

each of said storage mediums is mounted on a tray having an identification means for recording identification information for individually identifying said storage medium; and

said control unit identifies one of said storage mediums mounted on said tray thereof in accordance with identification information read out by a read means provided on said transport unit from said tray.

9. A method for controlling a storage apparatus for storing data to be used by a computer connected to said storage apparatus comprising:

a plurality of slots for accommodating storage mediums;

a drive unit for writing and reading out data into and from said storage mediums set in said drive units;

a transport unit for transporting said storage mediums between said slots and said drive units; and

a control unit for controlling transportation of said storage medium by said transport unit,

said method comprising the steps of;

issuing a command from said computer to said control unit to transport a particular one of said storage mediums accommodated in one of said slots to said drive unit;

receiving a parameter for controlling operations to read out and write data from and into said particular storage medium from said computer in said drive unit, said parameter including a set of storage medium ID, drive ID and learning values related to an environment of said drive unit; and

carrying out said operations to read out and write data from and into said particular storage medium in said driving unit in accordance with said parameter in response to requests for operations to read out and write data from and into said particular storage medium made by said computer.

10. A method for controlling a storage apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said parameter is held by said computer for each of said storage mediums accommodated in said slots.

11. A method for controlling a storage apparatus according to claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

letting said computer identify one of said storage mediums set in said drive unit;

issuing a command to said control unit to handle said identified storage medium which data is to be read out from and written into;

acquiring said one of said parameters kept in the computer; and

transferring said acquired parameter to said drive unit.

12. A method for controlling a storage apparatus according to claim 11, said method further comprising the steps of:

carrying out a learning process in said drive unit to find a parameter for said identified storage medium in case said parameter has not been kept in said computer;

transferring said parameter obtained as a result of said learning process to said computer; and

keeping said parameter obtained as a result of said learning process in said computer by associating said parameter with said storage medium identified by said computer.

13. A method for controlling a storage apparatus according to claim 10, said method further comprising the steps of:

acquiring identification information for identifying one of said storage mediums set in said drive unit in said storage apparatus;

transferring said acquired identification information from said storage apparatus to said computer;

acquiring one of said parameters kept in said computer for said particular storage medium and said identification information; and

transferring said acquired parameter to said drive unit.

14. A method for controlling a storage apparatus according to claim 9 wherein:

said storage apparatus has a plurality of said drive units; and

said computer has a table showing combinations of said drive units and said storage mediums accommodated in said slots,

said method further comprising the step of transferring a parameter for a particular one of said combinations of said particular storage medium and a particular one of said drive units in which said particular storage medium is set.

15. A method for controlling a storage apparatus according to claim 14, said method further comprising:

carrying out a learning process in said drive unit to find a parameter for said particular combination of said particular storage medium and said particular drive unit in case said parameter has not been kept in said computer;

transferring said parameter obtained as a result of said learning process to said computer; and

keeping said parameter obtained as a result of said learning process in said computer by associating said parameter with said particular combination of said particular storage medium and said particular drive unit.

16. A method for controlling a storage apparatus according to claim 12 further comprising:

letting said transport unit eject one of said storage mediums accommodated in one of said slots; and

letting said computer delete said kept parameter associated with said ejected storage medium.