Lateral cross-cabinet access for horizontal storage library

• US 6,851,909 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2001
• Issued: 02/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Storage Technologies Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Campbell, James P., Ostwald, Timothy C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lillis, Eileen D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, THUY VAN
• Application Number:
  US10/034,299
• Publication Number:
  US 20030123300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 414/268, 414/266, 414/278, 414/282
• US Class Current: 414/268
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/6835 the cassettes being transferred to a fixed recorder or player using a moving carriage
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 17/225 wherein the disks are transferred from a fixed magazine to a fixed playing unit using a moving carriage

Abstract

A system for relocating elements within a storage library is provided, the library comprising plurality of adjacent horizontal arrays of storage cells and at least one robot that moves along the horizontal arrays and can retrieve objects from and place objects into the storage cells. The present invention comprises a cross-cabinet guide rail that is placed at the end of the adjacent horizontal arrays and serves as a means 1) to move media elements and robots between adjacent arrays of storage cells, 2) to provide an easy access method for the entry and removal of components from the library, and 3) to provide a method for movement of cartridges and robots between separate library enclosures.

Claims

1. A media library, comprising:

a first enclosure containing a first plurality of horizontal trays, said first plurality of horizontal trays containing a first array of media elements that are connected to be carried between said first plurality of horizontal trays and a plurality of media players by a first robot;

a second plurality of horizontal trays contained within a second enclosure, said second plurality of horizontal trays containing a second array of media elements that are connected to be carried between said second plurality of horizontal trays and said plurality of media players by a second robot, wherein said plurality of media players are contained in at least one of said first enclosure and said second enclosure; and

a mechanism that carries media elements between said first enclosure and said second enclosure along a cross-enclosure guide rail.

2. The media library of claim 1, wherein said mechanism is a motorized tray, wherein said first robot and said second robot can add and remove media elements from said motorized tray.

3. The media library of claim 1, wherein said mechanism is one of said first robot and said second robot.

4. The media library of claim 1, wherein said first plurality of horizontal trays and said second plurality of horizontal trays are ranged in a vertical series of horizontal rows.

5. The media library according to claim 4, wherein a vertical space between the vertical series of horizontal rows is limited by a height of the at least one picker robot.

6. The media library according to claim 4, wherein said first robot and said second robot can move between ones of said vertical series of horizontal rows.

7. The media library according to claim 1, wherein said first array and said second array of storage elements are arranged in horizontal rows and columns.

8. The media library according to claim 1, said media elements are tapes and said media players are tape drives.

9. The media library according to claim 1, wherein said first and said second robots follow one-way paths so that no contention is created between said first and said second robots.

10. The media library according to claim 1, wherein said first and said second robots move along a set of guide rails.

11. The media library according to claim 1, wherein said first plurality and said second plurality of horizontal trays can be moved along a set of guide rails.

12. A media library comprising:

a plurality of robotic units configured to carry media units to and from a media player;

a plurality of media storage trays, each having an array of media elements that are inserted and removed vertically;

a plurality of storage units, each having a first pair of rails configured to carry ones of said plurality of media storage ways and a second pair of rails arranged to carry ones of said robotic units, said robotic units being configured to access ones of said media elements stored in said media storage trays;

a first enclosure that contains a first group of said plurality of storage units, which are arranged in rows and columns, and a first one of said plurality of robotic units;

a second enclosure that contains a second group of said plurality of storage units, which are arranged in rows and columns, and a second one of said plurality of robotic units; and

a mechanism that carries ones of said plurality of media elements between said first enclosure and said second enclosure.

13. The media library of claim 12, wherein said mechanism is a motorized tray, wherein ones of said robotic units can add and remove cartridges from said motorized tray.

14. The media library of claim 12, wherein said mechanism is one of said robotic units.

15. The media library of claim 12, wherein a vertical space between ones of said storage units arranged in rows and columns is limited by the height of said robotic units.

16. The media library of claim 12, further comprising media players arranged to receive ones of said plurality of media elements carried by ones of said plurality of robotic units.

17. The media library of claim 12, wherein said media elements are tapes.

18. The media library of claim 12, wherein said plurality of robotic units can move between ones of said plurality of storage units.

19. The media library of claim 12, wherein said plurality of robotic units follow one-way paths so that no contention is created between said robotic units.

20. The media library of claim 12, wherein said first and said second first pair of rails in ones of said storage units are the same pair of rails.