Hard disk unit system used as external storage having conversion unit which is attachable and detachable from hard disk unit

• US 7,203,777 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2004
• Issued: 04/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Morita, Osamu, Tanaka, Satoshi, Kuroda, Kiyotaka
• Primary Examiner(s): PEYTON, TAMMARA R
• Application Number:
  US10/752,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20040143686A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: 710/1, 710/2, 710/62, 710/72, 710/74, 710/304, 713/300, 711/4, 320/136, 455/557, 455/517, 348/211.2
• US Class Current: 710/74
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/121 the apparatus comprising a single recording/reproducing device

Abstract

A portable external hard disk system is provided. The hard disk system includes a hard disk unit and a conversion unit that is attachable to and detachable from the hard disk unit. The hard disk unit has an IDE interface terminal. The conversion unit has an IDE interface terminal and a USB terminal. Also, the conversion unit includes therein a secondary battery. The conversion unit supplies the combined power of the power of a USB power line and the power of the secondary battery to the hard disk unit.

Claims

1. A hard disk system that is used as an external storage apparatus of a host device, comprising:

a hard disk unit; and

a conversion unit which is attachable to and detachable from said hard disk unit, wherein

said hard disk unit includes;

a hard disk for magnetically storing data;

a recording/reading section for recording and reading data to and from said hard disk; and

a hard disk side interface section for having data, which is recorded on and read from said hard disk, inputted and outputted to and from said conversion unit in a first transfer format,

said conversion unit includes;

a host interface section for transmitting and receiving data, which is recorded on and read from said hard disk, to and from said host device in a second transfer format;

a conversion unit side interface section for having data, which is recorded on and read from said hard disk, inputted and outputted to and from said hard disk unit in said first transfer format;

a transfer format conversion section for carrying out transfer format conversion between said first transfer format and said second transfer format, and for carrying out data transfer between said host interface section and said conversion unit side interface; and

a power source section,

said hard disk side interface section and said conversion unit side interface are, when said hard disk unit and said conversion unit are connected, made capable of transferring data between each other, and

said power source section supplies power to each section of said conversion unit when said hard disk unit and said conversion unit are connected.

2. The hard disk system according to claim 1, wherein

said conversion unit has a first terminal connected to a power line of said host interface section and a second terminal connected to a power line of said conversion unit, and

a connection line, which connects said first terminal and said second terminal when said conversion unit is connected, is provided in said hard disk unit.

3. The hard disk system according to claim 1, wherein

said conversion unit has a DC input terminal to which direct current power is inputted from an external power source, and

said power source section supplies said direct current power inputted from said DC input terminal to said hard disk unit.

4. A hard disk system that is used as an external storage apparatus of a host device, comprising:

a hard disk unit; and

a conversion unit which is attachable to and detachable from said hard disk unit, wherein

said hard disk unit includes;

a hard disk for magnetically storing data;

a recording/reading section for recording and reading data to and from said hard disk; and

a hard disk side interface section for having data, which is recorded on and read from said hard disk, inputted and outputted to and from said conversion unit in a first transfer format,

said conversion unit includes;

a host interface section for transmitting and receiving data, which is recorded on and read from said hard disk, to and from said host device in a second transfer format;

a conversion unit side interface section for having the data, which is recorded on and read from said hard disk, inputted and outputted to and from said hard disk unit in said first transfer format;

a transfer format conversion section for carrying out transfer format conversion between said first transfer format and said second transfer format, and for carrying out data transfer between said host interface section and said conversion unit side interface;

a power source section; and

a secondary battery,

said hard disk side interface section and said conversion unit side interface are, when said hard disk unit and said conversion unit are connected, made capable of transferring data between each other, and

when said hard disk unit and said conversion unit are connected, said power source section supplies combined power of power of a power line of said host interface section and power of said secondary battery to said hard disk unit.

5. The hard disk system according to claim 4, wherein said power source section supplies power to each section of said conversion unit when said hard disk unit and said conversion unit are connected.

6. The hard disk system according to claim 5, wherein

said conversion unit includes a first terminal connected to said power line of said host interface section and a second terminal connected to a power line of the conversion unit, and

a connection line, which connects said first terminal and said second terminal when said conversion unit is connected, is provided in said hard disk unit.

7. The hard disk system according to claim 4, wherein

said power source section includes a voltage generating circuit for generating a stable voltage regardless of load, and

said voltage generating circuit generates a voltage based on said combined power, and supplies the generated voltage to said hard disk unit.

8. The hard disk system according to claim 7, wherein

said conversion unit includes a DC input terminal to which direct current power from an external power source is inputted, and

said power source section

supplies the direct current power, which is inputted from said DC input terminal, to said voltage generating circuit when in a first mode in which the direct current power is inputted from said DC input terminal, and

supplies the combined electric power of the power of said power line of said host interface section and the power of said secondary battery to said voltage generating circuit when in a second mode in which the direct current power is not inputted from said DC input terminal.

9. The hard disk system according to claim 8, wherein, when in said first mode, said power source section supplies the direct current power inputted from said DC input terminal to said secondary battery and charges said secondary battery.

10. The hard disk system according to claim 4, wherein

said conversion unit includes a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of said secondary battery, and

said power source section does not charge said secondary battery if the temperature of said secondary battery detected by said temperature sensor becomes higher than a predetermined temperature.

11. The hard disk system according to claim 4, wherein

said conversion unit includes a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of said secondary battery, and

said power source section stops supplying power to said hard disk unit if the temperature of said secondary battery detected by said temperature sensor becomes higher than a predetermined temperature.

12. The hard disk system according to claim 11, wherein said power source section detects a point in time when data transfer is not performed between said host device and said hard disk unit, and stops supplying power to said hard disk unit at said point.

13. The hard disk system according to claim 7, wherein

said conversion unit has a capacity detector for detecting the power capacity of said secondary battery, and

said power source section sends a warning to said host device through said host interface section if the capacity detected by said capacity detector falls below a first value.

14. The hard disk system according to claim 13, wherein said power source section stops supplying power to said hard disk unit at a time when data transfer is not performed between said host device and said hard disk unit if the capacity detected by said capacity detector falls below a second value that is smaller than said first value.

15. The hard disk system according to claim 14, wherein said power source section detects a point in time when data transfer is not performed between said host device and said hard disk unit, and stops supplying power to said hard disk unit at said point.