Intelligent locking device, removable HDD receiving system with the same and method for preventing the removable HDD from being wrongly ejected therefrom

• US 7,636,237 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2007
• Issued: 12/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAE Magnetics Limited (TDK Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SAE Magnetics Limited (TDK Corporation)
• Inventors: Chen, Feng, Chen, Shuo, Zhu, JianWei, Xie, DongQiang, Wang, XueYang, Li, ShuGuang, Deng, ChangLong, Chen, ShengQiang, Cheung, KwokChiu, Wan, Yi
• Primary Examiner(s): LEA EDMONDS, LISA S
• Application Number:
  US11/905,503
• Publication Number:
  US 20080089022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 36167933-67939, 361/679.57
• US Class Current: 361/679.37
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/187 Mounting of fixed and removable disk drives
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/122 Arrangements for providing electrical connections, e.g. connectors, cables, switches
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/123 Mounting arrangements of constructional parts onto a chassis

Abstract

An intelligent locking device comprises a microprocessor, a locking element and a control button electrically connected to the microprocessor respectively. The locking element locks a removable HDD to a computer. The control button generates trigger signals in response to manual push thereon. When receiving the trigger signal, the microprocessor detects whether there is data transferring between the removable HDD and the computer, if there is data transferring, the microprocessor terminates data transferring and then sends a driving signal to the locking element; if not, the microprocessor directly sends a driving signal to the locking element. When receiving the driving signal, the locking element releases the lock between the removable HDD and the computer to permit the removable HDD to be safely ejected. Meanwhile, a removable HDD receiving system with the locking device and a method for preventing the removable HDD from being wrongly ejected from the receiving system are disclosed.

Claims

1. An intelligent locking device for controlling the connection/disconnection between a removable HDD and a receiving bay of a computer, comprising:

a microprocessor;

a locking element electrically connected to the microprocessor for locking the removable HDD to the receiving bay; and

a control button electrically connected to the microprocessor;

wherein the control button generates trigger signals in response to manual push thereon;

when receiving a trigger signal from the control button, the microprocessor detects whether there is data transferring between the removable HDD and the computer, if there is data transferring, the microprocessor terminates data transferring and then sends a driving signal to the locking element;

if there is no data transferring, the microprocessor directly sends a driving signal to the locking element;

when receiving the driving signal from the microprocessor, the locking element releases the lock between the removable HDD and the receiving bay.

2. The intelligent locking device according to claim 1, wherein the microprocessor electrically connects the control button and the locking element respectively by conductive wires.

3. The intelligent locking device according to claim 1, wherein the receiving bay includes two parallel side plates, a base plate which connects with the two side plates, and a panel which forms on one of the side plates and is opposite to the base plate;

the locking element is mounted on one of the side plates;

the microprocessor is mounted on the base plate; and

the control button is mounted on the panel.

4. The intelligent locking device according to claim 1, wherein the locking element is a solenoid lock.

5. The intelligent locking device according to claim 3, further comprising a position detector which is mounted on the base plate of the receiving bay and electrically connects with the microprocessor.

6. The intelligent locking device according to claim 5, further comprising a display which is mounted on the panel of the receiving bay and electrically connects with the microprocessor.

7. The intelligent locking device according to claim 6, wherein the display is an LED or an LCD.

8. The intelligent locking device according to claim 3, further comprising an elastic element mounted on the base plate of the receiving bay.

9. The intelligent locking device according to claim 8, wherein the elastic element is a compression spring or an elastic rubber.

10. A removable HDD receiving system comprising:

a receiving bay; and

an intelligent locking device mounted on the receiving bay, the intelligent locking device including a microprocessor, a locking element electrically connected to the microprocessor for locking the removable HDD to the receiving bay, and a control button electrically connected to the microprocessor;

wherein

the control button generates trigger signals in response to manual push thereon;

when receiving a trigger signal from the control button, the microprocessor detects whether there is data transferring between the removable HDD and the computer, if there is data transferring, the microprocessor terminates data transferring and then sends a driving signal to the locking element;

if there is no data transferring, the microprocessor directly sends a driving signal to the locking element;

when receiving the driving signal from the microprocessor, the locking element releases the lock between the removable HDD and the receiving bay.

11. The removable HDD receiving system according to claim 10, wherein the receiving bay includes two parallel side plates, a base plate which connects with the two side plates, and a panel which forms on one of the side plates and opposite the base plate;

the locking element is mounted on one of the two side plates;

the microprocessor is mounted on the base plate; and

the control button is mounted on the panel.

12. The removable HDD receiving system according to claim 11, further comprising a position detector which is mounted on the base plate of the receiving bay and electrically connects with the microprocessor for detecting whether the removable HDD is fully inserted into the receiving bay.

13. The removable HDD receiving system according to claim 12, further comprising a first display which is mounted on the panel of the receiving bay and electrically connects with the microprocessor, wherein when the position detector detects the removable HDD is fully inserted into the receiving bay, the microprocessor sends an order to the first display to light the first display up to indicate that the removable HDD has been fully inserted into the receiving bay, and at the same time, the microprocessor orders the locking element to lock the removable HDD.

14. The removable HDD receiving system according to claim 13, wherein the first display also serves to indicate whether there is data transferring between the removable HDD and the computer, if the microprocessor detects that there is data transferring, the microprocessor orders the first display to keep flickering.

15. The removable HDD receiving system according to claim 12, further comprising a second display which is mounted on the panel of the receiving bay and electrically connects with the microprocessor, wherein once the removable HDD is locked, the microprocessor sends an order to the second display to light the second display up to indicate that the removable HDD has been locked.

16. The removable HDD receiving system according to claim 15, wherein the second display also servers to indicate whether it is safe to remove the removable HDD, if the microprocessor detects that the locking element has released the lock between the removable HDD and the receiving bay, the microprocessor orders the second display to keep flicking to tell user that it is safe to remove the removable HDD.

17. The removable HDD receiving system according to claim 11, further comprising an elastic element mounted on the base plate of the receiving bay.

18. The removable HDD receiving system according to claim 10, wherein the locking element is a solenoid lock.

19. A method for preventing a removable HDD from being wrongly ejected from the receiving system as claimed in claim 10 while data transferring between the removable HDD and a computer, comprising the steps of:

(1) detecting whether the control button is pushed, if the control button is not pushed, the locking element keeping locking the removable HDD, if the control button is pushed, the control button generating a trigger signal and sending the trigger signal to the microprocessor;

(2) when receiving the trigger signal, the microprocessor detecting whether there is data transferring between the removable HDD and the computer, if there is data transferring, the microprocessor terminating data transferring and then sending a driving signal to the locking element, if there is no data transferring, the microprocessor directly sending a driving signal to the locking element; and

(3) when receiving the driving signal, the locking element releasing the lock between the removable HDD and the receiving bay to permit the removable HDD to be safely ejected.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the receiving system further comprises a display which is mounted on the receiving bay and electrically connects with the microprocessor, when the locking element has released the lock between the removable HDD and the receiving bay, the microprocessor orders the display to keep flicking to tell user that it is safe to remove the removable HDD.