Electronic labeling for offline management of storage devices

• US 7,664,796 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2004
• Issued: 02/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Carter-Schwendler, Carl M., Golds, David P., Powell, Therron L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Tim T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MENG, JAU SHYA
• Application Number:
  US10/965,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20060080359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,952 Days
• Field of Search: 360/72.1, 360/69, 348/231.6, 705/26, 340/815, 455/66.1, 345/156, 707/200
• US Class Current: 707/640
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0632 by initialisation or re-initialisation of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0683 Plurality of storage devices

Abstract

A system and method using hardware and software components enable a storage module to maintain information about an associated storage device and its content such that the information is accessible when the storage device is offline or in a low power configuration. A general-computing host system connects to the storage module via a pluggable interface to provide information to a nonvolatile memory cache on the storage module. The storage module includes a separate power source, an output display, input buttons, and a module controller. The host system includes an application and host platform for processing file-system related events to send records to the module controller to automatically update a catalog representing storage device information in the nonvolatile memory. When offline, the user may display the catalog information and use the buttons to navigate among it. The host system may also allow the user to interactively review and modify the catalog.

Claims

1. In a computing environment, a method of identifying content stored on a storage device, wherein the storage device is configured to be selectively decoupled from a storage module and the storage module is configured to be selectively decoupled from a host computing system, the method comprising:

registering to detect future file-system events at the host computing system, wherein the registering to detect future file-system events includes registering to detect future file-system events that involve a specific type of storage device, and wherein registering further includes at least one filtering criteria corresponding to a file property for the specified type of storage device;

maintaining information related to the content of the storage device in a memory on the storage module, wherein the storage module couples to the storage device and the host computing system, the storage module further being selectively decouplable from the storage device and the host computing system;

after registration to detect future file-system events, detecting a registered event occurring and which corresponds to one or more of the future file-system events including the at least one filtering criteria;

upon the detection of the registered event matching the at least one filtering criteria, updating the information related to the content of the storage device stored in the memory on the storage module; and

after updating the information, outputting data corresponding to the information related to the content of the storage device on a display on the storage module, including when the content of the storage device is unavailable, wherein said unavailability is defined by at least one of the following;

(a) when the storage device is offline, or (b) when the storage device is in a low power state, and wherein outputting data corresponding to the information comprises;

continuously displaying a main title of the storage device;

continuously displaying used or free space of the storage device; and

scrollingly display additional information that is selectable by a user of the storage device, while continuing to display the main title and of used or free space of the storage device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein outputting data corresponding to the information on the display comprises providing catalog data corresponding to the content stored on the storage device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the information maintained in the memory comprises content catalog information, and wherein the outputting data corresponding to the information on the display comprises providing catalog data when the storage module is coupled to the host computer system but the storage device is in a non-operational state.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising, receiving commands, and adjusting the data output on the display in response to the commands.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the storage module is coupled to the host computer system, and further comprising, transferring at least some of the information from the host computer system to the storage module.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein transferring at least some of the information from the host computer system to the storage module comprises sending data in response to an event detected by the host computer system.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the type of device corresponds to personal video recorder hard drive and at least one filtering criteria corresponds to events associated with audio-visual files.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the type of device corresponds to a backup hard drive and at least one filtering criteria corresponds to events associated with backing up data.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising, detecting replacement of the storage device with a second storage device, and further comprising, outputting different data on the display.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the outputting different data on the display comprises accessing another set of information maintained in the memory, the other set of information corresponding to the second storage device.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the outputting data comprises outputting storage space-related data on the display.

12. One or more computer-readable storage media that store computer-executable instructions which when executed perform the method of claim 1.

13. In a computing environment, a system for identifying the content stored on a storage device, wherein the storage device is configured to be selectively decoupled from a storage module and the storage module is configured to be selectively decoupled from a host computing system, the system comprising:

a storage device containing data accessible by a host computing system when the primary storage device is selectively coupled to the storage module and the storage module is selectively coupled to the host computing system, and wherein the host computing system selectively coupled to the storage module includes a detection mechanism comprising an event filter that detects events matching at least one filter criteria associated with a file property and an update mechanism that updates the storage module memory with information related to the detected event, wherein the at least one filter criteria is dependent upon the type of storage device and a user identity; and

the storage module that selectively couples to the storage device and the host computing system, the storage module being selectively decouplable from both the storage device and the host computing system, the storage module including a power source, memory that contains information related to the data contained in the storage device, a user interface comprising a display screen on the storage module, and a controller coupled to the memory and to the user interface, the controller configured to access the memory and to output data corresponding to the information related to the data contained in the storage device to the display screen, including when the contents of the storage device are unavailable for access, wherein said unavailability is defined by at least one of the following;

(a) when the storage device is offline or (b) when the storage device is in a low power state, wherein said user interface is configured to;

continuously display a main title of the storage device;

continuously display free or used space of the storage device; and

scroll through additional information as directed by the user, wherein as the user scrolls through the additional information, the main title and free or used space of the storage device continues to be displayed.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the user interface further comprises an input mechanism coupled to the controller, and wherein the controller receives commands from the input mechanism and adjusts the data output to the display screen in response to the commands.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the storage module includes an internal battery and optional charging circuitry that powers the display screen and the controller when the storage module is decoupled from the host computer system.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the storage module is hot-pluggable into the host computer system.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the storage module couples to the host computer system via a single communications link that handles I/O communications to the storage device and the storage information communications to the controller, and wherein the storage module includes a bridge that separates the I/O communications from the storage information communications.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein the storage module couples to the host computer system via at least two distinct communications links, including at least one communications link that handles I/O communications to and from the storage device and another communications link that handles the storage information communications to the controller.

19. The system of claim 13 wherein when the storage device is decoupled from the storage module, and a second storage device is coupled to the storage module.

20. The system of claim 13 further comprising at least one other storage device that couples to the storage module.

21. The system of claim 13 wherein the storage module is coupled to the host computer system, and wherein the host computer system includes a detection mechanism that detects when a change to the storage information is needed in the storage module memory, and an update mechanism that updates the storage module memory.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the storage information comprises a catalog of labeling information corresponding to the content of the storage device, and wherein the detection mechanism comprises an event filter that captures events including events related to changes to the content of the storage device.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the update mechanism comprises a catalog provider coupled to the event filter, the catalog provider configured to communicate data to the controller of the storage module for updating the storage module memory in response to the event detected by the event filter.

24. The system of claim 13 wherein the storage information comprises configuration details corresponding to the storage device.

25. The system of claim 13 wherein the storage module is coupled to the host computer system, and wherein the host computer system communicates with the controller to output auxiliary information provided by the host computer system to the display.

26. The system of claim 13 wherein the storage module is coupled to the storage device and the host computing system and a remainder of the storage module memory not consumed by the information related to the data contained in the storage device is further dedicated to caching I/O between the host computing system and the storage device, thereby acting as a fast I/O disk cache between the host computing system and the storage device.

27. At least one computer-readable storage media that store computer-executable instructions, which when executed perform a method, comprising:

registering for detection of file-system events at a host computing system related to content of a storage device, wherein the registration includes at least one filtering criteria based on the type of storage device;

receiving storage-related information from the host computer system corresponding to the storage device coupled to a storage module coupled to the host computer system, wherein the receipt of the storage-related information from the host computer system triggers the at least one filtering criteria based on the type of storage device and the storage-related information has been filtered according to at least one filtering criteria associated with a file property, the storage module being selectively decouplable from both the primary storage device and the host computing system;

storing the filtered storage-related information received from the host computer system in a memory on the storage module, the memory being independent from the host computer system and the storage device and accessible independent of whether the storage device or the memory is coupled to the host computer system and independent of whether the storage device is offline or otherwise inaccessible and such that the storage-related information is accessible even when contents of the storage device are unavailable for access, wherein said unavailability is defined by at least one of the following;

(a) when the storage device is offline or (b) when the storage device is in a low power state;

receiving a command; and

accessing the memory to output data related to the filtered storage-related information received from the host computer system to a display screen on the storage module that is operational to display data independent of whether the storage device or the memory is coupled to the host computer system, wherein outputting data related to the filtered storage-related information includes outputting the data as additional information that is scrollable by a user, wherein at least a main title of the storage device and free or used space of the storage device are also displayed continuously, and independent of scrolling requests by the user.

28. The computer-readable storage media of claim 27 wherein receiving the command comprises receiving indication of a button actuation from among a set of at least one button that is operational independent of whether the storage device is coupled to the host computer system.

29. The computer-readable storage media of claim 27 wherein the command corresponds to a navigation command, and further comprising, changing currently displayed output data in response to receiving the command, to provide different data representative of scrolling through the storage-related information.

30. The computer-readable storage media of claim 27 wherein the storage-related information corresponds to a catalog of content that is maintained on the storage device, and wherein accessing the memory comprises accessing data for a piece of content maintained on the storage device.

31. The computer-readable storage media of claim 27 wherein the storage-related information corresponds to a key needed to decrypt at least some of the data maintained on the storage device, and further comprising reading the key from the memory.

32. The computer-readable storage media of claim 27 wherein the storage-related information corresponds to configuration information for the storage device, and wherein accessing the memory comprises reading the configuration information to display data corresponding to the configuration information on the display screen.

33. The computer-readable storage media of claim 27 wherein receiving the storage-related information from the host computer system comprises receiving a record corresponding to an event detected at the host computer system.

34. In a computing environment, a system for identifying content stored on a computer storage device, the system comprising:

the storage device, wherein the storage device contains data related to information stored by a host computer system;

a storage module that is selectively couplable to the storage device and the host computing system, the storage module further being selectively decouplable from the storage device and the host computing system;

a memory on the storage module that contains data related to the information stored by the host computing system contained in the storage device, wherein the data contained in the memory related to the information stored by the host computing system is limited to data matching at least one filtering criteria associated with a file property registered at the host computing system, the registered filter criteria is dependent upon a type of storage device, and is accessible even when the storage device is unavailable for access, wherein said unavailability is defined by at least one of the following;

(a) when the storage device is offline or (b) when the storage device is in a low power;

a controller coupled to the memory, the controller maintaining key and encrypted control files;

a connection selectively coupling the controller and the storage device to the host computer system;

a user interface coupled to the controller, the user interface comprising an input mechanism and a display on the storage module, wherein the user interface is configured to cause the display to display continuous information that is present while the display is operating, and scrollable information that is selectively displayed based on scroll requests from a user, wherein the continuous information includes a main title of the storage device, free space information of the storage device, and used space information of the storage device; and

a power source that powers the user interface and the controller to facilitate access to the memory and control of the user interface to display storage-related information of the storage device when the controller is not coupled to the host computer system.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein the memory, controller, user interface and the user interface are incorporated into a cartridge that couples with the storage device.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein the power source is incorporated into the cartridge.

37. The system of claim 35 wherein the storage device comprises a media reader having one or more removable media loaded therein.

38. The system of claim 34 wherein the storage-related information labels content stored on the storage device, and wherein the controller controls of the user interface to display labeling data representative of at least some of the content stored on the storage device.

39. The system of claim 38 wherein the input mechanism provides commands to the controller, and wherein the controller changes the labeling data that is displayed in response to the commands.