Data storage device and data storage device tracing system

• US 7,953,433 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2007
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Imation Corporation (Glassbridge Enterprises, Inc.)
• Inventors: Langlois, Denis J., Lala Balaji, Purushotham G., Gupta, Sanjay
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro, Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chambers, Tangela T.
• Application Number:
  US11/789,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20080268896A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,498 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455/456.1, 455/456.6
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 21/00 Systems for transmitting the position of an object with respect to a predetermined reference system, e.g. tele-autographic system

Abstract

A data storage device tracing system includes at least one container configured to maintain at least one electronic data storage device, a two-way radio coupled to each of the container(s), and a network including a network coordinator configured to transmit to and receive data from the two-way radio. In this regard, the two-way radio communicates real-time container location data to the network coordinator to enable real-time tracing of the container(s) and the electronic data storage device(s).

Claims

1. A data storage device case configured to be traced in a network of traceable data storage devices, the data storage device case comprising:

a housing defining an enclosure, wherein the enclosure includes a first compartment and a second compartment;

one or more data storage devices disposed within the first compartment of the enclosure, wherein each of the data storage devices includes a radio frequency identification (RFID) circuit;

a device two-way radio disposed within the second compartment of the enclosure;

a global positioning system (GPS) unit disposed within the second compartment of the enclosure, wherein the GPS unit generates positioning information associated with the data storage device case; and

an RFID reader unit disposed within the second compartment of the enclosure, wherein the RFID reader unit reads the RFID circuit of each of the data storage devices to generate RFID data,

wherein the device two-way radio receives the positioning information from the GPS unit, receives the RFID data from the RFID reader unit, and communicates real-time data comprising the positioning information and the RFID data to the network coordinator that is configured to communicate with the network of traceable data storage devices.

2. The data storage device of claim 1, wherein the device two-way radio is coupled to an interior surface of the housing.

3. The data storage device of claim 1, wherein the device two-way radio comprises a system-on-a-chip (SOC), the SOC comprising an IEEE 802.15.4 physical layer operable at 2.4 GHz and a ZigBee media access control layer communicating with the physical layer.

4. The data storage device of claim 1, wherein the network coordinator is configured to communicate with a cellular network of traceable data storage devices.

5. A data storage device tracing system comprising:

at least one container comprising a first compartment and a second compartment wherein the first compartment is configured to house and contain one or more electronic data storage devices;

one or more electronic data storage devices contained in the first compartment of the container, wherein each of the data storage devices includes a radio frequency identification (RFID) circuit;

a network including a network coordinator; and

means for the network coordinator to transmit to and receive real-time container location data from the container, wherein the means includes a device two-way radio disposed within the second compartment, a global positioning system (GPS) unit disposed within the second compartment, wherein the GPS unit generates positioning information associated with the container, and an RFID reader unit disposed within the second compartment, wherein the RFID reader unit reads the RFID circuit of each of the electronic data storage devices to generate RFID data, wherein the two-way radio receives the positioning information from the GPS unit, receives the RFID data from the RFID reader unit and communicates real-time data comprising the positioning information and the RFID data to the network coordinator over the network.

6. The data storage device tracing system of claim 5, wherein the at least one electronic data storage device comprises an active transceiver device that is configured to transmit to and receive real-time data from the network coordinator.