Wireless communication system and network attached storage device thereof

• US 9,740,257 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2015
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scienbizip Consulting (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Scienbizip Consulting (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yang, Meng-Liang
• Primary Examiner(s): Abbaszadeh, Jaweed A
• Assistant Examiner(s): JOHNSON, TERRELL S
• Application Number:
  US14/794,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20160349815A1
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0225 using monitoring of external events, e.g. the presence of a signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A network attached storage (NAS) device includes a control unit, a wireless communication unit, a switch unit, a voltage conversion circuit, a battery unit, and a storage unit. When the wireless communication unit receives a request to access the storage unit, the wireless communication unit outputs a first control signal to activate the switch unit, the battery unit powers the voltage conversion circuit through the switch unit, and the voltage conversion circuit supplies power to the control unit and the storage unit. Until the wireless communication unit receives the request, the wireless communication unit outputs a second control signal to deactivate the switch unit, the battery unit cannot power the voltage conversion circuit through the switch unit, and the voltage conversion circuit does not supply power the control unit and the storage unit.

Claims

1. A network attached storage (NAS) device comprising:

a storage unit configured to store data;

a wireless controller configured to receive and transmit wireless signals;

a control unit electrically coupled to the storage unit and the wireless controller;

a switch unit electrically coupled to the wireless controller and configured to receive a first control signal and a second control signal from the wireless controller;

wherein the switch unit comprises;

a first resistor;

a first electronic switch comprising a first terminal electrically coupled to the wireless controller to receive the first control signal and the second control signal, a second terminal electrically coupled to the battery through the first resistor to receive the voltage of the battery, and a third terminal electrically coupled to ground; and

a second electronic switch comprising a first terminal electrically coupled to the second terminal of the first electronic switch, a second terminal electrically coupled to the voltage conversion circuit, and a third terminal electrically coupled to the battery to receive the voltage of the battery;

a battery electrically coupled to the wireless controller and the switch unit, and configured to power the wireless controller and the switch unit; and

a voltage conversion circuit electrically coupled to the switch unit, the control unit and the storage unit;

wherein in the event that the wireless controller receives a request to access the storage unit, the wireless controller is configured to output the first control signal to the switch unit, causing the switch unit to be activated;

the battery unit is configured to power the voltage conversion circuit through the switch unit; and

the voltage conversion circuit is configured to convert a voltage of the battery unit into operation voltages of the control unit and the storage unit, thereby supplying power to the control unit and the storage unit; and

wherein in the event that the wireless controller does not receive the request, the wireless controller is configured to output the second control signal to the switch unit, thereby causing the switch unit to be deactivated, preventing the battery unit from supplying power to the voltage conversion circuit, and the voltage conversion circuit is configured to not supply power to the control unit and the storage unit.

2. The NAS device of claim 1,

wherein in the event that the first terminal of the first electronic switch receives the first control signal, the first electronic switch is turned on, the second electronic switch is turned on, and the battery powers the voltage conversion unit through the second electronic switch;

and

wherein in the event that the first terminal of the first electronic switch receives the second control signal, the first electronic switch is turned off, the second electronic switch is turned off, and the battery cannot power the voltage conversion unit through the second electronic switch.

3. The NAS device of claim 2, wherein the switch unit further comprises a second resistor, a first capacitor, a second capacitor, and a third capacitor, the second terminal of the first electronic switch is electrically coupled to the first terminal of the second electronic switch through the second resistor, and is electrically coupled to ground through the first capacitor, the second terminal of the second electronic switch is electrically coupled to ground through the second capacitor, and the third terminal of the second electronic switch is electrically coupled to ground through the third capacitor.

4. The NAS device of claim 2, wherein the wireless controller comprises an antenna and a wireless fidelity (WI-FI) module, the WI-FI module is electrically coupled to the antenna and the first terminal of the first electronic switch, the WI-FI module is configured to access a wireless local area network, and receive and transmit wireless signals through the antenna;

the WI-FI module outputs the first control signal to the first terminal of the first electronic switch, in event that the WI-FI module receives the request; and

the WI-FI module outputs the second control signal to the first terminal of the first electronic switch, in event that the WI-FI module does not receive the request.

5. The NAS device of claim 1, wherein the storage unit comprises a plurality of storage modules, each storage module comprises a hard disk controller and a plurality of hard disks electrically coupled to the hard disk controller, each hard disk controller is electrically coupled to the control unit, the control unit controls the hard disk controllers to perform read and write operations of the hard disks.

6. A wireless communication system comprising:

a terminal device;

a wireless local area network (WLAN); and

a network attached storage (NAS) device configured to communicate with the terminal device through the WLAN, the NAS device comprising;

a storage unit configured to store data;

a wireless controller configured to access the WLAN and receive and transmit wireless signals;

a control unit electrically coupled to the storage unit and the wireless controller;

a switch unit electrically coupled to the wireless controller and configured to receive a first control signal and a second control signal from the wireless controller;

wherein the switch unit comprises;

a first resistor;

a first electronic switch comprising a first terminal electrically coupled to wireless controller to receive the first control signal and the second control signal, a second terminal electrically coupled to the battery through the first resistor to receive the voltage of the battery, and a third terminal electrically coupled to ground; and

a second electronic switch comprising a first terminal electrically coupled to the second terminal of the first electronic switch, a second terminal electrically coupled to the voltage conversion circuit, and a third terminal electrically coupled to the battery to receive the voltage of the battery;

a battery electrically coupled to the wireless controller and the switch unit, and configured to power the wireless controller and the switch unit; and

a voltage conversion circuit electrically coupled to the switch unit, the control unit and the storage unit;

wherein in the event that the wireless controller receives a request to access the storage unit from the terminal device, the wireless controller is configured to output the first control signal to the switch unit, causing the switch unit to be activated;

the battery is configured to power the voltage conversion circuit through the switch unit; and

the voltage conversion circuit is configured to convert a voltage of the battery into operation voltages of the control unit and the storage unit, thereby supplying power to the control unit and the storage unit; and

wherein in the event that the wireless controller does not receive the request, the wireless controller is configured to output the second control signal to the switch unit, thereby causing the switch unit to be deactivated, preventing the battery from supplying power to the voltage conversion circuit; and

the voltage conversion circuit is configured to not supply power to the control unit and the storage unit.

7. The wireless communication system of claim 6,

wherein in the event that the first terminal of the first electronic switch receives the first control signal, the first electronic switch is turned on, the second electronic switch is turned on, and the battery powers the voltage conversion unit through the second electronic switch;

and

wherein in the event that the first terminal of the first electronic switch receives the second control signal, the first electronic switch is turned off, the second electronic switch is turned off, and the battery cannot power the voltage conversion unit through the second electronic switch.

8. The wireless communication system of claim 7, wherein the switch unit further comprises a second resistor, a first capacitor, a second capacitor, and a third capacitor, the second terminal of the first electronic switch is electrically coupled to the first terminal of the second electronic switch through the second resistor, and is electrically coupled to ground through the first capacitor, the second terminal of the second electronic switch is electrically coupled to ground through the second capacitor, and the third terminal of the second electronic switch is electrically coupled to ground through the third capacitor.

9. The wireless communication system of claim 7, wherein the wireless controller comprises an antenna and a wireless fidelity (WI-FI) module, the WI-FI module is electrically coupled to the antenna and the first terminal of the first electronic switch, the WI-FI module is configured to access the WLAN, and receive and transmit wireless signals through the antenna;

the WI-FI module outputs the first control signal to the first terminal of the first electronic switch, in event that the WI-FI module receives the request; and

the WI-FI module outputs the second control signal to the first terminal of the first electronic switch, in event that the WI-FI module does not receive the request.

10. The wireless communication system of claim 6, wherein the storage unit comprises a plurality of storage modules, each storage module comprises a hard disk controller and a plurality of hard disks electrically coupled to the hard disk controller, each hard disk controller is electrically coupled to the control unit, the control unit controls the hard disk controllers to perform read and write operations of the hard disks.