OPTICAL DISC DRIVE SHARING SWITCHING DEVICE, METHOD AND ASSOCIATED APPLICATION SYSTEM

• US 20030179659A1
• Filed: 01/17/2003
• Published: 09/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VIA Technologies Incorporated (VIA Technologies)
• Original Assignee: VIA Technologies Incorporated (VIA Technologies)
• Inventors: Shi, Caviar, Lai, Jones
• Granted Patent: US 6,920,090 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 369/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0626 Reducing size or complexity of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0658 Controller construction arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0677 Optical disk device, e.g. CD-ROM, DVD

Abstract

Disclosed is an optical disc drive sharing switching device, method and associated application system. The optical disc drive sharing switching device integrates a personal computer and an optical disc player together inside an information-processing appliance. The personal computer and the optical disc player share the use of an optical disc drive. The user is free to switch connections between the personal computer and the optical disc player with the optical disc drive. The device uses a simple switching program and the computer functions normally even if the optical disc drive is not under its control.

Claims

1. An optical disc drive sharing switching device for switching connections between a first interface and a second interface to an optical disc drive, comprising:

a reset signal generator for producing a reset signal;

an interrupt signal generator for producing a plurality of continuous interrupt signals; and

a switch control unit coupled to the reset signal generator and the interrupt signal generator for switching the connections between the first interface and the second interface with the optical disc drive on receiving a switching command, wherein the reset signal is used to reset the optical disc drive in the switching process and the continuous interrupt signals are fed to the first interface while the connection of the optical disc drive to the first interface is switched to the second interface.

2. The switching device of claim 1, wherein the device further includes a power control unit for cutting off power to the second interface when the connection to the second interface is switched back to the first interface.

3. The switching device of claim 1, wherein the interrupt signal generator further includes a clock pulse generator.

4. The switching device of claim 1, wherein the reset signal generator further includes a clock pulse generator and a dual channel mono-stable edge-triggering device.

5. The switching device of claim 1, wherein the optical disc drive is a digital versatile disc (DVD) drive.

6. The switching device of claim 1, wherein the first interface equipment is a personal computer and the second interface equipment is an optical disc player.

7. The switching device of claim 1, wherein the continuous interrupt signals have a frequency around 230 Hz.

8. The switching device of claim 1, wherein the switch control unit further includes a plurality of three-channel-two-route digital control analogue switches.

9. The switching device of claim 1, wherein the reset signal generator includes a clock pulse generator and a dual-channel mono-stable edge-triggering switch.

10. An optical disc drive sharing system, comprising:

an optical disc drive;

a personal computer capable of using the optical disc drive;

an optical disc player capable of using the optical disc drive to play back audio-video signals detected on an optical disc; and

an optical disc drive sharing switching device capable of switching connections between the personal computer and the optical disc player with the optical disc drive and permitting continuous operation of the personal computer without the need for re-booting when the personal computer is not in control of the optical disc drive.

11. The optical disc drive sharing system of claim 10, wherein the optical disc drive is a digital versatile disc (DVD) drive.

12. A method of switching of an optical disc drive shared by a first interface and a second interface between a first mode and a second mode, wherein in said first mode the optical disc drive is under the control of an equipment device containing the first interface while in said second mold the optical disc drive is under the control of an equipment device containing the second interface, the method includes at least one of the two sets of the steps (A) and (B):

(A) in switching from the first mode to the second mode, comprising the steps of;

providing a switching signal of switching from the first mode to the second mode to an optical disc drive sharing switching circuit;

providing a plurality of continuous interrupt signals to the first interface;

providing a reset signal to the optical disc drive for resetting the optical disc drive; and

(B) in switching from the second mode to the first mode, comprising the steps of;

providing a switching signal of switching from the second mode to the first mode to the optical disc drive sharing switch circuit; and

providing a reset signal to the optical disc drive for resetting the optical disc drive.

13. The switching method of claim 12, wherein the switching method further includes cutting off power to the second interface equipment device when switching from the second mode to the first mode.

14. The switching method of claim 12, wherein the continuous interrupt signals have a frequency around 230 Hz.

15. The switching method of claim 12, wherein the switching method further includes turning on the power to the second interface equipment device when switching from the first mode to the second mode.

16. An optical disc drive sharing computer/optical disc player system, comprising:

an optical disc drive;

an optical disc player capable of using the optical disc drive to play back audio-video signals detected on an optical disc; and

an optical disc drive sharing switching device capable of switching connection of the optical disc drive to the computer so that the computer may use the optical disc drive.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the optical disc drive is connected to the computer and a control of the optical disc drive is switched between the optical disc player and the computer;

wherein,

the computer can run normally without the need to re-boot when the control of the optical disc drive is switched from the computer to the optical disc player.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the optical disc drive is a digital versatile disc (DVD) drive.

19. A method of switching of an optical disc drive shared by a first apparatus and a second apparatus, said first apparatus comprising a first interface and said second apparatus comprising a second interface, the method comprising:

switching said optical disc drive from a first mode to a second mode by providing a first switching signal to an optical disc drive sharing switching circuit, wherein under said first mode, said optical disc drive being controlled by said first apparatus through said first interface, and under said second mode, said optical disc drive being controlled by said second apparatus through said second interface;

providing a plurality of continuous interrupt signals to said first interface; and

providing a reset signal to said optical disc drive for resetting said optical disc drive.

20. The method of switching of an optical disc drive of claim 19, further comprising:

switching from said second mode to said first mode by providing a second switching signal to said optical disc drive sharing switch circuit; and

providing said reset signal to the optical disc drive for resetting the optical disc drive.