Global positioning system location information for an automated data storage library

• US 20050137742A1
• Filed: 12/18/2003
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Goodman, Brian Gerard, Colvig, Arthur John
• Granted Patent: US 8,825,194 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/214
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/6835 the cassettes being transferred to a fixed recorder or player using a moving carriage
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 17/225 wherein the disks are transferred from a fixed magazine to a fixed playing unit using a moving carriage

Abstract

Disclosed are a system, a method, and an article of manufacture to provide for the use of a global positioning system (GPS) to provide location information for an automated data storage library. One or more GPS antennas and receivers are coupled to an automated data storage library to enable quick and accurate location information for the automated data storage library. The location information may be used to determine the physical location of the automated data storage library. The GPS antennas may also be attached to one or more library frames in the automated data storage library to enable accurate location information for each frame. The GPS antennas are attached to one or more accessors or one or more drive canisters to provide accurate location information for each component.

Claims

1. A method for using a GPS in an automated data storage library, said automated data storage library having one or more storage frames and a library controller for operating said automated data storage library, where said method comprises the steps of:

a.) receiving a first GPS signal using a first GPS receiver;

b.) providing information derived from said first GPS signal to said library controller; and

c.) obtaining location information from said information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said location information identifies a location of said automated data storage library and comprising the additional steps of:

a.) transmitting said location information to a receiving location; and

b.) determining a physical location for said automated data storage library from said location information.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising the additional step of locating a current position of said automated data storage library on a street map.

4. The method of claim 2, comprising the additional step of locating said automated data storage library by use of a portable GPS receiver.

5. The method of claim 2, comprising the additional step of locating said automated data storage library by use of directions.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein said transmitting step is repeated at periodic intervals of time.

7. The method of claim 2, comprising the additional steps of:

a.) repeating the method steps of claim 2 for a plurality of automated data storage libraries; and

b.) identifying geographic locations of groups of said plurality of automated data storage libraries.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said location information identifies a location of at least one of said one or more storage frames in said automated data storage library and comprising the additional step of determining a position of said at least one of said one or more storage frames in said automated data storage library.

9. The method of claim 8, comprising the additional step of adjusting said position of said at least one of said one or more storage frames to physically align said at least one of said one or more storage frames to said automated data storage library.

10. The method of claim 8, comprising the additional step of using said position of said at least one of said one or more storage frames to determine a frame number.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising the additional steps of:

a.) receiving a second GPS signal with a second GPS receiver;

b.) providing second information derived from said second GPS signal to said library controller;

c.) obtaining second location information from said second information that identifies a location of at least one of said one or more storage frames in said automated data storage library; and

d.) determining a position of said at least one of said one or more storage frames in said automated data storage library.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising the additional step of adjusting said position of said at least one of said one or more storage frames to physically align said at least one of said one or more storage frames to said automated data storage library.

13. The method of claim 11, comprising the additional step of using said position of said at least one of said one or more storage frames to determine a frame number.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said automated data storage library further comprises an assessor, wherein said location information comprises accessor location information that identifies a location of said assessor and wherein said method comprises the additional step of determining a position of said accessor in said automated data storage library.

15. The method of claim 14, comprising the additional step of using said accessor location information to position said accessor to move data storage media.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said automated data storage library further comprises an assessor and where said method comprises the additional steps of:

a.) receiving a second GPS signal with a second GPS receiver;

b.) providing second information derived from said second GPS signal to said library controller, wherein said second information comprises accessor location information that identifies the location of said assessor; and

c.) determining a position of said accessor in said automated data storage library.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising the additional step of using said accessor location information to position said accessor to move data storage media.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said automated data storage library further comprises one or more drive canisters, wherein said location information identifies a location of said one or more drive canisters and wherein said method comprises the additional step of determining a position of said at least one of said one or more drive canisters in said automated data storage library.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising the additional step of using said position to determine a communication address of said one or more drive canisters.

20. A system for providing location information comprising:

a.) an automated data storage library having one or more storage frames;

b.) a library controller for operating said automated data storage library;

c.) a first GPS antenna attached to said automated data storage library; and

d.) a first GPS receiver coupled to said first GPS antenna and coupled to said library controller, wherein said library controller obtains location information from said first GPS receiver.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said location information identifies a physical location of said automated data storage library and said automated data storage library transmits said location information to a receiving location.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said automated data storage library transmits said location information to a receiving location at periodic intervals of time.

23. The system of claim 20, further comprising a second GPS antenna attached to one of said one or more storage frames, wherein said second GPS antenna is coupled to said first GPS receiver and wherein said library controller determines a position of said at least one of said one or more storage frames in said automated data storage library.

24. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

a.) a second GPS antenna attached to at least one of said one or more storage frames; and

b.) a second GPS receiver coupled to said second GPS antenna and coupled to said library controller, wherein said library controller determines a position of said at least one of said one or more storage frames in said automated data storage library.

25. The system of claim 20, further comprising an assessor, wherein said first GPS antenna is attached to said accessor and wherein said library controller receives accessor location information for said accessor from said first GPS receiver.

26. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

a.) an assessor;

b.) a second GPS antenna attached to said accessor; and

c.) a second GPS receiver coupled to said second GPS antenna and coupled to said library controller, wherein said library controller receives accessor location information for said accessor from said second GPS receiver.

27. A system for using a GPS in an automated data storage library, comprising:

a.) one or more drive canisters;

b.) a first GPS receiver;

c.) a library controller coupled to said first GPS receiver; and

d.) at least one drive canister GPS antenna attached to at least one of said one or more drive canisters, wherein said drive canister GPS antenna is coupled to said first GPS receiver, and wherein said library controller receives drive canister location information for said at least one of said one or more drive canisters from said first GPS receiver.

28. The system of claim 27 further comprising

a.) one or more library frames;

b.) a second GPS antenna attached to one of said one or more library frames; and

c.) a second GPS receiver coupled to said library controller and coupled to said second GPS antenna, wherein said library controller determines a position of said at least one of said one or more drive canisters in said automated data storage library.

29. An article of manufacture comprising a data storage medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform method steps for using a GPS in an automated data storage library, said automated data storage library having one or more storage frames, a first GPS receiver for receiving a first GPS signal and a library controller for operating said automated data storage library, where said method comprises the steps of:

a.) providing information derived from said first GPS signal to said library controller; and

b.) obtaining location information from said information.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 29, wherein said location information identifies the location of said automated data storage library and wherein said method comprises the additional steps of:

a.) transmitting said location information to a receiving location; and

b.) determining a physical location for said automated data storage library from said location information.

31. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein said method comprises the additional step of locating a current position of said automated data storage library on a street map.

32. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein said method comprises the additional step of locating said automated data storage library by use of a portable GPS receiver.

33. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein said method comprises the additional step of locating said automated data storage library by use of directions.

34. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein said transmitting step is repeated at periodic intervals of time.

35. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein said method comprises the additional steps of:

a.) repeating the method steps of claim 30 for a plurality of automated data storage libraries; and

b.) identifying geographic locations of groups of said plurality of automated data storage libraries.

36. The article of manufacture of claim 29, wherein said location information identifies the location of at least one of said one or more storage frames in said automated data storage library and wherein said method comprises the additional step of determining a position of said at least one of said one or more storage frames in said automated data storage library.

37. The article of manufacture of claim 36, wherein said method comprises the additional step of adjusting said position of said at least one of said one or more storage frames to physically align said at least one of said one or more storage frames to said automated data storage library.

38. The article of manufacture of claim 36, wherein said method comprises the additional step of using said position of said at least one of said one or more storage frames to determine a frame number.

39. The article of manufacture of claim 29, wherein said automated data storage library further comprises a second GPS receiver for receiving a second GPS signal and wherein said method comprises the additional steps of:

a.) providing second information derived from said second GPS signal to said library controller;

b.) obtaining second location information from said second information that identifies a location of at least one of said one or more storage frames in said automated data storage library; and

c.) determining a position of said at least one of said one or more storage frames in said automated data storage library.

40. The article of manufacture of claim 39, wherein said method comprises the additional step of adjusting said position of said at least one of said one or more storage frames to physically align said at least one of said one or more storage frames to said automated data storage library.

41. The article of manufacture of claim 39, wherein said method comprises the additional step of using said position of said at least one of said one or more storage frames to determine a frame number.

42. The article of manufacture of claim 29, wherein said automated data storage library further comprises an assessor, wherein said location information comprises accessor location information that identifies the location of said assessor and wherein said method comprises the additional step of determining a position of said accessor in said automated data storage library.

43. The article of manufacture of claim 42, wherein said method comprises the additional step of using said accessor location information to position said accessor to move data storage media.

44. The article of manufacture of claim 29, wherein said automated data storage library further comprises an assessor, a second GPS receiver for receiving a second GPS signal and wherein said method comprises the additional steps of:

a.) providing second information derived from said second GPS signal to said library controller, wherein said second information comprises accessor location information that identifies the location of said assessor; and

b.) determining a position of said accessor in said automated data storage library.

45. The article of manufacture of claim 44, wherein said method comprises the additional step of using said accessor location information to position said accessor to move data storage media.

46. The article of manufacture of claim 29, wherein said automated data storage library further comprises one or more drive canisters, wherein said location information identifies a location of said one or more drive canisters and wherein said method comprises the additional step of determining a position of said at least one of said one or more drive canisters in said automated data storage library.

47. The article of manufacture of claim 46, wherein said method comprises the additional step of using said position to determine a communication address of said one or more drive canisters.