Device and method for providing data exchange and storage

• US 7,587,554 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2003
• Issued: 09/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Netac Technology Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Netac Technology Company Limited
• Inventors: Xiang, Feng, Cheng, Xiaohua, Deng, Guoshun
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai; Tuan V.
• Application Number:
  US10/529,455
• Publication Number:
  US 20050216624A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,174 Days
• Field of Search: 711/100, 711/103, 711/115, 711/154, 710/74
• US Class Current: 711/115
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/387 for adaptation of different data processing systems to different peripheral devices, e.g. protocol converters for incompatible systems, open system
• 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 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0658 Controller construction arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/068 Hybrid storage device

Abstract

The invention relates to a device and method for providing data exchange and storage. The device comprises a controller module (62) which includes a firmware for controlling operation of each modules in the data exchange and storage device (60) and performing data processing and information exchange; and an internal memory module (61) for storing data under the control of the controller module (62); a system interface (63) module for connecting with the system interface and performing data exchange with the data processing system (10) under control of the controller module (62); and an external storage interface module (64) for connecting with external storage equipment and performing data exchange with the external storage equipment under control of the controller module (62). The device can accomplish connection with the data processing system of various types of interfaces and external storage equipment of various types of interfaces. The device can also implement functions that the data processing system access to the interior storage module and the external storage equipment. Thus, the device of this invention is called user'"'"'s personal moveable storage center.

Claims

1. A data exchange and storage device, comprising:

a controller module including a firmware used for controlling the operation of each of modules in the data exchange and storage device and performing data processing and information exchange;

an internal memory module for storing data under the control of the controller module;

a system interface module capable of being connected with a data processing system and performing data exchange with the data processing system under the control of the controller module;

an external storage equipment interface module being connected with an external storage equipment and performing data exchange with the external storage equipment under the control of the controller module; and

an audio module and/or a video module for combing with the internal memory module or external storage equipments to implement a function of playing multi-media,

wherein the controller module permits data exchange and data access between any two of the data processing system, the internal memory module, and the external storage equipment, and permits data exchange and data access from the internal memory module to the external storage equipment and from the external storage equipment to the internal memory module without the data processing system.

2. The data exchange and storage device of claim 1, wherein the internal memory module includes a hard disk, a removable hard disk, a semiconductor storage, and an optical medium storage.

3. The data exchange and storage device of claim 2, wherein the storage medium of the semiconductor storage is selected from one of Flash Memory, DRAM, EEPROM, SRAM, FRAM, MRAM and Millipede, and adopts one or more semiconductor chips.

4. The data exchange and storage device of claim 1, wherein the system interface module includes USB interface, IEEE1394 interface, Bluetooth interface, IrDA infrared interface, HomeRF interface, IEEE802.11a interface, IEEE802.11b, IEEE802.11g, SCSI, RS232 and printer parallel port, wired wide area/local area interface and/or wireless wide area/local area interface.

5. The data exchange and storage device of claim 1, wherein the external storage equipment interface module includes SM, CF, MMC, SD, MS, MD or x-D interface.

6. The data exchange and storage device of claim 1, wherein the system interface module and the external storage equipment interface module either include single interface or a group of interfaces of the same type or different types of interfaces.

7. The data exchange and storage device of claim 1, further comprising a power source module for supplying power to the data exchange and storage device from the data processing system through an external power source or a self-supplied battery or the system interface module.

8. The data exchange and storage device claim 1, further comprising a manual control module for performing the manual control of data capture and transmission, information prompt, and operational mode switching.

9. The data exchange and storage device of claim 8, wherein the manual control module includes a dial switch and keys.

10. The data exchange and storage device of claim 1, further comprising an information prompt module for displaying static information and dynamic information.

11. The data exchange and storage device of claim 10, wherein the information includes user information, product information, device information, transmission file information, operational state information and the information of external storage equipments which are connected therewith.

12. The data exchange and storage device of claim 10, wherein the information prompt module includes at least one of a liquid crystal display, a light emitting diode, a sound device and a vibrator.

13. The data exchange and storage device of claim 1, further comprising an eject device arranged at the interface of the external storage equipment interface module, the eject device may eject the external storage equipment after being pressed.

14. The data exchange and storage device of claim 1, wherein the external storage equipment interface module is capable of receiving a removable disk or a storage card.

15. A method of data exchange and storage for realizing data exchange and data storage between the data exchange and storage device, the external storage equipment and the data processing system host through the data exchange and storage device of claim 1, comprising the steps of:

1) the controller module of the data exchange and storage device detecting the characteristic information of the external storage equipments connected with the relevant interfaces of the external storage equipment interface module, selecting the relevant interface protocols according to the characteristic information of the external storage equipments, and establishing connections with the external storage equipments;

2) the controller module controlling data exchange and data access between any two of the data processing system host, the internal memory module of the data exchange and storage device, and the external storage equipment, and controlling data exchange and data access from the internal memory module to the external storage equipment and from the external storage equipment to the internal memory module without the data processing system.

16. The method of data exchange and storage of claim 15, further comprising:

the controller module displaying the data read from the external storage equipment or the internal memory module on a display part of an information prompt module according to the operational instructions of the data processing system and the users; and

/or

outputting the user information, the operational state information of the data exchange and storage device, the relevant information of the external storage equipment through the information prompt module.

17. The method of data exchange and storage of claim 15, further comprising:

playing a multi-media data read from the external storage equipment or the internal memory module through an audio module and/or a video module according to the operational instructions of the data processing system and the users.

18. The method of data exchange and storage of claim 15, further comprising:

a manual control module transmitting the operational instructions, such as, storing user data, prompting information, switching operational modes, etc., to the controller module.