Methods and arrangements for accessing wirelessly connected external storage devices

• US 9,766,664 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2009
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Itoh, Kishiko, Kawano, Seiichi, Shimotono, Susumu, Sugiyama, Jun, Kinoshita, Hidenori
• Primary Examiner(s): Unelus, Ernest
• Application Number:
  US12/357,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20090187678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,162 Days
• Field of Search: 709224, 710 20, 4555561, 4555562, 455557, 455421, 4554221, 4554561
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

The invention provides a method for a portable electronic device such as a computer to be capable of safely coping with the occurrence of a surprise removal from an external hard disk drive (HDD) connected by wireless. An HDD is connected to a portable computer by wireless via a wireless extension device. First, a wireless communication path between the HDD and the portable computer is configured. Subsequently, a file is read and edited by accessing the HDD from the portable computer. Next, removal information indicating that the portable computer is away from the HDD is produced. The removal information can be produced by detecting an acceleration generated in the portable computer, or by directly detecting the distance by the strength of the wireless signal. Data under editing is saved before occurrence of surprise removal by ejecting the HDD in response to the production of the removal information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

configuring wireless communication between one or more external storage devices and a computer;

accessing the one or more external storage devices from the computer;

producing removal information at the computer, wherein the removal information is based upon a distance between the computer and the one or more external devices and wherein the removal information indicates a potential loss of wireless communication between the computer and the one or more external storage devices before ejection of the one or more external storage devices; and

preventing a surprise removal in response to the removal information by automatically, without a user providing input to manually eject the one or more external storage devices, providing a notification indicating a potential loss of data being edited and communicated between the computer and the one or more external storage devices, saving the data being edited and communicated, ejecting the one or more external storage devices, and stopping the provision of the notification after the data being edited and communicated has been saved.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein producing removal information comprises indicating that the computer is moving away from at least one of the one or more external storage devices.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein producing removal information comprises measuring an acceleration occurring in the computer.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein producing removal information comprises measuring a strength of a wireless signal in order to determine the distance between the computer and the one or more external storage devices.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

configuring an alert to indicate a potential for a surprise removal;

wherein the ejecting the one or more external storage devices is responsive to the user acknowledging the alert and the data being saved.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein accessing comprises reading and editing data stored on the one or more external storage devices.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

producing a sleep event;

ejecting the one or more external storage devices in response to the sleep event; and

executing the sleep event in response to completion of the ejection.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein an alert indicates a potential for a surprise removal.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein accessing comprises reading and editing data stored on the one or more external storage devices.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising saving the data to the one or more external storage devices prior to execution of the sleep event.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a connection recognition arrangement that recognizes that one or more external storage devices are connected wirelessly to the apparatus; and

a displacement recognition arrangement that provides removal information at the apparatus, wherein the removal information is based upon a distance between the apparatus and the one or more external devices and wherein the removal information indicates a potential loss of wireless communication between the apparatus and the one or more external storage devices before ejection of the one or more external storage devices; and

a surprise removal prevention arrangement that prevents a surprise removal based on the removal information through an ejection arrangement that saves data being edited to the one or more external storage devices;

wherein the ejection arrangement automatically, without a user providing input to manually eject the one or more external storage devices, provides a notification indicating a potential loss of data being edited and communicated between the computer and the one or more external storage devices, saves the data being edited and communicated, ejects the one or more external storage devices, and stops the provision of the notification after the data being edited and communicated has been saved.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the displacement recognition arrangement is configured to recognize that the apparatus is moving away from at least one of the one or more external storage devices.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the displacement recognition arrangement comprises an acceleration sensor that detects a change in the position of the apparatus.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the displacement recognition arrangement comprises a wireless signal measurement arrangement that measures wireless signal strength in order to determine a distance between the apparatus and the one or more external storage devices.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

a notifying arrangement that generates an alert;

wherein the alert comprises indicating a potential for surprise removal; and

wherein the ejection arrangement is configured to eject the one or more external storage devices in response to an output of the displacement recognition arrangement.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the ejection arrangement is configured to save data to the one or more external storage devices prior to ejecting the one or more external storage devices.

17. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the sleep execution arrangement is configured to execute the sleep event responsive to ejection of the one or more external storage devices;

wherein the ejection arrangement saves data to the one or more external storage devices prior to executing the sleep event; and

wherein at least one of the one or more external storage devices is connected by wire to a wireless extension device provided with a plurality of external terminals, and the apparatus is connected to the at least one external storage device connected to the wireless extension device via the wireless extension device.

18. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executed by the machine, the program of instructions comprising:

code that configures wireless communication between one or more external storage devices and a computer;

code that accesses the one or more external storage devices from the computer;

code that produces removal information at the computer, wherein the removal information is based upon a distance between the computer and the one or more external devices and wherein the removal information indicates a potential loss of wireless communication between the computer and the one or more external storage devices before ejection of the one or more external storage devices; and

code that prevents a surprise removal in response to the removal information by automatically, without a user providing input to manually eject the or more external storage devices, provides a notification indicating a potential loss of data being edited and communicated between the computer and the one or more external storage devices, saves the data being edited and communicated, ejects the one or more external storage devices, and stops the provision of the notification after the data being edited and communicated has been saved.

19. The program storage device according to claim 18, further comprising:

code that produces a sleep event, wherein initiating the sleep event causes at least one of the one or more external storage devices to be ejected from the computer.