International Business Machines Corporation

U.S. Philips Corporation

John Edward Kulakowski

Rodney Jerome Means

Kamal Emile Dimitri

Daniel James Winarski

Chi-Hung Dang

Judson A McDowell

Jesse Lee Thrall

Glen Alan Jaquette

Morovat B Tayefeh

Leonard George Jesionowski

Karl Arnold Belser

Kurt A Rubin

Robert Wagner

Ronald Maynard Kern

Jerry Walter Hammar

David M Oldham

William J Flannagan

Mario Blaum

Frank David Gallo

Johannus Leopoldus Bakx

Andrew A Gaudet

David L Patton

Praveen Asthana

Paulus G Weijenbergh

Gary R Stephens

Charles Otis Green, Jr

Rod J Means

Applicants' automated data storage system includes a first media storage library having a first rail system, a garage having a movable rail system, said garage being disposed adjacent the media storage library, and a plurality of accessors movably disposed on either the first rail system or the movable rail system. In another embodiment, Applicants' automated data storage system further includes a second media storage library, having a second rail system, disposed adjacent the garage, such that the plurality of accessors is movably disposed on the first rail system, the second rail system, or the movable rail system. Applicants' invention further includes a method to move an accessor from the first media storage library into the garage, or from the first media storage library, through the garage, and into the second media storage library. Applicants' invention further includes a method to balance the workload of a plurality of data drives disposed within Applicants' automated data storage system.

Automated data storage system including a moveable rail system and garage

Applicants' invention includes a hard disk drive library which includes a plurality of hard disk drive storage slots, a plurality of backplane connectors, wherein a backplane is disposed in or adjacent to each of the hard disk drive storage slots. Applicants' hard disk drive library further includes one or a plurality of hard disk drives removably disposed in the plurality of storage slots, and a controller in communication with each hard disk drive removably disposed within the hard disk drive library. Applicants' invention further includes a data storage and retrieval system which includes Applicants' hard disk drive library in combination with one or more external servers. Applicants' invention further includes a method to insert additional hard disk drives into Applicants' hard disk drive library. Applicants' invention further includes a method to store data in, and to retrieve data from, the hard disk drives removably disposed in Applicants' hard disk drive library.

Hard disk drive library

Disclosed is a system, method, and program for writing data to a storage medium formatted into a plurality of zones. Each zone comprises at least one circumferential track, each track comprises a plurality of addressable sectors, and the innermost zones have fewer sectors than outermost zones. A request is received to write a file to the storage medium. A determination is made of a utilization factor for the file and one zone for the file based on the determined utilization factor. The file is written to the determined zone.

Method, system, and program for writing files to zone formatted storage media to improve data transfer rates

Provided is a storage device and method for interfacing with an external device. The storage device includes a portable housing, a storage medium enclosed within the housing, and two data interfaces at different locations on the housing, wherein both the data interfaces are capable of providing data communication with the external device. A controller is enclosed within the housing and implements logic to select one of the two data interfaces to use to transfer data between the storage medium and the external device.

Storage device apparatus having multiple interfaces

An accessor moveably disposed in a data storage and retrieval system, where that accessor includes an accessor controller, a work queue stored in the accessor controller, and an inventory stored in the accessor controller. Applicants' work queue comprises each work request provided to the data storage and retrieval system, and each work entry created by the accessor controller to perform a work request. Work requests may be received from attached host computer systems, from an operator input station, and/or from an import/export controller. A data storage and retrieval system which includes at least two of Applicant's accessors. A method to provide failover protection to Applicant's data storage and retrieval system in the event of a failure of one or more of Applicant's accessors.

Method to provide failover protection to a data storage and retrieval system

Provided is a library system apparatus including an array of storage cells and a plurality of storage devices. The storage devices include a storage medium and a data interface through which data on the storage medium is transferred. A gripper assembly includes extended members capable of engaging one storage device, movement electronics capable of moving the gripper assembly to the storage cells and engaging one storage device located within one storage cell, and a data interface. Data communication is enabled between the gripper assembly and storage device data interfaces when the gripper assembly is engaged with the storage device. Further, a library controller is in communication with the gripper assembly and executes logic to receive an input/output (I/O) request with respect to data in one target storage device in one storage cell and send commands to the gripper assembly to move to the storage cell including the target storage device and engage the target storage device in the storage cell. Data related to the I/O request is transferred between the target storage device and the library controller via the gripper assembly and storage device data interface.

Automated library system including a gripper assembly apparatus for interfacing with a storage device

Provided is a gripper assembly including a gripper capable of engaging a storage device having a data interface through which data is transferred to a storage medium within the storage device. The gripper assembly includes extending members capable of engaging the storage device, a data interface capable of engaging the storage device data interface to allow data communication with the storage medium in the storage device, and movement electronics to move the gripper in at least one direction.

Gripper assembly apparatus for interfacing with a storage device

Applicants' invention includes an automated data storage system which includes one or more data storage libraries each of which includes one or a plurality of accessors which retrieve data storage media from a plurality of storage slots and deliver that retrieved data storage media to a data storage drive unit, where each of the plurality of accessors includes one or more attachment slots and a plurality of retractable wheels, and a maintenance robot which includes a plurality of wheels and an attachment device which is capable of insertion into, and subsequent removal from, the attachment slot(s) located on each of the accessors. Applicants' invention further includes a method utilizing Applicants' maintenance robot to remove one of Applicants' accessors from a data storage library.

Automated data storage system and apparatus and method for removing an accessor from same

A bit is provided in each Digital Video Disk memory sector header to indicate the type of information contained in the main data portion of the frame. A vector of video clips are stored on the DVD disk and the DVD drive examines the bit to determine whether to play a movie or to employ logic provided by the present invention that allows the DVD drive to determine which included video clip to play instead. The video clips may include cartoons, commercials, movie previews, etc. and the logic employed by the DVD drive allows for random or specific selections to be played at predetermined times, such as displaying a clip during the flipping process of a dual-sided DVD disk. Additionally, the method and apparatus may be applied to DVD disks to determine whether commercials are played before, after or during the movie or the movie is played commercial free.

Method and apparatus for a randomizer for DVD video

Disclosed is a cabling picker in a library of stationary memory devices. One or more input/output cables electrically connected to a host computer through a destination are provided, and these are moved or manipulated for interconnecting with selected memory devices in the library instead of moving the memory devices to the destination.

Cabling picker in a library of stationary memory devices

An intelligent bus listening device, and a method which may be implemented as a computer program product, listens to SCSI commands on a first SCSI bus of a SCSI system via a listening connection to the first SCSI bus. The listening device is separately coupled via an interface to a second bus for communicating commands onto the second bus. A processor is coupled to the listening connection and to the second bus interface, the processor receiving the first commands from the first SCSI bus, converting the first commands to second commands related to the first commands, and providing the second commands to the second bus interface. In a SCSI library that accesses media from storage shelves with an autochanger in response to access commands from hosts, the intelligent bus listening device decouples the first SCSI bus from the autochanger, listens to commands on the first SCSI bus, and converts the access commands to a more efficient set of movement commands, and supplies the movement commands on a separate second bus for the autochanger.

SCSI bus intelligent listening device and method

Multiple intelligent pickers for an automated data storage library, the library having a library controller which identifies the start and end locations of the received move jobs, and places the move jobs in a job queue. The picker processor receives information over a communication link from other pickers describing movement information for the current move job of each of the other pickers. Upon completion of a move job, the picker communicates with the library controller, selecting a move job which avoids interference with the movement of the other pickers. The movement for the selected move job is determined so as to avoid interference with the stored movement profiles of the other pickers. A movement profile may be communicated to the other pickers over the communication link, and the move job is conducted according to the movement profile. Alternatively, movement information comprising the current location and vector are communicated.

Multiple independent intelligent pickers with dynamic routing in an automated data storage library

A bi-level power saving method for a computer having one level of power saving operations that is executed when the computer is operating on an external power source and another level of power saving operations that is executed when the computer is operating on an internal power source. The method determines whether the computer is operating on an external power source or an internal power source. No preferences for tasks or devices are designated if the computer is operating on an external power source and activity and application have been detected. Various power consuming operations are executed if the computer is operating on an external power source and activity is detected but an application is not detected. The computer powers down devices if the computer is operating on an external power source and no activity is detected. Power saving operations are executed if the computer is operating on an internal power source and activity and application have been detected. Power consuming operations are inhibited if the computer is operating on an internal power source and activity is detected but application is not detected. The operator may override or choose the inhibiting/executing of the power consuming operations.

Bi-level power saver method for portable or laptop computer

A wireless communication link provides picker to picker communication between multiple intelligent pickers for an automated data storage library, and provides central communication between at least one of the pickers with a central job queue. Each intelligent picker comprises a processor located thereon for operating the picker to conduct a move job and providing movement information describing movement of the picker for the current move job of the picker. The wireless communication link comprises a wireless central communication link between at least one of the pickers and a central job queue for communicating a move job to the picker processor from the central job queue, and a wireless picker to picker communication link for communicating between the pickers, each linked picker transmitting the movement information over the wireless picker to picker communication link.

Growing community of inventors

Tucson, AZ, United States of America

John Edward Kulakowski