| Storage control apparatus capable of analyzing volume information and a control method thereof -> Monitor Keywords |
|
|
 
Storage control apparatus capable of analyzing volume information and a control method thereofRelated Patent Categories: Electrical Computers And Digital Processing Systems: Memory, Storage Accessing And ControlStorage control apparatus capable of analyzing volume information and a control method thereof description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060075182, Storage control apparatus capable of analyzing volume information and a control method thereof. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a storage control apparatus capable of analyzing volume information and a control method thereof. This invention provides a storage apparatus control system that can read a storage medium, analyze the storage volume information loaded in the storage medium, control the display apparatus to display the storage volume information, and provides the information for reference by a user. [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art [0004] As technology improves, information apparatuses, such as cell phones, notebooks, and personal digital assistants are becoming more and more portable. As such, portable storage apparatuses are also being developed. Because flash memory has been adopted as an industry standard and its manufacturing process is improving constantly, large volume portable storage apparatuses are becoming more and more widespread. [0005] Currently, storage apparatuses that are light, thin, short and small and have large volumes include such draw type storage apparatuses as Zip disks, optical disks and memory cards, etc., and portable storage apparatuses such as portable disks with USB interfaces, external hard disks, etc. A storage apparatus has the sole function of providing memory space upon which information can be recorded. A storage apparatus can only accessed by the operating system. Moreover, draw type transmitting apparatuses such as Zip drives, CD-ROMs and card-reading machines, are transmitting mediums between draw type storage devices and operating systems. [0006] The operation of a portable or draw type storage apparatus such as sector partitioning, sector formatting, reading and writing file, can only be operated and controlled by the operating system. Therefore, storage apparatuses that store information can't display relevant information (such as free space, the volume or a label, etc.) about the storage apparatus itself after it is disconnected from the operating system. [0007] The prior controller embedded in the storage apparatus has the sole function of showing how much memory space is occupied. Please refer to FIG. 1 that shows a schematic diagram of the prior storage control system. The storage control system 10 comprises of a microprocessor unit 11, a host system interface 12, a storage medium interface 13, a data transfer buffer 14, a program memory 15, a data memory 16, a power regulation circuit 17 and a clock oscillation circuit 18. [0008] The host system interface 12 of the storage control system 10 connects to an application system 101. The application system 101 is an information product, for example a computer system or a digital still camera. The storage control system 10 also connects to a storage medium 102 through the storage medium interface 13. The microprocessor unit 11 of the storage control system 10 connects to the application system 101 through the protocol of the host system interface 12, analyzes commands coming from the application system 101, and accesses the storage medium 102. By use of the above method, the application system 101 transmits data to and gets information from the storage medium 102 via the storage control system 10. [0009] The operation of the prior portable or draw type storage apparatus, for example, sector partitioning, sector formatting, reading and writing file, is operated and controlled by the external application system. The drawbacks of the prior art are described below: [0010] 1. It is inconvenient for the user. The user can only know what information is stored on the storage apparatus when the storage control system is working and operating through a specified operating system. If the available volume of the storage apparatus is inadequate, the user needs to buy another one or replace it with another type of storage apparatus. [0011] 2. The load of the storage system increases. A storage apparatus is a mainstream storage apparatus can't calculate the storage volume and the available volume by itself. It still needs an application system to do this task. This is opposite to the trend of reducing the loading an application system. Moreover, when a draw type storage apparatus, such as a memory card, is applied to a portable device with a limited power source, such as a digital still camera, it must be restarted in order to obtain the residual volume of the storage apparatus. It is wasteful of power to do such a redundant action. [0012] This present invention adds a volume information analysis module, a volume information memory, a display device interface, and a power regulation circuit to the storage control system. The present invention doesn't increase power usage or costs, and achieves the goal of analyzing and displaying the volume information. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0013] The main objective of the present invention is to provide a storage control system with a volume information analysis module and a volume information memory. The storage control system can access the storage medium by itself regardless of whether the storage apparatus is connected or unconnected and can analyze the volume information of the loading storage apparatus. [0014] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a storage control system with a control-driving interface for the display device. The storage control system can be easily connected to the display device and can display the volume information on the display device. [0015] The present storage control system comprises a storage medium interface, a host system interface, a data transfer buffer, a microprocessor unit, a program memory, a data memory, a volume information analysis module, a volume information memory, a display device interface, a power regulation circuit and a clock oscillation circuit. [0016] The host system interface connects to an application system, the storage medium interface connects to a storage medium, and the display device interface connects to a display device. The power regulation circuit connects to an external power source to regulate and supply the power to all the units in the storage control system. The clock oscillation circuit connects to an external RC resonance circuit to generate a clock and supply the clock to all the units in the storage control system. The control firmware is loaded into the program memory; the microprocessor unit executes the control procedure to control the module process. The control firmware starts up the storage medium analysis, records and displays the storage volume information under the storage apparatus regardless of whether it is connected or disconnected. During operation, the data memory provides storage space to save the control procedure, the necessary variables and data structures, etc. The volume information memory is used to save the volume information and as a reference when doing analysis. The volume information analysis module is used for analyzing the volume information. [0017] For further understanding of the invention, reference is made to the following detailed description illustrating the embodiments and examples of the invention. The description is only for illustrating the invention and is not intended to be considered limiting of the scope of the claim. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0018] The drawings included herein provide a further understanding of the invention. A brief introduction of the drawings is as follows: [0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the prior storage control system; [0020] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the present storage control system and its peripheral devices; [0021] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the present storage control system; [0022] FIG. 4 is a flow chart of the starting-up procedure of the control method of the present storage volume information analysis; [0023] FIG. 5 is a flow chart of the detailed starting-up procedure of the control method of the present storage volume information analysis; Continue reading about Storage control apparatus capable of analyzing volume information and a control method thereof... Full patent description for Storage control apparatus capable of analyzing volume information and a control method thereof Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Storage control apparatus capable of analyzing volume information and a control method thereof patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Storage control apparatus capable of analyzing volume information and a control method thereof or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Methods and apparatuses for automated circuit design Next Patent Application: User interface for system for environmental, health, and safety compliance Industry Class: Electrical computers and digital processing systems: memory ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Storage control apparatus capable of analyzing volume information and a control method thereof patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.13525 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Tyco , Unilever , Warner-lambert , 3m 174 |
 * Protect your Inventions * US Patent Office filing 
PATENT INFO |
|
