JPH0384765A - Disk autochanger - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shorten the time for changing disks by providing a battery backup RAM for storing information for changing disks in a disk controller and storing this RAM with the information for changing the disks. CONSTITUTION:When a disk 13 in the disk autochanger is first loaded, the information for changing disks is stored in the battery backup RAM 19 in a disk controller 14, and subsequently generated changing information is also stored in the backup RAM 19 at any time. By this method, it is not necessary to read out the changing information whenever the disk is loaded, and the time for changing disks can thus be shortened.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a disk autochanger device that is connected to an external device such as a computer and can automatically exchange a plurality of optical disks or magnetic disks to read and write data. .

Prior Art FIG. 3 shows the configuration of a conventional autochanger device. In FIG. 3, reference numerals 1 and 2 are optical disk drives (ODD), which read and write data to and from the optical disk 3. 4 is an optical disk drive controller (ODC), and optical disk drives 1,
2 and controls the signal processing. Reference numeral 5 denotes an external interface, which accepts commands from an external computer or the like and sends them to the optical disk drive controller 4. 6
An autochanger controller (ACC) is connected to the optical disk drive controller 4 and external interface 5 to control the optical disk automatic exchange mechanism 7. The automatic optical disk exchange mechanism 7 includes a mechanism for selecting one optical disk from among the plurality of optical disks 3 in the magazine 8 and loading it into a predetermined optical disk drive 1 or 2.

Next, the operation of the above conventional example will be explained. In FIG. 3, data is read from an external device such as a computer to an optical disk controller 4 via an external interface 5.
When a command signal such as a write command is input, the optical disk controller 4 issues a command to the autochanger controller 6 to load a target optical disk among the optical disks 3 in the magazine 8 into the optical disk drive 1 or 2. In accordance with this command, the autochanger controller 6 controls the optical disk automatic exchange mechanism 7 to take out the designated optical disk 3 from the magazine 8 and load it into the optical disk drive 1 or 2.

In this way, even conventional disc autochanger devices can automatically exchange a plurality of discs and read and write data.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in the above-mentioned conventional autochanger device,
As shown in FIG. 4, each time the optical disk 3 is loaded into the optical disk drive 1 or 2, the replacement information of the optical disk is read out, so after the optical disk is replaced, read/write becomes possible until the optical disk drive starts up. The problem was that it took a long time.

The present invention solves these conventional problems,
It is an object of the present invention to provide an excellent disc autochanger device that can shorten the disc replacement time, that is, the time it takes for the autochanger device to receive a command from an external device, replace the disc, and start up the disc drive.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a battery backup RAM for storing disk exchange information in the disk controller, and stores the disk exchange information in this RAM. This is what I did.

Effects The present invention has the following effects due to the above structure. That is, when a disk in the disk autochanger device is loaded for the first time, the disk exchange information is stored in the battery backup RAM in the disk controller.
By storing replacement information generated thereafter in the backup RAM as needed, it is possible to shorten the start-up time of the disk drive when loading the disk, thereby having the effect of shortening the disk replacement time.

Embodiment FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 11 and 12 are optical disk drives (
OD D), and reads and writes data to and from the optical disc 13.

Reference numeral 14 denotes an optical disk drive controller (ODC), which controls driving and signal processing of the optical disk drive 11. Built-in. 1
Reference numeral 5 denotes an external interface, which receives commands from an external computer, etc., and sends them to the optical disk drive controller 14. Reference numeral 16 denotes an autochanger controller, which is connected to the optical disk drive controller 14 and external interface 15 to control the optical disk automatic exchange mechanism 17. The automatic optical disk exchange mechanism 17 selects one optical disk from among the plurality of optical disks 13 in the magazine 18 and transfers it to a predetermined optical disk drive 11.
．． 12 is provided.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be explained with reference to FIG. When a command signal such as read/write is input to the optical disk controller 14 from an external device such as a computer via the external interface 15, the optical disk controller 14 sends a message to the autochanger controller 16 about the optical disks 13 in the magazine 18. Place the target optical disk in the optical disk drive 11 or 12.
Issue a command to load the . In accordance with this command, the autochanger controller 16 controls the optical disk automatic exchange mechanism 17 to take out the specified optical disk 13 from the magazine 18 and transfer it to the optical disk drive 1.
1 or 12 (step 21).

Next, the optical disk controller 14 determines whether or not the built-in RAM 19 has exchange information for the loaded optical disk (step 22), and if it does not have it, reads the exchange information (step 23) and sends the RA
After creating the exchange table in M19 (step 24)
, the optical disk drive 11 sends a control signal for reading or writing to the optical disk according to the command.
or 12 (step 25). And RAM19
If it already has the exchange information for that optical disk, it immediately begins the read or write operation. Further, exchange information generated thereafter is also stored in the RAM 19 as needed.

In this way, according to the above embodiment, since the optical disk exchange information is stored in advance in the RAM 19 inside the optical disk drive controller 14, there is no need to read the exchange information from the optical disk every time the optical disk is loaded, so that the optical disk autochanger device Optical disk replacement time can be reduced. Further, since the RAM 19 in the optical disk drive controller 14 is backed up by a battery, it can continue to store exchange information even if the optical disk autochanger device is powered off.

Note that the present invention can be similarly applied to a disk autochanger device using a magnetic disk.

Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above embodiments, the present invention has the following effects.

(1) Since a battery-backed RAM is built into the disk controller, exchange information regarding the disks in the disk autochanger device can be stored in advance in this RAM, eliminating the need to read the exchange information each time a disk is loaded. Disc replacement time can be shortened.

(2) Since the RAM built into the disk controller is backed up by a battery, exchange information will not be lost even if the disk autochanger device is powered off.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an optical disk autochanger device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a disk exchange operation in the same device, and FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of a conventional optical disk autochanger device. 4 are flowcharts showing the disk exchange operation in the conventional example. 11.12... Optical disk drive (ODD), 13
... Optical disk, 14... Optical disk drive controller (ODC), 15... External interface, 16... Autochanger controller (ACC)
, 17... Optical disk automatic exchange mechanism, 18... Magazine, 19... Battery backup RAM.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A disk drive that reads from and writes to a disk, a disk drive controller that controls the disk drive and has a built-in battery backup RAM for storing disk exchange information, and an autochanger controller that controls an automatic disk exchange mechanism. 1. A disc autochanger device, wherein when a disc is loaded, exchange information of the disc is stored in the RAM.