Patent ID: 6466990
Filing Date: 2002-10-15
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
A system for identifying and managing information stored in a plurality of physical volumes in an information storage system, wherein said physical volumes are contained in an automated physical volume storage system comprising a plurality of physical volume storage locations and a transfer means for moving physical storage volumes from storage locations to use locations, and wherein said transceiver means is coupled to said transfer means, said system comprising:a plurality of labels, each label associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of physical volumes, each label including a passive electromagnetic transponder having a re-writable non-volatile memory configured to store data associated with the information stored in the corresponding physical volume; an active electromagnetic transceiver means for electromagnetically reading and modifying said data from a selected label without requiring physical contact with said selected label; and a second transceiver means for reading said data from said selected label and for modifying said data in said selected label without requiring physical contact with said selected label, wherein at least one of said uses location comprises a physical volume drive, and wherein said second transceiver means is coupled to said physical volume drive to enable modification of said data in said selected label in conjunction with modification of said information stored in the physical volume to which said selected label is attached.