Abstract:
A mass storage system usable with a storage device is described. The mass storage system includes a housing, a device interface, a user interface, a controller, and a connector. The device interface is operatively coupled with the housing for connecting with a storage device. The user interface is connected with the housing and operatively coupled with the device interface for accessing information about a storage device connected via the device interface. The controller operatively coupled with the device interface and the user interface for controlling the mass storage system. The connector is connected with the controller for coupling the mass storage system to an external processing device.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a mass storage system with a user interface. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Portable hard disk drives have become commonplace and are used, for example, with laptops and/or transportable computing platforms and may be used to back up computer systems. Often times the user needs to find out what information is available regarding the hard disk drive (HDD). The user needs to resort to an interface (as illustrated in  FIG. 1 ) provided by an operating system executed by a computer system. In a rack configuration where computer system hardware is stacked, the process of obtaining drive information is even more cumbersome. The interface provided by an operating system requires a separate piece of hardware (e.g. a computer system). That is, the computer system must be turned on and executing at least operating system instructions in order to access the information regarding the HDDs. In many cases, the HDDs can be physically located in a different area away from the computer systems to which the HDDs are to be connected thereby increasing the difficulty and time required to obtain the information. 
     SUMMARY 
     A mass storage system usable with a storage device includes a housing, a device interface, a user interface, a controller, and a connector. The device interface is operatively coupled with the housing for connecting with a storage device. The user interface is connected with the housing and operatively coupled with the device interface for accessing information about a storage device connected via the device interface. The controller operatively coupled with the device interface and the user interface for controlling the mass storage system. The connector is connected with the controller for coupling the mass storage system to an external processing device. 
     In another apparatus embodiment, the mass storage system includes a housing, a connector, a device interface, a user interface, and a controller. The connector couples the mass storage system to an external processing device and is arranged to enable communication between the mass storage system and the external processing device. The device interface is operatively coupled with the housing and the connector and is arranged to connect with a storage device. The user interface is connected with the housing and arranged to receive user input and display information about a connected storage device. The controller is operatively coupled with the connector for communicating with an external processing device and arranged to communicate with the user interface. 
     Construction and operation of embodiments according to the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein the embodiments according to the invention are shown and described, simply by way of illustration of a mode contemplated of carrying out the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, all without departing from the invention. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       An embodiment according to the present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings, wherein elements having the same reference numeral designations represent like elements throughout and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a prior art information window of a HDD installed in a computer system as provided by an operating system; and 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of a mass storage system with four removable hard disk drives and corresponding user interface devices; and 
         FIG. 3  is a high level block diagram of the mass storage system of  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 2  depicts a front view of a mass storage system  10  according to an embodiment of the present invention including four storage devices, i.e., hard disk drives (HDDs)  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  and a four device user interface generally indicated by reference numeral  30 . Each HDD  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  resides in a corresponding drive bay  32  having an opening in the front of mass storage system  10  enabling the HDD to be slid into place in the storage system. Although four HDDs are depicted, different embodiments of mass storage system  10  according to the present invention can accommodate differing numbers of HDDs. For each HDD, user interface  30  includes a corresponding navigation device  40 , a corresponding display  42  and corresponding light indicators  44 ,  46 . A front panel  48  includes openings for the HDDs  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  and the components of the four device user interface  30 . In operation, user interface  30  displays information about the HDDs  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  to a user. According to an embodiment, user interface  30  also enables the user to request manipulation of data on the HDD, e.g., formatting, defragmenting, and other data manipulation operations, by mass storage system  10 . 
     According to an embodiment, HDDs  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  are removable HDDs and in a further embodiment the removable HDDs are hot-swappable with respect to mass storage system  10 . The term hot swap generally indicates a signal and/or power connection configured such that a HDD can be added or removed from mass storage system  10  without previously powering down the HDD such that neither the system nor the HDD is damaged. That is, each HDD  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  which includes a corresponding mate to the hot swap connectors internal to mass storage system  10  may be inserted and removed from the system without first powering off the HDD. For example, an HDD may be removed and replaced with a new HDD or removed and swapped with another HDD in a different position within mass storage system  10 . In a specific embodiment, HDDs  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  are removable data storage devices, e.g., cartridge-based hard disk drive storage device, and may include a hot swap capability. 
     Each navigation interface  40 , as depicted in  FIG. 2 , is a five button navigation tool responsive to user manipulation for input of commands and selections with respect to a corresponding display  42 . In alternate embodiments, navigation interface  40  is another type of navigation tool, such as a thumb wheel, a multi-position rocker, etc., and includes fewer or greater navigation buttons in comparison to the five buttons depicted in  FIG. 2 . In a further alternate embodiment, navigation interface  40  is a navigation tool lacking buttons and employing a scrolling mechanism. 
     Display  42  presents information to a user of mass storage system  10 , e.g., textual and/or graphical data, information, feedback, etc. regarding the mass storage system in general and/or more specific information concerning one of HDDs  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26 . In an embodiment, each display  42  includes a character interface (e.g., liquid crystal display (LCD)-based display, light emitting diode (LED)-based display, etc.) for presenting information to the user. In another embodiment, display  42  includes a graphical interface for presenting information and in a further embodiment, display  42  includes a graphical/textual interface for presenting information. 
     In operation, display  42  provides information about a corresponding HDD, for example:
         HDD drive letter and label;   HDD model and type;   Status of the HDD (Functioning or not functioning);   Total storage space of the HDD and total space available;   Type of File System (e.g., NTFS or FAT32, etc.) of the HDD;   Fragmentation status and recommendation regarding defragmentation   Error checking on the HDD and display of the status;   Status of the specific physical slot, e.g., if loaded with a HDD or not; and   Directory content on the HDD.       

     In an embodiment, light indicator  44  is a green LED and light indicator  46  is a red LED. Light indicators  44 ,  46  are status LEDs providing a quick set of information about the associated HDD, such as the status of the HDD (e.g., via a green LED or a red LED) and whether the storage system  10  is accessing the specific HDD (e.g., read or write operations). 
       FIG. 3  depicts a high level functional block diagram of the mass storage system  10  of  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 3  depicts only a single HDD  20  in representative capacity for all HDDs  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  installed in mass storage system  10  of  FIG. 2 . For clarity, light indicators  44 ,  46  are not depicted in  FIG. 3 . As depicted in  FIG. 3 , HDD  20  is installed in drive bay  32  and includes an HDD interface  50  for connecting with an internal connector  52 , e.g., a USB connector, an IEEE 1394 connector, a SATA connector, etc. of mass storage system  10 . In further embodiments, internal connector  52  forms a part of drive bay  32  or a part of mass storage system  10  which connects with HDD  20  exterior of drive bay  32 . 
     Additionally, mass storage system  10  includes a storage system interface  54  for connecting the mass storage system with other devices (not shown) such as the connection capabilities described immediately above with respect to the internal connector  52  and/or a network connection, e.g., Ethernet 10/100 BaseT, Gigabit Ethernet, etc. Mass storage system  10  may be connected to a network (not shown) such as a local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), etc. or to a computer system (not shown) external to the mass storage system via storage system interface  54 . 
     A mass storage system controller  56  (hereinafter referred to as a controller), e.g., a custom application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a system on chip (SOC) device, a HDD controller processor, etc., connected between HDDs  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  and user interface  30  to the user is responsible for performing the functions necessary to provide the information described above with respect to display  42 . Content displayed on display  42  is generated by accessing directly to the storage devices (HDDs  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26 ) with local logic and processing power, e.g., controller  54 . Accordingly, a user need not wait for the startup of a general purpose operating system of a computer system or navigate an operating system intricacies in order to determine information about an HDD. 
     In another embodiment, content displayed on display  42  is generated by receiving information from a remote device connected to storage system  10  (e.g., a connected computer system sending commands to the attached storage device via storage system interface  54 ). 
     According to an embodiment, controller  56  receives user input, e.g., commands, entered at user interface  30  and executes commands with respect to one or more of the HDDs  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  depending on the command being executed. Additionally, controller  56  updates user interface  30  based on information obtained from one or more of HDDs  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  via internal connector  52  and HDD interface  50 . For example, controller  56  executes a command requesting HDD information, e.g., total storage space on the HDD, total available (free) space on the HDD, etc., from one of the HDDs  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26 . Controller  56  issues the command to the HDD using connection line  62  from the controller to internal connector  52  and HDD interface  50  to HDD  20 . HDD  20  responds to the received command by providing controller  56  with the requested information via connection line  62 . According to this embodiment, HDD  20  includes an internal HDD controller (not shown) able to receive and respond to commands. In other embodiments, controller  56  issues appropriate commands to HDD  20  without requiring the presence of an HDD controller on HDD  20 . 
     In another embodiment, controller  56 , e.g., a SOC device, manages the interface between the storage system interface  54  and HDDs  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26 . According to this embodiment, an external device, e.g., a connected computer system (not shown), communicates with HDD  20  and user interface  30  via controller  56 . In this manner, controller  56  relays user commands input at user interface  30  to the connected computer system via storage system interface  54  and relays commands received from the connected computer system via the storage system interface to HDD  20  via connection line  62 . Controller  56  then provides any response from HDD  20  to the connected computer system via storage system interface  56  and appropriately updates user interface  30 . In an embodiment, the connected computer system controls the updating of user interface  30 . In another embodiment, controller  54  controls the updating of user interface  30  directly without requiring input from the connected computer system. 
     In yet another embodiment including the schematically depicted dashed connection line  60  in  FIG. 3 , controller  56  manages the interface between storage system interface  54  and user interface  30  without interacting directly with HDDs  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26 . According to this embodiment, connection line  62  between internal connector  52  and controller  56  is not required for operation of storage system  10 . 
     Controller  56  interacts with the user via user interface  30  (display  42 , navigation interface  40 , and indicator lights  44 ,  46 ), receiving user input and commands and transmitting information to the user interface for display to the user via display  42 . 
     Navigation interface  40  enables user navigation of the information shown on the display  42  and user initiation of actions where possible (e.g., initiate the safe disconnection process for USB-based HDD). 
     With the navigation buttons, a user can scroll through different menus where the user retrieves the information listed in the bullets above, as an example. 
     It will be readily seen by one of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments fulfills one or more of the advantages set forth above. After reading the foregoing specification, one of ordinary skill will be able to affect various changes, substitutions of equivalents and various other aspects of the embodiments as broadly disclosed herein. It is therefore intended that the protection granted hereon be limited only by the definition contained in the appended claims and equivalents thereof.