Patent Publication Number: US-2010115319-A1

Title: Storing device and electronic device having the same

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to data storage technology and, particularly, to an energy-saving storing device and an electronic device having the same. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A typical just a bunch of disks (JBOD) usually includes a digital signal processing (DSP) chip and a number of disks. The capacity of the JBOD is substantially equal to the sum of the capacity of the number of disks. Such that, a storing device with large capacity can be produced by using the JBOD technology. However, in the typical JBOD, the address information of files storied in each disk is storied in corresponding disk, all disks of the JBOD need be powered on when reading or writing data from or into the JBOD. As a result, the energy consumption of the JBOD increases greatly with the increase of the number of the disks. 
     What is needed, therefore, is an energy-saving storing device with big capacity to overcome the above-described problems. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       Many aspects of the present storing device and electronic device can be better understood with reference to the accompanying drawings. The components in the drawing are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present storing device and electronic device. 
         FIG. 1  is a functional block diagram of an electronic device including a storing device according to an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a functional block diagram of a control unit of the storing device of the electronic device of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail below, with reference to the accompanying drawing. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an electronic device  100  includes a storing device  10  and a data processing device  20 . The data processing device  20  is electronically connected to the storing device  10 , and reading or writing data from or into the storing device  10 . The data processing device  20  can be a computer or a server. 
     The storing device  10  includes a control unit  12 , a number of first storing units  16 , and a second storing unit  14 . 
     The control unit  12  is electrically connected to the second storing unit  14  and the first storing units  16 . The control unit  12  includes a data interface  121  and a power port  122 . The control unit  12  can read/write data from/into each first storing unit  16  via the data interface  121 , and can selectively supply power for one or more first storing units  16  via the power port  122 . The data interface  121  can be a small computer system interface (SCSI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, or a network interface. The type of the data interface  121  used by the control unit  12  is determined by the type of the first storing units  16 . The first storing units  16  are configured for storing files therein. In the present embodiment, the first storing units  16  are hard disks and the data interface  121  is SCSI. Preferably, each first storing unit  16  is detachable from the storing device  10 . 
     The second storing unit  14  is configured for storing address information corresponding to the files stored in the first storing units  16 . The address information includes BIOS parameter block (BPB), file allocation table (FAT), physical addresses, logical addresses and etc. The second storing unit  14  can be a hard disk, a secure digital memory card, or a mini secure digital memory card and etc. Preferably, the second storing unit  14  is detachable from the storing device  10 . The second storing unit  14  can also be used for storing driving program of the storing device  10 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the control unit  12  further includes a communicating module  123 , an addressing module  124 , a power supplying module  125 , and an operating module  126 . 
     The communicating module  123  is configured for receiving a read/write request from the data processing device  20 . 
     The addressing module  124  is configured for searching addresses of files to be read, or empty spaces to store files according to the address information stored in the second storing unit  14 . The addressing module  124  will search addresses of files to be read during a read operation, and searching addresses of empty spaces to store files during a write operation. 
     The power supplying module  125  is configured for powering on each first storing unit  16  to be used in the read or write operations. The first storing unit  16  which stores the files to be read out or has empty spaces to store files is the storing unit  16  to be used. 
     The operating module  126  is configured for reading/writing files from/into the first storing unit  16 . 
     The control unit  12  can further includes a power off module  127 . The power off module  127  is configured for powering off a first storing unit  16 , if the first storing unit  16  has not been used for a predetermined time. 
     In the storing device  10 , because the address information is stored in the second storing unit  14 , the first storing units  16  don&#39;t need be powered on during the addressing process of the storing device  10 . Therefore, the storing device  10  can selectively provide power to the first storing units  16  which will be used. Accordingly, the storing device  10  can achieve energy-saving. 
     While certain embodiments have been described and exemplified above, various other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing disclosure. The present invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described and exemplified, and the embodiments are capable of considerable variation and modification without departure from the scope of the appended claims.