Patent ID: 12204472

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring toFIG.2, there is an architecture diagram of a data storage device according to one application embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIG.2, the data storage device300can be a solid-state drive (SSD), which is configured in an electronic device, for example, a computer host or an automation device, and used as a storage medium of the electronic device. The data storage device300comprises a data storage unit31, a first data transmission interface33, a microprocessor35, a second data transmission interface352, and an input and output interface37. The data storage unit31comprises a controller311and a plurality of flash memories313. The controller311is connected to the flash memories313.

The data storage device300is connected to a connector disposed on a motherboard of the electronic device via the first data transmission interface33, and connected to an external input and output device50via the input and output interface37. The first data transmission interface33and the second data transmission interface352are data transmitted interfaces conforming to SATA, PCIe, or NVMe standard protocol. The input and output interface37is an input and output interface conforming to USB, GPIO, Type C, VGA, HDMI, or DVI standard protocol.

The data storage device300further comprises a switch39. The switch39comprises a first terminal391, a second terminal392, a common terminal393, and a switch lever394. The first terminal391is connected to the first data transmission interface33. The second terminal392is connected to the second transmission interface352. The common terminal393is connected to the data storage unit31. The switch lever394is provided with one end thereof connected to the common terminal393, and other end thereof connected to the first terminal391or the second terminal392by the switching operation. The motherboard40of the electronic device is connected to the switch39via the first data transmission interface33, and the microprocessor35is connected to the switch39via the second transmission interface352. Thus, it is decided that the data storage unit31is electrically connected to the motherboard40of the electronic device or the microprocessor35by the switching of the switch lever394of the switch39.

In addition to the general data storage, the data storage device300of the present invention further provides a system operation function. The microprocessor35is configured with an embedded system351, for example, Linux, RTOS, or TinyOS. The data storage device300can execute a specific system operation procedure by the embedded system351of the microprocessor35.

When the data storage device300is to be used to store data, the common terminal393of the switch39is connected to the first terminal391by the switching of the switch lever394to conduct the connection between the data storage unit31and the first data transmission interface33, such that the electronic device may read data from the data storage unit31, or write data into the data storage unit31. When the data storage device300wants to execute the system operation function, the common terminal393of the switch39is connected to the second terminal391by the switching of the switch lever394to conduct the connection between the data storage unit31and the microprocessor35, such that the embedded system351of the microprocessor35executes a specific system operation between the data storage unit31and the input and output interface37, and reads data requested for executing the specific system operation from the data storage unit31, or writes data generated by executing the specific system operation to the data storage unit31.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the system operation function of the data storage device300can be activated by inputting an external power source60. The data storage device300comprises a power port34. An external power source60can be inputted into the data storage device300via the power port34. The power port34may be a DC port, the external power source60may be a DC power source provided by a power supply device, and a plug of the power supply device is inserted into the power port34so that the power supply device can provide the DC power source to the data storage device300. Otherwise, the power port34may be a powered device port of PoE (Power over Ethernet), the external power source60may be an Ethernet power source provided by a PoE power supply module, the PoE power supply module is connected to the power port34via an Ethernet cable so that the PoE power supply module can provide the Ethernet power source to the data storage device300. Furthermore, a power detector341is connected to the power port34and the switch39. The power detector341is used to detect whether the external power source60exists. When the power detector341does not detect the external power source60on the power port34, the power detector341controls that the common terminal393of the switch39is electrically connected to the first terminal391to conduct the connection between the data storage unit31and the first data transmission interface33, such that the electronic device can perform general data access to the data storage unit31via the first data transmission interface33. On the contrary, when the power detector341detects the external power source60on the power port34, the power detector341controls that the common terminal393of the switch39is electrically connected to the second terminal392to conduct the connection between the data storage unit31and the microprocessor35, such that the data storage device300can execute a specific system operation between the data storage unit31and the input and output interface37by the embedded system351of the microprocessor35.

One embodiment of the present invention, a power energy required for the working of the data storage device300is provided by the first data transmission interface33. The first data transmission interface33is an interface capable of transmitting data and power energy. For example, the first data transmission interface33is a SATA transmission interface, which includes a data transmission part (7 pins) and a power energy transmission part (15 pins), the data transmission part is used for transmitting data, and the power energy transmission part is used for transmitting power energy. When the data storage device300is inserted into the connector disposed on the motherboard40of the electronic device via the first data transmission interface33, a host power source provided by the electronic device can be inputted to the data storage device300via the power energy transmission part of the first transmission interface33, and thus the host power source provides the power energy required for the working of the data storage device300.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the power energy required for the working of the data storage device300is provided by the external power source60. When the first data transmission interface33is disconnected from the connector of the motherboard40, the external power source60is inputted to the data storage device300via the power port34, and thus the external power source60provides the power energy required for the working of the data storage device300.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the input and output device50connected to the input and output interface37is a network module, for example, Ethernet module or WiFi module. The input and output device50receives an operation instruction501, for example, operation instruction for restoring operating system, issued from a cloud platform. The flash memories313of the data storage unit31stores an operating system3131and a system restoring file3133. When the system operation function of the data storage device300is activated, and the data storage device300receives the operation instruction501for restoring operating system via the input and output device50, the embedded system351of the microprocessor35executes a restoring system procedure to restore the operating system3131according to the system restoring file3133in the data storage unit31. The embedded system351of the microprocessor35reports a message indicating the completion of restoring operating system to the cloud platform via the input and output device50after the operating system3131has restored.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the operation instruction501issued from the cloud platform is an instruction for collecting a health information. The flash memories313of the data storage unit31stores at least one health information3135. When the system operation function of the data storage device300is activated, and the data storage device300receives the operation instruction501for collecting a health information via the input and output device50, the embedded system351of the microprocessor35executes a health information collection procedure to obtain the health information3135of the data storage unit31. After the health information3135has collected, the embedded system351of the microprocessor35transmits the health information3135to the cloud platform via the input and output device50.

The two embodiments in the above described are only partially implementation of the present invention. In actual application, the administrator of the cloud platform can issue various types of operation instructions501, such as operation instructions for data encryption, firmware update, physical destruction, etc., to the data storage device300, so that the embedded system351of the microprocessor35can execute the different system operations according to the operation instructions501.

Referring toFIG.3, there is an architecture diagram of a data storage device according to another application embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIG.3, the data storage device300of the present embodiment comprises a plurality of input and output interfaces371,372, and373, for example, the first input and output interface371, the second input and output interface372, and the third input and output interface373. Each of the input and output interfaces371/372/373is connected to a corresponding input and output device50, respectively. The first input and output interface371is connected to a first human-machine interface device, for example, keyboard. The second input and output interface372is connected to a second human-machine interface device, for example, mouse. The third input and output interface373is connected to a data output device, for example, display. In the present embodiment, the flash memories313of the data storage unit31stores various formats of documents3137, for example, WORD format documents, PDF format documents, Video format documents, and so on.

When the system operation function of the data storage device300has activated, the user of the data storage device300can select a specific file3137from the data storage unit31through an operation action of the keyboard or the mouse, and a frame outputted from the display. After the specific file3137is selected, the embedded system351of the microprocessor35parses the format of the specific document3137, opens the specific document3137by an appropriate software program, and presents the opened specific document3137in the display. In one embodiment of the present invention, the software program used to open the specific file3137may be installed in the data storage unit31.

In addition to be connected to the keyboard, the mouse or the display, the input and output interface of the data storage device300of the present invention can be also connected to a printer, a speaker or other types of input and output devices50. Accordingly, the embedded system351of the microprocessor35can process the specific data stored in the data storage unit31, and output the processed specific data by various input and output devices50.

Referring toFIG.4, there is an architecture diagram of a data storage device according to another application embodiment of the present invention. In the above embodiment inFIG.2, it can activate the system operation function of the data storage device300by the input of the external power source60. In the present embodiment inFIG.4, it can activate the system operation function of the data storage device300by triggering a GPIO (General Purpose Input and Output) port. As shown inFIG.4, the switch39of the present embodiment is connected to an input and output port (such as GPIO port)32having a trigger key321. A trigger signal with a high level is generated when the trigger key321is pressed, and sent to the switch39via the input and output port32. The trigger signal will be used to control the switch39to conduct the connection between the data storage unit31and the second data transmission interface352. After the connection between the data storage unit31and the second data transmission interface352is formed, the data storage device300can execute the specific system operation between the data storage unit31and the input and output interface37by the embedded system351of the microprocessor35.

The above disclosure is only the preferred embodiment of the present invention, and not used for limiting the scope of the present invention. All equivalent variations and modifications on the basis of shapes, structures, features and spirits described in claims of the present invention should be included in the claims of the present invention.