Self-labeling digital storage unit
View Patent ↗Portable storage units are equipped with human readable electronic displays that contain information pertaining to the content and state of the storage units. The information displayed changes as the contents of the storage unit change. Such electronic labels can contain a variety of useful information. Some information would be static, such as owner identification, while other information will be dynamic such as the amount of free space. Still other information will be browseable such as the directory structure, file contents, storage unit total capacity, storage unit available space, storage unit directory structure, storage unit file names. storage unit file contents and device reliability statistics.
1. A portable hard drive of a size which may be held in the palm of a hand for communicating with a host device comprising:
at least one port configured to communicate with a host device;
a mass storage hard disk;
processing circuitry operatively coupled to said port and said hard disk and configured to calculate information relating to a time of last user write in response to a message indicating the ejection of the hard disk from the host device, the processing circuitry being directly coupled to said port and to said hard disk; and
a display operatively coupled to said processing circuitry and configured to display the calculated information relating to a time of last user write and information relating to the amount of available storage space on the hard disk,
wherein the processing circuitry is configured to calculate information relating to a time of last user write by determining a type of file system storing a file on the hard disk in which the last user write is stored and obtaining time and date information based on the determined type of file system.
2. A portable hard drive according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one port is a USB compatible port.
3. A portable hard drive according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one port is a FireWire compatible port.
4. A portable hard drive according to claim 1 , wherein said display is an LCD display.
5. A portable hard drive according to claim 1 , wherein said display is a persistent display which will persist when disconnected from a source of power.
6. A portable hard drive according to claim 1 , wherein said processing circuitry is a microcontroller.
7. A portable hard drive according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one port comprises a first port which is a USB compatible port and a second port which is a FireWire compatible port.
8. A portable hard drive according to claim 1 , further including timing circuitry operatively coupled to said processing circuitry for generating a time-related signal, said processing circuitry for generating a time of access related signal based upon said time-related signal.
9. A portable hard drive according to claim 1 , wherein said processing circuitry is operable to generate and couple to said display information identifying the hard drive.
10. A portable hard drive according to claim 1 , further including at least one key for a user to input a user-defined message to be displayed.
11. A portable hard drive according to claim 1 , further including at least one control key for controlling the display.
12. A portable hard drive of a size which may be held in the palm of a hand for communicating with a host device comprising:
at least one port configured to communicate with a host device;
a mass storage hard disk;
processing circuitry operatively coupled to said port and said hard disk, said processing circuitry configured to calculate information relating to a time of last user write in response to a message indicating the ejection of the hard disk from the host device and to monitor at least part of the contents of a file allocation table on the hard disk drive, the processing circuitry being directly coupled to said port and to said hard disk; and
a display operatively coupled to said processing circuitry and configured to display the calculated information relating to a time of last user write and information obtained by monitoring the file allocation table,
wherein the processing circuitry is configured to calculate information relating to a time of last user write by determining a type of file system storing a file on the hard disk in which the last user write is stored and obtaining time and date information based on the determined type of file system.
13. A portable hard drive according to claim 12 , wherein information is accessed from the file allocation table which is functionally related to the total free clusters on the hard disk.
14. A portable hard drive according to claim 12 , wherein said display automatically displays information indicative of the total free space on the hard disk.
15. A portable hard drive according to claim 12 , further including at least one key for a user to input a user-defined message to be displayed.
16. A portable hard drive according to claim 12 , further including at least one control key for controlling the display.
17. A portable hard drive of a size which may be held in the palm of a hand for communicating with a host device comprising:
at least one port configured to communicate with a host device;
a mass storage hard disk;
processing circuitry operatively coupled to said port and said hard disk, said processing circuitry configured to calculate information relating to a time of last user write in response to a message indicating the ejection of the hard disk from the host device and to monitor the master boot record on the hard disk drive, said processing circuitry determining the free space available on the hard disk using the contents of the master boot record, the processing circuitry being directly coupled to said port and to said hard disk; and
a display operatively coupled to said processing circuitry and configured to display the calculated information relating to a time of last user write and information relating to the amount of free space on the hard drive,
wherein the processing circuitry is configured to calculate information relating to a time of last user write by determining a type of file system storing a file on the hard disk in which the last user write is stored and obtaining time and date information based on the determined type of file system.
18. A portable hard drive according to claim 17 , wherein said processing circuitry uses information accessed from the master boot record to determine the type of hard drive file system.
19. A portable hard drive according to claim 18 , wherein the file system is determined to be FAT 32.
20. A portable hard drive according to claim 17 , wherein a file system identifier is accessed from the master boot record.
21. A method of operating a portable hard drive of a size which may be held in the palm of a hand, said portable hard drive including a display comprising:
providing a communication port on said portable hard drive for communicating with a host device;
accessing at least one file system control structure in a mass storage hard disk contained in said hard drive;
determining information related to the amount of free space on said mass storage hard disk based on the content of a file system control structure;
calculating, by processing circuitry, information relating to a time of last user write in response to a message indicating the ejection of the hard disk from the host device, the processing circuitry being directly coupled to said communication port and to said hard drive;
the calculating further calculating information relating to a time of last user write by determining a type of file system storing a file on the hard disk in which the last user write is stored and obtaining time and date information based on the determined type of file system; and
displaying the calculated information relating to a time of last user write and information on said display indicative of the amount of free space on said mass storage device.
22. A method according to claim 21 , wherein said accessing step includes the step of accessing a file allocation table (FAT).
23. A method according to claim 21 , wherein said accessing step includes the step of accessing a master boot record.
24. A method according to claim 21 , further including the step of displaying a user defined message.
25. A method according to claim 21 , further including the step of providing at least one key on said portable hard drive.
26. A method according to claim 21 , further including the step of automatically updating said display over time.
27. A method according to claim 21 , further including the step of displaying the time since the hard drive was last accessed.
28. A method according to claim 21 , further including the step of displaying information identifying the hard drive.
29. A method according to claim 21 , further including the step of displaying information identifying the owner of the hard drive.
30. A method according to claim 21 , further including the step of periodically storing data in a non-volatile memory.
31. A portable hard drive of a size which may be held in the palm of a hand for communicating with a host device comprising:
at least one port configured to communicate with a host device;
a mass storage hard disk;
processing circuitry operatively coupled to said port and said hard disk and configured to calculate information relating to a time of last user write in response to a message indicating the ejection of the hard disk from the host device, the processing circuitry being directly coupled to said port and to said hard disk; and
a display operatively coupled to said processing circuitry and configured to display the calculated information relating to a time of last user write and information relating to the state of the hard drive,
wherein the processing circuitry is configured to calculate information relating to a time of last user write by determining a type of file system storing a file on the hard disk in which the last user write is stored and obtaining time and date information based on the determined type of file system.
32. A portable hard drive according to claim 31 , wherein said display is a persistent display which will persist when disconnected from a source of power.
33. A portable hard drive according to claim 31 , wherein said display displays error information.
34. A portable hard drive according to claim 31 , wherein said display displays defective sector information.
35. A portable hard drive according to claim 31 , wherein said display displays fragmentation information.
36. A portable hard drive according to claim 31 , wherein said display displays drive internal temperature.
37. A portable hard drive of a size which may be held in the palm of a hand for communicating with a host device comprising:
at least one port configured to communicate with a host device;
a mass storage hard disk;
processing circuitry operatively coupled to said port and said hard disk and configured to calculate information relating to a time of last user write in response to a message indicating the ejection of the hard disk from the host device;
a display operatively coupled to said processing circuitry and configured to display the calculated information relating to a time of last user write and information relating to the amount of available storage space on the hard disk; and
at least one key for a user to input a user-defined message to be displayed.
38. A portable hard drive of a size which may be held in the palm of a hand for communicating with a host device comprising:
at least one port configured to communicate with a host device;
a mass storage hard disk;
processing circuitry operatively coupled to said port and said hard disk, said processing circuitry configured to calculate information relating to a time of last user write in response to a message indicating the ejection of the hard disk from the host device and to monitor at least part of the contents of a file allocation table on the hard disk drive;
a display operatively coupled to said processing circuitry and configured to display the calculated information relating to a time of last user write and information obtained by monitoring the file allocation table; and
at least one key for a user to input a user-defined message to be displayed.