U.S. patent application number 13/891200 was filed with the patent office on 2014-01-09 for method and storage apparatus for switching data transmission path to transmit data.
This patent application is currently assigned to COMPAL ELECTRONICS, INC.. The applicant listed for this patent is Chia-Chun Chang, Wen-Sheng Chang, Shin-Che Feng, Chang-Ching Hung, Ko-Wei Lin, Yung-Chih Tsao, Chung-Jen Yang. Invention is credited to Chia-Chun Chang, Wen-Sheng Chang, Shin-Che Feng, Chang-Ching Hung, Ko-Wei Lin, Yung-Chih Tsao, Chung-Jen Yang.
Application Number | 20140012943 13/891200 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 49879354 |
Filed Date | 2014-01-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140012943 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Yang; Chung-Jen ; et
al. |
January 9, 2014 |
METHOD AND STORAGE APPARATUS FOR SWITCHING DATA TRANSMISSION PATH
TO TRANSMIT DATA
Abstract
A method and a storage apparatus for switching a data
transmission path to transmit data are provided. The storage
apparatus comprises a storage element, an interface connector, a
connector control interface connected with the storage element and
the interface connector, a wireless transmission module, and an
apparatus controller connected with the storage element and the
wireless transmission module. In the method, the apparatus
controller receives a connection request from a remote apparatus by
using the wireless transmission module, and accordingly transmits
an inquiry message to the remote apparatus to ask whether to
establish a wireless data transmission path. When a confirmation
message returned from the remote apparatus is received, the
apparatus controller closes the connector control interface and
establishes a wireless data transmission path to provide the remote
apparatus to access the data in the storage element.
Inventors: |
Yang; Chung-Jen; (Taipei
City, TW) ; Tsao; Yung-Chih; (Taipei City, TW)
; Feng; Shin-Che; (Taipei City, TW) ; Lin;
Ko-Wei; (Taipei City, TW) ; Chang; Wen-Sheng;
(Taipei City, TW) ; Hung; Chang-Ching; (Taipei
City, TW) ; Chang; Chia-Chun; (Taipei City,
TW) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Yang; Chung-Jen
Tsao; Yung-Chih
Feng; Shin-Che
Lin; Ko-Wei
Chang; Wen-Sheng
Hung; Chang-Ching
Chang; Chia-Chun |
Taipei City
Taipei City
Taipei City
Taipei City
Taipei City
Taipei City
Taipei City |
|
TW
TW
TW
TW
TW
TW
TW |
|
|
Assignee: |
COMPAL ELECTRONICS, INC.
Taipei City
TW
|
Family ID: |
49879354 |
Appl. No.: |
13/891200 |
Filed: |
May 10, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61668443 |
Jul 5, 2012 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
709/217 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 12/00 20130101;
H04L 67/1097 20130101; H04W 4/80 20180201 |
Class at
Publication: |
709/217 |
International
Class: |
H04L 29/08 20060101
H04L029/08 |
Claims
1. A method for switching a data transmission path to transmit
data, adapted to a storage apparatus, wherein the storage apparatus
comprises a storage element, an interface connector, a connector
control interface connected with the storage element and the
interface connector, a wireless transmission module, and an
apparatus controller connected with the storage element and the
wireless transmission module, the method comprising: receiving a
connection request from a remote apparatus by using the wireless
transmission module; the apparatus controller receiving the
connection request, and sending a first inquiry message to the
remote apparatus by using the wireless transmission module to ask
whether to establish a wireless data transmission path; and the
apparatus controller receiving a confirmation message returned from
the remote apparatus by using the wireless transmission module, and
accordingly closing the connector control interface and
establishing the wireless data transmission path to provide the
remote apparatus to access data in the storage element.
2. The method for switching the data transmission path to transmit
data as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connector control interface
is an interface controller.
3. The method for switching the data transmission path to transmit
data as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connector control interface
is a control interface in the apparatus controller that simulates
an interface controller.
4. The method for switching the data transmission path to transmit
data as claimed in claim 1, wherein a method for closing the
connector control interface comprises turning off a power supplied
to the connector control interface.
5. The method for switching the data transmission path to transmit
data as claimed in claim 1, wherein after the step of sending the
first inquiry message to the remote apparatus to ask whether to
establish the wireless data transmission path, the method further
comprises: determining whether the confirmation message is received
within a predetermined time, and cancelling the connection request
for establishing the wireless data transmission path when the
confirmation message is not received within the predetermined
time.
6. The method for switching the data transmission path to transmit
data as claimed in claim 1, wherein after the step of sending the
first inquiry message to the remote apparatus to ask whether to
establish the wireless data transmission path, the method further
comprises: receiving a cancel message returned from the remote
apparatus, and accordingly cancelling the connection request for
establishing the wireless data transmission path.
7. The method for switching the data transmission path to transmit
data as claimed in claim 1, wherein after the step of establishing
the wireless data transmission path to provide the remote apparatus
to access data in the storage element, the method further
comprises: the apparatus controller determining whether an external
apparatus is connected to the interface connector; the apparatus
controller sending a second inquiry message to the remote apparatus
to ask whether to switch a data transmission path when determining
that the external apparatus is connected; and the apparatus
controller activating the connector control interface when
receiving the confirmation message returned from the remote
apparatus, so as to establish a wired data transmission path and
interrupt the wireless data transmission path.
8. The method for switching the data transmission path to transmit
data as claimed in claim 7, wherein the step of interrupting the
wireless data transmission path comprises: disconnecting a
connection between the apparatus controller and the storage element
to interrupt the wireless data transmission path.
9. The method for switching the data transmission path to transmit
data as claimed in claim 7, wherein the step of interrupting the
wireless data transmission path comprises: disconnecting a
connection between a wireless signal control interface of the
apparatus controller and the storage element to interrupt the
wireless data transmission path.
10. The method for switching the data transmission path to transmit
data as claimed in claim 7, wherein after the step of sending the
second inquiry message to the remote apparatus to ask whether to
switch the data transmission path, the method further comprises:
determining whether the confirmation message is received within the
predetermined time; and cancelling establishment of the wired data
transmission path when the confirmation message is not received
within the predetermined time.
11. The method for switching the data transmission path to transmit
data as claimed in claim 7, wherein after the step of sending the
second inquiry message to the remote apparatus to ask whether to
switch the data transmission path, the method further comprises:
receiving a cancel message returned from the remote apparatus, so
as to cancel establishment of the wired data transmission path.
12. The method for switching the data transmission path to transmit
data as claimed in claim 1, wherein after the step of receiving the
connection request from the remote apparatus by using the wireless
transmission module, the method further comprises: the apparatus
controller receiving the connection request, and determining
whether an external apparatus is connected to a wired data
transmission path established by the interface connector; the
apparatus controller directly accepting the connection request,
establishing the wireless data transmission path, and closing the
connector control interface to close the wired path when
determining that none wired data transmission path exists between
the storage apparatus and the external apparatus; the apparatus
controller determining whether the wired data transmission path is
in an idle state when determining that the wired data transmission
path exists between the storage apparatus and the external
apparatus; the apparatus controller directly accepting the
connection request, establishing the wireless data transmission
path, and closing the connector control interface to close the
wired path when determining that the wired data transmission path
is in the idle state; and the apparatus controller sending the
first inquiry message to the remote apparatus by using the wireless
transmission module, so as to ask whether to establish the wireless
data transmission path when determining that the wired data
transmission path is not in the idle state.
13. The method for switching the data transmission path to transmit
data as claimed in claim 12, wherein the idle sate is a state that
the wired data transmission path is not used to transmit data.
14. The method for switching the data transmission path to transmit
data as claimed in claim 12, wherein the step of the apparatus
controller determining whether the wired data transmission path is
in the idle state further comprises: the apparatus controller
determining whether the wired data transmission path is in the idle
state over a predetermined time; and the apparatus controller
directly accepting the connection request, establishing the
wireless data transmission path, and closing the connector control
interface to close the wired path when a time of the idle state is
greater than the predetermined time.
15. The method for switching the data transmission path to transmit
data as claimed in claim 1, wherein the interface connector and the
connector control interface support interface standards of
universal serial bus (USB), firewire and thunderbolt.
16. The method for switching the data transmission path to transmit
data as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wireless transmission
module is an apparatus supporting signal transceiving of a wireless
fidelity (Wi-Fi) system, a global system for mobile communication
(GSM), a personal handy-phone system (PHS), a code division
multiple access (CDMA) system, a worldwide interoperability for
microwave access (WiMAX) system or bluetooth.
17. A storage apparatus, comprising: a storage element; an
interface connector; a connector control interface, connected with
the storage element and the interface connector; a wireless
transmission module; and an apparatus controller, connected with
the storage element and the wireless transmission module, and
configured to receive a connection request from a remote apparatus
by using the wireless transmission module, and accordingly send a
first inquiry message to the remote apparatus to ask whether to
establish a wireless data transmission path, wherein when the
apparatus controller receives a confirmation message returned from
the remote apparatus, the apparatus controller closes the connector
control interface and establishes the wireless data transmission
path with the remote apparatus by using the wireless transmission
module, so as to provide the remote apparatus to access data in the
storage element.
18. The storage apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the
connector control interface is an interface controller.
19. The storage apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the
connector control interface is a control interface in the apparatus
controller that simulates an interface controller.
20. The storage apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein a method
for closing the connector control interface comprises turning off a
power supplied to the connector control interface.
21. The storage apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the
apparatus controller further determines whether the confirmation
message is received within a predetermined time, and cancels the
connection request for establishing the wireless data transmission
path when the confirmation message is not received within the
predetermined time.
22. The storage apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the
apparatus controller further receives a cancel message returned
from the remote apparatus, so as to cancel the connection request
for establishing the wireless data transmission path.
23. The storage apparatus as claimed in claim 17, further
comprising: a power switch, coupled to the power, the connector
control interface and the apparatus controller, and configured to
receive a control signal of the apparatus controller, so as to turn
off or turn on the power supplied to the connector control
interface.
24. The storage apparatus as claimed in claim 17, further
comprising: a data switch, disposed between the connector control
interface, the apparatus controller and the storage element, and
configured to receive a control signal of the apparatus controller,
so as to establish or switch a data connection between the storage
element and the connector control interface and the apparatus
controller.
25. The storage apparatus as claimed in claim 17, further
comprising: a data switch, disposed between the apparatus
controller and the storage element, and configured to establish or
switch a data connection between the storage element and the
connector control interface and a wireless signal control interface
according to a control signal of the apparatus controller.
26. The storage apparatus as claimed in claim 25, wherein the
connector control interface and the wireless signal control
interface are all disposed in the apparatus controller.
27. The storage apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the
connector control interface detects whether an external apparatus
is connected, and accordingly sends a connection signal to the
apparatus controller, and the apparatus controller further sends a
second inquiry message to the remote apparatus to ask whether to
switch a data transmission path when receiving the connection
signal, and receives the confirmation message returned from the
remote apparatus to accordingly turn on the power supplied to the
connector control interface, so as to establish a wired data
transmission path and interrupts the wireless data transmission
path.
28. The storage apparatus as claimed in claim 27, wherein the
apparatus controller disconnects a connection between the apparatus
controller and the storage element to interrupt the wireless data
transmission path.
29. The storage apparatus as claimed in claim 27, wherein the
apparatus controller disconnects a connection between a wireless
signal control interface of the apparatus controller and the
storage element to interrupt the wireless data transmission
path.
30. The storage apparatus as claimed in claim 27, wherein the
apparatus controller further determines whether the confirmation
message is received within the predetermined time, and cancels
establishment of the wired data transmission path when the
confirmation message is not received within the predetermined
time.
31. The storage apparatus as claimed in claim 27, wherein the
apparatus controller further receives a cancel message returned
from the remote apparatus, and accordingly cancels establishment of
the wired data transmission path.
32. The storage apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the
interface connector and the connector control interface support
interface standards of universal serial bus (USB), firewire and
thunderbolt.
33. The storage apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the
wireless transmission module is an apparatus supporting signal
transceiving of a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) system, a global system
for mobile communication (GSM), a personal handy-phone system
(PHS), a code division multiple access (CDMA) system, a worldwide
interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) system or bluetooth.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the priority benefits of U.S.
provisional application Ser. No. 61/668,443, filed on Jul. 5, 2012.
The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby
incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this
specification.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Technical Field
[0003] The invention relates to a data transmission method and a
storage apparatus. Particularly, the invention relates to a method
and a storage apparatus for switching between a wired and a
wireless data transmission path to transmit data.
[0004] 2. Related Art
[0005] Nowadays, portable mobile devices such as smart phones, and
tablet PCs are wide-spreading. Such an device not only can be
installed with application programs to provide diversified
functions such as phone call, messaging, e-mail transceiving, and
Internet browsing, but a camera built in the device can further
provide users with functions of taking photos or videos so as to
record life event at anytime and anywhere. Such a device itself is
a small multimedia player, which can provide users with functions
of recording, playing and sharing multimedia content such as
photos, and videos, so as to improve an entertainment property of
the device.
[0006] In order to achieve portability and improve endurance of the
device, the mobile device generally uses a compact and
power-efficient flash memory to serve as a recording media for
programs and files. Compared to a large-volume storage space of a
conventional hard disk, the flash memory has a small storage space
and a high price. Therefore, considering the cost, the general
mobile device is usually not configured with a large-volume
memory.
[0007] As the application programs and files installed or stored in
the device are increased, the limited storage space of the mobile
device is insufficient. Therefore, a product of wireless disk has
been developed in the market, which not only provides a wired data
connection and a large-volume storage space similar to the
conventional mobile hard disk, but also has a wireless transmission
function and is capable of establishing a wireless data connection
with the mobile device to transmit data, so as to expand an
applicable storage space of the mobile device.
[0008] However, the present wireless hard disk can only select one
of a wired and a wireless connection manner to perform data
transmission, and when a user connects an external device to the
wireless hard disk through a physical line such as a universal
serial bus (USB), the wireless hard disk establishes a wired data
connection with the external device to transmit data. When the user
unplugs the external device from the wireless device, the wireless
hard disk activates a wireless transmission module to facilitate
other devices to establish a wireless data connection therewith to
transmit data. In this way, as long as an external device is
connected to the wireless hard disk through the physical line,
other devices at a remote end cannot access the wireless hard disk,
and can only wait for the user to unplug the originally connected
device.
SUMMARY
[0009] Accordingly, the invention is directed to a method and a
storage apparatus for switching a data transmission path to
transmit data, which freely switches between a wired and a wireless
data transmission path to transmit data.
[0010] The invention provides a method for switching a data
transmission path to transmit data, which is adapted to an
apparatus controller of a storage apparatus. The storage apparatus
includes a storage element, an interface connector, a connector
control interface connected with the storage element and the
interface connector, a wireless transmission module, and an
apparatus controller connected with the storage element and the
wireless transmission module. In the method, a connection request
is received from a remote apparatus by using the wireless
transmission module, and the apparatus controller receives the
connection request and accordingly sends a first inquiry message to
the remote apparatus by using the wireless transmission module to
ask whether to establish a wireless data transmission path. The
apparatus controller receives a confirmation message returned from
the remote apparatus by using the wireless transmission module, and
accordingly closes the connector control interface and establishes
the wireless data transmission path to provide the remote apparatus
to access data in the storage element. The connector control
interface is an interface controller or a control interface in the
apparatus controller that simulates an interface controller.
[0011] In an embodiment of the invention, a method for closing the
connector control interface includes turning off a power supplied
to the connector control interface.
[0012] In an embodiment of the invention, after the step of sending
the first inquiry message to the remote apparatus to ask whether to
establish the wireless data transmission path, the method further
includes determining whether the confirmation message is received
within a predetermined time, and cancelling the connection request
for establishing the wireless data transmission path when the
confirmation message is not received within the predetermined
time.
[0013] In an embodiment of the invention, after the step of sending
the first inquiry message to the remote apparatus to ask whether to
establish the wireless data transmission path, the method further
includes receiving a cancel message returned from the remote
apparatus, and accordingly cancelling the connection request for
establishing the wireless data transmission path.
[0014] In an embodiment of the invention, after the step of
establishing the wireless data transmission path to provide the
remote apparatus to access data in the storage element, the method
further includes determining whether an external apparatus is
connected to the interface connector by the apparatus controller,
and sending a second inquiry message to the remote apparatus to ask
whether to switch a data transmission path when the apparatus
controller determines that the external apparatus is connected to
the interface connector, wherein when the apparatus controller
receives the confirmation message returned from the remote
apparatus, the apparatus controller activates the connector control
interface to establish a wired data transmission path and interrupt
the wireless data transmission path.
[0015] In an embodiment of the invention, the step of interrupting
the wireless data transmission path includes disconnecting a
connection between the apparatus controller and the storage element
to interrupt the wireless data transmission path, or disconnecting
a connection between a wireless signal control interface of the
apparatus controller and the storage element to interrupt the
wireless data transmission path.
[0016] In an embodiment of the invention, after the step of sending
the second inquiry message to the remote apparatus to ask whether
to switch the data transmission path, the method further includes
determining whether the confirmation message is received within the
predetermined time, and cancelling establishment of the wired data
transmission path when the confirmation message is not received
within the predetermined time.
[0017] In an embodiment of the invention, after the step of sending
the second inquiry message to the remote apparatus to ask whether
to switch the data transmission path, the method further includes
receiving a cancel message returned from the remote apparatus, so
as to cancel establishment of the wired data transmission path.
[0018] In an embodiment of the invention, after the step of
receiving the connection request from the remote apparatus by using
the wireless transmission module, the method further includes
following steps. The apparatus controller receives the connection
request and determines whether an external apparatus is connected
to a wired data transmission path established by the interface
connector. When the apparatus controller determines that none wired
data transmission path exists between the storage apparatus and the
external apparatus, the apparatus controller directly accepts the
connection request and establishes the wireless data transmission
path and meanwhile closes the connector control interface to close
the wired path. When the apparatus controller determines that the
wired data transmission path exists between the storage apparatus
and the external apparatus, the apparatus controller determines
whether the wired data transmission path is in an idle state. When
the apparatus controller determines that the wired data
transmission path is in the idle state, the apparatus controller
directly accepts the connection request and establishes the
wireless data transmission path and meanwhile closes the connector
control interface to close the wired path. When the apparatus
controller determines that the wired data transmission path is not
in the idle state, the apparatus controller sends the first inquiry
message to the remote apparatus by using the wireless transmission
module, so as to ask whether to establish the wireless data
transmission path.
[0019] In an embodiment of the invention, the step of determining
whether the wired data transmission path is in the idle state by
the apparatus controller further includes following steps. The
apparatus controller determines whether the wired data transmission
path is in the idle state over a predetermined time, and when a
time of the idle state is greater than the predetermined time, the
apparatus controller directly accepts the connection request and
establishes the wireless data transmission path and meanwhile
closes the connector control interface to close the wired path.
[0020] The invention provides a storage apparatus including a
storage element, an interface connector, a connector control
interface connected with the storage element and the interface
connector, a wireless transmission module, and an apparatus
controller connected with the storage element and the wireless
transmission module. The apparatus controller receives a connection
request from a remote apparatus by using the wireless transmission
module, and accordingly sends a first inquiry message to the remote
apparatus to ask whether to establish a wireless data transmission
path. When the apparatus controller receives a confirmation message
returned from the remote apparatus, the apparatus controller closes
the connector control interface and establishes the wireless data
transmission path with the remote apparatus by using the wireless
transmission module, so as to provide the remote apparatus to
access data in the storage element. The connector control interface
is an interface controller or a control interface in the apparatus
controller that simulates an interface controller.
[0021] In an embodiment of the invention, a method for closing the
connector control interface includes turning off a power supplied
to the connector control interface.
[0022] In an embodiment of the invention, the apparatus controller
further determines whether the confirmation message is received
within a predetermined time, and cancels the connection request for
establishing the wireless data transmission path when the
confirmation message is not received within the predetermined
time.
[0023] In an embodiment of the invention, the apparatus controller
further receives a cancel message returned from the remote
apparatus, so as to cancel the connection request for establishing
the wireless data transmission path.
[0024] In an embodiment of the invention, the storage apparatus
further includes a power switch, which is coupled to the power, the
connector control interface and the apparatus controller, and
receives a control signal of the apparatus controller, so as to
turn off or turn on the power supplied to the connector control
interface.
[0025] In an embodiment of the invention, the storage apparatus
further includes a data switch, which is disposed between the
connector control interface, the apparatus controller and the
storage element, and receives a control signal of the apparatus
controller, so as to establish or switch a data connection between
the storage element and the connector control interface and the
apparatus controller.
[0026] In an embodiment of the invention, the storage apparatus
further includes a data switch, which is disposed between the
apparatus controller and the storage element, and establishes or
switches a data connection between the storage element and the
connector control interface and a wireless signal control interface
according to a control signal of the apparatus controller. The
connector control interface and the wireless signal control
interface are all disposed in the apparatus controller.
[0027] In an embodiment of the invention, the interface connector
detects whether an external apparatus is connected, and accordingly
sends a connection signal to the apparatus controller, and when the
apparatus controller receives the connection signal, the apparatus
controller further sends a second inquiry message to the remote
apparatus to ask whether to switch a data transmission path, and
receives the confirmation message returned from the remote
apparatus to accordingly turn on the power supplied to the
connector control interface, so as to establish a wired data
transmission path and interrupts the wireless data transmission
path.
[0028] In an embodiment of the invention, the apparatus controller
disconnects a connection between the apparatus controller and the
storage element to interrupt the wireless data transmission path,
or disconnects a connection between a wireless signal control
interface of the apparatus controller and the storage element to
interrupt the wireless data transmission path.
[0029] In an embodiment of the invention, the apparatus controller
further determines whether the confirmation message is received
within the predetermined time, and cancels establishment of the
wired data transmission path when the confirmation message is not
received within the predetermined time.
[0030] In an embodiment of the invention, the apparatus controller
further receives a cancel message returned from the remote
apparatus, and accordingly cancels establishment of the wired data
transmission path.
[0031] In an embodiment of the invention, the interface connector
and the connector control interface support a universal serial bus
(USB) standard, and the wireless transmission module supports
signal transceiving of a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) system, a
worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) system, and
a bluetooth system.
[0032] According to the above descriptions, in the method and the
storage apparatus for switching the data transmission path to
transmit data of the present invention, when a remote apparatus is
connected through a wireless manner, or when an external apparatus
is connected through a wired manner, an inquiry message is
transmitted to the remote apparatus to provide a user of the remote
apparatus to confirm whether or not to switch the data transmission
path, so as to achieve an effect of freely switching between the
wired data transmission path and the wireless data transmission
path to transmit data.
[0033] In order to make the aforementioned and other features and
advantages of the invention comprehensible, several exemplary
embodiments accompanied with figures are described in detail
below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0034] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further
understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and
constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate
embodiments of the invention and, together with the description,
serve to explain the principles of the invention.
[0035] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a storage apparatus according
to an embodiment of the invention.
[0036] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method for switching a
data transmission path to transmit data according to an embodiment
of the invention.
[0037] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a storage apparatus according
to an embodiment of the invention.
[0038] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for switching a
data transmission path to transmit data according to an embodiment
of the invention.
[0039] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for switching a
data transmission path to transmit data according to an embodiment
of the invention.
[0040] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method for switching a
data transmission path to transmit data according to another
embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DISCLOSED EMBODIMENTS
[0041] In the invention, an apparatus controller and a connector
control interface are configured in a storage apparatus to
respectively control a wireless data connection and a wired data
connection. When a new external apparatus is connected to the
storage apparatus through a wired manner or a wireless manner, a
current connection state of the storage apparatus can be
opportunely notified to a user of the external apparatus, so as to
switch between a wired data transmission path and a wireless data
transmission path to transmit data, by which flexibility and
convenience for the user accessing data in the storage apparatus
are improved.
[0042] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a storage apparatus according
to an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the storage
apparatus 10 of the present embodiment is an electronic apparatus
such as a hard disk or a memory card that can provide a data
storage function. The storage apparatus 10 includes a storage
element 11, an interface connector 12, an interface controller 13,
a wireless transmission module 14 and an apparatus controller 15,
which are respectively described below.
[0043] The storage element 11 is, for example, a fixed or removable
random access memory (RAM) of any type, a read-only memory (ROM), a
flash memory, a hard disk, other similar devices or a combination
of the above devices, which is used for storing data.
[0044] The interface connector 12 and the interface controller 13
are, for example, a connector and a controller supporting interface
standards such as universal serial bus (USB) 2.0, USB 3.0,
firewire, and thunderbolt. The interface controller 13 is connected
to the interface connector 12, and when an external apparatus is
connected to the interface connector 12, the interface controller
13 establishes a wired data transmission path between the external
apparatus and the storage apparatus 10 to provide the external
apparatus to access data in the storage element 11. Along with
different product designs, the apparatus controller 15 may
simultaneously have a connector control interface simulating the
interface controller and a wireless signal control interface used
for processing wireless signals, such that the apparatus controller
15 can be directly connected to the interface connector 12 to form
a wired data transmission path and can be connected to the wireless
transmission module 14 and a remote apparatus through the wireless
signal control interface to form a wireless data transmission path,
though the invention is not limited thereto.
[0045] The wireless transmission module 14 is, for example, an
apparatus supporting signal trasceiving of a wireless fidelity
(Wi-Fi) system, or an apparatus supporting signal transceiving of a
global system for mobile communication (GSM), a personal
handy-phone system (PHS), a code division multiple access (CDMA)
system, a worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX)
system or bluetooth, etc., which provides the external apparatus to
connect the storage apparatus through a wireless manner, and
accordingly establishes the wireless data transmission path between
the external apparatus and the storage apparatus 10, so as to
provide the external apparatus to access data in the storage
element 11. The wireless transmission module 14 can also be
connected to an access point (AP) around the storage apparatus 10,
and can be further connected to a network through the AP, so as to
share the data in the storage element 11.
[0046] The apparatus controller 15 is, for example, a system on a
chip (SoC), which is connected to the storage element 11 and the
wireless transmission module 14, and receives a connection request
from the remote apparatus by using the wireless transmission module
14, so as to establish the wireless data transmission path to
transmit data.
[0047] In detail, FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method for
switching a data transmission path to transmit data according to an
embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 2, the method of the
present embodiment is adapted to the storage apparatus 10 of FIG.
1, and detailed steps of the method of the present embodiment are
described below with reference to various components in the storage
apparatus 10 of FIG. 1.
[0048] First, the apparatus controller 15 receives a connection
request from a remote apparatus by using the wireless transmission
module 14 (step S202), where a user of the remote apparatus may
activate an application program preinstalled in the remote
apparatus, so as to connect the storage apparatus 10 through the
application program. The application program, for example, searches
the storage apparatus 10 on the network through Internet or
intranet according to an Internet protocol (IP) address preset by
the user, and sends the connection request to the wireless
transmission module 14 of the storage apparatus 10 to try to
establish a wireless connection with the wireless transmission
module 14.
[0049] After the wireless transmission module 14 receives the
connection request from the remote apparatus, the apparatus
controller 15 sends an inquiry message to the remote apparatus by
using the wireless transmission module 14 to ask whether to
establish a wireless data transmission path (step S204). The
inquiry message sent by the apparatus controller 15 is, for
example, received by the application program of the remote
apparatus, and is displayed on a screen of the remote apparatus to
ask the user of the remote apparatus whether to establish the
wireless data transmission path. The application program determines
whether the user wants to establish the wireless data transmission
path according to an operation of the user, and accordingly sends a
confirmation message or a cancel message to the storage apparatus
10.
[0050] Finally, the apparatus controller 15 receives a message
returned from the remote apparatus through the wireless
transmission module 14 (step S206), and determines whether to
establish the wireless data transmission path. When the apparatus
controller 15 receives the confirmation message returned from the
remote apparatus, the apparatus controller 15, for example, closes
the interface controller 13 and establishes the wireless data
transmission path with the remote apparatus by using the wireless
transmission module 14, so as to provide the remote apparatus to
access data in the storage element 11 (step S208). A method for
closing the interface controller 13 includes turning off a power
supplied to the interface controller 13 by the storage apparatus
10. By turning off the power of the interface controller 13, it is
ensured that the external apparatus connected to the interface
connector 12 and the remote apparatus do not simultaneously write
data to the storage element 11 so as to avoid write error and data
loss.
[0051] On the other hand, when the apparatus controller 15 receives
a cancel message returned from the remote apparatus, the apparatus
controller 15 cancels the connection request for establishing the
wireless data transmission path, and maintains the original data
transmission path (step S210). If the interface connector 12 is
originally connected to the external apparatus, the interface
controller 13 continually maintains the wired data transmission
path between the external apparatus and the storage apparatus 10,
so as to provide the external apparatus to access data in the
storage element 11.
[0052] It should be noticed that after sending the inquiry message
to the remote apparatus by using the wireless transmission module
14, the apparatus controller 15 counts a time for waiting the
message returned from the remote apparatus, and determines whether
the confirmation message is received within a predetermined time,
and if the confirmation message is not received within the
predetermined time, the apparatus controller 15 automatically
cancels the connection request for establishing the wireless data
transmission path.
[0053] According to the above method, in case that the remote
apparatus tries to establish a connection through a wireless
manner, the storage apparatus provides the user of the remote
apparatus to freely select to establish the wireless data
transmission path or maintain the original wired data transmission
path, by which flexibility and convenience for the user accessing
data in the storage apparatus are improved.
[0054] It should be noticed that after establishing the wireless
data transmission path with the remote apparatus, the storage
apparatus 10 continually detects whether the local terminal is
connected to other apparatus, so as to opportunely switch back to
the wired data transmission path to transmit data. Another
embodiment is provided below for detailed descriptions.
[0055] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a storage apparatus according
to an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 3, the storage
apparatus 30 of the present embodiment is an electronic apparatus
such as a hard disk or a memory card that can provides a data
storage function. The storage apparatus 30 can be connected to an
external apparatus 40 through a wired manner or connected to a
remote apparatus 50 through a wireless manner. The storage
apparatus 30 includes a storage element 31, an interface connector
32, an interface controller 33, a wireless transmission module 34,
an apparatus controller 35, a power switch 36 and a data switch 37.
Functions of the storage element 31, the interface connector 32,
the interface controller 33, the wireless transmission module 34
and the apparatus controller 35 are the same as or similar to those
of the storage element 11, the interface connector 12, the
interface controller 13, the wireless transmission module 14 and
the apparatus controller 15, so that details thereof are not
repeated.
[0056] Different to the aforementioned embodiment, in the present
embodiment, the apparatus controller 35 is connected to the
interface connector 32, and detection pins configured on the
interface connector 32 can be used to detect whether the external
apparatus 40 is connected to the interface connector 32. Moreover,
the apparatus controller 35 is further connected to the power
switch 36 and can turn off or turn on the power supplied to the
interface controller 33 through the power switch 36.
[0057] On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the data
switch 37 is further disposed between the storage element 31, the
interface controller 33 and the apparatus controller 36, and can
establish a data connection between the storage element 31 and the
interface controller 33 or between the storage element 31 and the
apparatus controller 35, or can be switched between the two
controllers under control of the apparatus controller 35. The data
switch 37 is, for example, connected to the storage element 31, the
interface controller 33, and the apparatus controller 35 through a
serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) interface and can be
switched therebetween, which is not limited by the invention.
[0058] In detail, FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for
switching a data transmission path to transmit data according to an
embodiment of the invention. According to FIG. 4, the method of the
present embodiment is adapted to the storage apparatus 30 of FIG.
3, and detailed steps of switching the wired data transmission path
to the wireless data transmission path to transmit data are
described below with reference to various components in the storage
apparatus 30 of FIG. 3.
[0059] First, the apparatus controller 35 receives a connection
request from the remote apparatus 50 through a network 60 by using
the wireless transmission module 34 (step S402), and sends an
inquiry message to the remote apparatus 50 through the network 60
to ask the remote apparatus 50 whether to establish a wireless data
transmission path (step S404).
[0060] Then, the apparatus controller 35 receives a message
returned from the remote apparatus 50 through the network 60 by
using the wireless transmission module 34 (step S406), and
determines whether to establish the wireless data transmission
path. When the apparatus controller 35 receives the confirmation
message that confirms to establish the wireless data transmission
path from the remote apparatus 50, the apparatus controller 35, for
example, sends a control signal to the data switch 37 to interrupt
the data connection between the interface controller 33 and the
data switch 37, and establish a data connection between itself and
the data switch 37 (step S408).
[0061] Then, the apparatus controller 35 sends a control signal to
the power switch 36 to turn off the power supplied to the interface
controller 33 through the power switch 36 (step S410), and
establishes the wireless data transmission path with the remote
apparatus 50 by using the wireless transmission module 34, so as to
provide the remote apparatus 50 to access data in the storage
element 31 (step S412).
[0062] On the other hand, when the apparatus controller 35 receives
a cancel message that cancels establishing the wireless data
transmission path from the remote apparatus 50, the apparatus
controller 35 cancels the connection request for establishing the
wireless data transmission path, and maintains the original wired
data transmission path (step S414). Similarly, after sending the
inquiry message to the remote apparatus 50, the apparatus
controller 35 counts a time for waiting the message returned from
the remote apparatus 50, and determines whether the confirmation
message is received within a predetermined time. If the
confirmation message is not received within the predetermined time,
the apparatus controller 35 automatically cancels the connection
request for establishing the wireless data transmission path.
[0063] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for switching a
data transmission path to transmit data according to an embodiment
of the invention. According to FIG. 5, the method of the present
embodiment follows the flow of FIG. 4, and detailed steps of
switching the wireless data transmission path to the wired data
transmission path to transmit data are described below.
[0064] After the storage apparatus 30 establishes the wireless data
transmission path with the remote apparatus 50 to transmit data,
the storage apparatus 30 still uses the interface controller 33 to
detect whether the external apparatus 40 is connected. When the
interface controller 33 detects that the external apparatus 40 is
connected, the interface controller 33 sends a connection signal to
the apparatus controller 35. When the apparatus controller 35
receives the connection signal (step S502), the apparatus
controller 35 sends an inquiry message to the remote apparatus 50
by using the wireless transmission module 34 through the network 60
to ask whether to switch the data transmission path (step S504).
Similarly, the inquiry message sent by the apparatus controller 35
is, for example, received by the application program of the remote
apparatus 50, and is displayed on a screen of the remote apparatus
50 to ask the user of the remote apparatus 50 whether to switch the
data transmission path. The application program determines whether
the user wants to switch the data transmission path according to an
operation of the user, and accordingly sends a confirmation message
or a cancel message to the storage apparatus 30.
[0065] The apparatus controller 35 receives a message returned from
the remote apparatus 50 through the network 60 by using the
wireless transmission module 34 (step S506), and determines whether
to switch the data transmission path. When the apparatus controller
35 receives the confirmation message returned from the remote
apparatus 50, the apparatus controller 35, for example, sends a
control signal to the data switch 37 to interrupt the data
connection between itself and the data switch 37, and establish the
data connection between the interface controller 33 and the data
switch 37 (step S508). Then, the apparatus controller 35 sends a
control signal to the power switch 36 to turn on the power supplied
to the interface controller 33 through the power switch 36 (step
S510), so as to establish the wired data transmission path between
the interface controller 33 and the external apparatus 40 (step
S512), and interrupt the wireless data transmission path between
itself and the remote apparatus 50.
[0066] On the other hand, when the apparatus controller 35 receives
a cancel message returned from the remote apparatus 50, the
apparatus controller 35 cancels establishment of the wired data
transmission path, and maintains the original wireless data
transmission path (step S514). Similarly, after sending the inquiry
message to the remote apparatus 50, the apparatus controller 35
counts a time for waiting the message returned from the remote
apparatus 50, and determines whether the confirmation message is
received within a predetermined time. If the confirmation message
is not received within the predetermined time, the apparatus
controller 35 automatically cancels the establishment of the wired
data transmission path.
[0067] Along with different product designs, as the storage
apparatus 30 connects the external apparatus 40 by using the
interface connector 32, if the remote apparatus 50 is connected to
the wireless transmission module 34 of the storage apparatus 30
through the network 60 in order to establish the wireless data
transmission path to transmit data, the apparatus controller 35
first determines whether the wired data transmission path
established between the interface connector 32 and the external
apparatus 40 is being used to transmit data. If the apparatus
controller 35 determines that the wired data transmission path is
not being used to transmit data, the apparatus controller 35 does
not send the inquiry message to the remote apparatus 50, and the
remote apparatus 50 can be directly connected to the wireless
transmission module 34 of the storage apparatus 30 through the
network 60 to establish the wireless data transmission path to
transmit data. If the apparatus controller 35 determines that the
wired data transmission path is being used to transmit data, the
apparatus controller 35 sends the inquiry message to the remote
apparatus 50, and after receiving the confirmation message from the
remote apparatus 50, the apparatus controller 35 closes the wired
data transmission path according to the confirmation message and
meanwhile establishes the wireless data transmission path or
cancels the request for establishing the wireless data transmission
path. When data transmission performed by using the wireless data
transmission path is completed, the apparatus controller 35
automatically closes the wireless data transmission path to
re-establish the wired data transmission path between the storage
apparatus 30 and the external apparatus 40.
[0068] Referring to FIG. 6, FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a
method for switching a data transmission path to transmit data
according to another embodiment of the invention. The method of the
present embodiment is adapted to the storage apparatus 30 of FIG.
3, and detailed steps of switching the wired data transmission path
to the wireless data transmission path to transmit data are
described below with reference to various components in the storage
apparatus 30 of FIG. 3.
[0069] When the apparatus controller 35 of the storage apparatus 30
receives a request for establishing a wireless data connection path
from the remote apparatus 50 connected to the wireless transmission
module 34 of the storage apparatus 30 through the network 60 (step
S602), the apparatus controller 35 first determines whether the
external apparatus 40 has established the wired data transmission
path with the storage apparatus 30 by using the interface connector
32 (step S604). When the apparatus controller 35 determines that
the wired data transmission path is not established, the apparatus
controller 35 directly establishes the wireless data transmission
path with the remote apparatus 50 (step S606) such that data
transmission between the storage apparatus 30 and the remote
apparatus 50 can be implemented by using the wireless data
transmission path. When the apparatus controller 35 determines that
the external apparatus 40 has established the wired data
transmission path with the storage apparatus 30, the apparatus
controller 35 further determines whether the wired data
transmission path is in an idle state or in the idle state over a
predetermined time (step S608), where the idle state is a state
that the wired data transmission path is not used to transmit data.
When the apparatus controller 35 determines that the wired data
transmission path is in the idle state or in the idle state over
the predetermined time, the apparatus controller 35 closes the
wired data transmission path and accepts the request of the remote
apparatus 50 to directly establish the wireless data transmission
path with the remote apparatus 50 (S610). When the apparatus
controller 35 determines that the wired data transmission path is
not in the idle state (i.e. the wired data transmission path is
being used to transmit data), the apparatus controller 35 sends the
inquiry message to the remote apparatus 50 by using the wireless
transmission module 34 to ask whether to switch the data
transmission path (step S612), where the apparatus controller 35
determines whether the wired data transmission path is in the idle
state according to a signal transmitted by the interface controller
33 or a connector control interface in the apparatus controller 35
used for simulating the interface controller. Similarly, the
inquiry message sent by the apparatus controller 35 is, for
example, received by the application program of the remote
apparatus 50, and is displayed on a screen of the remote apparatus
50 to ask the user of the remote apparatus 50 whether to switch the
data transmission path. The application program determines whether
the user wants to switch the data transmission path according to an
operation of the user, and accordingly sends a confirmation message
or a cancel message to the storage apparatus 30.
[0070] The apparatus controller 35 receives a message returned from
the remote apparatus 50 through the network 60 by using the
wireless transmission module 34 (step S614), and determines whether
to switch the data transmission path. When the apparatus controller
35 receives the confirmation message returned from the remote
apparatus 50, the apparatus controller 35, for example, sends a
control signal to the data switch 37 to interrupt a connection
between the interface controller 33 or the connector control
interface simulating the interface controller 33 and the data
switch 37, and establish a data connection between the apparatus
controller 35 and the data switch 37 (step S616). Then, the
apparatus controller 35 sends a control signal to the power switch
36 to turn off the power supplied to the interface controller 33
through the power switch 36 (step S618), so as to interrupt the
wired data transmission path, and the apparatus controller 35
accepts the request of the remote apparatus 50 to establish the
wireless data transmission path between the storage apparatus 30
and the remote apparatus 50 (step S620). Along with different
product designs, after data transmission performed by using the
wireless data transmission path is completed or the wireless data
transmission path is not used to transmit data for a period of
time, the apparatus controller 35 automatically closes the wireless
data transmission path to re-establish the wired data transmission
path between the storage apparatus 30 and the external apparatus
40.
[0071] On the other hand, when the apparatus controller 35 receives
a cancel message returned from the remote apparatus 50, the
apparatus controller 35 cancels the request for establishing the
wireless data transmission path, and maintains the original wired
data transmission path (step S622). Similarly, after sending the
inquiry message to the remote apparatus 50, the apparatus
controller 35 counts a time for waiting the message returned from
the remote apparatus 50, and determines whether the confirmation
message is received within a predetermined time. If the
confirmation message is not received within the predetermined time,
the apparatus controller 35 automatically cancels the request for
establishing the wireless data transmission path.
[0072] In this way, in case that the local terminal is connected
with the external apparatus, the storage apparatus can provide the
user of the remote apparatus to freely select to establish the
wired data transmission path (or the wireless data transmission
path), or maintain the original wireless data transmission path (or
the wired data transmission path), by which flexibility and
convenience for the user accessing data in the storage apparatus
are improved.
[0073] In summary, in the method and the storage apparatus for
switching the data transmission path to transmit data, when the
remote apparatus is connected through a wireless manner, or when
the external apparatus is connected through a wired manner, the
inquiry message is transmitted to the remote apparatus to provide
the user of the remote apparatus to confirm whether or not to
switch the data transmission path, so that it is unnecessary to
wait the user to unplug the originally connected external
apparatus. In this way, an effect of freely switching between the
wired data transmission path and the wireless data transmission
path to transmit data is achieved.
[0074] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various
modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the
invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the
invention. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the
invention cover modifications and variations of this invention
provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and
their equivalents.
* * * * *