초록 ▼

A cartridge storage device includes a housing having a front and a back. A plurality of cells are mounted in the housing, each cell adapted for receiving a media cartridge. A drive mechanism drives the cells towards a front opening in the front of the housing for allowing insertion and retrieval of

A cartridge storage device includes a housing having a front and a back. A plurality of cells are mounted in the housing, each cell adapted for receiving a media cartridge. A drive mechanism drives the cells towards a front opening in the front of the housing for allowing insertion and retrieval of the cartridges from the cells by the picker. Optionally, the back of the housing can have a rear opening for allowing in situ user-insertion and retrieval of the cartridges from the cells as well as viewing of the cartridges.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A cartridge storage device for a data storage and retrieval system, comprising: a housing having a front and a back; a plurality of cells in the housing, each cell adapted for receiving a media cartridge; a drive mechanism for selectively driving the cells towards a front ope

What is claimed is: 1. A cartridge storage device for a data storage and retrieval system, comprising: a housing having a front and a back; a plurality of cells in the housing, each cell adapted for receiving a media cartridge; a drive mechanism for selectively driving the cells towards a front opening in the front of the housing, the front opening allowing insertion and retrieval of the cartridges from the cells; and a rear opening in the back of the housing, wherein a user can insert a cartridge onto one of the cells or retrieve a cartridge from one of the cells through the rear opening while the housing is inserted in the slot; wherein the front opening lies on a line tangent to a path of movement of the cells, wherein the path of movement is a plane defined by any instantaneous movement of any edge or generally planar surface of any of the plurality of cells at any point in time, wherein the housing is adapted for insertion in an unoccupied slot of the data storage and retrieval system. 2. The cartridge storage device according to claim 1, wherein the cartridges protrude beyond the front opening when driven towards the front opening. 3. The cartridge storage device according to claim 1, wherein the slot is also dimensioned to receive a tape drive. 4. The cartridge storage device according to claim 1, wherein the housing includes friction members thereon adapted to frictionally engage the slot. 5. The cartridge storage device according to claim 1, further comprising a display coupled to the housing, the display displaying information about the cartridges in the housing. 6. The cartridge storage device according to claim 1, further comprising a controller and a connector for allowing a data storage and retrieval system to communicate with the controller of the cartridge storage device. 7. The cartridge storage device according to claim 1, further comprising a reader mounted to the housing for reading a nonvolatile memory of a cartridge. 8. The cartridge storage device according to claim 7, wherein the reader is a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader. 9. The cartridge storage device according to claim 1, further comprising an optical scanner mounted to the housing for reading an optical code of a cartridge. 10. The cartridge storage device according to claim 9, wherein the optical scanner is a bar code reader and the optical code is a bar code. 11. The cartridge storage device according to claim 1, further comprising an electrical sensor coupled to each cell for communicating with a nonvolatile memory of a cartridge. 12. The cartridge storage device according to claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism drives the cells in a closed loop through the housing. 13. The cartridge storage device according to claim 12, wherein the drive mechanism includes a motor and a belt. 14. The cartridge storage device according to claim 12, wherein the drive mechanism includes a belt operatively engaging an external motor. 15. The cartridge storage device according to claim 12, wherein the cartridges sequentially protrude beyond the front opening when traveling along the closed loop. 16. A cartridge storage device for a data storage and retrieval system, comprising: a housing having a front and a back; a plurality of cells in the housing, each cell adapted for receiving a media cartridge; a drive mechanism for selectively driving the cells towards a front opening in the front of the housing, the front opening allowing insertion and retrieval of the cartridges from the cells; and a rear opening in the back of the housing, wherein a user can view a cartridge on one of the cells through the rear opening while the housing is inserted in the slot, wherein the front opening lies on a line tangent to a path of movement of the cells, wherein the path of movement is a plane defined by any instantaneous movement of any edge or generally planar surface of any of the plurality of cells at any point in time, wherein the housing is adapted for insertion in an unoccupied slot of the data storage and retrieval system. 17. A method of providing a media cartridge to a data storage and retrieval system, comprising: performing a first method, comprising: inserting at least one media cartridge into a first opening of a cartridge storage device, wherein access to said first opening is provided by an opening in the data storage and retrieval system; removing said at least one media cartridge from said cartridge storage device from a second opening thereof, wherein said second opening is opposite said first opening and is on a different side of the cartridge storage device than the first opening; and inserting said at least one media cartridge into a tape drive of said data storage and retrieval system; and simultaneously performing the first method using a second cartridge storage device, a second at least one media cartridge, and the same data storage and retrieval system. 18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising retrieving information about the at least one media cartridge in the cartridge storage device using a method selected from a group consisting of: viewing the at least one media cartridge in the cartridge storage device, reading a nonvolatile memory of the at least one media cartridge, and optically scanning the at least one media cartridge. 19. The method according to claim 17, further comprising removing the cartridge storage device from the data storage and retrieval system and coupling the cartridge storage device to a second data storage and retrieval system. 20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the cartridge storage device comprises a housing having a front and a back; a plurality of cells in the housing, each cell adapted for receiving a media cartridge; and a drive mechanism for selectively driving the cells towards the second opening of the housing, the second opening allowing insertion and retrieval of the cartridges from the cells. 21. A data storage and retrieval system, comprising: a plurality of slots adapted for receiving system components; at least one drive for reading data from a media cartridge; at least one cartridge storage device capable of storing several of the cartridges, the at least one cartridge storage device having a front side and a back and sidewalls extending between the front side and the back, the at least one cartridge storage device being positioned in the slots front side first, wherein each slot in which a cartridge storage device is positioned has an opening for allowing access to the front side of the cartridge storage device; a picker for retrieving and inserting cartridges from the at least one cartridge storage device and transporting the cartridges between the at least one drive and the at least one cartridge storage device, wherein a ratio of cartridge storage devices to drives is at least 3 to 1. 22. A data storage and retrieval system, comprising: a plurality of slots adapted for receiving system components; at least one drive for reading data from a media cartridge; at least one cartridge storage device capable of storing several of the cartridges, the at least one cartridge storage device having a front side and a back and sidewalls extending between the front side and the back, the at least one cartridge storage device being positioned in the slots front side first, wherein each slot in which a cartridge storage device is positioned has an opening for allowing access to the front side of the cartridge storage device; a picker for retrieving and inserting cartridges from the at least one cartridge storage device and transporting the cartridges between the at least one drive and the at least one cartridge storage device, wherein at least one of the cartridge storage devices is not adjacent to any of the drives. 23. A data storage and retrieval system, comprising: a plurality of slots adapted for receiving system components; at least one drive for reading data from a media cartridge; at least one cartridge storage device capable of storing several of the cartridges, the at least one cartridge storage device having a front side and a back and sidewalls extending between the front side and the back, the at least one cartridge storage device being positioned in the slots front side first, wherein each slot in which a cartridge storage device is positioned has an opening for allowing access to the front side of the cartridge storage device; a picker for retrieving and inserting cartridges from the at least one cartridge storage device and transporting the cartridges between the at least one drive and the at least one cartridge storage device, wherein the picker transports one cartridge from one of the cartridge storage devices to a first of the drives, wherein the picker transports another cartridge from the cartridge storage device to a second of the drives. 24. The data storage and retrieval system according to claim 23, wherein at least one of the cartridge storage devices is hot pluggable. 25. The data storage and retrieval system according to claim 23, further comprising a reader for reading a nonvolatile memory of a cartridge. 26. The data storage and retrieval system according to claim 23, further comprising an optical scanner for reading an optical code of a cartridge.