Management of robotics assembly and cartridge access port of media element storage library

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016155462-A1
Application number	US-201615015580-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 4, 2016
Priority date	Oct 17, 2014
Publication date	Jun 2, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Utilities that increase the volume of media elements that can be simultaneously loaded and/or unloaded into or from a storage library, facilitate mounting of media element magazines into a storage library, and limit access to an interior of a storage library by users during operation of robotics assemblies of the storage library. One disclosed utility includes a cartridge access port for use with a storage library that has a storage container that is pivotable (e.g., swingable) between at least first and second positions. In the first position, the storage container is adjacent an opening in the housing of the library for loading and unloading of media elements by a user into or from the container via the opening. After the storage container has swung into the second position, the storage container is spaced from the opening and faces the interior of the library for access by a robotics assembly.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A method of operating a media element storage library, comprising:
receiving at least one media element in at least one opening of a storage container through an opening in a wall of the media element storage library; swinging the storage container away from the opening in the wall; and removing, by a robotics assembly, the at least one media element from the at least one opening of the storage container.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further including:
moving the robotics assembly to a location in the media element storage library spaced from the storage container; and inserting the media element storage library into a slot in the media element storage library.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the slot is in one of a media element magazine or a media element drive.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further including:
receiving, at a library controller of the media element storage library, a request to load a media element into the media element storage library; and swinging, in response to the received request, the storage container through a loading zone of the media element storage library towards the opening in the wall.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further including:
determining, by the library controller in response to the received request, that the robotics assembly is out of the loading zone, wherein the swinging occurs in response to the determining.

6 . The method of claim 2 , further including:
removing, by the robotics assembly, another media element from another slot in the media element storage library; moving the robotics assembly into a loading zone of the media element storage library; and inserting the other media element into an opening of the storage container.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further including:
receiving, at a library controller of the media element storage library, a request to load a media element into the media element storage library; and swinging, in response to the received request, the storage container through a loading zone of the media element storage library towards the opening in the wall.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further including:
determining, by the library controller in response to the received request, that the robotics assembly is out of the loading zone, wherein the swinging the storage container through the loading zone towards the opening in the wall occurs in response to the determining that the robotics assembly is out of the loading zone.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further including:
determining, by the library controller after the at least one media element is received in the at least one opening of the storage container through the opening in the wall of the media element storage library, that the robotics assembly is out of the loading zone, wherein the swinging the storage container away from the opening in the wall occurs in response to the determining that the robotics assembly is out of the loading zone.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further including:
determining, by the library controller after the at least one media element is received in the at least one opening of the storage container through the opening in the wall of the media element storage library, that the robotics assembly is out of the loading zone, wherein the swinging the storage container away from the opening in the wall occurs in response to the determining that the robotics assembly is out of the loading zone.

11 . A method of operating a media element storage library, comprising
receiving, at a library controller of the media element storage library, a request for a file stored in the media element storage library; identifying, by the library controller, a media element within the media element storage library on which the file is stored; triggering, in response to the identifying, a robotics assembly within the media element storage library to:
retrieve the media element from a slot in the media element storage library; and
insert the media element into at least one opening in a storage container; and
pivoting the storage container into a position adjacent an opening in a wall of the media element storage library so that the media element is accessible through the opening in the wall.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further including:
moving the robotics assembly away from the storage container.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the slot is in one of a media element magazine or a media element drive.

14 . The method of claim 11 , further including:
unlocking, in response to the storage container reaching the position, an access door over the opening in the wall.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further including:
locking, in response to the storage container reaching the position, the storage container in the position, wherein the unlocking and locking occur substantially simultaneously.

16 . The method of claim 11 , further including:
locking, in response to the storage container reaching the position, the storage container in the position.

17 . The method of claim 11 , further including:
moving the robotics assembly through the media element storage library into a loading zone in front of the storage container.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further including:
moving the robotics assembly out of the loading zone.

Assignees

• Oracle Int Corp

Inventors

• Manes Joseph Paul
• Plutt Daniel James
• Ostwald Timothy Craig

Classifications

• G11B15/68 Primary

  Automatic cassette changing arrangements; {automatic tape changing arrangements} · CPC title

• G11B33/027

  Covers (G11B33/022 takes precedence; with means for guiding the record carrier G11B17/34) · CPC title

• B65G1/06

  with means for presenting articles for removal at predetermined position or level (B65G1/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65G1/137

  with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed · CPC title

• G11B15/6845 Primary

  with rotatable magazine · CPC title