JP3473756B2 - Magnetic tape library device - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a magnetic tape library apparatus, and more particularly, by reading management information of manufacturing variations of medium receiving ports of individual magnetic tape drives and performing positioning correction of accessors and picker mechanism sections. The present invention relates to a magnetic tape library device which improves reliability of an operation of inserting and removing a magnetic tape medium into and from a magnetic tape drive.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a library apparatus of this type, a technique relating to positioning correction of an accessor mechanism for carrying a medium to a predetermined position and inserting / removing the medium has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. HEI 10-96.
It is described in the collective type optical disk device of Japanese Patent Application No. 162473.

In the technique disclosed in the above publication, the presence or absence of the wall of the medium storage (cell) and the wall of the mounting frame of the drive (optical disk drive) not shown in the figure is a reflection type sensor ( The detected value is compared with a reference value, and the difference is stored as a correction value in a non-volatile memory in the accessor control section.

However, the above-mentioned technique corrects the positioning of the accessor mechanism by measuring the error in the mounting position of the drive depending on the presence or absence of the above-mentioned wall, so that the drive caused by variations in the precision of various parts, the precision of assembly adjustment, etc. The position error of the medium input port of the drive in the manufacturing process cannot be grasped, and the position error of the medium input port of the drive has not been corrected.

Further, in the library device described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-91930, a reflective optical sensor and a bar code reader are provided in an accessor of a transfer robot, and a medium storage (cell) is scanned to use the reflective optical sensor. Accurate recording is performed by detecting the presence or absence of a recording medium, and if a recording medium is present, read the barcode label attached to the recording medium with a barcode reader and store the information in the medium management memory. A technique for collectively recognizing a storage position of a medium and medium identification information given to a recording medium is disclosed.

In the above library device, the bar code label attached to the recording medium records the individual identification information of the recording medium, but does not record the information indicating the mechanical manufacturing error of the recording medium. Therefore, the information read by the barcode reader cannot be used as the positioning correction of the accessor.

Therefore, in any of the above-disclosed techniques, when a maintenance worker replaces the drive in the field, a manufacturing error in the position of the medium input port of the drive at the time of manufacturing is not corrected, so that the accessor is used as the drive. When the recording medium is positioned relative to the recording medium and the recording medium is inserted / removed, the recording medium is in a state of being displaced from the medium insertion port, and there is a defect that the recording medium collides with the drive or is rubbed.

[0008]

As described above,
The conventional library device does not perform the positioning correction of the accessor for the position error of the medium input port of the drive in the drive manufacturing process due to the variations in the accuracy of various parts and the accuracy of assembly adjustment, so the drive is replaced by maintenance in the field. In this case, when the recording medium is inserted into or removed from the drive by the accessor due to the manufacturing error of the position of the medium input port of the drive at the time of manufacturing,
There is a problem that the recording medium is displaced from the medium insertion port and collides with the drive or is rubbed so that the insertion / removal operation fails.

An object of the present invention is to attach a bar code label indicating the manufacturing variation of the medium receiving port of each magnetic tape drive in the vicinity of the medium receiving port of the magnetic tape drive, and read the bar code label with a bar code reader. It is an object of the present invention to provide a magnetic tape library device in which the reliability of the inserting / removing operation of a magnetic tape medium to / from a magnetic tape drive is improved by correcting the positioning of the accessor and the picker mechanism section using the information obtained.

[0010]

A magnetic tape library apparatus according to the present invention includes a housing, a plurality of medium storages for storing and storing a plurality of magnetic tape media in the housing, and reading / writing data to / from the magnetic tape media. Insert and remove magnetic tape media between multiple magnetic tape drives that perform writing, a main rail that is fixed in the housing, an accessor that is supported by the main rail and moves on the main rail, and the media storage or the magnetic tape drive. The picker mechanism part mounted on the accessor, the device management part that controls the operation of the accessor and the picker mechanism part by the command from the host device, the maintenance panel used for the operation during maintenance, the magnetic tape drive and the picker mechanism Optical transmission / reception unit provided in each unit and a medium receiving port of a magnetic tape drive for inserting / removing a magnetic tape medium Has a bar code label provided affixed near, and a bar code reader for reading a bar code label, the bar code label has a barcode data indicating a manufacturing error of the medium receiving opening of the magnetic tape drive, a magnetic tape At the time of manufacturing the drive,
It is affixed to a magnetic tape drive as a data unit , and the device management unit has means for performing positioning correction of the accessor and picker mechanism unit using the bar code data.

The magnetic tape drive is mounted on a mounting rail that is movably provided on a mounting frame that houses the magnetic tape drive and covers the outside, and is mounted and removed using the mounting rail as a guide. Characterize.

The bar code reader is characterized in that it is attached and fixed to the picker mechanism section.

The bar code reader is characterized in that it is attached and fixed to an attachment fitting provided on an attachment frame for accommodating a magnetic tape drive.

The device management section is characterized by having means for storing the bar code data.

The maintenance panel is characterized in that when the magnetic tape drive is replaced, an input operation for changing the setting of the magnetic tape drive is performed and the setting change information of the magnetic tape drive is notified to the device management section.

The optical communication transmitting / receiving unit is characterized by having an optical communication transmitting unit and an optical communication receiving unit.

The optical communication transmitting section is characterized by being composed of a light emitting diode.

The optical communication receiving section is characterized by comprising a phototransistor.

The device management section is characterized in that the optical communication transmission / reception section is activated to transmit / receive address information of the magnetic tape medium, and the address information is matched and confirmed.

[0020]

[0021]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a first embodiment of a magnetic tape library device of the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a cross section AA of FIG. 1, and FIG.
4A is a magnetic tape drive installation diagram showing
An enlarged plan view of the picker mechanism unit 6 in FIG. 1 and FIG.
It is an enlarged front view of the picker mechanism part 6.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, a magnetic tape library device 50 of the present invention includes a housing 20, a plurality of medium storages 3 for storing and storing a plurality of magnetic tape media 19 in the housing 20, Read / write data to magnetic tape medium 19
A plurality of magnetic tape drives 1a to 1d for writing
Of the magnetic tape medium 19 between the main rail 21 fixed in the housing 20, the accessor 2 supported by the main rail 21 and moving on the main rail 21, and the medium storage 3 or the magnetic tape drives 1a to 1d. The picker mechanism unit 6 mounted on the accessor 2 to be inserted / removed, the device management unit 4 that controls the operations of the accessor 2 and the picker mechanism unit 6 according to a command from a host device (not shown), and the magnetic tape drives 1a to 1d. The maintenance panel 5 and the magnetic tape drives 1a to 1d, which are used for the maintenance operation so that the setting change information of the magnetic tape drives 1a to 1d is input at the time of replacement, and the setting change information is notified to the device management unit 4. Optical communication transmitters 9b each provided in a light emitting diode
Drive side optical communication transmitting / receiving section 9 including an optical communication receiving section 9a including a phototransistor, and an optical communication transmitting section 17 including a light emitting diode provided in the picker mechanism section 6.
b and the optical communication receiving / receiving unit 17 including the optical communication receiving unit 17a including the phototransistor, and the magnetic tape drive 1a to / from which the magnetic tape medium 19 is inserted / removed.
Magnetic tape drive 1a near the medium receiving port 8 of 1d
1d, a bar code label 7 attached at the time of manufacturing and a bar code reader 13 that is fixed to the picker mechanism unit 6 and reads the bar code label 7. The bar code label 7 is a magnetic tape drive 1a.
The device management unit 4 has bar code data indicating the manufacturing error of the medium receiving port 8 of 1d, stores the bar code data, and uses the bar code data to correct the positioning of the accessor 2 and the picker mechanism unit 6. Is configured.

The magnetic tape drives 1a-1d are
The magnetic tape drives 1a to 1d are mounted on a mounting rail 12 that is movably provided on a mounting frame 11 having a shape that covers the outside. The mounting rail 12 is used as a guide for mounting and dismounting operations. ing.

Next, the operation of the magnetic tape library device 50 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS.

The operation when the magnetic tape drives 1a to 1d of the magnetic tape library device 50 operating in the field are replaced or the magnetic tape drives 1a to 1d are newly installed will be described below.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, first, when the field maintenance personnel replaces or newly mounts the magnetic tape drives 1a to 1d, the mounting rail 12 is pulled out in the X direction in FIG. Magnetic tape drive 1a on top
Put ~ 1d.

Mounted magnetic tape drives 1a-1d
Is pushed into the inside of the magnetic tape library device 50 together with the mounting rail 12 and installed in the mounting frame 11.

Magnetic tape drives 1a to 1d are provided at predetermined positions.
After installing and installing, the maintenance staff operates the maintenance panel 5,
When the replacement of the magnetic tape drives 1a to 1d or the input of new mounting is input, the maintenance panel 5 confirms the input information and knows that the settings of the magnetic tape drives 1a to 1d are changed, Magnetic tape drive 1a-
The device management unit 4 is notified of the setting change information of 1d.

Upon receiving the notification that the settings have been changed, the device management section 4 changes the changed magnetic tape drives 1a-1d.
A command to move and position the accessor 2 and the picker mechanism unit 6 to a position corresponding to is issued.

Upon receiving the command, the accessor 2 and the hand mechanism section 6 move to the designated place and position them, and then notify the device management section 4 that the moving operation is completed (accessor 2
Positioning by moving the hand mechanism unit 6 is performed using a positioning flag (not shown), but detailed description thereof will be omitted).

When the device management section 4 confirms that the movement is completed, it activates the bar code reader 13, and the activated bar code reader 13 causes the magnetic tape drives 1a-1.
The bar code data of the bar code label 7 attached in the vicinity of the medium receiving port 8 of d is read and the bar code data of the read bar code label 7 is notified to the device management unit 4. The unit 4 stores the transmitted barcode data of the barcode label 7 in an internal nonvolatile memory (not shown).

Next, after the replacement of the magnetic tape drives 1a to 1d or the work of newly mounting the magnetic tape drives 1a to 1d is completed and the above-mentioned operation is completed, a magnetic tape library device 50 is connected to a higher-level device (not shown). Or the instruction input by the maintenance staff through the maintenance panel 5 is notified to the device management unit 4, the device management unit 4 analyzes the instruction and the magnetic tape medium 19 for the magnetic tape drives 1a to 1d. If the command is to send and receive by inserting or removing, the stored bar code data is called.

The device management unit 4 includes a magnetic tape drive 1a.
An instruction to move and position the accessor 2 and the picker mechanism unit 6 to the medium receiving port 8 of 1d is issued to the accessor 2 and the picker mechanism unit 6. At this time, the position where the positioning is stopped is the barcode label 7 The bar code data of 1 is used to specify the positioning position in consideration of the correction value of the manufacturing error of the medium receiving port 8 of the magnetic tape drives 1a to 1d.

The accessor 2 and the picker mechanism unit 6 which have received the command to move and position the device move to a designated position and stop positioning, and when the movement is completed, the device management unit 4
Then, the device management unit 4 issues a command to the picker mechanism unit 6 to transfer the magnetic tape medium 19 by inserting / removing the magnetic tape medium 19, and the picker mechanism unit 6 that has received the inserting / removing command uses the picker hand 6a to receive the medium receiving port 8 The magnetic tape medium 19 is inserted / removed with respect to the magnetic tape drives 1a to 1d via the.

Next, the device management section 4 activates the drive side optical communication transmitting / receiving section 9 and the picker side optical communication transmitting / receiving section 17,
Address information of the magnetic tape medium 19 exchanged by insertion / removal is transmitted from both directions of the optical communication transmitting units 9b and 17b, and the transmitted address information is respectively received by the optical communication receiving units 17a and 9a. Of the magnetic tape medium 19 to be transmitted and received.

If the address information in the optical communication receivers 17a and 9a match, the process is continued, and if they do not match, an error process is performed.

As described above, the magnetic tape library device 50 according to the above-mentioned embodiment is used for each magnetic tape drive 1.
When manufacturing the bar code label 7 indicating the manufacturing variation of the medium receiving ports 8a to 1d, the magnetic tape drives 1a to 1d are manufactured.
The magnetic tape drive 1a is attached to the magnetic tape drive 1a in the field by affixing it near the medium receiving port 8 of d, reading the barcode label 7 by the barcode reader 13, and using the read information to correct the positioning of the accessor 2 and the picker mechanism unit 6. Even when the maintenance replacement of ~ 1d is performed, there is an effect that the reliability of the operation of inserting / removing the magnetic tape medium 19 into / from the magnetic tape drives 1a-1d can be improved.

Next, a second embodiment of the magnetic tape library device of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings (the same components as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals). ).

FIG. 5A is a schematic plan view showing the periphery of the magnetic tape drive of the magnetic tape library device of the second embodiment, and FIG. 5B is a schematic front view thereof.

In the first embodiment, the bar code reader 1
3 is fixed to the picker mechanism section 6, the bar code reader 13 is provided at a position facing the bar code label 7 of each of the magnetic tape drives 1a to 1d in the second embodiment. Only the differences and the differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described below.

Referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B, the bar code reader 13 for reading the bar code label 7 is shown.
Is configured so as to be installed by being fixedly attached to an attachment fitting 14 provided on the attachment frame 11 of the magnetic tape drives 1a to 1d.

Next, the operation of the magnetic tape library device thus constructed will be described.

The bar code reader 13 is activated, and the activated bar code reader 13 causes the magnetic tape drives 1a ...
When reading the barcode data of the barcode label 7 attached in the vicinity of the medium receiving port 8 of 1d, in the first embodiment, the accessor 2 and the picker mechanism unit 6 are used.
Is moved to a position facing the bar code label 7 attached in the vicinity of the medium receiving port 8 of the magnetic tape drives 1a to 1d, but in the second embodiment, the magnetic tape drives 1a to 1d. For each of 1d,
Since the barcode reader 13 is fixedly installed at a position facing each barcode label 7, it is not necessary to move and position the accessor 2 and the picker mechanism unit 6.

Since the other operations are the same as those in the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

In the magnetic tape library device 50 of the first embodiment, the bar code reader 13 is installed in the picker mechanism section 6, and when the bar code reader 13 fails, the picker mechanism section 6 operates normally. Even in the enabled state, the operation of the accessor 2 must be temporarily stopped and maintenance replacement must be performed. However, in the second embodiment, when the barcode reader 13 fails, the operation of the accessor 2 is not disturbed. The effect is that maintenance can be replaced easily.

[0047]

As described above, in the magnetic tape library device of the present invention, the bar code label indicating the manufacturing variation of the medium receiving port of each magnetic tape drive is attached in the vicinity of the medium receiving port of the magnetic tape drive at the time of manufacturing. However, by reading the bar code label with a bar code reader and correcting the positioning of the accessor and picker mechanism using the read information, the magnetic tape media There is an effect that it is possible to improve the reliability of the inserting / removing operation to / from the magnetic tape drive.

In the magnetic tape library device of the second embodiment, the bar code reader is fixedly installed in each magnetic tape drive at a position facing each bar code label. When there is a failure, there is an effect that maintenance and replacement can be easily performed without disturbing the operation of the accessor.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration plan view showing a first embodiment of a magnetic tape library device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a cross section AA in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an arrow B in FIG.

4 (a) is an enlarged plan view of the picker mechanism portion in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 (b) is an enlarged front view.

FIG. 5 (a) is a schematic plan view of the periphery of a magnetic tape drive showing a second embodiment of a magnetic tape library device of the present invention, and FIG. 5 (b) is a schematic front view.

[Explanation of symbols]

1a-1d magnetic tape drive 2 accessors 3 media storage 4 Device management section 5 Maintenance panel 6 Picker mechanism 6a Picker hand 7 Bar code label 8 medium receiving port 9 Drive side optical communication transceiver 9a Optical communication receiver 9b Optical communication transmitter 11 mounting frame 12 mounting rails 13 Bar code reader 14 Mounting bracket 17 Picker side optical communication transceiver 17a Optical communication receiver 17b Optical communication transmitter 19 magnetic tape media 20 housing 21 Main Rail 50 Magnetic tape library device

Claims (10)

(57) [Claims] 1. A housing, a plurality of medium storages for storing and storing a plurality of magnetic tape media in the housing, a plurality of magnetic tape drives for reading / writing data from / to the magnetic tape media, Mounted on the accessor for inserting and removing the magnetic tape medium between the main rail fixed in the housing, the accessor supported by the main rail and moving on the main rail, and the medium storage or the magnetic tape drive. Picker mechanism part
A device management unit that controls operations of the accessor and the picker mechanism unit according to a command from a host device, a maintenance panel used for maintenance operations, the magnetic tape drive, and the picker mechanism unit are respectively provided. An optical communication transmitting / receiving unit, a bar code label attached and provided near a medium receiving opening of the magnetic tape drive in which the magnetic tape medium is inserted and removed, and a bar code reader for reading the bar code label. The code label is
The magnetic tape drive has bar code data indicating a manufacturing error of the medium receiving port of the magnetic tape drive.
When the Eve is manufactured, the magnetic data is used as the bar code data.
A magnetic tape library device attached to a tape drive, wherein the device management unit has means for performing positioning correction of the accessor and the picker mechanism unit using the barcode data. 2. The magnetic tape drive is mounted on a mounting rail that is movably provided on a mounting frame that houses the magnetic tape drive and covers the outside, and mounts and dismounts using the mounting rail as a guide. The magnetic tape library device according to claim 1, wherein 3. The magnetic tape library apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bar code reader is attached and fixed to the picker mechanism section. 4. The magnetic tape library apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bar code reader is attached and fixed to an attachment fitting provided on the attachment frame that houses the magnetic tape drive. 5. The magnetic tape library apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus management unit has means for storing the barcode data. 6. The maintenance panel notifies the apparatus management unit of setting change information of the magnetic tape drive when an input operation for changing the setting of the magnetic tape drive is performed when the magnetic tape drive is replaced. The magnetic tape library device according to claim 1. 7. The magnetic tape library apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optical communication transmitting / receiving unit has an optical communication transmitting unit and an optical communication receiving unit. 8. The magnetic tape library device according to claim 7, wherein the optical communication transmission unit is formed of a light emitting diode. 9. The magnetic tape library device according to claim 7, wherein the optical communication receiving unit is composed of a phototransistor. 10. The device management unit activates the optical communication transmission / reception unit to transmit / receive address information of the magnetic tape medium, match the address information, and confirm the coincidence. Alternatively, the magnetic tape library device according to item 7.