Storage control apparatus capable of analyzing volume information and a control method thereof

Abstract

A storage control apparatus capable of analyzing volume information and a control method thereof is provided. The present storage device controller comprises a volume information analysis module, volume information memory, a display device interface and a power regulation circuit to display the volume information on the display device through the display device interface so that a user can independently read the storage medium and analyze the volume information, regardless of whether it is connected or disconnected.

1 . a storage control apparatus capable of analyzing volume information, the application system connects and controls a storage medium and a display device through a storage device controller, the storage device controller comprising: 
 a storage medium interface, provided as an interface to transmit and access digital information between the storage device controller and the storage medium;    a host system interface, provided as an interface to transmit and access the commands and the digital information between the storage device controller and the application system;    a data transfer buffer, connected electrically to the storage medium interface and the host system interface, the data transfer buffer is a buffer for data transmission between the application system and the storage medium and transmits to a microprocessor unit;    a microprocessor unit, connected electrically to the module of the storage device controller, executes the operations through the signal transmitted within the data transfer buffer;    a volume information analysis module, used for analyzing the volume information of the storage medium according to the information loaded in the storage medium; and    a display device interface, connected to the microprocessor unit for controlling the display device.    
   
   
       2 . The storage control apparatus capable of analyzing the volume information of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a volume information memory, connected electrically to the volume information analysis module and the microprocessor unit, for recording the volume information of the storage medium;    a program memory, connected electrically to the microprocessor unit, for saving the firmware program of the storage device controller;    a data memory, connected electrically to the microprocessor unit, for saving the control variants or the data structure that is necessary for the firmware control process;    a regulation circuit, for providing electrical power to the modules included in the storage device controller;    a clock oscillation circuit, connected to a RC circuit, for generating a oscillation to produce a clock with a specified frequency and providing the clock to the modules included in the storage device controller  20 .    
   
   
       3 . The storage control apparatus capable of analyzing the volume information of  claim 1 , wherein the volume information of the storage medium at least comprises an available space, a file system and a volume label.  
   
   
       4 . The storage control apparatus capable of analyzing the volume information of  claim 1 , wherein the display device is a bi-stable liquid crystal display.  
   
   
       5 . A control method capable of analyzing storage volume information, the method includes a start-up method and an analysis method, the control method comprising: 
 initializing the operating system;    reading the master boot record (MBR);    obtaining the storage volume parameters;    calculating the volume information from the storage volume parameters;    displaying the volume information on a display device; and    entering a standby status.    
   
   
       6 . The control method capable of analyzing storage volume information of  claim 5 , wherein the volume information of the storage medium at least comprises an available space, a file system and a volume label, the volume information is saved on a volume information memory.  
   
   
       7 . The control method capable of analyzing storage volume information of  claim 5 , wherein the step of displaying the volume information displays the volume information on the display device through a display device interface.  
   
   
       8 . A control method capable of analyzing storage volume information, the method includes a storage volume information analysis starting up method and a volume information analysis method, the control method comprising: 
 starting up a storage device controller;    checking the status of the module of the storage device controller;    checking the status of a storage medium;    reading a master boot record (MBR) of the storage medium;    getting the start address of a partition of the master boot record;    reading a BIOS parameter block (BPB) of the master boot record (MBR);    obtaining a plurality of volume parameters;    updating the volume information and obtaining the volume parameters of a display device;    entering the standby status; and    executing the volume analysis method.    
   
   
       9 . The control method capable of analyzing storage volume information of  claim 8 , wherein the volume information records the information of a master boot record (MBR), a BIOS parameter block (BPB) and a file allocation table (FAT).  
   
   
       10 . The control method capable of analyzing storage volume information of  claim 8 , wherein the volume information at least comprises an available space, a file system and a volume label, the volume information is saved on a volume information memory.  
   
   
       11 . The control method capable of analyzing storage volume information of  claim 8 , wherein the step of displaying the volume information displays the volume information on the display device through a display device interface.  
   
   
       12 . The control method capable of analyzing storage volume information of  claim 8 , wherein the BIOS parameter block (BPB) is located in a first sector of the master boot record (MBR).  
   
   
       13 . The control method capable of analyzing storage volume information of  claim 8 , wherein the volume parameter comprises a sector size, a cluster size, reserved sectors, total volume and a file system.  
   
   
       14 . The control method capable of analyzing storage volume information of  claim 8 , wherein the step of executing the volume analysis method comprises: 
 starting up a host system interface, which means to start up the storage device controller and the control interface of the application system to wait for the control signal from the application system;    checking the connection status between the storage device controller and the application system;    detecting whether the volume information has been altered or not;    updating the volume information when the volume information has been changed;    displaying the updated volume information on the display device; and    entering standby status.    
   
   
       15 . The control method capable of analyzing the storage volume information of  claim 8 , wherein the step of executing the volume analysis method comprises: 
 starting up a host system interface that connects a storage device controller with an application system;    checking whether the storage device is disconnected or not;    waiting for a command from the application system:    judging a status of the command from the application system;    triggering the operation of updating the volume information;    executing the writing command and transmitting the data;    updating the content of the volume information in a volume information memory;    updating the content of the display device; and    entering standby status to wait for a next command.    
   
   
       16 . The control method capable of analyzing the storage volume information of  claim 15 , wherein the step of checking whether the storage device is disconnected or not, if it is disconnected, the connection status between continually monitors the storage device controller and the application system until a connection is detected, if it is connected, the application system accesses the storage device through the host system interface to start up the operating system protocol.  
   
   
       17 . The control method capable of analyzing the storage volume information of  claim 15 , wherein the storage device controller judges whether to update the volume information according to the command from the application system, if the application system does not send a command, it maintains its standby status and waits for the command.  
   
   
       18 . The control method capable of analyzing the storage volume information of  claim 15 , wherein when the application gives a reading command, there is no need to update the volume information.  
   
   
       19 . The control method capable of analyzing the storage volume information of  claim 15 , wherein the step of triggering the operation of updating the volume information is dependent upon on whether the start address of the input data and the length of the input data affect the volume information. If so, the updating operation is executed.  
   
   
       20 . The control method capable of analyzing the storage volume information of  claim 15 , wherein the step of entering the standby status to wait for next command is a step of entering a waiting for command from the application system status.