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Patent 2816218 Summary

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Claims and Abstract availability

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(12) Patent Application: (11) CA 2816218
(54) English Title: DATA STORAGE SYSTEM AND APPARATUS
(54) French Title: SYSTEME ET APPAREIL DE STOCKAGE DES DONNEES
Status: Dead
Bibliographic Data
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC):
  • G06K 9/18 (2006.01)
  • B41J 2/005 (2006.01)
  • B41J 3/44 (2006.01)
  • G06K 1/12 (2006.01)
  • G06K 19/06 (2006.01)
  • G09C 5/00 (2006.01)
(72) Inventors :
  • MONZAR, GREGORY R. (Canada)
(73) Owners :
  • MONZAR, GREGORY R. (Canada)
(71) Applicants :
  • MONZAR, GREGORY R. (Canada)
(74) Agent: ROLSTON, GEORGE A.
(74) Associate agent:
(45) Issued:
(22) Filed Date: 2013-05-23
(41) Open to Public Inspection: 2013-11-23
Availability of licence: N/A
(25) Language of filing: English

Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT): No

(30) Application Priority Data:
Application No. Country/Territory Date
61/688,847 United States of America 2012-05-23

Abstracts

English Abstract



A data storage system, having a data processor operable to convert digital
data
signals into ink dot patterns, and a data processor operable to receive the
ink dot
patterns and convert them into digital signals, the system having at least one
print
media receiving carrier or panel, a printing member operable to deposit ink
dot
patterns in a print medium on the carrier panel, and a print media reader
operable to
read the ink dot patterns and create data signals there from, and a method of
storing
and retrieving data.


Claims

Note: Claims are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.



THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 9N WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY
OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED A FOLLOWS:

1. A data storage system, having a data processor operable to convert
digital data
signals into ink dot patterns, and a data processor operable to receive such
ink dot
patterns, and convert them into digital signals, and comprising:
at least one print media receiving carrier;
a printing member operable to deposit ink dot patterns in a print medium on
said carrier;
and,
a print media reader operable to read said ink dot patterns and create data
signals
therefrom.
2. A data storage system as claimed in claim 1, and including a housing
defining a
storage area and an active area for storing said carriers.
3. A data storage system as claimed in claim 2, and including a carrier
transport
mechanism for transporting selected carriers from one said area to the other
in said
housing.
4. A data storage system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said printing
member is
mounted on a carriage bar, and transmission for moving said carriage bar
within said
housing relative to a said carrier.
5. A data storage system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said print media
reader
carriage incorporates readers above and below the carrier, and lights.
6. A data storage system as claimed in claim 5, and including a magnetic
medium
on respective carriers and enabling selection and positioning of a respective
said carrier



in said active area of said housing.
7. A data storage system as claimed in claim 6, and including an ink
eraser,
operable to remove ink dot patterns from a said carrier.
8. A data storage system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said eraser
comprises an instantaneous heat source for vaporizing said ink dot patterns
and a
vacuum pump for removing vaporized ink.
9. A method of storing and retrieving data for use in a computer system and

having data encryption for encrypting data into symbols, and data recovery for

recovering data from said symbols, said method comprising:
moving a carrier from a storage area to an active area;
printing encrypted data symbols on a carrier, and storing the carrier in a
storage area;
retrieving a carrier from the storage area into the active area;
reading said encrypted data on said carrier and returning said carrier from
said active
area to said storage area;
10. The method as claimed in claim 9, including the step of retrieving a
said
carrier from said storage area into said active area, and reading said symbols
on said
carrier, and encoding said symbols as binary symbols;
11. The method as claimed in claim 10, including removing said symbols from
a said
carrier, for re-use of the carrier.
11

Description

Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.


CA 02816218 2013-05-23
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a data storage system and apparatus for storing
digital data,
and in particular to a system in which digital data is stored in machine
readable
characters, on a substrate or carrier, and to a system for reading such
characters and
retrieving such data for processing .
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Digital binary data stored on hard drives consists essentially of a series or
so called
binary bits or 'strings' of magnetic domains on the storage medium with
specific
polarities corresponding to the positive and negative voltages the hard drive
applies to
the write head. Each such signal constitutes an individual magnetic impulse.
The
magnetic flux reversals from the boundaries between the areas of positive and
negative
polarity that the drive controller uses to encode the digital data onto the
analog
recording medium. During a read operation, each flux reversal the drive
detects,
generates a positive or negative pulse that the device uses to reconstruct the
original
binary data. A single ASCII (American Standard Code for Information
Interchange)
character, be it a letter, numeral, symbol or control character can be
converted into
binary consisting of eight or more binary 'bits' of such data.
Storage of such digital data has for many years been carried out by simply
recording
each string of magnetic impulses, on a magnetic medium. In many cases this
medium
is a disc coated with ferromagnetic material. Such discs have been used as so
called
'floppy discs', and more advanced discs are used in so called 'hard drives'.
The disc
spins at a high speed. A recording head records the impulses, for storing the
data on
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CA 02816218 2013-05-23
the disc. Retrieval is made by a read head which reads the impulses, when it
is
required to retrieve the data. Such disc drives have for some time been
subject to finite
limits in the amount of data that can be stored in this way, due to the
difficulty in
resolving increasingly smaller polarized magnetic zones.
However the increasing complexity of programs and applications, require ever
increasing storage capacity. Hard drives are now reaching the upper limits of
storage
density due to the limited quantity of magnetic flux reversals available per
inch squared
on the recording medium. . Multiple hard drives are common in enterprise and
cloud
operations. Hard drives with ultra high speeds and high densities are
available. Hard
drive stored data is also susceptible to electro-magnetic flux interference
from many
electromagnetic sources which can damage the stored data making it unreadable.

Hard drives are notoriously unreliable and have necessitated additional
industries to
account for their failure prone operation.
None of the improvements can keep pace with demands for more and more storage
capacity. The pace of hard drive capacity development has not kept up with the
pace of
microprocessor development.
Another problem is that as the sheer size of the hard drive, or drives,
increases, the
speed of recording and retrieval must inevitably be reduced. One basic problem
with
storing digital data is the magnetic impulses in which the data is encoded.
In hard disk drives, each circular track is divided into physical sectors made
up of three
basic parts: the sector header, the data area and the error-correcting code
(ECC). In
the data area, a sequence of eight magnetic bits or impulses is used to
represent for
example in ASCII character. It is apparent that any storage system based on
storing
2

CA 02816218 2013-05-23
the strings of binary data bits as magnetic impulses, is not going to satisfy
the needs
both for more storage and also improving recording and retrieval speeds.
Preferably any such data storage system will have a physical "footprint" which
is more
or less the same as that of the known types of hard drive.
Preferably such a system will use technology which exists, albeit in other
applications,
rather than requiring extensive experimentation and research into some
entirely new
and experimental field of technology, which may take many years to investigate
and
design into a practicable form, which would be capable of being made and sold
and
serviced, by existing technicians.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With a view to satisfying the foregoing objectives, the invention provides a
data storage
system, and comprising , a data processor operable to convert digital data
signals into
ink droplets of various size, shape, translucence, volume and chromatic
properties to
yield static graphic symbols, at least one print media receiving carrier or
panel, a
printing member operable to deposit graphic droplets in a print medium on said
carrier
panel, and a print media reader operable to read said graphic symbols and
create data
signals therefrom, and a data processor operable to receive said data signals
and
convert them into digital signals.
Preferably the data processors for such a system are basically known per se,
subject
to adaptation as required to enable the rapid conversion of data carried in
electronic bit
streams into graphic symbols, and when recovering such data, to convert such
graphic
symbols back into electronic bit streams for processing in the usual manner.
Preferably MEMS based print heads are used which are capable of depositing ink
3

CA .02816218 2013-05-23
droplets of varying characteristics that are fractions of one micron in
diameter; and
preferably CMOS based optical readers and signal processing software are
available
which can read such sub-micron diameter graphic characters.
Preferably, the actual carrier or media on which such graphic symbols are
printed will
be reusable, many times over. Such carriers will be compact and light, and
capable of
storage, with graphic symbols printed thereon for extended periods of time.
Preferably the carriers are easily handled and capable of being mass produced,
at
reasonable cost.
Preferably the system for storing the media, and for printing and recovering
the data
should, if possible, be sufficiently compact that it will adapt to use with at
least some
existing data processing equipment.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed
out
with more particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this
disclosure.
For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and
specific
objects attained by its use, reference should be made to the accompanying
drawings
and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred
embodiments of the invention.
IN THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a schematic perspective of a data storage apparatus illustrating
the
invention, and showing the components in a first position ;
Figure 2 is a top plan of the apparatus of Fig 1;
4

CA 02816218 2013-05-23
Figure 3 is a schematic perspective of the magazine portion of the apparatus;
Figure 4 is a schematic perspective of the print-read portion of the
apparatus; and,
Figure 5 is a schematic perspective of a data storage carrier or panel,
illustrating the
invention;
DESCRIPTION OF A SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT
Before describing the apparatus in detail, it will be pertinent to the
understanding of the
invention to appreciate the basic system.
The fundamental problem with digital signals is the simple binary code in
which they are
written. Such a code is primitive. It consists essentially of magnetic signals
which are
either +1, or - 1. This simple system requires a large number of combinations
of such
'bits' to represent a single letter or number.
In the present invention this basic digital or "binary" data, is converted, or
encoded into
graphic symbols or ink droplet variants of either or all of:
i) ink droplet diameter;
ii) ink droplet volume;
iii) ink droplet shape;
iv) ink droplet colour or chromatic variant
v) ink droplet relationship to printable carrier platen fiducial reference
marks.
These symbols may simply be letters. But they may also be any number of
specially
created symbols, having no meaning to a person. Such graphic symbols can thus
be
generated by the device in a large number of designs based on the input data
stream.
It will be appreciated that by means of such a highly flexible and expandable
system of
symbols, it becomes possible to ensure that one symbol represents a single
letter,
which was previously represented by eight, sixteen or thirty-two magnetic
'bits'. But
5

CA 02816218 2013-05-23
this system goes much further than that. A graphic symbol comprising ink
droplet
variants can be generated by the system which represents a whole word, a
phrase, or
even a whole document of ASCII characters.
Within the given square area allocation on the print medium for each
individual graphic
character exponential mathematical variants can be applied to character
generation
through ink droplet variations. A string of ASCII characters then can be
translated into
binary and then re-encoded by the system as individual and unique graphic
characters.
Symbols can be designed to represent formulae, complete names and addresses,
or
even a full document.
The system is 'open ended' and is expandable, without limits, except the
imagination of
the creator.
Once the data is encoded into such ink dot symbols, it is then printed onto a
printable
carrier or media. Preferably the carrier will be for example a glass, treated
glass or
synthetic panel, and the symbols will be printed in a form of glycol based ink
or other
proprietary ink formulation. The printing of each symbol will be in sub-micron
size, so
that large numbers of symbols can be printed on a single panel.
The ink or other medium will be erasable, when the data is no longer required.
Preferably there will be a plurality of panels, each of which can be printed
on both
sides. Transport mechanism will move panels from a storage area into an active
area,
and back again, as required.
A symbol reader can scan the symbols and retrieve data as required.
The data is then reprocessed back into a form, suitable for connection to
standard
interfaces used in computer and computer networking systems.
6

CA 02816218 2013-05-23
Figure 1 shows an apparatus (10) illustrating the invention, and having a
panel
magazine storage portion (12) and an active print-read portion (14), supported
on a
common base (16) and surrounded by a housing (18). Preferably the entire unit
is
sized to fit into the space occupied initially by a server rack device and
eventually a
typical hard drive.
The data carriers in this case are panels (20) described below (Fig 5) and are
stored in
the magazine portion (12).
The magazine or storage portion has frames (22) supporting slide bars (24)
supported
on base (16). Bars (24) (Fig 3) are formed with panel slots (26). The panels
(20) can be
slid into and out of the slots.
A panel transport mechanism (28) is operable to select a panel (20) and slide
it out or
to return it.
The print-read active portion (14) (Fig 4) has opposed side frames (30)
supported on
base (16).
Side members (32) on frames (30) have slots (34) to receive a selected panel.
On
base (16) there is an array of CMOS based camera elements, or readers (36)
capable
of imaging an entire panel.
A carriage bar (40) has Piezo-electric MEMS based print heads (42), and is
moveable
lengthwise between side members (32) to traverse a panel. The print heads, may
be
arranged side by side, or may be moveable transversely along bar (40), from
one side
to the other of the panel. They are operable to deposit ink symbols on the
panel. They
are connected to suitable data processors (not shown) for selective operation.
The panels (20) are double sided. They can receive print on their upper or
their
7

CA 02816218 2013-05-23
undersides. The print heads (42) are therefore mounted in double rows, one
above and
the other below, the panels (20).
Erasure of ink deposited is achieved by flash heating the panel and vaporizing
the
glycol based ink. A vacuum pump (not shown) vacuums the vapour and the
particulate
from the device.
Ink is supplied from a suitable ink supply that is thermally controlled and
pressurized to
ensure feed (not shown).
Illumination is provided in the form of a light bar (46), extending along the
back of the
print-read portion (14).
A second array of readers (44), shown in phantom, will preferably be supported
in an
upper region of print-read portion (14). In this way, data can be read on both
sides on
each panel (20).
Each panel (20) preferably comprises, in this embodiment, a first glass sheet
(50) (Fig
5), a second glass sheet (52) (Fig 5) , and an intermediate sandwich layer
(54) (Fig 5).
Layer (54) is highly reflective, so as to enable reading of symbols from
either side.
Strips (56) of magnetic material are secured along the two longitudinal side
edges. This
enables magnetic sensors (not shown) to select and position the panel in the
print-read
portion.
It is possible in an implementation to have more than one of the print-read
portions
installed in the assembly to enable the reading and writing on two panels
simultaneously doubling overall device throughput.
Layer (54) may be a layer of paint or coating, or may be a sheet of highly
reflective
material. When saving data, a panel is transported out of magazine portion
(12) into
8

CA 02816218 2013-05-23
the print-read portion (14).
The method of operation will proceed as follows:
Data is encrypted into ink dot patterns or symbols D. A carrier panel is
retrieved from
storage and the data is imprinted on the panel. The panel is then returned to
the
magazine.
When reading data, the panel is again moved into the print-read portion.
The readers (36)(44) are then activated to read data on either the upper side
or the
lower side of the panel and the lights are activated. The data symbols are
then
processed into binary signals, for processing.
The entire sides of a panel can be imaged at one time as opposed to a hard
disk drive
that must pass over each individual magnetic bit to read it.
The foregoing is a description of a preferred embodiment of the invention
which is given
here by way of example only. The invention is not to be taken as limited to
any of the
specific features as described, but comprehends all such variations thereof as
come
within the scope of the appended claims.
9

Representative Drawing
A single figure which represents the drawing illustrating the invention.
Administrative Status

For a clearer understanding of the status of the application/patent presented on this page, the site Disclaimer , as well as the definitions for Patent , Administrative Status , Maintenance Fee  and Payment History  should be consulted.

Administrative Status

Title Date
Forecasted Issue Date Unavailable
(22) Filed 2013-05-23
(41) Open to Public Inspection 2013-11-23
Dead Application 2018-05-23

Abandonment History

Abandonment Date Reason Reinstatement Date
2017-05-23 FAILURE TO PAY APPLICATION MAINTENANCE FEE

Payment History

Fee Type Anniversary Year Due Date Amount Paid Paid Date
Application Fee $200.00 2013-05-23
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 2 2015-05-25 $50.00 2015-04-15
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 3 2016-05-24 $50.00 2016-05-05
Owners on Record

Note: Records showing the ownership history in alphabetical order.

Current Owners on Record
MONZAR, GREGORY R.
Past Owners on Record
None
Past Owners that do not appear in the "Owners on Record" listing will appear in other documentation within the application.
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Document
Description 
Date
(yyyy-mm-dd) 
Number of pages   Size of Image (KB) 
Abstract 2013-05-23 1 14
Description 2013-05-23 9 329
Claims 2013-05-23 2 63
Drawings 2013-05-23 5 167
Representative Drawing 2013-10-28 1 30
Cover Page 2013-11-29 1 61
Assignment 2013-05-23 2 77
Fees 2015-04-15 1 29
Maintenance Fee Payment 2016-05-05 1 28