Patent Application
20090287872
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to sharing technology of computer storage device and more specifically, to a host computer with shared storage device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a computer system uses its internal hard diskdrive to access data. Alternatively, a computer system may use an USB (universal serial bus) to store data in or fetch data from an inserted memory card, or access an external data storage device in a remote server via the Internet.
However, when wishing to access to the hard diskdrive of another host computer, the computer system of this host computer must be boosted, and then an external memory card or mobile memory stick must used and linked to the USB interface of the computer system to copy the desired data to the memory card or mobile memory stick. This data accessing procedure is complicated.
Further, when wishing to access to the hard diskdrive of another host computer through the Internet or a LAN (local area network), the target host computer must be boosted, and a network equipment must be used and connected to the Internet or LAN. The arrangement of the necessary network wiring or wireless network equipment is also complicated.
The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is therefore the main object of the present invention to provide a host computer with shared storage device, which allows access to the data storage device of the computer system without boosting the computer system.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a host computer with shared storage device, which is easy to operate.
To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, the host computer with shared storage device comprises a motherboard, a power supply unit with a power switch, a data storage device, and an external interface. The host computer further comprises a transfer switch switcheable between a first switch position and a second switch position. The transfer switch comprises at least three contacts in the first switch position and adapted for electrically connecting the motherboard to the power supply unit and the data storage device to the power supply unit and the motherboard to the external interface, and at least one contact in the second switch position adapted for electrically connecting the data storage device to the external interface through a data transmission interface of the host computer.
Subject to the design stated above, the present invention allows access to the data storage device when the host computer is off, achieving the effect of sharing the data storage device without boosting the computer system.
Referring to
The power supply unit 11 comprises a power switch 12 adapted for enabling a user to boot the computer system.
The motherboard 21 comprises a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 20, ram modules, interface slot, and etc. Because the motherboard 21 is of the known design and not the key point of the present invention, no further detailed description in this regard is necessary. Further, the motherboard 21 is electrically connected with the power supply unit 11 through a power line.
The data storage device 31 is electrically connected with the motherboard 21. According to the present preferred embodiment, the data storage device 31 is a hard diskdrive, having a data transmission interface 32, for example, IDE (Integrated Device Electronics) to USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface. Further, the data storage device 31 is electrically connected with the motherboard 21 by a power line (see the dotted line in the drawing).
The external interface 41 according to the present preferred embodiment is a USB interface. Further, the external interface 41 is electrically connected with the motherboard 21 by a data line (see the solid line in the drawing).
The transfer switch 51 is operable between a first switch position A and a second switch position B. The transfer switch 51 has three contacts A1 at the first switch position A for conducting the motherboard 21 to the power supply unit 11, the data storage device 31 to the power supply unit 11, and the motherboard 21 to the external interface 41 respectively. The transfer switch 51 has two contacts B1 at the second switch position B for the connection of the data storage device 31 to the external interface 41 through the data transmission interface 32 and the connection of the data storage device 31 to the power supply unit 11 respectively.
Referring to
Referring to
It is to be understood that in case the external interface 41 is a USB interface, the interface itself has power supply, and therefore the data storage device 31 can obtain the power supply from the external interface 41. At this time, one contact B1 in the second switch position B of the transfer switch 51 is sufficient to connect the data storage device 31 to the external interface 41.
As stated above, the invention allows access to the data storage device 31 when the computer system is off (the motherboard 21 does no work), achieving the effect of sharing the data storage device 31 without boosting the computer system.
Further, the operation of the present invention is quite simple. The transfer switch 51 is switcheable when the motherboard 21 is off.
Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.
