Noncontact storage medium, magnetic tape cartridge, method for operating noncontact storage medium, and program

BACKGROUND
1. Technical Field

A technique of the present disclosure relates to a noncontact storage medium, a magnetic tape cartridge, a method for operating a noncontact storage medium, and a program.

2. Related Art

WO2019/198323A discloses a magnetic tape cartridge. A magnetic tape is housed in the magnetic tape cartridge. The magnetic tape cartridge is loaded into a tape drive device for use. A head unit is mounted in the tape drive device. The head unit selectively performs write-in and readout of data to and from the magnetic tape.

A cartridge memory is mounted in the magnetic tape cartridge described in WO2019/198323A. Information for managing the magnetic tape is stored in the cartridge memory. The cartridge memory is a noncontact communication medium where an antenna coil, an IC chip, and the like are mounted on a substrate. In WO2019/198323A, a radio frequency identifier (RFID) tag is illustrated as the noncontact communication medium. A reader/writer is mounted in the tape drive device. The reader/writer performs wireless communication with the cartridge memory to perform reading and writing of information from and to the cartridge memory in a noncontact manner.

SUMMARY

An embodiment according to the technique of the present disclosure provides a noncontact storage medium, a magnetic tape cartridge, a method for operating a noncontact communication medium, and a program that enable a noncontact storage medium mounted in a magnetic tape cartridge to perform noncontact communication with communication destinations of various communication standards, compared to a case where an IC chip of a noncontact storage medium mounted in a magnetic tape cartridge performs noncontact communication with a communication destination using only one communication standard.

A first aspect according to the technique of the present disclosure is a noncontact storage medium that is mounted in a magnetic tape cartridge, the noncontact storage medium comprising an IC chip that is connected to an antenna to be coupled to a communication destination by electromagnetic induction through a magnetic field applied from the communication destination, and performs communication with the communication destination through the magnetic field, in which the IC chip corresponds to a plurality of communication standards, and performs the communication selectively using the plurality of communication standards.

A second aspect according to the technique of the present disclosure is the noncontact storage medium according to the first aspect, in which the communication destination is any of a plurality of communication devices, and the plurality of communication devices have any of a plurality of communication standards.

A third aspect according to the technique of the present disclosure is the noncontact storage medium according to the second aspect, in which the IC chip has a determination circuit that determines a communication standard of a communication command given from the communication destination through the magnetic field, and the IC chip performs the communication using an adaptive communication standard that is a communication standard selected from the plurality of communication standards depending on a determination result in the determination circuit.

A fourth aspect according to the technique of the present disclosure is the noncontact storage medium according to the third aspect, in which the IC chip decodes the communication command for which the communication standard is determined by the determination circuit, and transmits a response signal corresponding to a command obtained by decoding the communication command to the communication destination through the magnetic field using the adaptive communication standard.

A fifth aspect according to the technique of the present disclosure is the noncontact storage medium according to the fourth aspect, in which the IC chip performs the communication with the communication destination using the adaptive communication standard until a predetermined condition is satisfied.

A sixth aspect according to the technique of the present disclosure is the noncontact storage medium according to the fifth aspect, in which the predetermined condition includes a condition that power for driving the IC chip is in short.

A seventh aspect according to the technique of the present disclosure is the noncontact storage medium according to the sixth aspect, in which the IC chip has a non-volatile memory, stores adaptive communication standard information indicating an adaptive communication standard selected depending on the determination result in the non-volatile memory, performs the communication with the communication destination using an adaptive communication standard that is indicated by the adaptive communication standard information stored in the non-volatile memory, and erases the adaptive communication standard information in the non-volatile memory under a condition that the power is in short.

An eighth aspect according to the technique of the present disclosure is the noncontact storage medium according to the sixth aspect, in which the IC chip has a volatile memory, and stores adaptive communication standard information indicating an adaptive communication standard selected depending on the determination result in the volatile memory, and the predetermined condition includes a condition that the adaptive communication standard information is erased from the volatile memory due to a shortage of the power.

A ninth aspect according to the technique of the present disclosure is the noncontact storage medium according to any one of the fifth aspect to the eighth aspect, in which the IC chip skips the determination by the determination circuit until the predetermined condition is satisfied.

A tenth aspect according to the technique of the present disclosure is the noncontact storage medium according to any one of the third aspect to the ninth aspect, in which a data length of the communication command is different for each communication standard, and the determination circuit determines the communication standard of the communication command based on the data length.

An eleventh aspect according to the technique of the present disclosure is the noncontact storage medium according to any one of the third aspect to the tenth aspect, in which the communication command is a special command that is used only for the determination of the communication standard by the determination circuit.

A twelfth aspect according to the technique of the present disclosure is the noncontact storage medium according to any one of the third aspect to the tenth aspect, in which the communication command is a polling command.

A thirteenth aspect according to the technique of the present disclosure is the noncontact storage medium according to any one of the first aspect to the twelfth aspect, in which the communication destination is a reader/writer that is mounted on a drive into which the magnetic tape cartridge is loaded.

A fourteenth aspect according to the technique of the present disclosure is a magnetic tape cartridge comprising the noncontact storage medium according to any one of the first aspect to the thirteenth aspect, and a magnetic tape, in which the noncontact storage medium stores information regarding the magnetic tape.

A fifteenth aspect according to the technique of the present disclosure is a method for operating a noncontact storage medium that is mounted in a magnetic tape cartridge, in which the noncontact storage medium includes an IC chip that is connected to an antenna to be coupled to a communication destination by electromagnetic induction through a magnetic field applied from the communication destination, and performs communication with the communication destination through the magnetic field, and the IC chip corresponds to a plurality of communication standards, the method comprising, with the IC chip, performing the communication selectively using the plurality of communication standards.

A sixteenth aspect according to the technique of the present disclosure is a program causing a computer, which is applied to a noncontact storage medium mounted in a magnetic tape cartridge, to execute a process, in which the noncontact storage medium includes an IC chip that is connected to an antenna to be coupled to a communication destination by electromagnetic induction through a magnetic field applied from the communication destination, and performs communication with the communication destination through the magnetic field, and the IC chip corresponds to a plurality of communication standards, the process comprising, with the IC chip, performing the communication selectively using the plurality of communication standards.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplary embodiments of the technology of the disclosure will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the appearance of a magnetic tape cartridge;

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the structure of a rear right end portion inside a lower case of the magnetic tape cartridge;

FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view showing an example of a support member provided on an inner surface of the lower case of the magnetic tape cartridge;

FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a magnetic tape drive;

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of an aspect in which a magnetic field is discharged from a lower side of the magnetic tape cartridge by a noncontact reading and writing device;

FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of an aspect in which a magnetic field is applied from the noncontact reading and writing device to a cartridge memory in the magnetic tape cartridge;

FIG. 7 is a schematic bottom view showing an example of the structure of a back surface of a substrate of the cartridge memory in the magnetic tape cartridge;

FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view showing an example of the structure of a front surface of the substrate of the cartridge memory in the magnetic tape cartridge;

FIG. 9 is a schematic circuit diagram showing an example of the circuit configuration of the cartridge memory in the magnetic tape cartridge;

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a computer of an IC chip mounted on the cartridge memory in the magnetic tape cartridge;

FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of functions of a CPU;

FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing an example of processing contents of the noncontact reading and writing device, a communication unit, a determination unit, and a setting unit;

FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing an example of processing contents of the setting unit;

FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing an example of processing contents of the communication unit;

FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing an example of processing contents of the communication unit and the setting unit;

FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow of communication standard setting processing;

FIG. 17 is a block diagram showing an example of processing contents in a case where a currently set parameter is stored in a RAM;

FIG. 18 is a block diagram showing an example of an aspect of a case where a communication standard is determined from a data length of a communication command; and

FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing an example of an aspect in which a communication standard setting program is installed on a computer from a storage medium storing the communication standard setting program.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of a noncontact communication medium, a magnetic tape cartridge, a method for operating a noncontact storage medium, and a program according to the technique of the present disclosure will be described referring to the accompanying drawings.

First, terms that are used in the following description will be described.

CPU is an abbreviation for “Central Processing Unit”. RAM is an abbreviation for “Random Access Memory”. DRAM is an abbreviation for “Dynamic Random Access Memory”. SRAM is an abbreviation for “Static Random Access Memory”. NVM is an abbreviation for “Non-Volatile Memory”. ROM is an abbreviation for “Read Only Memory”. EEPROM is an abbreviation for “Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory”. SSD is an abbreviation for “Solid State Drive”. USB is an abbreviation for “Universal Serial Bus”. ASIC is an abbreviation for “Application Specific Integrated Circuit”. PLD is an abbreviation for “Programmable Logic Device”. FPGA is an abbreviation for “Field-Programmable Gate Array”. SoC is an abbreviation for “System-on-a-chip”. IC is an abbreviation for “Integrated circuit”. RFID is an abbreviation for “Radio Frequency Identifier”. LTO is an abbreviation for “Linear Tape-Open”. IBM is an abbreviation for “International Business Machines Corporation”.

In the following description, for convenience of description, in FIG. 1, a loading direction of a magnetic tape cartridge 10 on a magnetic tape drive 30 (see FIG. 4) is indicated by an arrow A, a direction of the arrow A is referred to a front direction of the magnetic tape cartridge 10, and a side in the front direction of the magnetic tape cartridge 10 is referred to as a front side of the magnetic tape cartridge 10. In the following description of the structure, “front” indicates the front side of the magnetic tape cartridge 10.

In the following description, for convenience of description, in FIG. 1, a direction of an arrow B perpendicular to the direction of the arrow A is referred to as a right direction, and a side in the right direction of the magnetic tape cartridge 10 is referred to as a right side of the magnetic tape cartridge 10. In the following description of the structure, “right” indicates the right side of the magnetic tape cartridge 10.

In the following description, for convenience of description, in FIG. 1, a direction perpendicular to the direction of the arrow A and the direction of the arrow B is indicated by an arrow C, a direction of the arrow C is referred to as an upper direction of the magnetic tape cartridge 10, and a side in the upper direction of the magnetic tape cartridge 10 is referred to as an upper side of the magnetic tape cartridge 10. In the following description of the structure, “upper” indicates the upper side of the magnetic tape cartridge 10.

In the following description, for convenience of description, in FIG. 1, a direction opposite to the front direction of the magnetic tape cartridge 10 is referred to as a rear direction of the magnetic tape cartridge 10, and a side in the rear direction of the magnetic tape cartridge 10 is referred to as a rear side of the magnetic tape cartridge 10. In the following description of the structure, “rear” indicates the rear side of the magnetic tape cartridge 10.

In the following description, for convenience of description, in FIG. 1, a direction opposite to the upper direction of the magnetic tape cartridge 10 is referred to as a lower direction of the magnetic tape cartridge 10, and a side in the lower direction of the magnetic tape cartridge 10 is referred to as a lower side of the magnetic tape cartridge 10. In the following description of the structure, “lower” indicates the lower side of the magnetic tape cartridge 10.

In the following description, although LTO will be described as an example as the standard of the magnetic tape cartridge 10, this is merely an example, and other standards, such as IBM3592, may be employed.

As shown in FIG. 1 as an example, the magnetic tape cartridge 10 has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, and comprises a box-shaped case 12. The case 12 is formed of resin, such as polycarbonate, and comprises an upper case 14 and a lower case 16. The upper case 14 and the lower case 16 are bonded by welding (for example, ultrasonic welding) and screwing in a state in which a lower peripheral edge surface of the upper case 14 and an upper peripheral edge surface of the lower case 16 are brought into contact with each other. A bonding method is not limited to welding and screwing, and other bonding methods may be used.

Inside the case 12, a cartridge reel 18 is rotatably housed. The cartridge reel 18 comprises a reel hub 18A, an upper flange 18B1, and a lower flange 18B2. The reel hub 18A is formed in a cylindrical shape. The reel hub 18A is a shaft center portion of the cartridge reel 18, has a shaft center direction along an up-down direction of the case 12, and is disposed in a center portion of the case 12. Each of the upper flange 18B1 and the lower flange 18B2 is formed in an annular shape. A center portion in plan view of the upper flange 18B1 is fixed to an upper end portion of the reel hub 18A, and a center portion in plan view of the lower flange 18B2 is fixed to a lower end portion of the reel hub 18A. A magnetic tape MT is wound around an outer peripheral surface of the reel hub 18A, and an end portion in a width direction of the magnetic tape MT is held by the upper flange 18B1 and the lower flange 18B2.

An opening 12B is formed on a front side of a right wall 12A of the case 12. The magnetic tape MT is pulled out from the opening 12B.

As shown in FIG. 2 as an example, a cartridge memory 19 is mounted in the magnetic tape cartridge 10. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the cartridge memory 19 is housed in a rear right end portion of the lower case 16. In the present embodiment, a so-called passive type RFID tag is employed as the cartridge memory 19. The cartridge memory 19 is an example of a “noncontact storage medium” according to the technique of the present disclosure.

Information (not shown) regarding the magnetic tape MT is stored in the cartridge memory 19. Information regarding the magnetic tape MT indicates, for example, management information (not shown) for managing the magnetic tape cartridge 10. The management information includes, for example, information regarding the cartridge memory 19, information capable of specifying the magnetic tape cartridge 10, and information indicating a recording capacity of the magnetic tape MT, the outline of information (hereinafter, referred to as “recorded information”) recorded on the magnetic tape MT, items of the recorded information, and a recording format of the recorded information.

The cartridge memory 19 performs noncontact communication with an external communication device (not shown). Examples of the external communication device include a reading and writing device that is used in a production process of the magnetic tape cartridge 10 and a reading and writing device (for example, a noncontact reading and writing device 50 shown in FIGS. 4 to 6) that is used in a magnetic tape drive (for example, the magnetic tape drive 30 shown in FIG. 4).

The external communication device performs reading and writing of various kinds of information with respect to the cartridge memory 19 in a noncontact manner. Though details will be described below, the cartridge memory 19 generates power with electromagnetic application to a magnetic field MF (see FIG. 5) from the external communication device. Then, the cartridge memory 19 operates using the generated power and performs transfer of various kinds of information with the external communication device by performing communication with the external communication device through the magnetic field.

As shown in FIG. 2 as an example, a support member 20 is provided on an inner surface of a bottom plate 16A in the rear right end portion of the lower case 16. The support member 20 is a pair of inclined mounts that supports the cartridge memory 19 from below in an inclined state. A pair of inclined mounts is a first inclined mount 20A and a second inclined mount 20B. The first inclined mount 20A and the second inclined mount 20B are disposed at an interval in a right-left direction of the case 12 and are integrated with an inner surface of a rear wall 16B of the lower case 16 and the inner surface of the bottom plate 16A. The first inclined mount 20A has an inclined surface 20A1, and the inclined surface 20A1 is inclined downward from the inner surface of the rear wall 16B toward the inner surface of the bottom plate 16A. The second inclined mount 20B has an inclined surface 20B1, and the inclined surface 20B1 is also inclined downward from the inner surface of the rear wall 16B toward the inner surface of the bottom plate 16A.

In front of the support member 20, a pair of position restriction ribs 22 is disposed at an interval in the right-left direction. A pair of position restriction ribs 22 is provided upright on the inner surface of the bottom plate 16A and restricts a position of a lower end portion of the cartridge memory 19 in a state of being disposed on the support member 20.

As shown in FIG. 3 as an example, a reference surface 16A1 is formed on an outer surface of the bottom plate 16A. The reference surface 16A1 is a plane. Here, the plane indicates a surface parallel to a horizontal plane in a case where the lower case 16 is placed on the horizontal plane such that the bottom plate 16A turns toward a lower side. Here, “parallel” indicates parallel in a meaning including an error that is generally allowed in the technical field to which the technique of the present disclosure belongs, and an error to such an extent not contrary to the spirit and scope of the technique of that the present disclosure, in addition to completely parallel. An inclination angle θ of the support member 20, that is, an inclination angle of each of the inclined surface 20A1 and the inclined surface 20B1 (see FIG. 2) is 45 degrees with respect to the reference surface 16A1. The inclination angle of 45 degrees is merely an example, and may be in a range of “0 degrees<inclination angle θ<45 degrees”.

The cartridge memory 19 comprises a substrate 26. The substrate 26 is placed on the support member 20 such that a back surface 26A of the substrate 26 turns toward a lower side, and the support member 20 supports the back surface 26A of the substrate 26 from below. A part of the back surface 26A of the substrate 26 is in contact with the inclined surface of the support member 20, that is, the inclined surfaces 20A1 and 20B1 (see FIG. 2), and a front surface 26B of the substrate 26 is exposed to an inner surface 14A1 side of a top plate 14A of the upper case 14.

The upper case 14 comprises a plurality of ribs 24. A plurality of ribs 24 are disposed at intervals in the right-left direction of the case 12. A plurality of ribs 24 are provided to protrude downward from the inner surface 14A1 of the top plate 14A of the upper case 14, and a distal end surface 24A of each rib 24 has an inclined surface corresponding to the inclined surfaces 20A1 and 20B1 (see FIG. 2). That is, the distal end surface 24A of each rib 24 is inclined at 45 degrees with respect to the reference surface 16A1.

In a case where the upper case 14 is bonded to the lower case 16 as described above in a state in which the cartridge memory 19 is disposed on the support member 20, the distal end surface 24A of each rib 24 comes into contact with the substrate 26 from the front surface 26B side, and the substrate 26 is pinched by the distal end surface 24A of each rib 24 and the inclined surfaces 20A1 and 20B1 of the support member 20. With this, a position in an up-down direction of the cartridge memory 19 is restricted by the ribs 24.

As shown in FIG. 4 as an example, the magnetic tape drive 30 comprises a transport device 34, a reading head 36, and a control device 38. The magnetic tape cartridge 10 is loaded into the magnetic tape drive 30. The magnetic tape drive 30 is a device that pulls out the magnetic tape MT from the magnetic tape cartridge 10 and reads recorded information from the pulled-out magnetic tape MT using the reading head 36 by a linear scanning method. In the present embodiment, in other words, reading of the recorded information indicates reproduction of the recorded information. Here, although reading of the recorded information by the reading head 36 has been illustrated, the technique of the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and data may be written in the magnetic tape MT by a write-in head, data may be written in the magnetic tape MT or data may be read from the magnetic tape MT by a magnetic head.

The control device 38 controls the operation of the entire magnetic tape drive 30. In the present embodiment, although the control device 38 is realized by an ASIC, the technique of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the control device 38 may be realized by an FPGA. Alternatively, the control device 38 may be realized by a computer including a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. In addition, the control device 38 may be realized by combining two or more of an ASIC, an FPGA, and a computer. That is, the control device 38 may be realized by a combination of a hardware configuration and a software configuration.

The transport device 34 is a device that selectively transports the magnetic tape MT in a forward direction and a backward direction, and comprises a sending motor 40, a winding reel 42, a winding motor 44, a plurality of guide rollers GR, and the control device 38.

The sending motor 40 rotates the cartridge reel 18 in the magnetic tape cartridge 10 under the control of the control device 38. The control device 38 controls the sending motor 40 to control a rotation direction, a rotation speed, rotation torque, and the like of the cartridge reel 18.

In a case where the magnetic tape MT is wound around the winding reel 42, the control device 38 rotates the sending motor 40 such that the magnetic tape MT runs in the forward direction. A rotation speed, rotation torque, and the like of the sending motor 40 are adjusted depending on a speed of the magnetic tape MT wound around the winding reel 42.

The winding motor 44 rotates the winding reel 42 under the control of the control device 38. The control device 38 controls the winding motor 44 to control a rotation direction, a rotation speed, rotation torque, and the like of the winding reel 42.

In a case where the magnetic tape MT is wound around the winding reel 42, the control device 38 rotates the winding motor 44 such that the magnetic tape MT runs in the forward direction. A rotation speed, rotation torque, and the like of the winding motor 44 are adjusted depending on the speed of the magnetic tape MT wound around the winding reel 42.

The rotation speed, the rotation torque, and the like of each of the sending motor 40 and the winding motor 44 are adjusted in this manner, whereby tension in a predetermined range is applied to the magnetic tape MT. Here, the predetermined range indicates, for example, a range of tension obtained from a computer simulation and/or a test with a real machine as a range of tension in which data can be read from the magnetic tape MT by the reading head 36.

In a case of rewinding the magnetic tape MT to the cartridge reel 18, the control device 38 rotates the sending motor 40 and the winding motor 44 such that the magnetic tape MT runs in the backward direction.

In the present embodiment, although the rotation speed, the rotation torque, and the like of each of the sending motor 40 and the winding motor 44 are controlled such that the tension of the magnetic tape MT is controlled, the technique of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the tension of the magnetic tape MT may be controlled using a dancer roller or may be controlled by drawing the magnetic tape MT to a vacuum chamber.

Each of a plurality of guide rollers GR is a roller that guides the magnetic tape MT. A running path of the magnetic tape MT is determined by separately disposing a plurality of guide rollers GR at positions straddling over the reading head 36 between the magnetic tape cartridge 10 and the winding reel 42.

The reading head 36 comprises a reading element 46 and a holder 48. The reading element 46 is held by the holder 48 to come into contact with the magnetic tape MT during running, and reads recorded information from the magnetic tape MT transported by the transport device 34.

The magnetic tape drive 30 comprises the noncontact reading and writing device 50. The noncontact reading and writing device 50 is an example of a “communication destination” and a “reader/writer” according to the technique of the present disclosure. The noncontact reading and writing device 50 is disposed to confront the back surface 26A of the cartridge memory 19 below the magnetic tape drive 30 in a state in which the magnetic tape cartridge 10 is loaded. The state in which the magnetic tape cartridge 10 is loaded into the magnetic tape drive 30 indicates, for example, a state in which the magnetic tape cartridge 10 reaches a position determined in advance as a position where the magnetic tape cartridge 10 starts to read the recorded information with respect to the magnetic tape MT by the reading head 36.

In the example shown in FIG. 4, although an aspect example where the noncontact reading and writing device 50 is mounted on the magnetic tape drive 30 has been shown, the technique of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The noncontact reading and writing device 50 is also used in a stage where the magnetic tape cartridge 10 is manufactured, a stage where the magnetic tape cartridge 10 is inspected, or a stage where the magnetic tape cartridge 10 is shipped. In this case, for example, a stationary or portable noncontact reading and writing device 50 is used.

As shown in FIG. 5 as an example, the noncontact reading and writing device 50 emits a magnetic field MF from below the magnetic tape cartridge 10 toward the cartridge memory 19. The magnetic field MF passes through the cartridge memory 19.

As shown in FIG. 6 as an example, the noncontact reading and writing device 50 is connected to the control device 38. The control device 38 outputs a control signal for controlling the cartridge memory 19 to the noncontact reading and writing device 50. The noncontact reading and writing device 50 emits the magnetic field MF toward the cartridge memory 19 in response to the control signal input from the control device 38. The magnetic field MF passes through the cartridge memory 19 from the back surface 26A side to the front surface 26B side.

The noncontact reading and writing device 50 performs noncontact communication with the cartridge memory 19 to give a communication command depending on the control signal to the cartridge memory 19. In more detail, the noncontact reading and writing device 50 spatially transmits the communication command to the cartridge memory 19 under the control of the control device 38. The communication command is a signal indicating a command to the cartridge memory 19.

Examples of the communication command include a polling command, a write-in command, and a readout command. In a case where the communication command given from the noncontact reading and writing device 50 to the cartridge memory 19 is the polling command, the cartridge memory 19 executes polling processing. The polling command may be one kind or may be a plurality of kinds, and polling processing depending on the kind is executed by the cartridge memory 19. In a case where the communication command given from the noncontact reading and writing device 50 to the cartridge memory 19 is the write-in command, the cartridge memory 19 executes write-in processing. In a case where the communication command given from the noncontact reading and writing device 50 to the cartridge memory 19 is the readout command, the cartridge memory 19 executes readout processing. Here, for convenience of description, although one kind of command is illustrated as the polling command, a polling signal may be a plurality of kinds of signals.

Here, although a form example where the noncontact reading and writing device 50 spatially transmits the communication command to the cartridge memory 19 under the control of the control device 38 has been described, the technique of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, in a stage where the magnetic tape cartridge 10 is manufactured, a stage where the magnetic tape cartridge 10 is inspected, or a stage where the magnetic tape cartridge 10 is shipped, the noncontact reading and writing device 50 spatially transmits the communication command to the cartridge memory 19 under the control of a control device different from the control device 38.

In a case where the communication command is spatially transmitted from the noncontact reading and writing device 50 to the cartridge memory 19, the communication command depending on an instruction from the control device 38 is included in the magnetic field MF by the noncontact reading and writing device 50. In other words, the communication command is superimposed on the magnetic field MF by the noncontact reading and writing device 50. That is, the noncontact reading and writing device 50 transmits the communication command to the cartridge memory 19 through the magnetic field MF under the control of the control device 38.

By the way, as a communication standard that is generally known and is used in wireless communication between a cartridge memory mounted in a magnetic tape cartridge and a noncontact reading and writing device (a device called a reader/writer), there are a plurality of communication standards, such as ISO18092, ISO14443A, ISO14443B, and ISO15693.

Note that, in a case where there are a plurality of communication standards, since a communication standard may be different by product (for example, for each kind of magnetic tape cartridge of the related art), there is a need for mounting an IC chip corresponding to a communication standard on the cartridge memory. In regard to most of components (for example, a substrate, a wire, and a protective agent) other than the IC chip among a plurality of components used in the cartridge memory, while the same kinds of components can be used among the cartridge memories, in a case where the IC chip should be changed by product, manufacturing cost increases.

In view of such a situation, in the magnetic tape cartridge 10 according to the present embodiment, an IC chip 52 is mounted on the cartridge memory 19. Hereinafter, the IC chip 52 and the periphery thereof will be described in detail.

The IC chip 52 and a capacitor 54 are mounted on the front surface 26B of the cartridge memory 19. The IC chip 52 and the capacitor 54 are bonded to the front surface 26B. The IC chip 52 and the capacitor 54 are sealed with a sealing material 56 on the front surface 26B of the cartridge memory 19. Here, as the sealing material 56, ultraviolet curable resin that is cured upon reaction with ultraviolet rays is employed. The ultraviolet curable resin is merely an example, and photocurable resin that is cured upon reaction with light in a wavelength range other than ultraviolet rays may be used as the sealing material 56, thermosetting resin may be used as the sealing material 56, or other adhesives may be used as the sealing material 56.

As shown in FIG. 7 as an example, a coil 60 is formed in a loop shape on the back surface 26A of the cartridge memory 19. The coil 60 is an example of an “antenna” according to the technique of the present disclosure. Here, as a material of the coil 60, copper foil is employed. The copper foil is merely an example, and for example, other kinds of conductive materials, such as aluminum foil, may be used. The coil 60 induces an induced current with application of the magnetic field MF (see FIGS. 5 and 6) from the noncontact reading and writing device 50.

A first conduction portion 62A and a second conduction portion 62B are provided on the back surface 26A of the cartridge memory 19. The first conduction portion 62A and the second conduction portion 62B have solders and electrically connect both end portions of the coil 60 to the IC chip 52 (see FIGS. 6 and 8) and the capacitor 54 (see FIGS. 6 and 8) on the front surface 26B.

As shown in FIG. 8 as an example, on the front surface 26B of the cartridge memory 19, the IC chip 52 and the capacitor 54 are electrically connected to each other using a wired connection method. Specifically, one terminal of a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal of the IC chip 52 is connected to the first conduction portion 62A through a wiring 64A, and the other terminal is connected to the second conduction portion 62B through a wiring 64B. The capacitor 54 has a pair of electrodes. In the example shown in FIG. 8, a pair of electrodes is electrodes 54A and 54B. The electrode 54A is connected to the first conduction portion 62A through a wiring 64C, and the electrode 54B is connected to the second conduction portion 62B through a wiring 64D. With this, the IC chip 52 and the capacitor 54 are connected in parallel with the coil 60.

As shown in FIG. 9 as an example, the IC chip 52 comprises an internal capacitor 80, a power supply circuit 82, a computer 84, a signal processing circuit 88, and a magnetic field intensity measurement circuit 90. Here, as an example of the IC chip 52, a general-purpose IC chip that is usable for purposes other than the magnetic tape cartridge 10 is used. The general-purpose IC chip is merely an example, and an IC chip of a type that is used only for the magnetic tape cartridge 10 may be employed.

The cartridge memory 19 comprises a power generator 70. The power generator 70 generates power with application of the magnetic field MF from the noncontact reading and writing device 50 to the coil 60. Specifically, the power generator 70 generates alternating-current power using a resonance circuit 92, converts the generated alternating-current power into direct-current power, and outputs the direct-current power.

The power generator 70 has the resonance circuit 92 and the power supply circuit 82. The resonance circuit 92 comprises the capacitor 54, the coil 60, and the internal capacitor 80. The internal capacitor 80 is a capacitor incorporated in the IC chip 52, and the power supply circuit 82 is also a circuit incorporated in the IC chip 52. The internal capacitor 80 is connected in parallel with the coil 60.

The capacitor 54 is a capacitor externally attached to the IC chip 52. The IC chip 52 is a general-use IC chip that is intrinsically usable for purposes different from the magnetic tape cartridge 10. For this reason, the capacitance of the internal capacitor 80 is not enough to realize a resonance frequency required for the cartridge memory 19 used in the magnetic tape cartridge 10. Accordingly, in the cartridge memory 19, the capacitor 54 is post-attached to the IC chip 52 as a capacitor having a capacitance value necessary in making the resonance circuit 92 resonate at a resonance frequency determined in advance with the application of the magnetic field MF. The resonance frequency determined in advance is the same frequency as the frequency of the magnetic field MF, and here, 13.56 MHz is employed. The capacitance of the capacitor 54 is determined based on a measured value of the capacitance of the internal capacitor 80.

The resonance circuit 92 generates an alternating-current power by generating a resonance phenomenon at the resonance frequency determined in advance using the induced current induced by the coil 60 with the magnetic field MF passing through the coil 60 and outputs the generated alternating-current power to the power supply circuit 82.

The power supply circuit 82 has a rectifier circuit, a smoothing circuit, and the like. The rectifier circuit is a full-wave rectifier circuit having a plurality of diodes. The full-wave rectifier circuit is merely an example, and a half-wave rectifier circuit may be used. The smoothing circuit includes a capacitor and a resistor. The power supply circuit 82 converts the alternating-current power input from the resonance circuit 92 into direct-current power and supplies the converted direct-current power (hereinafter, simply referred to as “power”) to various drive elements in the IC chip 52. Examples of various drive elements include the computer 84, the signal processing circuit 88, the magnetic field intensity measurement circuit 90. In this way, power is supplied to various drive elements in the IC chip 52 by the power generator 70, whereby the IC chip 52 operates using power generated by the power generator 70.

The computer 84 is an example of a “computer that is applied to a noncontact storage medium” according to the technique of the present disclosure, and controls the entire cartridge memory 19.

The signal processing circuit 88 is connected to the resonance circuit 92. The signal processing circuit 88 has a decoding circuit (not shown) and an encoding circuit (not shown). The decoding circuit of the signal processing circuit 88 extracts and decodes a communication command from the magnetic field MF received by the coil 60 and outputs the communication command to the computer 84. The computer 84 outputs a response signal to the communication command to the signal processing circuit 88. That is, the computer 84 executes processing depending on the communication command input from the signal processing circuit 88 and outputs a processing result as a response signal to the signal processing circuit 88. In the signal processing circuit 88, in a case where the response signal is input from the computer 84, the encoding circuit of the signal processing circuit 88 encodes the response signal to modulate the response signal and outputs the response signal to the resonance circuit 92. The resonance circuit 92 transmits the response signal input from the encoding circuit of the signal processing circuit 88 to the noncontact reading and writing device 50 through the magnetic field MF. That is, in a case where the response signal is transmitted from the cartridge memory 19 to the noncontact reading and writing device 50, the response signal is included in the magnetic field MF. In other words, the response signal is superimposed on the magnetic field MF.

The magnetic field intensity measurement circuit 90 measures the intensity of the magnetic field MF based on the power generated by the power supply circuit 82. The power generated by the power supply circuit 82 becomes greater within a limit range as the intensity of the magnetic field MF applied to the resonance circuit 92 is greater. The magnetic field intensity measurement circuit 90 outputs a signal at a signal level depending on the power generated by the power supply circuit 82 based on a correlation between the power generated by the power supply circuit 82 and the intensity of the magnetic field MF applied to the resonance circuit 92. That is, the magnetic field intensity measurement circuit 90 measures the power generated by the power supply circuit 82, generates a magnetic field intensity signal indicating the intensity of the magnetic field MF based on a measurement result, and outputs the magnetic field intensity signal to the computer 84. With this, the computer 84 can execute processing depending on the magnetic field intensity signal input from the magnetic field intensity measurement circuit 90.

In this way, the IC chip 52 is connected to the coil 60 to be coupled to the noncontact reading and writing device 50 by electromagnetic induction through the magnetic field MF applied from the noncontact reading and writing device 50, and performs communication with the noncontact reading and writing device 50 through the magnetic field MF (see FIGS. 5 and 6). The IC chip 52 corresponds to a plurality of communication standards, and performs communication with the noncontact reading and writing device 50 selectively using a plurality of communication standards. Here, a plurality of communication standards indicate, for example, ISO18092, ISO14443A, ISO1443B, and ISO15693. The noncontact reading and writing device 50 has any of a plurality of communication standards. That is, while the noncontact reading and writing device 50 is not limited as being mounted only on the magnetic tape drive 30 shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of noncontact reading and writing devices 50 are also present in a manufacturing process, an inspection process, and the like, and each noncontact reading and writing device 50 has any of a plurality of communication standards.

As shown in FIG. 10 as an example, the computer 84 comprises a CPU 94, an NVM 96, and a RAM 98. The CPU 94, the NVM 96, and the RAM 98 are connected to a bus 100.

The CPU 94 controls the operation of the computer 84. The NVM 96 is an example of a “non-volatile memory” according to the technique of the present disclosure. An example of the NVM 96 is an EEPROM. The EEPROM is merely an example, and for example, a ferroelectric memory may be used instead of the EEPROM or any memory may be used as long as the memory is a non-volatile memory that can be mounted on the IC chip 52. The RAM 98 is an example of a “volatile memory” according to the technique of the present disclosure. The RAM 98 temporarily stores various kinds of information and is used as a work memory. An example of the RAM 98 is a DRAM or an SRAM.

The NVM 96 has a plurality of storage blocks including a settable parameter storage block 102, a currently set parameter storage block 104, and a program storage block 106. Management information (not shown) and the like are stored in the plurality of storage blocks.

A plurality of communication standard parameters 108 that are able to specify communication standards settable in the IC chip 52 are stored in the settable parameter storage block 102. A currently set parameter 110 is stored in the currently set parameter storage block 104. The currently set parameter 110 is a communication standard parameter 108 corresponding to a communication standard currently set in the IC chip 52 among a plurality of communication standard parameters 108.

A communication standard setting program 112 is stored in the program storage block 106. The communication standard setting program 112 is an example of a “program” according to the technique of the present disclosure. A plurality of communication standard-dedicated programs 114 are also stored in the program storage block 106. A plurality of communication standard-dedicated programs 114 correspond to a plurality of communication standard parameters 108 on a one-to-one basis. The CPU 94 reads out the communication standard-dedicated program 114 corresponding to the currently set parameter 110 stored in the currently set parameter storage block 104 from the program storage block 106 and executes the read-out program storage block 106 to realize communication in the communication standard corresponding to the currently set parameter 110 stored in the currently set parameter storage block 104.

The communication standard that is specified from the currently set parameter 110 stored in the currently set parameter storage block 104 is the communication standard currently set in the IC chip 52. That is, the CPU 94 executes the communication standard-dedicated program 114 corresponding to the currently set parameter 110 stored in the currently set parameter storage block 104, whereby the IC chip 52 can perform communication with the noncontact reading and writing device 50 in the currently set communication standard through the coil 60 (FIG. 9).

As shown in FIG. 11 as an example, the CPU 94 reads out the communication standard setting program 112 from the NVM 96 and executes the read-out communication standard setting program 112 on the RAM 98. The CPU 94 operates as a communication unit 94A, a determination unit 94B, and a setting unit 94C following the communication standard setting program 112 that is executed on the RAM 98, to execute communication standard setting processing see (FIG. 16) described below.

As shown in FIG. 12 as an example, the noncontact reading and writing device 50 applies a magnetic field MF (see FIGS. 5 and 6) to the coil 60 to be coupled to the coil 60 by electromagnetic induction. In a case where the noncontact reading and writing device 50 and the coil 60 are coupled by electromagnetic induction, the noncontact reading and writing device 50 transmits the polling command as the communication command to the communication unit 94. The communication unit 94A receives the polling command from the noncontact reading and writing device 50 through the coil 60. The determination unit 94B is an example of a “determination circuit” according to the technique of the present disclosure, and determines a communication standard of the polling command received by the communication unit 94A through the coil 60. The setting unit 94C selects a communication standard depending on the determination result in the determination unit 94B from a plurality of communication standards and sets the communication standard as an adaptive communication standard. The adaptive communication standard indicates a communication standard that is most adapted to communication with the noncontact reading and writing device 50. The communication standard that is most adapted to communication with the noncontact reading and writing device 50 indicates, for example, a communication standard conforming to the communication standard of the polling command given from the noncontact reading and writing device 50 to the cartridge memory 19 among a plurality of communication standards.

As shown in FIG. 13 as an example, the setting unit 94C acquires the communication standard parameter 108 corresponding to the communication standard depending on the determination result in the determination unit 94B, that is, the communication standard parameter 108 corresponding to the adaptive communication standard, from the settable parameter storage block 102. Then, the setting unit 94C overwrites and saves the communication standard parameter 108 acquired from the settable parameter storage block 102 in the currently set parameter storage block 104 to update the currently set parameter 110 in the currently set parameter storage block 104. That is, the currently set parameter 110 in the currently set parameter storage block 104 is rewritten to the currently set parameter 110 by the setting unit 94C, so that the currently set parameter 110 in the currently set parameter storage block 104 is updated.

The communication standard that is specified from the currently set parameter 110 stored in the currently set parameter storage block 104 is the communication standard currently set in the IC chip 52. The setting of the communication standard of the IC chip 52 is changed with the rewriting of the currently set parameter 110 in the currently set parameter storage block 104 by the setting unit 94C.

As shown in FIG. 14 as an example, the communication unit 94A acquires the currently set parameter 110 from the currently set parameter storage block 104. Then, the communication unit 94A reads out the communication standard-dedicated program 114 corresponding to the currently set parameter 110 acquired from the currently set parameter storage block 104, from the program storage block 106 and executes the read-out communication standard-dedicated program 114.

The communication unit 94A acquires the magnetic field intensity signal from the magnetic field intensity measurement circuit 90 and determines whether or not power of the IC chip 52, that is, power for driving the IC chip 52 is in short, from the acquired magnetic field intensity signal. Then, the communication unit 94A executes the communication standard-dedicated program 114 read out from the program storage block 106 until a predetermined condition is satisfied. That is, the communication unit 94A skips the determination by the determination unit 94B and continues to execute the communication standard-dedicated program 114 read out from the program storage block 106 until the predetermined condition is satisfied. The wording “until the predetermined condition is satisfied” indicates, for example, “until the power for driving the IC chip 52 is in short”. The setting unit 94C executes the communication standard-dedicated program 114 corresponding to the currently set parameter 110 to communicate with the noncontact reading and writing device 50 in the communication standard corresponding to the currently set parameter 110 through the coil 60.

Here, the wording “the power is in short” indicates, for example, a signal level of the magnetic field intensity signal acquired from the magnetic field intensity measurement circuit 90 is less than a predetermined level. The predetermined level is, for example, a signal level of the magnetic field intensity signal corresponding to power with which stable communication cannot be performed between the IC chip 52 and the noncontact reading and writing device 50, and is a fixed value derived in advance by a test with a real machine and/or a computer simulation. Here, although the fixed value is illustrated as the predetermined level, the predetermined level may be a variable value that is changed depending on an instruction (for example, a command) given from the outside and/or an operation state of the IC chip 52.

The setting unit 94C communicates the noncontact reading and writing device 50 in the communication standard corresponding to the currently set parameter 110 through the coil 60 to transmits the response signal corresponding to the communication command for which the communication standard is determined by the determination unit 94B (see FIG. 12), to the noncontact reading and writing device 50. In this case, first, the setting unit 94C decodes the communication command (in the example shown in FIG. 12, the polling command) for which the communication standard is determined by the determination unit 94B. Then, the setting unit 94C transmits a response signal corresponding to a command obtained by decoding the communication command to the noncontact reading and writing device 50 using the currently set communication standard (adaptive communication standard) through the magnetic field MF.

As shown in FIG. 15 as an example, the communication unit 94A acquires the magnetic field intensity signal from the magnetic field intensity measurement circuit 90 and determines whether or not the power in the IC chip 52 is in short, from the acquired magnetic field intensity signal. Then, the communication unit 94A erases the currently set parameter 110 corresponding to the currently set parameter 110 in the currently set parameter storage block 104, that is, the adaptive communication standard from the currently set parameter storage block 104 under a condition that the power in the IC chip 52 is in short. With this, the setting of the adaptive communication standard in the IC chip 52 is released, and the communication unit 94A ends communication with the noncontact reading and writing device 50.

Next, the operations of a cartridge memory 19 according to the embodiment will be described referring to FIG. 16.

FIG. 16 shows an example of a flow of communication standard setting processing that is executed by the CPU 94 in a case where the magnetic tape cartridge 10 is loaded into the magnetic tape drive 30, so that the cartridge memory 19 and the noncontact reading and writing device 50 are coupled by electromagnetic induction and power for driving is supplied to the IC chip 52. The flow of the communication standard setting processing shown in FIG. 16 is an example of a “method for operating a noncontact storage medium” according to the technique of the present disclosure.

Here, although a form example where the communication standard setting processing is executed by the CPU 94 in a state in which the magnetic tape cartridge 10 is loaded into the magnetic tape drive 30, the technique of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the communication standard setting processing may be executed by the CPU 94 in a work stage by the vendor of the magnetic tape cartridge 10, such as a stage where the magnetic tape cartridge 10 is inspected or a stage where the magnetic tape cartridge 10 is shipped.

In the communication standard setting processing shown in FIG. 16, first, in Step ST100, the communication unit 94A determines whether or not the polling command from the noncontact reading and writing device 50 is received by the coil 60. In Step ST100, in a case where the polling command is not received by the coil 60, determination is made to be negative, and the determination in Step ST100 is performed again. In Step ST100, in a case where the polling command is received by the coil 60, determination is made to be affirmative, and the communication standard setting processing proceeds to Step ST102.

In Step ST102, the determination unit 94B determines the communication standard of the polling command received in Step ST100.

In next Step ST104, the setting unit 94C acquires the communication standard parameter 108 depending on the determination result in Step ST102 from the settable parameter storage block 102.

In next Step ST106, the setting unit 94C overwrites and saves the communication standard parameter 108 acquired in Step ST104 in the currently set parameter storage block 104 to update the currently set parameter 110 in the currently set parameter storage block 104.

In next Step ST108, the communication unit 94A acquires the currently set parameter 110 from the currently set parameter storage block 104 and executes the communication standard-dedicated program 114 corresponding to the acquired currently set parameter 110 to start communication with the noncontact reading and writing device 50 in the communication standard corresponding to the currently set parameter 110 through the coil 60.

In next Step ST110, the communication unit 94A decodes the communication command received in Step ST110 or Step ST116 described below.

In next Step ST112, the communication unit 94A transmits a response signal corresponding to a decoding result in Step ST110 to the noncontact reading and writing device 50. That is, a signal indicating a result obtained by the CPU 94 executing processing depending on a command obtained by decoding the communication command is transmitted as the response signal to the noncontact reading and writing device 50.

In next Step ST114, the communication unit 94A determines whether or not the power in the IC chip 52 is in short, based on the magnetic field intensity signal from the magnetic field intensity measurement circuit 90. In Step ST114, in a case where the power in the IC chip 52 is not in short, determination is made to be negative, and the communication standard setting processing proceeds to Step ST116. In Step ST114, in a case where the power in the IC chip 52 is in short, determination is made to be affirmative, and the communication standard setting processing proceeds to Step ST118.

In Step ST116, the communication unit 94A determines whether or not the command transmitted from the noncontact reading and writing device 50 is received by the coil 60. In Step ST116, in a case where the command that is transmitted from the noncontact reading and writing device 50 is not received by the coil 60, determination is made to be negative, and the communication standard setting processing proceeds to Step ST114. In Step ST116, in a case where the communication command that is transmitted from the noncontact reading and writing device 50 is received by the coil 60, determination is made to be affirmative, and the communication standard setting processing proceeds to Step ST110.

In Step ST118, the setting unit 94C erases the currently set parameter 110 from the currently set parameter storage block 104 to release the communication standard corresponding to the currently set parameter 110, that is, the currently set communication standard.

In next Step ST120, the communication unit 94A ends communication with the noncontact reading and writing device 50, and thereafter, the communication standard setting processing ends.

As described above, in the cartridge memory 19, the IC chip 52 corresponds to a plurality of communication standards, and performs communication with the noncontact reading and writing device 50 selectively using a plurality of communication standards. Therefore, according to this configuration, compared to a case where the IC chip of the cartridge memory mounted in the magnetic tape cartridge performs noncontact communication with the noncontact reading and writing device using only one communication standard, it is possible to allow the cartridge memory 19 mounted in the magnetic tape cartridge 10 to perform noncontact communication with the noncontact reading and writing devices 50 of various communication standards.

In the cartridge memory 19, while the noncontact reading and writing device 50 is not limited as being mounted only on the magnetic tape drive 30 shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of noncontact reading and writing devices 50 are also present in the manufacturing process, the inspection process, and the like, and each noncontact reading and writing device 50 has any of a plurality of communication standards. Therefore, according to this configuration, even though the noncontact reading and writing device 50 has any communication standard among a plurality of communication standards, it is possible to realize noncontact communication between the cartridge memory 19 and the noncontact reading and writing device 50.

In the cartridge memory 19, the communication standard of the communication command given from the noncontact reading and writing device 50 to the IC chip 52 is determined by the determination unit 94B. Then, the IC chip 52 performs communication with the noncontact reading and writing device 50 using the adaptive communication standard that is the communication standard selected depending on the determination result in the determination unit 94B from a plurality of communication standards. Therefore, according to this configuration, it is possible to allow the cartridge memory 19 to perform communication with the noncontact reading and writing device 50 in the communication standard conforming to the communication standard of the noncontact reading and writing device 50.

In the cartridge memory 19, the communication unit 94A decodes the communication command for which the communication standard is determined by the determination unit 94B, and transmits the response signal corresponding to the decoding result to the noncontact reading and writing device 50 using the adaptive communication standard through the magnetic field MF. Therefore, according to this configuration, compared to a case where a communication standard other than the adaptive communication standard is set in the IC chip 52, it is possible to transmit the response signal depending on the communication command to the noncontact reading and writing device 50 with high accuracy.

In the cartridge memory 19, the communication unit 94A performs communication with the noncontact reading and writing device 50 using the adaptive communication standard until the predetermined condition is satisfied. Therefore, according to this configuration, it is possible to allow the cartridge memory 19 to continue communication with the noncontact reading and writing device 50 while the predetermined condition is not satisfied.

In the cartridge memory 19, the communication unit 94A performs communication with the noncontact reading and writing device 50 using the adaptive communication standard until a condition that the power for driving the IC chip 52 is in short is satisfied. Therefore, according to this configuration, it is possible to allow the cartridge memory 19 to continue communication with the noncontact reading and writing device 50 while the power for driving the IC chip 52 is not in short.

In the cartridge memory 19, the currently set parameter 110 is erased from the currently set parameter storage block 104 by the setting unit 94C under a condition that the power for driving the IC chip 52 is in short. With this, the adaptive communication standard that is currently set in the IC chip 52 is released. Therefore, according to this configuration, it is possible to change the adaptive communication standard set in the IC chip 52 with a shortage of the power for driving the IC chip 52 as a trigger.

In the cartridge memory 19, the determination by the determination unit 94B is skipped until the predetermined condition is satisfied (for example, until the power for driving the IC chip 52 is in short). That is, the determination by the determination unit 94B is not performed until the predetermined condition is satisfied. Therefore, according to this configuration, it is possible to reduce a processing load required for the determination, compared to a case where the determination by the determination unit 94B is constantly performed. It is also possible to reduce a time required from when the communication command is received to when the response signal is transmitted, as much as the determination by the determination unit 94B is not performed. In other words, a response time from when the communication command is transmitted from the noncontact reading and writing device 50 to when the response signal is transmitted from the cartridge memory 19 to the noncontact reading and writing device 50 is reduced.

In the cartridge memory 19, the communication standard of the polling command given from the noncontact reading and writing device 50 is determined by the determination unit 94B, the communication standard selected depending on the determination result is set as the adaptive communication standard, and communication is performed between the cartridge memory 19 and the noncontact reading and writing device 50 in the set adaptive communication standard. Therefore, according to this configuration, it is possible to quickly establish communication between the cartridge memory 19 and the noncontact reading and writing device 50, compared to a case where a communication standard of a communication command (for example, write-in command or readout command) that is given from the noncontact reading and writing device 50 to the cartridge memory 19 later than the polling command is determined by the determination unit 94B.

In the cartridge memory 19, communication is performed between the noncontact reading and writing device 50 mounted on the magnetic tape drive 30 and the IC chip 52 selectively using a plurality of communication standards. Therefore, according to this configuration, in a case where the noncontact reading and writing device 50 that is mounted on the magnetic tape drive 30 has any communication standard among a plurality of communication standards, it is possible to allow the IC chip 52 to perform communication with the noncontact reading and writing device 50 in the communication standard of the noncontact reading and writing device 50.

In the above-described embodiment, although a form example where the currently set parameter 110 is stored in the currently set parameter storage block 104 of the NVM 96 has been described, the technique of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in FIG. 17, the currently set parameter 110 may be stored (overwritten and saved) in the RAM 98, instead of the currently set parameter storage block 104 of the NVM 96. The RAM 98 is a volatile memory. For example, in a case where the power in the IC chip 52 is in short due to weakening of the intensity of the magnetic field MF or the like (for example, predetermined power (for example, zero) as power for data loss from the RAM 98 is reached), the currently set parameter 110 in the RAM 98 is erased. Accordingly, the processing of Step ST116 of FIG. 16 is not required, and as a result, a processing load by the CPU 94 is reduced.

In the above-described embodiment, although a form example where the determination unit 94B determines the communication standard of the polling command has been described, the technique of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in FIG. 18, data lengths of a plurality of kinds of communication commands may be different for each communication standard (in an example shown in FIG. 18, each of first to four communication standards), and the determination unit 94B may determine a communication standard of a communication command based on the data length. With this, a communication standard is specified even though details of a communication command are not analyzed. Therefore, according to this configuration, it is possible to reduce a time required from the reception of the communication command to the setting of the adaptive communication standard, compared to a case where details of a communication command are analyzed to specify a communication standard.

As shown in FIG. 18 as an example, a communication command that is a determination target of a communication standard by the determination unit 94B may be a special command that is used only for determination of a communication standard by the determination unit 94B. In this case, it is possible to simplify processing required for determining a communication standard of a communication command, compared to a case where many kinds of communication commands are a determination target of a communication standard by the determination unit 94B.

In the above-described embodiment, although the communication unit 94A performs communication with the noncontact reading and writing device 50 using the adaptive communication standard until the power for driving the IC chip 52 is in short, the technique of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the communication unit 94A may perform communication with the noncontact reading and writing device 50 using the adaptive communication standard until a specific instruction (for example, an instruction to end communication) is given from the outside, or the communication unit 94A may perform communication with the noncontact reading and writing device 50 using the adaptive communication standard until an operation state of the IC chip 52 reaches a specific operation state (for example, an operation speed of the CPU 94 is less than a predetermined speed).

In the above-described embodiment, although a form example where the communication standard setting program 112 is stored in the NVM 96 has been described, the technique of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in FIG. 19, the communication standard setting program 112 may be stored in a storage medium 200.

The storage medium 200 is a non-transitory storage medium. An example of the storage medium 200 is any portable storage medium, such as an SSD or a USB memory. The communication standard setting program 112 that is stored in the storage medium 200 is installed on the computer 84. The CPU 94 executes the communication standard setting processing following the communication standard setting program 112. In an example shown in FIG. 19, the CPU 94 is a single CPU, but may be a plurality of CPUs.

The communication standard setting program 112 may be stored in a storage device of another computer, a server apparatus, or the like connected to the computer 84 through a communication network (not shown), and the communication standard setting program 112 may be downloaded depending on a request from the cartridge memory 19 and may be installed on the computer 84.

In the example shown in FIG. 19, although the computer 84 has been illustrated, the technique of the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and a device including an ASIC, an FPGA, or a PLD may be applied instead of the computer 84. Alternatively, a combination of a hardware configuration and a software configuration may be used instead of the computer 84.

As a hardware resource that executes the communication standard setting processing, various processors described below can be used. Examples of the processors include a CPU that is a general-use processor executing software, that is, a program to function as a hardware resource that executes the communication standard setting processing. Examples of the processors include a dedicated electric circuit that is a processor, such as an FPGA, a PLD, or an ASIC, having a circuit configuration dedicatedly designed for executing specific processing. A memory is incorporated in or connected to any processor, and any processor uses the memory to execute the communication standard setting processing.

The hardware resource that executes the communication standard setting processing may be configured of one of various processors or may be configured of a combination of two or more processors (for example, a combination of a plurality of FPGAs or a combination of a CPU and an FPGA) of the same type or different types. The hardware resource that executes the communication standard setting processing may be one processor.

As an example where the hardware resource is configured of one processor, first, there is a form in which one processor is configured of a combination of one or more CPUs and software, and the processor functions as the hardware resource executing the communication standard setting processing. Second, as represented by SoC or the like, there is a form in which a processor that realizes the function of the entire system including a plurality of hardware resources executing the communication standard setting processing with one IC chip is used. In this way, the communication standard setting processing is realized using one or more of various processors described above as the hardware resource.

In addition, as the hardware structures of various processors, more specifically, an electric circuit into which circuit elements, such as semiconductor elements, are combined can be used. The above-described communication standard setting processing is merely an example. Accordingly, it is needless to say that unnecessary steps may be deleted, new steps may be added, or a processing order may be changed without departing from the gist.

The content of the above description and the content of the drawings are detailed description of portions according to the technique of the present disclosure, and are merely examples of the technique of the present disclosure. For example, the above description relating to configuration, function, operation, and advantageous effects is description relating to configuration, function, operation, and advantageous effects of the portions according to the technique of the present disclosure. Thus, it is needless to say that unnecessary portions may be deleted, new elements may be added, or replacement may be made to the content of the above description and the content of the drawings without departing from the gist of the technique of the present disclosure. Furthermore, to avoid confusion and to facilitate understanding of the portions according to the technique of the present disclosure, description relating to common technical knowledge and the like that does not require particular description to enable implementation of the technique of the present disclosure is omitted from the content of the above description and the content of the drawings.

In the specification, “A and/or B” is synonymous with “at least one of A or B”. That is, “A and/or B” may refer to A alone, B alone, or a combination of A and B. Furthermore, in the specification, a similar concept to “A and/or B” applies to a case in which three or more matters are expressed by linking the matters with “and/or”.

All cited documents, patent applications, and technical standards described in the specification are incorporated by reference in the specification to the same extent as in a case where each individual cited document, patent application, or technical standard is specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

Number	Name	Date	Kind
20200336295	Winarski	Oct 2020	A1
20210012804	Nakashio et al.	Jan 2021	A1
20210027803	Adachi et al.	Jan 2021	A1
20210098020	Nishida	Apr 2021	A1
20210233567	Tochikubo et al.	Jul 2021	A1
20210241788	Adachi et al.	Aug 2021	A1
20210383836	Anno	Dec 2021	A1

Number	Date	Country
2002-189994	Jul 2002	JP
2005-004471	Jan 2005	JP
2006-072786	Mar 2006	JP
2020-098663	Jun 2020	JP
2019198323	Oct 2019	WO
2020027331	Feb 2020	WO

	Number	Date	Country
Parent	PCT/JP2021/023745	Jun 2021	WO
Child	18155743		US

Noncontact storage medium, magnetic tape cartridge, method for operating noncontact storage medium, and program

Information

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Date Filed

Date Issued

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Agents

CPC

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US

CPC

International Classifications

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Abstract

Description

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Priority Claims (1)

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

US Referenced Citations (7)

Foreign Referenced Citations (6)

Non-Patent Literature Citations (3)

Related Publications (1)

Continuations (1)

Entry
English language translation of the following: Office action dated Jul. 18, 2023 from the JPO in a Japanese patent application No. 2020-128582 corresponding to the instant patent application. This office action translation is submitted now in order to supplement the understanding of the cited references which are being disclosed in the instant Information Disclosure Statement.
International Search Report issued in International Application No. PCT/JP2021/023745 on Sep. 28, 2021.
Written Opinion of the ISA issued in International Application No. PCT/JP2021/023745 on Sep. 28, 2021.