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AssigneeCompaq Information Technologies Group, L.P.
InventorsJerry G. Aguren, Edward M. Flynn
Estimating the term…
A media meter mounts to a surface of a removable storage media or other product, and provides a visual indication of one or more parameters of the storage media or other product. The media meter includes circuitry that detects status signals transmitted by rf transmissions or directly connected by wires between an auxiliary memory device mounted on the storage media or product, or receives status signals via rf transmissions directly from the auxiliary memory. As another alternative, the media meter may be integrated with the auxiliary memory to receive status signals directly from the auxiliary memory. The status signals indicate the capacity of the storage media, the number of read and/or write errors that have occurred during back-up and retrieval, the number of times the storage media has been loaded with data or other information, and other dynamically-varying parameters. The media meter selects appropriate parameters to display, or may perform other analysis to determine other parameters of the storage media, such as the viability of the storage media. The media meter includes a parasitic power source that uses the rf communications to power the circuitry. The media meter includes a display device capable of maintaining a display of the selected parameter for extended periods.
A meter indicating a parameter relating to a removable storage media, said removable storage media being capable of storing information when the removable storage media is loaded in a drive, and said removable storage media including an auxiliary memory chip that stores information including dynamically-varying parameters of the removable storage media, comprising:
A meter indicating a dynamically-varying parameter relating to a removable storage media, said removable storage media being capable of storing information and including an auxiliary memory chip that stores information regarding parameters of the removable storage media, comprising:
An auxiliary memory device that includes a meter capable of indicating a parameter relating to a product, said auxiliary memory capable of storing information when inserted in a drive, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.