US 6,550,391 B1Granted

Method and system for moving cartridges between storage libraries

AssigneeStorage Technology Corporation

InventorsTimothy C. Ostwald, Daniel James Plutt

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Abstract

A system and a method for moving cartridges between individual cartridge libraries of a multi-library system. The system includes one or more transport robots operating on one or more guide structures. The transport robots carry the cartridges independently of all individual libraries, except the sending and receiving libraries. Load ports at each library transfer the cartridges between the transport robots and the library's robotic arm. The load ports can also hold the cartridges allowing for asynchronous operations between the transport robots and sending/receiving libraries. The guide structures may be routed through one, two or all three dimensions allowing individual library placements to account for walls, columns, floors, ceilings, and other physical obstacles. One or more controllers may be included to coordinate transport robot and cartridge movement.

Claims32

Dependent claims

A library system for storing cartridges, the system comprising:

a first housing an interior and an exterior, wherein the first housing houses a first storage library with the first storage library being placed within the interior of the first housing, the first housing having a first load port which provides access to the first storage library from the exterior of the first housing;
a second housing having an interior and an exterior, wherein the second housing houses a second storage library with the second storage library being placed within the interior of the second housing, the second housing having a second load port which provides access to the second storage library from the exterior of the second housing;
wherein the first housing is located outside of the exterior of the second housing, and the second housing is located outside of the exterior of the first housing;
a first guide structure routed between the first and second load ports;
and
at least one transport robot operable to move along the first guide structure while carrying at least one cartridge in order to transfer the at least one cartridge through the first and second load ports between the first and second storage libraries.

3 more elements

In a library system having first and second storage libraries housing within the interiors of respective first and second housings, the first and second housings having respective first and second ports which provide access to the respective first and second storage libraries from the exterior of the respective first and second housings, the first housing being located outside of the exterior of the second housing and the second housing being located outside of the exterior of the first housing, the library system further including a first guide structure routed between the first and second ports, a method for moving cartridges between the first and second storage libraries, the method comprising:

receiving a command to move a cartridge from the first storage library to the second storage library;
moving a transport robot along the first guide structure to the first port in response to receiving the command;
transferring the cartridge from the first storage library to the first port in response to receiving the command;
transferring the cartridge from the first port to the transport robot;
moving the transport robot along the first guide structure to the second port while the transport robot is carrying the cartridge;
transferring the cartridge from the transport robot to the second port;
and
transferring the cartridge from the second port of the second storage library.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.