Disk apparatus and information processing system discriminative plural external electronic appliances

#The present invention relates to a magnetic disk apparatus, and more specifically, to a removable type magnetic disk apparatus.

#Conventionally, as usage of magnetic disk apparatus, major magnetic disk apparatus are fixed inside personal computers to record/reproduce data on/from magnetic disks. Also, while conventional magnetic disk apparatus are made of removable (portable) type detachable constructions, these magnetic disk apparatus are used in such systems capable of recording/reproducing data such as moving pictures and voice, for instance, in a music server, a video recorder, a portable information terminal, a car navigation system.

#On the other hand, such data as moving pictures and voice (speech) are necessarily required to be processed in a real-time mode. In other words, band guarantees of data transfer operations are necessarily required. To this end, JP-A-10-222310 describes the following idea. That is, in response to the request for the prediction of input/output execution time with respect to the command issued from the external electronic appliance to the disk apparatus, the disk apparatus predicts the execution time required to process this command. When the predicted time result is located within the maximum allowable time required by the external electronic appliance, the magnetic disk apparatus executes this command. When the predicted time result exceeds the maximum allowable time, the magnetic disk apparatus stops the execution of this command, and notifies this fact to the external electronic appliance.

#A more better understanding of the present invention may be made by reading a detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

#FIG. 1 is a structural diagram of an information processing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

#FIG. 2 illustratively shows an example of an adding procedure of flag information;

#Referring now to drawings, a description will be made of various embodiments of the present invention.

#FIG. 1 is a structural diagram of an information processing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that an information processing apparatus to be connected to this information processing system is not shown in this drawing. In this drawing, both a disk apparatus 6 and a converting apparatus (converter apparatus) are represented. This converter apparatus converts signals used to connect plural information processing apparatus to each other.

#The converter apparatus is equipped with a plurality of input terminals 1-0 to 1-5. The input terminal 1-0 corresponds to an IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) terminal, the input terminal 1-1 corresponds to an analog picture signal terminal, the input terminal 1-2 corresponds to an analog audio (speech) signal (right) terminal, the input terminal 1-3 corresponds to an analog audio (speech) signal (left) terminal, the input terminal 1-4 corresponds to a digital video signal terminal, and the input terminal 1-5 corresponds to a digital audio signal terminal. A signal entered from an input terminal is sent to a data converter 2. A signal processed by the data converter 2 is supplied to both a identifying unit 3 and a flag adding unit 4. The output of the flag adding unit 4 is entered into an IDE port 5. The output of the IDE port 5 is sent to a head unit and a magnetic disk apparatus 6 constructed of a magnetic disk. The head unit records reproduces the output of the IDE port 5. A control unit is arranged by a CPU 7 and a memory 8.