What is claimed is:
1. A network-attached disk (NAD) system where a host, having a system bus and running an operating system, controls a disk through a front-end network connecting the host and other devices for carrying general-purpose network traffic including storage as well as other application traffic using a certain network protocol, comprising:
a network interface card (NIC) installed at the host for providing a general-purpose network connection;
a network-attached disk (NAD) device having one or more disks to store data, the NAD device attached to the network, for receiving disk access commands from the host in data link frames through the network; and
a device driver, running at the host, for creating a virtual host bus adapter in software controlling the NAD device through the network via the NIC;
wherein the virtual host bus adapter controls the NAD device in a way indistinguishable from the way as a physical host bus adapter device controls a device so that the host recognizes the NAD device as if it is a local device connected directly to the system bus of the host.
2. The NAD system of claim 1, wherein the network is a wired network.
3. The NAD system of claim 1, wherein the network is a wireless network.
4. The NAD system of claim 1, wherein the NIC is an Ethernet card.
5. The NAD system of claim 1, wherein the operating system is the UNIX family of operating systems.
6. The NAD system of claim 5, wherein the device driver comprises a device file and device driver routines for the device driver to register the device driver to the host.
7. The NAD system of claim 6, further comprising a device accessing thread for accessing the NAD device.
8. The NAD system of claim 6, further comprising a device searching thread for searching for a device attached to the network.
9. The NAD system of claim 6, further comprising a network connection setting thread for making a connection between the device driver and the NAD device.
10. The NAD system of claim 6, wherein the NAD disk further comprises a plurality of individual disk partitions.
11. The NAD system of claim 10, wherein the device driver comprises a plurality of individual device drivers, each individual device driver for controlling the individual disk partition whereby each individual disk partition is accessed as an independent local disk.
12. The NAD system of claim 10, wherein the device driver comprises a plurality of individual partitions, each driver partition for controlling each individual disk partition.
13. The NAD system of claim 1, further comprising a second NAD device, a second device driver, and a unified device driver combining the device driver and the second device driver so that the NAD device and the second NAD device are recognized as logically a single local device.
14. The NAD system of claim 1, wherein the driver includes:
a bus driver for creating the virtual host adapter to access the NAD device as if it is a local device connected directly to the system bus of the host; and
a port driver for communicating the disk access command from the host to the NAD device through a network port.
15. The NAD system of claim 14, wherein the operating system is the Windows family of operating systems.
16. The NAD system of claim 1, wherein the NAD device further comprises:
a disk controller for controlling the disk; and
a network adapter for receiving the disk access command through the network.
17. The NAD system of claim 16, wherein said one or more disks are formatted as local disks.
18. The NAD system of claim 16, further comprising a filter program providing a utility function.
19. The NAD system of claim 18, wherein the utility function includes the function of controlling sharing of access among multiple hosts.
20. The NAD system of claim 18, wherein the utility function includes the function of controlling transfer of access right of one host to another.
21. The NAD system of claim 18, wherein the utility function includes the function of providing automatic back-up of the NAD device.
22. The NAD system of claim 18, wherein the utility function includes the function of controlling access to the NAD device.
23. A disk interface at a host, having a system bus and running an operating system, for controlling a network-attached disk (NAD) device having a disk through a front-end network connecting the host and other devices for carrying general-purpose network traffic including storage as well as other application traffic using a certain network protocol, comprising:
a network interface card (NIC) installed at the host for providing a general purpose network connection; and
a device driver, running at the host, for creating a virtual host bus adapter in software controlling the NAD device through the network via the NIC;
wherein the virtual host bus adapter controls the NAD device in a way indistinguishable from the way a physical host bus adapter device controls a device so that the host recognizes the NAD device as if it is a local device directly connected to the system bus of the host.
24. The disk interface of claim 23, wherein the operating system is the UNIX family of operating systems.
25. The disk interface of claim 24, further comprising a device file and device driver routines for the device driver to register the device driver to the host
26. The disk interface of claim 25, further comprising a device accessing thread for accessing the NAD device.
27. The disk interface of claim 25, further comprising a device searching thread for searching for a device attached to the network.
28. The disk interface of claim 25, further comprising a connection setting thread for making a connection between the device driver and the NAD device.
29. The disk interface of claim 25, wherein the NAD device has a disk partitioned into a plurality of individual disk partitions.
30. The disk interface of claim 29, wherein the device driver further comprises a plurality of individual device drivers, each individual device driver for controlling the individual disk partition whereby each individual disk partition is accessed as an independent local disk.
31. The disk interface of claim 29, wherein the device driver comprises a plurality of partitions, each driver partition for controlling each individual disk partition.
32. The disk interface of claim 23, wherein the device driver comprises:
a bus driver for creating the virtual host bus adapter to access the NAD device as a local device connected directly to the system bus of the host; and
a port driver for communicating a disk access command through a network port.
33. The disk interface of claim 32, wherein the operating system is the Windows family of operating systems.
34. A network-attached disk (NAD) device adapted to be connected through a network to a host having a system bus, wherein the host has a virtual host bus adapter that recognizes the device as if it is a local device connected directly to the system bus of the host, the NAD device comprising:
a network adapter for receiving disk access command in data link frames through the network;
a disk controller, connected to the LAN adapter, for executing disk access commands; and
a disk for storing data; and
a controller, connected to the network adapter and the disk controller, for controlling the operation of the NAD device.
35. The NAD device of claim 34, wherein the network runs Ethernet.
36. The NAD device of claim 34, wherein said disk is formatted as a local disk.
37. The NAD device of claim 34, wherein said disk is partitioned as a local disk.
38. The NAD device of claim 34, wherein the network adapter has a physical network interface for receiving data from a host and a media access control (MAC) controller.
39. The NAD device of claim 34, wherein the controller has a state machine for controlling the operation of the NAD device.
40. The NAD device of claim 34, wherein the controller has a filter for controlling access to the disk.
41. The NAD device of claim 34, wherein the disk is partitioned into a plurality of disk partitions.
42. The NAD device of claim 41, wherein each disk partition is controlled by a separate driver.
43. A storage interface at a host having a system bus for controlling a storage device through a front-end network connecting the host and other devices for carrying general-purpose network traffic, comprising:
a network interface card (NIC) installed at the host for providing a general-purpose network connection;
a bus driver for creating a virtual host bus adapter for recognizing the network port as if the storage device is a local device connected directly to the system bus of the host; and
a port driver for communicating a storage command through a network port.
44. The storage interface of claim 43, wherein the storage device is a disk.
45. The storage interface of claim 43, wherein the storage device is a tape system.
46. The storage interface of claim 43, wherein the storage device is a memory system.
47. The storage interface of claim 43, wherein the storage device is a CD drive.
48. The storage interface of claim 43, wherein the host runs the UNIX family of operating system.
49. The storage interface of claim 43, wherein the host runs the Windows family of operating system.
50. A network-attached storage device adapted to be connected through a network to host having a system bus, wherein the host has a virtual host bus adapter that recognizes the device as if it is a local device connected directly to the system bus of the host, the storage device comprising:
a storage device;
a network adapter for receiving a storage command through the network; and
a storage controller for executing the storage command.
51. The network-attached storage device of claim 50, further comprising a state machine controlling the operation of the storage device.
52. The network-attached storage device of claim 50, wherein the storage device is a disk.
53. The network-attached storage device of claim 50, wherein the storage device is a tape device.
54. The network-attached storage device of claim 50, wherein the storage device is a CD drive.
55. The network-attached storage device of claim 50, wherein the storage device is a memory device.
56. A disk interface at a host having a system bus and running an operating system for controlling a disk device through a network, comprising:
a protocol converter as a host bus adapter for converting protocols from disk access commands to data link frames containing the disk access commands; and
wherein the device driver recognizes the disk device as if it is a local device connected to the system bus of the host.
57. The disk interface of claim 56, wherein the operating system is the UNIX family of operating systems.
58. The disk interface of claim 56, wherein the operating system is the Windows family of operating systems.
59. A network-attached disk (NAD) device adapted to be connected through a network to a host having a system bus, wherein the host having a system bus recognizes the device as if it is a local device connected directly to the system bus of the host, the NAD device comprising:
a disk for storing data;
a disk controller for executing a disk access command; and
a network adapter, connected to the network, for receiving data link frames containing the disk access command through the network; and
a counter-protocol-controller, connected to the network adapter and the disk controller, for retrieving the disk access commands from the received data link frames.
60. A storage interface at a host having a system bus for controlling through a network a storage device attached to the network, comprising:
a protocol converter as a host bus adapter for converting storage commands to data link frames for controlling the storage device through the network;
a device driver for creating a virtual host bus adapter controlling the storage device through the network so that the host computer recognizes the storage device as if it is a local device connected directly to the system bus of the host.
61. The storage interface of claim 60, wherein the storage device is a disk.
62. The storage interface of claim 60, wherein the storage device is a tape device.
63. The storage interface of claim 60, wherein the storage device is a CD drive.
64. The storage interface of claim 60, wherein the storage device is a memory device.
65. A network-attached storage device adapted to be connected through a network to a host having a system bus, wherein the host has a virtual host bus adapter so that the host recognizes the device as if it is a local device connected directly to the system bus of the host, the network-attached storage device comprising:
a network adapter for receiving data link frames containing storage commands through the network;
a storage controller, connected to the network adapter, for executing the storage commands; and
a storage device for storing data; and
a counter-converter, connected to the network adapter and the storage controller, for retrieving the storage commands from the data link frames received by the network adapter.
66. The network-attached storage device of claim 65, wherein the storage device is a disk.
67. The network-attached storage device of claim 65, wherein the storage device is a tape device.
68. The network-attached storage device of claim 65, wherein the storage device is a CD drive.
69. The network-attached storage device of claim 65, wherein the storage device is a memory device.
70. A computer juke box for playing multimedia content, comprising:
a network;
a host computer having a system bus and a network interface card (NIC) for providing a network connection;
a plurality of multimedia player for playing multimedia content attached to the network; and
a device driver, running at the host, for creating a virtual host bus adapter whereby the computer recognizes each multimedia player as if it is a local device connected directly to the system bus of the computer.
71. The compute juke box of claim 70, wherein said network is a local area network.
72. The computer juke box of claim 70, wherein said network runs Ethernet.
73. The computer juke box of claim 70, wherein said multimedia players include a CD drive.
74. The computer juke box of claim 70, wherein said multimedia players include a DVD drive.
75. A method of accessing a disk device through a network from a host having a system bus, comprising the steps of:
creating a virtual host bus adapter whereby the host recognizes the disk device as if it is a local device connected to the system bus of the host;
receiving a disk access command from the host through the network;
executing the disk access command; and
sending the result of the command to the host through the network
76. The method of claim 75, wherein the step of creating a virtual host bus adapter includes the step of detecting presence of a network interface card installed at the host.
77. The method of claim 75, wherein the step of creating a virtual host bus adapter includes the step of detecting removal of a network interface card at the host.
78. A method of accessing a storage device connected through a network to a host having a system bus, comprising the steps of:
creating a virtual host bus adapter whereby the host recognizes the storage device as if it is a local device connected directly to the system bus of the host; and
communicating a storage command through the network port.
79. The method of claim 78, wherein the storage device is a disk.
80. The method of claim 78, wherein the storage device is dynamically installed.
81. The method of claim 78, wherein the host runs the UNIX family of operating systems.
82. The method of claim 78, wherein the host runs the Windows family of operating systems.
83. The method of claim 78, wherein said step of communicating a storage command includes the step of sending an IO request packet (IRP) containing an IO transaction to be performed by the storage device.
84. The method of claim 78, wherein said step of communicating a storage command includes steps for translating a storage command to a command specific to an IDE storage device.
85. The method of claim 78, wherein said step of communicating a storage command includes steps for translating a storage command to a command specific to a SCSI storage device.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An apparatus for providing respective video signals to a common display and being connectable to the display, a first shuttered filter, and a second shuttered filter, the apparatus comprising:
a control unit operable to control the display to alternately display an image from a first video signal corresponding to a left perspective of a scene and an image from a second video signal corresponding to a right perspective of the scene, to synchronize the first shuttered filter to the display such that the first filter is shuttered when the left perspective image is displayed, and to synchronize the second shuttered filter to the display such that the second filter is shuttered when the right perspective image is displayed, thereby alternately providing left and right perspective images for perception as a 3D images, wherein the control unit is further configured to synchronize display of one or more images from an additional video signal on the display with shuttering of one or more additional shuttered filters.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the wherein the control unit is configured to synchronize display of the left and right perspective images on the display with shuttering of one or more additional pairs of shuttered filters, whereby two or more viewers may view the same 3D video presentation.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the video presentation is a video game being played by the two or more viewers.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the wherein the control unit is configured to synchronize display of left and right perspective images from one or more additional video signals on the display with shuttering of one or more additional pairs of shuttered filters, whereby two or more viewers may view two or more different 3D video presentations.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the two or more different 3D video presentations include first player’s 3D perspective of a video game and a second player’s 3D perspective of the video game.
6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the two or more different 3D video presentations include a 3D video recording and a 3D video game.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the wherein the control unit is configured to synchronize the display of the left and right perspective images with display of 2D images from an additional video signal on the display with shuttering of an additional shuttered filter, whereby a first viewer can view a 3D video presentation while a second viewer views a 2D video presentation.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said control unit is further operable to transmit an audio signal associated with the first or second video signals to one or more speakers associated with the first and second shuttered filters and to provide an audio signal associated with the additional video signal to an additional speaker associated with the additional shuttered filter.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the control unit is operable in response to a signal indicative of an orientation of the first, second or additional shutter filter relative to the display such that shuttering of the first, second or additional filter is enabled when the shuttered filter apparatus is facing toward the display and wherein the shuttering is disabled when the first second or additional shuttered filter is facing away from the display.
10. A system for providing respective video signals to at least two viewers, comprising: a control unit;
a display connected to the control unit;
first and second shuttered filter units connected to the control unit, wherein the first shuttered filter unit has first and second shuttered filters, wherein the second shuttered filter unit has one or more additional shuttered filters;
wherein the control unit is operable to control the display to alternately display an image from a first video signal corresponding to a left perspective of a scene and an image from a second video signal corresponding to a right perspective of the scene, to synchronize the first shuttered filter to the display such that the first filter is shuttered when the left perspective image is displayed, and to synchronize the second shuttered filter to the display such that the second filter is shuttered when the right perspective image is displayed, thereby alternately providing left and right perspective images for perception as a 3D images, wherein the control unit is further configured to synchronize display of one or more images from an additional video signal on the display with shuttering of the one or more additional shuttered filters.
11. The system of claim 10, further comprising: a first audio unit coupled to said first shuttered filter unit and a second audio unit coupled to the second shuttered filter unit, and wherein said control unit is further operable to control said first audio unit to provide sounds associated with the first video signal to the first viewer and to control said second audio unit to provide sounds associated with the second video signal to the second viewer.
12. A system according to claim 10, wherein each of said first shuttered filter and said second shuttered filter includes an associated LCD shutter glass.
13. A system according to claim 10, wherein said first shuttered filter unit includes a first pair of LCD shutter glasses, and said second shuttered filter includes a second pair of LCD shutter glasses.
14. A system according to claim 13, further comprising: a first headphone unit coupled to said first set of LCD shutter glasses and a second headphone unit coupled to said second set of LCD shutter glasses, and wherein said control unit is further operable to control said first headphone unit to provide sounds associated with the first video signal to the first viewer and to control said second headphone unit to provide sounds associated with the second video signal to the second viewer.
15. The system of claim 10 wherein the wherein the control unit is configured to synchronize display of the left and right perspective images on the display with shuttering of one or more additional pairs of shuttered filters, whereby two or more viewers may view the same 3D video presentation.
16. The system of claim 15 wherein the video presentation is a video game being played by the two or more viewers.
17. The system of claim 10 wherein the wherein the control unit is configured to synchronize display of left and right perspective images from one or more additional video signals on the display with shuttering of one or more additional pairs of shuttered filters, whereby two or more viewers may view two or more different 3D video presentations.
18. The system of claim 17 wherein the two or more different 3D video presentations include a first player’s 3D perspective of a video game and a second player’s 3D perspective of the video game.
19. The system of claim 17 wherein the two or more different 3D video presentations include a 3D video recording and a 3D video game.
20. The system of claim 10 wherein the wherein the control unit is configured to synchronize the display of the left and right perspective images with display of 2D images from an additional video signal on the display with shuttering of an additional shuttered filter, whereby a first viewer can view a 3D video presentation while a second viewer views a 2D video presentation.
21. The system of claim 10 wherein the control unit is further operable to transmit an audio signal associated with the first or second video signals to one or more speakers associated with the first shuttered filter unit and to provide an audio signal associated with the additional video signal to an additional speaker associated with the additional shuttered filter unit.
22. The system of claim 10, wherein the first shuttered filter unit and the second shuttered filter unit are each connected to the control unit using a wireless connection.
23. The system of claim 10 wherein the control unit is operable in response to a signal indicative of an orientation of the first or second shuttered filter unit relative to the display such that shuttering of the first or second shuttered filter unit is enabled when the first or second shuttered filter unit is facing toward the display and wherein the shuttering is disabled when the first or second shuttered filter unit is facing away from the display.
24. The system of claim 23 wherein the first or second shuttered filter unit includes a tracker attached configured to sense an orientation of the first or second shuttered filter unit relative to the display.
25. A method of providing respective video signals to at least two viewers using a common display, the method comprising:
alternately displaying with the display an image from a first video signal corresponding to a left perspective of a scene and an image from a second video signal corresponding to a right perspective of the scene;
synchronizing a first shuttered filter to the display such that the first filter is shuttered when the left perspective image is displayed;
synchronizing a second shuttered filter to the display such that the second filter is shuttered when the right perspective image is displayed, thereby alternately providing left and right perspective images for perception as a 3D images; and
synchronizing display of one or more images from an additional video signal on the display with shuttering of one or more additional shuttered filters.
26. The method of claim 25, further comprising coupling a first audio signal to one or more speakers associated with the first and second shuttered filters, wherein the first audio signal is associated with the scene corresponding to the first or second video signals; and
coupling one or more additional audio signals to one or more speakers associated with the one or more additional shuttered filters, wherein the one or more additional audio signals are associated with the additional video signal.
27. The method of claim 25 wherein synchronizing display of one or more images from an additional video signal includes synchronizing display of left and right perspective images from one or more additional video signals on the display with shuttering of one or more additional pairs of shuttered filters, whereby two or more viewers may view two or more different 3D video presentations.
28. The method of claim 27 wherein the two or more different 3D video presentations include first player’s 3D perspective of a video game and a second player’s 3D perspective of the video game.
29. The method of claim 27 wherein the two or more different 3D video presentations include a 3D video recording and a 3D video game.
30. The method of claim 25 wherein synchronizing display of one or more images from an additional video signal includes synchronizing the display of the left and right perspective images with display of 2D images from the additional video signal on the display with shuttering of an additional shuttered filter, whereby a first viewer can view a 3D video presentation while a second viewer views a 2D video presentation.
31. The method of claim 25, further comprising receiving a signal indicative of an orientation of the first or second or additional shuttered filter relative to the display and enabling shuttering of the first, second or additional shuttered filter when the first, second or additional shuttered filter is facing toward the display and disabling shuttering of the first, second or additional shuttered filter when the first, second or additional shuttered filter is facing away from the display.