Mechanical shock mitigation for data storage

Abstract

A device adapted to capture surveillance data that includes a disk and a Non-Volatile Solid-State Memory (NVSM). The surveillance data is received in a buffer of the device for storage on the disk, and an input is received indicating a level of mechanical shock. It is determined whether the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds a first threshold indicative of an impact. If the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds the first threshold, the surveillance data is stored in the NVSM from the buffer and a status is determined for storing data on the disk.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device adapted to capture surveillance data, the device comprising:
 a disk for storing surveillance data;   a Non-Volatile Solid-State Memory (NVSM) for storing surveillance data;   a memory including a buffer for storing surveillance data before writing the surveillance data on the disk; and   a controller configured to:
 receive surveillance data into the buffer for storage on the disk; 
 receive an input indicating a level of mechanical shock; 
 determine whether the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds a first threshold indicative of an impact; and 
 if the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds the first threshold:
 store surveillance data from the buffer in the NVSM; and 
 determine a status for storing surveillance data on the disk. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine an additional status for storing surveillance data on the disk if the status for storing surveillance data on the disk previously indicated that surveillance data could not be stored on the disk. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein in determining the status for storing surveillance data on the disk, the controller is further configured to perform a diagnostic test on the disk. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the controller includes a shock signal amplifier, and wherein the controller is further configured to:
 process the input into a first shock signal used by the controller to determine whether the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds the first threshold;   process the first shock signal into a second shock signal using the shock signal amplifier; and   determine based on the second shock signal whether the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds a second threshold, the second threshold corresponding to less mechanical shock than the first threshold.   
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the NVSM includes a first portion reserved for storing surveillance data from the buffer upon determining that the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds the first threshold indicative of an impact. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the NVSM includes a second portion reserved for storing a predetermined amount of new surveillance data received by the controller for storage in the device after determining that the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds the first threshold. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the NVSM includes a third portion, and wherein the controller is further configured to:
 receive new surveillance data into the buffer for storage in the device after determining that the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds the first threshold;   receive an additional input indicating a subsequent level of mechanical shock;   determine whether the additional input indicates the subsequent level of mechanical shock corresponds to an additional impact; and   store the new surveillance data from the buffer in the third portion of the NVSM if the additional input indicates the subsequent level of mechanical shock corresponds to an additional impact, wherein the third portion of the NVSM is reserved for storing a predetermined amount of the new surveillance data from the buffer.   
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the NVSM includes a circular buffer, and wherein the controller is further configured to:
 receive new surveillance data for storage in the device after determining that the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds the first threshold; and   store the new surveillance data in the circular buffer.   
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the buffer includes a first portion and a second portion, and wherein the controller is further configured to receive surveillance data into the first portion of the buffer for storage on the disk while storing surveillance data on the disk that was previously received in the second portion of the buffer. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a host in communication with a remote storage device via a network, and wherein the host is configured to:
 retrieve surveillance data stored in the NVSM; and   send the retrieved surveillance data to the remote storage device via the network.   
     
     
         11 . A method of operating a device adapted to capture surveillance data, the device including a disk and a Non-Volatile Solid-State Memory (NVSM) for storing surveillance data, the method comprising:
 receiving surveillance data into a buffer of the device for storage on the disk;   receiving an input indicating a level of mechanical shock;   determining whether the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds a first threshold indicative of an impact; and   in response to determining that the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds the first threshold:
 storing surveillance data from the buffer in the NVSM; and 
 determining a status for storing surveillance data on the disk. 
   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising determining an additional status for storing surveillance data on the disk in response to determining that the status for storing surveillance data on the disk previously indicated that surveillance data could not be stored on the disk. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein in determining the status for storing surveillance data on the disk, the method further comprises performing a diagnostic test on the disk. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 processing the input into a first shock signal used to determine whether the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds the first threshold;   processing the first shock signal into a second shock signal using a shock signal amplifier; and   determining based on the second shock signal whether the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds a second threshold, the second threshold corresponding to less mechanical shock than the first threshold.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising storing surveillance data from the buffer in a reserved first portion of the NVSM in response to determining that the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds the first threshold indicative of an impact. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 receiving a predetermined amount of new surveillance data for storage in the device after determining that the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds the first threshold; and   storing the predetermined amount of new surveillance data in a reserved second portion of the NVSM.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 receiving new surveillance data into the buffer for storage in the device after determining that the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds the first threshold;   receiving an additional input indicating a subsequent level of mechanical shock;   determining whether the additional input indicates the subsequent level of mechanical shock corresponds to an additional impact; and   in response to determining that the additional input indicates the subsequent level of mechanical shock corresponds to an additional impact, storing the new surveillance data from the buffer in a third portion of the NVSM, wherein the third portion of the NVSM is reserved for storing a predetermined amount of the new surveillance data from the buffer.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 receiving new surveillance data for storage in the device after determining that the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds the first threshold; and   storing the new surveillance data in a circular buffer of the NVSM.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising receiving surveillance data into a first portion of the buffer for storage on the disk while storing surveillance data on the disk that was previously received in a second portion of the buffer. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 retrieving surveillance data stored in the NVSM; and   sending the retrieved surveillance data to a remote storage device via a network.   
     
     
         21 . A computer readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for operating a device adapted to capture surveillance data, the device including a disk and a Non-Volatile Solid-State Memory (NVSM) for storing surveillance data, wherein when the computer-executable instructions are executed by a controller of the device, the computer-executable instruction cause the controller to:
 receive surveillance data into a buffer of the device for storage on the disk;   receive an input indicating a level of mechanical shock;   determine whether the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds a first threshold indicative of an impact; and   in response to determining that the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds the first threshold:
 store surveillance data from the buffer in the NVSM; and 
 determine a status for storing surveillance data on the disk.