# US 10,311,904 B2 · Multi-mode, multi-channel magnetic recording head and apparatus

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- Number: US 10,311,904 B2
- Document ID: US10311904B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/933,118
- Filed: 2018-03-22
- Published: 2018-09-20
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2017-03-15
- Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation
- Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation
- Inventors: Robert G. Biskeborn
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10311904B2

## CPC

- G11B 5/4893: {relative to moving tape}
- G11B 5/00813: {magnetic tapes}
- G11B 5/584: for track following on tapes
- G11B 20/1201: {on tapes}
- G11B 2020/1087: {wherein a selection is made among at least two alternative ways of processing}
- G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R)

## Abstract

An apparatus according to one embodiment includes an array of 2N+1 transducers on a pitch, where at least one of the transducers within the array is configured as a servo reader. In addition, one of the transducers configured as the servo reader is flanked by transducers on each side.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus, comprising:
an array of 2N+1 transducers on a pitch,
wherein at least one of the transducers within the array is configured as a servo reader,
wherein one of the transducers configured as the servo reader is flanked by transducers on each side.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein one of the transducers configured as the servo reader is flanked by an equal number of N transducers on each side.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

An apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising:
a drive mechanism for passing a magnetic medium over the array; and
a controller directly electrically coupled to each of the transducers.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

An apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to activate data channels thereof depending on a tape motion direction.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

An apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to process data using 2N transducers in a first mode of operation, wherein the controller is configured to process data using fewer than 2N transducers in a second mode of operation.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

An apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein a pitch between the transducers used in the second mode of operation is an integral multiple of a pitch between the transducers used in the first mode of operation.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

An apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the controller includes 2N+1 data channels, each of the data channels being directly electrically coupled to an associated one of the transducers.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

An apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein all of the data channels are active in one mode of operation.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

An apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising at least two servo readers positioned external to an outermost transducer of the array and on a same side thereof.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

An apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein the at least two servo readers have different track widths.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein N is 32.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the transducers are on a same module, each of the transducers being coupled to an associated pair of connection pads of the module, wherein at least two of the transducers are configured as servo readers, wherein relative positions of the pairs of connection pads coupled to the transducers configured as a servo readers are transposed from relative positions of the transducers configured as servo readers on the module.