Loading patent…
AssigneeSeagate Technology LLC
InventorsCHARLES A BATES, LAWRENCE M BRYANT, DAVID S KUO, ERIC G RAWSON
Estimating the term…
A disk drive system is described for forming and reading precise optically detectable patterns on rotating members of a disk and spindle assembly used in data storage system. In particular the invention describes a magnetic disk drive employing a laser system to form and sense optical clock patterns placed on the rotating members of the disk drive. These optically detectable patterns are used to create an accurate clock track. The clock may be used to create multiple accurate magnetic patterns on one or more disks attached to a disk and spindle assembly in a magnetic data storage system. By successively changing the radius at which the magnetic patterns are created it is then possible to create multiple magnetic patterns at successive radii with all such magnetic patterns having a precise geometric relationship to each other. Alternatively, the accurate clock pattern may stand alone as an encoder. Additionally, the laser system may also be used to form textured surfaces on a disk to control the flying characteristics of a magnetic head slider assembly. These textured surfaces may also serve as a resting area for the magnetic head slider assembly when the disk is not spinning.
A pattern sensing apparatus for a disk drive with a substantially sealed enclosure with enclosed, said enclosure enclosing rotating members having optically detectable clock patterns on one or more surfaces, an optical source for projecting an optical beam on to said one or more rotatable member surfaces, a window in said enclosure, and pattern sensing electronics, the combination comprising:
An apparatus for sensing optically detectable patterns of a disk drive, said apparatus comprising:
A method of forming an accurate clock using the optically detectable features of an optical clock pattern of a magnetic disk drive, said disk drive having rotatable members on a disk and spindle assembly, and having one or more, rotatable, data storage disks, and having magnetic transducer heads for reading or writing onto said magnetic storage disks, all located within a substantially sealed enclosure, said enclosure featuring an opening for viewing said accurate clock pattern on one of said rotatable members or data storage disks, said method comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.