Energy conserving disc drive
AssigneeSeagate Technology LLC
InventorsCharles W. Thiesfeld, Hakam D. Hussein
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A disc drive includes a disc mounted to a rotatable spindle, a motor coupled to the spindle, and motor control circuitry. The motor has a motoring mode in which it rotates the spindle and a braking mode in which is decelerates the rotating spindle and generates power. The motor control circuitry is adapted to control the modes of the motor. The disc drive also includes an auxiliary power output that is generated while operating the motor in the braking mode. The auxiliary power output is made accessible to electronic components that are collateral to the disc drive.
Claims29
A disc drive comprising:
- a disc mounted to a rotatable spindle;
- a motor coupled to the spindle, the motor having a motoring mode in which it rotates the spindle and a braking mode in which it decelerates the rotating spindle and generates power;
- motor control circuitry adapted to control the modes of the motor;
- and
- an auxiliary power output generated while operating the motor in the braking mode, the auxiliary power output being accessible to an electronic component that is collateral to the disc drive.
A digital processing system comprising:
- a battery;
- a disc drive including:
- a disc mounted to a rotatable spindle;
- a motor coupled to the spindle, the motor having a motoring mode in which it rotates the spindle and a braking mode in which it decelerates the rotating spindle and generates power;
- motor control circuitry adapted to control the modes of the motor;
- and
- an auxiliary power output generated while operating the motor in the braking mode, the auxiliary power output being accessible to an electronic component that is located externally to the disc drive;
- and
- a battery charger electrically coupled to the auxiliary power output and adapted to charge the battery therewith.
A digital processing system comprising:
- a disc drive including:
- a disc mounted to a rotatable spindle;
- a motor coupled to the spindle, the motor having a motoring mode in which it rotates the spindle and a braking mode in which it decelerates the rotating spindle and generates power;
- motor control circuitry adapted to control the modes of the motor;
- and
- an auxiliary power output generated while operating the motor in the braking mode, the auxiliary power output being accessible to an electronic component that is located externally to the disc drive;
- and
- an electronic component that is collateral to the disc drive and electrically coupled to the auxiliary power output.
A method of shutting down a disc drive that includes a disc mounted to a rotatable spindle and a motor coupled to the spindle, the method comprising steps of:
- a) terminating a motoring mode in which the motor rotates the spindle;
- b) braking the motor;
- c) generating an auxiliary power output in response to the braking of the motor;
- and
- d) providing the auxiliary power output to an electronic component that is collateral to the disc drive.
A disc drive storage system comprising:
- a disc mounted to a rotatable spindle;
- a motor coupled to the spindle, the motor having a motoring mode in which it rotates the spindle and a braking mode;
- and
- an auxiliary power output means for producing an auxiliary power output that is generated when the motor is in the braking mode and is accessible by an electronic component that is collateral to the disc drive.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.