Magnetic storage device with multiple read elements which are offset laterally and longitudinally

A magnetic data storage system, comprising:

• a magnetic media;
• a transducer for reading information from the magnetic media, wherein:
• the transducer includes a plurality of read elements, and
• the plurality of read elements are laterally and longitudinally offset from each other;
• and
• a circuit that laterally shifts a sensitivity of the transducer electronically rather than physically in response to signals from the read elements.

A method of reading information stored on a track of a magnetic media, comprising the steps of:

• providing a transducer for reading information from the magnetic media, the transducer including:
• a first read element, and
• a second read element, wherein the first and second read elements are both laterally and longitudinally offset from each other;
• reading information from the magnetic media using the first and second read elements to produce respective first and second analog read signals;
• and
• shifting a sensitivity of the transducer in a lateral direction electronically rather than physically in response to the first and second analog read signals.

A magnetic storage device, comprising:

• a magnetic media;
• a transducer for reading information from and writing information to the magnetic media, wherein the transducer includes:
• a first read element;
• and
• a second read element, wherein the first and second read elements are both laterally and longitudinally offset from each other;
• and
• a circuit that adjusts a read sensitivity of the transducer in a lateral direction in response to first and second read signals from the first and second read elements, respectively, without moving the transducer.

A disk drive, comprising:

• a magnetic disk;
• a transducer for reading information from a track on the magnetic disk, wherein the transducer includes:
• a first read element that provides a first read signal in response to information on the track;
• and
• a second read element that provides a second read signal in response to the information on the track, wherein the first and second read elements are both laterally and longitudinally offset from each other;
• and
• a circuit that compares the first and second read signals, adjusts the first and second read signals in response to the comparison, and provides a combined read signal in response to the adjusted first and second read signals.

A disk drive, comprising:

• a disk that includes a track;
• a transducer for reading from and writing to the track, wherein the transducer includes:
• a first read element that provides a first read signal in response to information on the track;
• and
• a second read element that provides a second read signal in response to the information on the track;
• wherein the first and second read elements are both laterally and longitudinally offset from each other;
• a detection circuit that detects lateral positions of the first and second read elements relative to a magnetic center of the track in response to the first and second read signals;
• and
• an adjustment circuit that adjusts the first and second read signals in response to the detected lateral positions.

A magnetic storage device, comprising:

• a magnetic media;
• and
• a transducer for reading information from the magnetic media, the transducer including:
• a first read element;
• and
• a second read element, the first and second read elements being both laterally and longitudinally offset from each other;
• wherein the first read element produces a first analog read signal, the second read element products a second analog read signal, the first analog read signal is adjusted by a first variable gain stage to produce a first gain-adjusted analog read signal, the second analog read signal is adjusted by a second variable gain stage to produce a second gain-adjusted analog read signal, and the adjustment of the first and second analog read signals is a weighted adjustment, respectively based upon a distance of the first read element and a distance of the second read element from a magnetic center of a track.

A method of reading information stored on a track of a magnetic media, comprising the steps of:

• providing a transducer for reading information from the magnetic media, the transducer including:
• a first read element, and
• a second read element, wherein the first and second read elements are both laterally and longitudinally offset from each other;
• reading information from the magnetic media using the first and second read elements to produce respective first and second analog read signals;
• analyzing the first and second analog read signals to locate a magnetic center of the track;
• delivering the first analog read signal to a first variable gain stage;
• delivering the second analog read signal to a second variable gain stage;
• and
• adjusting the first and second variable gain stages based upon relative positions of the first and second read elements with respect to the magnetic center to respectively produce first and second gain-adjusted analog read signals.