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US 6,542,325 B1Granted
Time-based servo for magnetic storage media
AssigneeImation Corp.
InventorsRichard W. Molstad, Michael J. Kelly, Douglas W. Johnson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A servo track configuration includes at least one servo track having a width. A servo pattern is repeatedly recorded in the at least one servo track. Repeatedly recording the servo pattern includes repeating the simultaneous recording of first and second reference pattern lines and a track pattern line in the at least one servo track. Each of the first and second reference pattern lines has an identical predetermined geometry and extends across the width of the at least one servo track. Further, the track pattern line has a predetermined geometry that is different than the predetermined geometry of the first and second reference pattern lines and extends across the width of the at least one servo track.
Claims32
A method of providing a servo track configuration, the method comprising:
- providing at least one servo track, wherein the at least one servo track has a width;
- and
- repeatedly recording a servo pattern in the at least one servo track, wherein repeatedly recording the servo pattern includes repeating the simultaneous recording of first and second reference pattern lines and a track pattern line in the at least one servo track, wherein each of the first and second reference pattern lines has an identical predetermined geometry and extends across the width of the at least one servo track, and further wherein the track pattern line has a predetermined geometry that is different than the predetermined geometry of the first and second reference pattern lines and extends across the width of the at least one servo track.
A servo control system for positioning a magnetic head adjacent a surface of a moving magnetic storage medium, the system comprising:
- a head assembly having a servo read head for reading a repeated servo pattern recorded in a servo track of the storage medium and generating a read head signal representative of the servo pattern;
- a servo decode circuit to receive the read head signal and generate a position signal based on the read head signal that indicates the position of the servo read head relative to the servo pattern;
- a positioning actuator for positioning the head assembly relative to the storage medium;
- a controller that activates the positioning actuator as a function of at least the position signal;
- wherein the servo decode circuit receives the read head signal generated from the repeated servo pattern as the servo read head is moved in a transducing direction along the storage medium, wherein the servo pattern includes:
- a first servo pattern reference region and a second servo pattern reference region, wherein each of the first and second servo pattern reference regions include at least one reference pattern line having a predetermined geometry extending across a width of the servo track, wherein the predetermined geometry of the reference pattern lines in the first and second servo pattern reference regions are identical;
- and
- a servo pattern track region, wherein the servo pattern track region includes at least one track pattern line having a predetermined geometry extending across the width of the servo track, wherein the predetermined geometry of the at least one track pattern line in the servo pattern track region is different than the predetermined geometry of the reference pattern lines in the first and second servo pattern reference regions;
- and
- further wherein the servo decode circuit determines a time interval between the reference pattern lines in the first and second servo pattern reference regions and determines a time interval between the at least one track pattern line in the servo pattern track region and a reference pattern line in at least one of the servo pattern reference regions to generate the position signal.
7 more elements
A servo tracking data recording tape, the tape comprising:
- at least one data track extending along at least a portion of the length of the tape;
- and
- at least one servo track extending along at least a portion of the length of the tape, wherein the at least one servo track has a track width orthogonal to the length of the tape, and further wherein the at least one servo track includes a servo pattern repeated along at least the portion of the length of the tape, wherein the servo pattern includes:
- a first servo pattern reference region and a second servo pattern reference region, wherein each of the first and second servo pattern reference regions include N reference pattern lines having a predetermined geometry extending across the width of the servo track, wherein the predetermined geometry of the reference pattern lines in the first and second pattern reference regions are identical, and further where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1;
- and
- a servo pattern track region, wherein the servo pattern track region includes N track pattern lines having a predetermined geometry extending across the width of the servo track, wherein the predetermined geometry of the track pattern lines in the servo pattern track region is different than the predetermined geometry of the reference pattern lines in the first and second servo pattern reference regions.
3 more elements
A method of providing a servo track configuration, the method comprising:
- providing a tape drive for receiving a tape cartridge containing tape;
- recording at least one servo pattern in at least one servo track along at least a portion of a length of the tape contained in the tape cartridge, the at least one servo track having a track width orthogonal to the length of the tape, wherein recording the servo pattern includes simultaneously recording first and second reference pattern lines and a track pattern line in the at least one servo track, wherein each of the first and second reference pattern lines has an identical predetermined geometry and extends across the width of the at least one servo track, and further wherein the track pattern line has a predetermined geometry that is different than the predetermined geometry of the first and second reference pattern lines and extends across the width of the at least one servo track.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.