Asperity data storage system, method and medium

Abstract

An asperity data storage system wherein asperities are used to represent stored data. The asperity data storage system includes an asperity transducer that thermally interacts with a data storage medium adapted to store an information-encoded pattern of asperities thereon, such as a rotatable disk, a streamable tape, or a fixed medium. A drive system produces relative motion between the data storage medium and the asperity transducer, while electrical signals corresponding to the asperities are processed as stored information. A positional relationship can be maintained between the asperity transducer and the data storage medium using the asperities on the data storage medium for reference. A related asperity data storage method and the asperity data storage medium itself are further disclosed.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.