Rotary head data storage and retrieval system and method
AssigneeOracle International Corporation
InventorsCarl T. Madison, Jr., Timothy C. Ostwald
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A head carriage unit in a data storage and retrieval system and method has a substantially planar working surface and multiple heads disposed at the working surface. The head carriage unit is adapted for rotational motion about an axis oriented substantially normal to the working surface. A tape drive unit moves a tape media past the working surface of the head carriage unit, the tape media having a width approximately equal to a width of the working surface of the head carriage unit. The multiple heads record multiple data tracks on or retrieve multiple data tracks from the tape media as the head carriage unit rotates while the tape media moves past the working surface of the head carriage unit.
Claims21
A data storage and retrieval system comprising:
- a head carriage unit having a substantially planar working surface and a plurality of heads disposed at the working surface, the head carriage unit adapted for rotational motion about an axis oriented substantially normal to the working surface;
- and
- a tape drive unit for moving a tape media past the working surface of the head carriage unit, the tape media having a length and a width, the tape media width approximately equal to a width of the working surface of the head carriage unit;
- wherein the plurality of heads are configured to perform one of recording a plurality of data tracks on and retrieving a plurality of data tracks from the tape media as the head carriage unit rotates while the tape media moves past the working surface of the head carriage unit.
A data storage and retrieval method comprising:
- rotating a head carriage unit having a substantially planar working surface about an axis oriented substantially normal to the working surface, the head carriage unit having a plurality of heads disposed at the working surface;
- moving a tape media past the working surface of the head carriage unit, the tape media having a length and a width, the tape media width approximately equal to a width of the working surface of the head carriage unit;
- and
- as the head carriage unit rotates while the tape media moves past the working surface of the head carriage unit, performing one of recording a plurality of data tracks on and retrieving a plurality of data tracks from the tape media by the plurality of heads disposed at the working surface of the head carriage unit.
A data storage and retrieval system comprising:
- a head carriage unit having a working surface and a plurality of optical heads disposed at the working surface, the head carriage unit adapted for rotational motion about an axis oriented substantially normal to the working surface;
- and
- an optical tape drive unit for moving an optical tape media past the working surface of the head carriage unit, the tape media having a length and a width, the tape media width approximately equal to a width of the working surface of the head carriage unit;
- wherein the plurality of heads are configured to perform one of recording a plurality of data tracks on and retrieving a plurality of data tracks from the tape media as the head carriage unit rotates while the tape media moves past the working surface of the head carriage unit, wherein the plurality of heads are configured to move along the width of the tape media in a direction substantially perpendicular to the length of the tape media as the head carriage unit rotates and the tape media moves laterally past the working surface of the head carriage unit in a direction substantially parallel to the length of the tape media so that each of the plurality of data tracks recorded on the tape media has an arcuate shape.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.