US 8,800,858 B2Granted

Tandem spot scanning for a storage library

AssigneeOracle International Corporation

InventorsDaniel James Plutt, Timothy Craig Ostwald, Joseph Paul Manes

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Abstract

Systems and methods are described for using topographic and/or contrast spot scanning to facilitate various types of functionality in context of a data storage library. A robotic mechanism includes a hand assembly that has one or more integrated spot scanners. The hand assembly is configured to travel in at least two directions and to rotate, thereby locating and/or pointing the spot scanner in desired locations throughout the data storage library. By sweeping the spot scanner across a scan window, contrast and/or topographic data can be acquired and decoded to generate a profile of a region. The profile can be interpreted to facilitate functions, such as calibration of robot location with respect to media cartridges, targeting, proximity detection, empty cell detection, etc.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system for scanning in a data storage system, the system comprising:

a first spot scanner coupled with a carriage, the carriage configured to move in at least a scan direction and to rotate about a reference axis to point the first spot scanner in a detection direction, such that, when the detection direction is perpendicular to the scan direction, the detection direction and the scan direction define four quadrants of the carriage, the first spot scanner being in one of the four quadrants;
a second spot scanner coupled with the carriage in another of the four quadrants;
a driver configured to move the carriage in the scan direction to sweep the spot scanners to acquire raw scan data at each of a plurality of locations within at least one scan window;
and
a processor, in communication with the spot scanners, and configured to:
direct at least one of the spot scanners to acquire the raw scan data;
decode the raw scan data to generate a scan profile for a purported feature within the at least one scan window;
and
analyze the scan profile to determine a valid feature corresponding to the purported feature and a feature characteristic associated with the valid feature.

6 more elements

A method for scanning in a data storage system, the method comprising:

moving a carriage using an electromechanical driver to a first movement extent, the carriage configured to move in at least a scan direction between the first movement extent and a second movement extent and to rotate about a reference axis to point at least one of a plurality of spot scanners in a detection direction with reference to a set of target features to acquire raw scan data from the set of target features within any window between a first scanning extent and a second scanning extent;
rotating the carriage to point the first spot scanner in a particular detection direction that is predetermined to be optimal for acquiring raw scan data from the set of target features, the first spot scanner being located on the carriage so that it points substantially at the first scanning extent when the carriage is at the first movement extent and the first spot scanner is pointed in the particular detection direction;
moving the carriage to the second movement extent;
and
rotating the carriage to point the second spot scanner in the particular detection direction, the second spot scanner being located on the carriage so that it points substantially at the second scanning extent when the carriage is at the second movement extent and the second spot scanner is pointed in the particular detection direction.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.