Abstract: An optical touch screen, suitable for use underwater and in air comprises a transparent waveguide covering an optional display, which is surrounded by light sources that couple light into the waveguide and sensors that monitor the intensity of light propagating through the waveguide, where light intensity responses are attenuated when the touch surface of the waveguide is touched, as result of disturbing (or frustrating) internally reflected light, and where the locations of such touch events are determined using line equations. The optical touch screen system implements various techniques to allow housing in a waterproof case, and seamless, reliable function underwater and in air.

Abstract: An optical touch screen, suitable for use underwater and in air comprises a transparent waveguide covering an optional display, which is surrounded by light sources that couple light into the waveguide and sensors that monitor the intensity of light propagating through the waveguide, where light intensity responses are attenuated when the touch surface of the waveguide is touched, as result of disturbing (or frustrating) internally reflected light, and where the locations of such touch events are determined using line equations. The optical touch screen system implements various techniques to allow housing in a waterproof case, and seamless, reliable function underwater and in air.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for performing a self-servo write operation in a disk drive. In one embodiment, the disk drive includes a disk surface having a read head and a write head associated therewith. Spiral servo information is written onto the disk surface in a closed-loop fashion through use of a servo track writer. The read head reads the spiral servo information and is used to position the write head, which writes final servo information onto the disk surface. The final servo information may be embedded servo information. The final servo information that has been written onto the disk surface looks substantially identical to a disk surface that has had its final servo patterns written using a servo track writer.

Abstract: A disk drive having reduced electromagnetic emission quasi-peaks is provided. The repetition rate of servo blocks or data is reduced, spread or otherwise altered. In one embodiment, the number of data zones is increased to achieve an emissions reduction goal. In one embodiment, the disk drive is configured to effectively have one track per zone. In one embodiment, the rotation rate of the disk is varied or the effective data bit density, as detected by the read/write head, is otherwise varied. In one embodiment, servo-sectors are intentionally positioned to vary the length, along the track, of inter-servo intervals.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention are generally directed to processing servo data on a storage surface by detecting a time difference between consecutive read signal envelopes from spiral servo information on the surface.

Abstract: In accordance with various embodiments, a rotatable member is mounted to a spindle hub so that initial servo data previously provided to the rotatable member are eccentrically offset with respect to a rotational center of the spindle hub. Compensation vales are determined to characterize said offset, after which final servo data are provided to the rotatable member in relation to the initial servo data and the determined compensation values. The final servo data are nominally concentric with the rotational center of the spindle hub.

Abstract: Methods for writing servo fields on a rotatable data storage disk using reference patterns on the data storage disk include generating a clock signal, reading a reference pattern signal from a surface of the disk, generating a phase error signal in response to a phase offset between the clock signal and the reference pattern signal, subtracting a timing control value from the phase error to provide an adjusted phase error, generating a frequency control signal in response to the adjusted phase error, and adjusting the frequency of the clock signal. The timing control value is generated in response to the phase error signal and the frequency control signal.

Abstract: A disk surface has a keep-out region and a certified region. A transducer associated with the disk surface writes servo information in the keep-out region under control of a servo track writer. The transducer then writes data in a temporary utility zone in the keep-out region. Next, a self-servo write operation uses data in the temporary utility zone to write servo information in the certified region. Thereafter, data is transferred from the temporary utility zone to a final utility zone in the certified region.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for dynamic placement of an integration window in a disk drive having a disk surface with spiral servo information written thereon. A read head is provided for reading the spiral servo information and generating a read signal envelope. A repetitive spiral position error, associated with one spiral of the spiral servo information, is measured. Placement of an integration window is dynamically adjusted based upon the measured repetitive spiral position error, so that a read signal envelope read by the read head appears more towards the center of the integration window than if the placement of the integration window was not dynamically adjusted. By adjusting the placement of the integration window, dynamic range is increased without increasing the size of the integration window.

Abstract: A disk drive includes a rotatable data storage disk, a transducer, an actuator, and a controller. The transducer is configured to read and write data on the disk. The actuator is configured to position the transducer relative to defined portions of the disk. The controller is configured to write a predetermined magnetic polarity pattern on a buffer portion of the disk to erase data thereon. The controller also determines whether the disk drive has reached a threshold operating temperature, and to selectively direct data from a host device, which is addressed for an associated original block address on the disk, to be written to the buffer portion of the disk when the disk drive has not reached the threshold operating temperature. The controller later copies the data from the buffer portion of the disk to the original block address on the disk and then erases the data from the buffer portion of the disk.

Abstract: Methods for making a disk drive, apparatus for writing servo bursts on a disk, and disk drive apparatus are provided. The disk drive includes a disk and transducer adjacent to the disk. The transducer includes a read element and a write element. A width of the read element is determined. A servo track pitch is determined based on the read element width. Servo bursts are written in servo tracks on the disk with the write element based on the servo track pitch.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for providing multi-point position demodulation of a read head when using spiral-written servo information. In one embodiment, a disk surface has spiral servo information written thereon. A read head generates a read signal envelope when reading the spiral servo information. A read signal envelope is detected within an integration window and integration values are accumulated over the integration window. The accumulated integration values are multiplied by a first number associated with a first integrator value and a second number associated with a second integrator value. A first position error signal associated with the first integrator value is determined, and a second position error signal associated with the second integrator value is also determined. A final position error signal is determined using the first position error signal and the second position error signal.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to method and apparatus for determining a transducer's reference position in a disk drive having a disk surface with spiral servo information written thereon. The transducer comprises a read head for reading spiral servo information and a read signal envelope is generated when the read head reads the spiral servo information. An integration is performed over a first integration window, wherein the first integration window includes a read signal envelope. A reference position is determined for the read head using a second integration window (virtual integration window) that is included within, and smaller than, the first integration window. In one embodiment, the integration may be performed on a frame-by-frame basis. A determination may be made of the frame in the first integration window that includes a maximum sync amplitude. The second integration window may be centered using the frame that includes the maximum sync amplitude.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for performing seek operations in a disk drive having a disk surface with spiral servo information written thereon. In one embodiment, a disk surface is provided with a read head associated therewith. The disk surface has spiral servo information written thereon. The read head generates a read signal envelope when reading the spiral servo information. A plurality of integration windows is provided. The plurality of integration windows have a standard interval therebetween. A position error signal is generated based upon a location of a read signal envelope within an integration window. The interval between adjacent integration windows is adjusted from the standard interval to generate a position error signal. The read head is moved in a radial direction based upon the position error signal. This process may be repeated to seek across the disk surface.

Abstract: A method of controlling a disk drive that reduces the space on the data storage surface of a storage disk otherwise effectively required to be taken up by embedded servo sectors. In disk drives employing wide-writer, narrow-reader, dual element heads, each servo burst field ends with a burst correction value (BCV) field. This BCV field enables the wide-writer head to be accurately positioned within track boundaries before writing begins to the data sector following a servo sector. The present invention takes advantage of the fact that burst correction values are only required by the head incident to data writing operations. Since a finite settle time is required to switch the read channel from servo mode to user data mode, and since the BCV field is not needed for reading operations, mode switching and channel settling can begin while the head is still passing over the BCV field.