Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed for connecting to a host, the host comprising loopback circuitry operable to loop a pattern received from the disk drive back to the disk drive. The disk drive comprises interface circuitry including a transmitter driver operable to transmit transmission signals at a transmission amplitude, and a receiver driver operable to receive reception signals. The transmitter driver is configured to transmit at an initial transmission amplitude, and a calibration pattern is transmitted to the host through the transmitter driver. The reception signals received by the receiver driver are monitored to detect a loopback pattern representing a loopback of the calibration pattern. The loopback pattern is processed to detect an error, and the transmission amplitude is adjusted in response to the error.

Abstract: A method of operating a mobile terminal comprising a local memory and a screen is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of receiving a first component of a document over a first communication channel, receiving a second component of the document over a second communication channel, and combining the first and second components of the document at the mobile terminal. In an alternative embodiment, the first component of the document is received during a first synchronization session, and the second component of the document is received during a second synchronization session.

Abstract: A disk drive control system comprising a micro-controller, a micro-controller cache system adapted to store micro-controller data for access by the micro-controller, a buffer manager adapted to provide the micro-controller cache system with micro-controller requested data stored in a remote memory, and a cache demand circuit adapted to: a) receive a memory address and a memory access signal, and b) cause the micro-controller cache system to fetch data from the remote memory via the buffer manager based on the received memory address and memory access signal prior to a micro-controller request.

Abstract: In an external disk drive system comprising a disk drive, a bridge controller comprising a plurality of Bridge Controller Host (BCH) interfaces adapted to establish communication between the external disk drive system and an external device via a plurality of different communication mediums, a method for switching from a first BCH-interface communicating with the external device via a first communication medium to a second BCH-interface during the operation of the external disk drive system. The method comprising sensing a connecting of a second communication medium to the external disk drive system via the second BCH-interface; determining an interface priority of the second communication medium over an interface priority of the first communication medium; dismounting the disk drive from the first communication medium based on the determining; and mounting the disk drive to the second communication medium wherein the external disk drive system remains operational during the dismounting an mounting.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk, an actuator arm, a head coupled to the actuator arm, a base, and an optical sensor operable to detect a position of the actuator arm. The optical sensor comprises a light source that is stationary relative to the base, a plurality of light sensitive sensors positioned to receive light from the light source, and a substantially opaque element positioned between the light source and the light sensitive sensors configured to control an amount of light at least one of the plurality of light sensitive sensors detects relative to the position of the actuator arm.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk having a plurality of servo sectors defining a plurality of servo tracks, wherein each servo sector comprises a track address identifying a corresponding servo track. A head is actuated over the disk, and a ramp is positioned near an outer diameter of the disk, wherein an edge of the ramp extends over a plurality of the servo tracks. The head is loaded from the ramp onto the disk, and a track address in at least one of the servo sectors is detected and stored. The process is repeated a number of times, and then a starting track proximate an outer diameter of the disk is identified in response to the detected and stored track addresses.

Abstract: A method and system for improving fetch operations between a micro-controller and a remote memory via a buffer manager in a disk drive control system comprising a micro-controller, a micro-controller cache system having a cache memory and a cache-control subsystem, and a buffer manager communicating with micro-controller cache system and remote memory. The invention includes receiving a data-request from micro-controller in cache control subsystem wherein the data-request comprises a request for at least one of instruction code and non-instruction data.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk, a head actuated over the disk, and a spindle motor for rotating the disk, the spindle motor comprising a plurality of windings. Disk control circuitry executes a spin-down operation of the spindle motor by estimating an angular position of the spindle motor by applying a voltage to at least one of the windings and evaluating a rise time of current flowing through the winding. The windings are commutated in response to the estimated angular position, and a driving current is applied to the windings to brake the spindle motor.

Abstract: The invention may be embodied in a method for operating a disk drive in a mobile device to optimize power usage based on an application category. The mobile device may be a hand held computing device such as a personal digital assistant (PDA) or a mobile terminal such as a cellular telephone. A technique of the invention may spin down the disk drive after an adjustable delay time interval that is set based on an application category associated with a most recent data transfer command.

Abstract: A method and system for reducing micro-controller access time to information stored in the remote memory via the buffer manager in a disk drive control system comprising a micro-controller, a micro-controller cache system having a plurality of line-cache segments grouped into at least one line-cache segment-group, and a buffer manager communicating with the micro-controller cache system and a remote memory. The method and system includes receiving in the micro-controller cache system a current data-request from the micro-controller, providing the current requested data to the micro-controller if the current requested data resides in a first line-cache segment of a first segment-group, and automatically filling a second line-cache segment of the first segment-group with data retrieved from the remote memory wherein the retrieved data is sequential in the remote memory to the provided current requested data.

Abstract: A digital video recorder (DVR) for use with a monitor and a set top box (STB) is disclosed. The STB demodulates program data by tuning to at least one of a plurality of channels and comprises a DVR interface. The DVR comprises a local memory for storing the program data received from the STB, and a STB interface for communicating with the DVR interface. The DVR further comprises a DVR controller for communicating control data to direct the STB to tune to a selected channel, and for receiving a channel-change event from the STB in connection with the STB changing the tuned channel.

Abstract: A disk drive is discloses comprising a disk, a head connected to a distal end of an actuator arm, and a voice coil motor (VCM) for rotating the actuator arm about a pivot in order to actuate the head radially over the disk. If when a power failure occurs the radial location of the head is less than a predetermined distance from the outer diameter of the disk, the VCM is controlled to move the head toward the inner diameter of the disk and stopping the head before it reaches the inner diameter of the disk. The VCM is then controlled to move the head toward the outer diameter of the disk until the actuator arm unloads onto a ramp.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed for executing a preemptive multitasking operating system comprising tasks of varying priority, including a disk task for processing disk commands by initiating seek operations and configuring parameters of a read/write channel, a host task for initiating disk commands in response to host commands received from a host computer, a background task for initiating disk commands to perform background operations including a defect scan of the disk, and an execution task for arbitrating the disk commands generated by the host task and the background task and for transmitting the arbitrated disk commands to the disk task.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk having a plurality of tracks each comprising a plurality of data sectors for storing a plurality of data blocks. A microprocessor initializes a write verify counter in a disk command data structure and executes a write command. The microprocessor executes a write verify operation to verify the recoverability of the data written to a plurality of target data sectors. If the write verify operation fails for a target data sector, the microprocessor updates the write verify counter in the disk command data structure and re-executes the write command and the write verify operation. If the write verify operation fails a number of times such that the write verify counter exceeds a threshold, the microprocessor relocates a data block from the failing target data sector to a spare data sector.

Abstract: A method for identifying defective data sectors in a disk drive comprising generating a test pattern on a portion of a disk surface; reading the test pattern on the portion to detect an error and if an error is detected: associating the error with a physical location on the portion to identify a defective area unsuitable for user data; and assigning a severity category to the defective area. The method further comprises providing a physical defect list (P-list) for listing each defective area, the P-list having a predetermined limit to restrict a number of P-list entries; and posting the defective areas having a first severity category to the P-list and if the P-list limit is not exceeded by the first severity category entries: posting defective areas having a second severity category to the P-list.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a disk drive is disclosed. The disk drive comprising a disk, a head actuated radially over the disk, a host interface for receiving disk commands from a host system, and a semiconductor memory for storing a drive operating program and a manufacturing program. The drive operating program comprising a disk access procedure for processing disk commands and a disk access vector for calling the disk access procedure. During a development stage, the manufacturing program is executed by an external test system that sends disk commands to a development drive. During a manufacturing stage, the manufacturing program is executed internally on each disk drive being manufactured by calling the disk access procedure of the drive operating program through the disk access vector.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a microprocessor, a non-volatile serial semiconductor memory for storing code segments of a control program, a first semiconductor memory for storing code segments of a loader program, and a second semiconductor memory for receiving the code segments of the control program. When the disk drive is powered on, the microprocessor executes the loader program from the first semiconductor memory to load the control program from the non-volatile serial semiconductor memory into the second semiconductor memory. The microprocessor then executes the control program from the second semiconductor memory.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for remotely synchronizing a mobile terminal to a target computer is disclosed. A user's operation of the mobile terminal is monitored and a computer program is executed for adapting ordering and filtering synchronization rules in response to the user's operation of the mobile terminal to generate a modified set of synchronization rules. Synchronization data is exchanged between the target computer and the mobile terminal using the modified set of synchronization rules.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a microprocessor for executing a disk command. The microprocessor initializes a configuration data structure comprising a plurality of configuration parameters with default values. The microprocessor modifies at least one of the configuration parameters with a custom value to generate a custom configuration data structure, and the microprocessor executes the disk command using the custom configuration data structure.

Abstract: A system for configuring, loading and executing an operating system for performing a user-selected function is disclosed. The system includes a disk drive including: a host-accessible user partition; a host-inaccessible hidden partition independent of the host-accessible user partition; and a disk controller. The user partition includes: a user partition address range; a host-selected operating system; and a host-selected master boot record. The host-inaccessible hidden partition includes: a hidden partition address range outside the user partition address range; an application program for allowing a user to select a function to perform and configuring, loading and executing an operating system to perform the selected function; and a drive-selected boot record for loading and executing the application program that allows the user to select a function and configures, loads and executes an operating system for performing the function.