Abstract: According to one embodiment, a storage device includes a recording medium, a head slider, a head suspension, an actuator, and an alternating current component generator. The head slider faces a surface of the recording medium. The head suspension supports the head slider. The actuator is incorporated in the head slider and increases the protruding length of a protrusion formed on the head slider toward the surface of the recording medium based on an increase in a supplied electrical signal. The alternating current component generator superimposes an alternating current component having a frequency equal to the natural frequency of the head suspension over the electrical signal while increasing or decreasing the protruding length of the protrusion at a predetermined amplitude.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system capable of carrying out efficient and stable system operation control even if a usage rate of the entire system varies under a situation in which the characteristics of storage units, such as maximum available total capacity and speed performance, are largely different from each other. Therefore, the system according to the present invention is composed of a monitor unit for monitoring information on a total volume of data stored in each of the storage units or in all the storage units, an index value calculating unit for calculating an index value on the basis of the monitor result and a location unit for distributively locating or relocating logical storage areas in physical storage areas on a plurality of storage units on the basis of the calculated index value.

Abstract: A recording density of a recording medium is set by establishing a predetermined relationship between guaranteed write/erase endurance values and recording density values for the recording medium, and then selecting a required guaranteed write/erase endurance. A recording density value corresponding to the required guaranteed write/erase endurance is determined from the predetermined relationship, and the recording density of the recording medium set based on the determined recording density value.

Abstract: There is provided an information recording/reproduction apparatus, a head levitation height control method, and a head levitation control circuit capable of adequately controlling a head levitation height. An information recording/reproduction apparatus having a head 41 that performs recording or reproduction of information on/from a recording medium, comprises: a drive section 43a that changes the levitation height of the head 41 relative to the recording medium based on a first drive method; a drive section 43b that changes the levitation height of the head 41 relative to the recording medium based on a second drive method different from the first drive method; a levitation height measurement section that measures the levitation height of the head 41; and a controller that controls the drive sections 43a and 43b based on the head levitation height measured by the levitation height measurement section.

Abstract: Firstly, in order to check the noise level of a device, DC erasure is applied to a magnetic recording medium and the magnetic recording medium is read. Then, a test signal including a first order component and a third order harmonic frequency is written into the magnetic recording medium. The written test signal is read and Fourier transform is applied to the read signal to obtain the respective amplitude of the first order and third order harmonic components. Then, it is determined whether the amplitude of the third order harmonic component is sufficiently large compared with the obtained noise level. If the amplitude is sufficiently large, the flying height of the head is estimated using both the first order and third order harmonic components. If the amplitude is not sufficiently large, the flying height of the head is estimated using only the first order component.

Abstract: A method of detecting a gap between a head and a recording medium in an information-recording/reproducing apparatus that uses the head to record and reproduce information in and from the recording medium. In the method, the gap between the head and the recording medium is alternately increased and decreased, thereby gradually reducing the gap between the head and the recording medium. A detection signal is detected from which to determine a contact between the head or a slider supporting the head and the recording medium. When it is determined that the head or the slider has contacted the recording medium, the head is stopped and moved away from the recording medium to a prescribed position, and data representing a distance the head has moved to contact the recoding medium is acquired.

Abstract: A method of detecting a gap between a head and a recording medium in an information-recording/reproducing apparatus that uses the head to record and reproduce information in and from the recording medium. In the method, the gap between the head and the recording medium is alternately increased and decreased, thereby gradually reducing the gap between the head and the recording medium. A detection signal is detected from which to determine a contact between the head or a slider supporting the head and the recording medium. When it is determined that the head or the slider has contacted the recording medium, the head is stopped and moved away from the recording medium to a prescribed position, and data representing a distance the head has moved to contact the recoding medium is acquired.

Abstract: There is provided an information recording/reproduction apparatus, a head levitation height control method, and a head levitation control circuit capable of adequately controlling a head levitation height. An information recording/reproduction apparatus having a head 41 that performs recording or reproduction of information on/from a recording medium, comprises: a drive section 43a that changes the levitation height of the head 41 relative to the recording medium based on a first drive method; a drive section 43b that changes the levitation height of the head 41 relative to the recording medium based on a second drive method different from the first drive method; a levitation height measurement section that measures the levitation height of the head 41; and a controller that controls the drive sections 43a and 43b based on the head levitation height measured by the levitation height measurement section.

Abstract: Firstly, in order to check the noise level of a device, DC erasure is applied to a magnetic recording medium and the magnetic recording medium is read. Then, a test signal including a first order component and a third order harmonic frequency is written into the magnetic recording medium. The written test signal is read and Fourier transform is applied to the read signal to obtain the respective amplitude of the first order and third order harmonic components. Then, it is determined whether the amplitude of the third order harmonic component is sufficiently large compared with the obtained noise level. If the amplitude is sufficiently large, the flying height of the head is estimated using both the first order and third order harmonic components. If the amplitude is not sufficiently large, the flying height of the head is estimated using only the first order component.

Abstract: A recording density of a recording medium is set by establishing a predetermined relationship between guaranteed write/erase endurance values and recording density values for the recording medium, and then selecting a required guaranteed write/erase endurance. A recording density value corresponding to the required guaranteed write/erase endurance is determined from the predetermined relationship, and the recording density of the recording medium set based on the determined recording density value.

Abstract: There are connected a plurality of hosts 1 to L, a plurality of targets 1 to M and a plurality of initiators 1 to N, through a network. Each target has a managing unit which decides by itself the target search information broadcast from the initiator onto the network. In the case it is suited for data storage in the own target, data storage response information containing accepted priority information is broadcast onto the network. The target largest in priority value is notified of target selection from the initiator, thus effecting data storage.

Abstract: The present invention aims at offering a magnetic disk device for configuring RAID in a single disk device. The device can configure RAID using one disk and furthermore only one surface (referred to as a single-surface RAID method) neither requiring a plurality of actuators nor performing a data writing processing, etc. more than once. For that purpose, a plurality of data access heads is provided for each arm and the heads are positioned so as to access different tracks on a same surface on a disk.

Abstract: An adaptive antenna unit is adapted to a mobile terminal for making mobile communication and adaptively forms an antenna directivity in a direction of a base station which exchanges signals with the mobile terminal. The adaptive antenna unit is provided with an azimuth sensor to detect at least one of rotation, inclination and present position of the mobile terminal, a transmitter-receiver section to control the antenna directivity in a direction in which a reception characteristic improves based on reception signals received from a plurality of antenna elements forming the antenna directivity, and a mechanism for correcting the antenna directivity in the direction of the base station, based on the at least one of rotation, inclination and present position of the mobile terminal detected by the azimuth sensor.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system capable of carrying out efficient and stable system operation control even if a usage rate of the entire system varies under a situation in which the characteristics of storage units, such as maximum available total capacity and speed performance, are largely different from each other. Therefore, the system according to the present invention is composed of a monitor unit for monitoring information on a total volume of data stored in each of the storage units or in all the storage units, an index value calculating unit for calculating an index value on the basis of the monitor result and a location unit for distributively locating or relocating logical storage areas in physical storage areas on a plurality of storage units on the basis of the calculated index value.

Abstract: A portable card type data storage device with a large capacity and low power consumption is provided which enalbes two storage mediums with different features to be installed into a single slot of an information processing device. The card type data storage device 100 of the invention includes a case 10 having a connection slot 10a, a first connector 11 adapted to be inserted into and connected with a connection slot 201 of an information processing device such as a PC 200, a hard disk 13 housed in the case 10, a second connector 12 for connection with a semiconductor memory 18 inserted into the connection slot 10a, and a storage device control section 20.

Abstract: An adaptive antenna unit is adapted to a mobile terminal for making mobile communication and adaptively forms an antenna directivity in a direction of a base station which exchanges signals with the mobile terminal. The adaptive antenna unit is provided with an azimuth sensor to detect at least one of rotation, inclination and present position of the mobile terminal, a transmitter-receiver section to control the antenna directivity in a direction in which a reception characteristic improves based on reception signals received from a plurality of antenna elements forming the antenna directivity, and a mechanism for correcting the antenna directivity in the direction of the base station, based on the at least one of rotation, inclination and present position of the mobile terminal detected by the azimuth sensor.

Abstract: In order to measure a scanning light cut-off region, an output of a light receiving element and a threshold value set by an MPU are compared by a comparator and a region where the former is smaller than the latter is measured as the scanning light cut-off region. During one cycle of optical scanning, this threshold value is switched in a plurality of stages according to the scanning angle. By accurately measuring the scanning light cut-off region, the correct position and size of an indicator such as a finger or pen are calculated.

Abstract: A recurrence reflection sheet is provided to the outside of at least three sides of a quadrilateral display screen, two light send/receive units, which includes a light scanning element for scanning a light angularly in a plane which is substantially parallel with the display screen, and a light receiving element for receiving a reflected light from the recurrence reflection sheet, are arranged on the outside of the display screen. A cut-off region due to a finger as an indicator is obtained based on an angle of a scanning light in a timing of rise and fall of the received light level of the light receiving element, and a position of the indicator is calculated according to the obtained cut-off region.

Abstract: A portable card type data storage device with a large capacity and low power consumption is provided which enalbes two storage mediums with different features to be installed into a single slot of an information processing device. The card type data storage device 100 of the invention includes a case 10 having a connection slot 10a, a first connector 11 adapted to be inserted into and connected with a connection slot 201 of an information processing device such as a PC 200, a hard disk 13 housed in the case 10, a second connector 12 for connection with a semiconductor memory 18 inserted into the connection slot 10a, and a storage device control section 20.

Abstract: An information displaying apparatus having a display unit for displaying information on a display screen 10, an indicator detector provided in the vicinity of the display screen 10 for detecting a position in a predetermined area on the display screen 10 indicated by an indicator and a size of the indicator, and an image control unit 52 for displaying an image on the screen 10 of the display unit according to the detected result by the indicator detector, wherein the image control unit 52 displays images on the display screen 10 of the display unit in different manners according to the position and/or size of the indicator detected by the indicator detector. According to this apparatus, for example, a thickness of one line can be changed and can be changed in steps during the drawing without specifying a size of a point and a thickness of a line to be drawn before the drawing operation. Moreover, subtle blur, etc.