Abstract: A method of forming a servo track on a recording medium includes; forming a magnetic layer, defining a first servo track region having a plurality of first magnetic segments and a second servo track region having a second plurality of magnetic segments in the magnetic layer, applying a first magnetic field to induce a first magnetization direction in the first and second pluralities of magnetic segments, forming first magnetic patterns, each having a first width, and second magnetic patterns, each having a second width different from the first width, on a first side of a substrate, disposing the substrate on the recording medium, such that the first magnetic patterns are aligned in correspondence with the plurality of first magnetic segments and the second magnetic patterns are aligned in correspondence with the plurality of second magnetic segments, and applying a second magnetic field to the recording medium to selectively induce a second magnetization direction into first selected ones of the first plurali

Abstract: A method of servo writing for each track of a magnetic recording medium divided into a plurality of circular tracks including performing a phase adjustment operation by controlling a phase of a recording current according to a skew angle formed by a magnetic head and a track of the magnetic recording medium, and writing a servo pattern when the magnetic recording medium is magnetized using a magnetic head so as to have a magnetized pattern corresponding to a servo pattern.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a magnetic read/write device capable of reading/writing data even when a reversal of the output polarity of the readback signal occurs. In one embodiment, a magnetic read/write device is provided which constantly checks the output polarity based on the polarity of the waveform of a signal obtained as a result of equalizing the waveform of a readback signal of gray code (indicating a cylinder number) in each servo sector by use of a matched filter (MF), or based on the waveform of a readback signal read from areas of a magnetic disk which store a special pattern for detecting the output polarity. When a polarity reversal has occurred, the magnetic read/write device assumes that a read error has occurred and performs processing so as not to perform any track seek or track following operation using decoded positional information.

Abstract: The application relates to an adaptive vibration damping scheme that provides for detection of, and adjustment for, vibration-related disturbances in devices. The vibration damping scheme utilizes a common filter function to implement vibration detection and vibration compensation.

Abstract: A hard disk controller (HDC) of a hard disk drive (HDD) includes a read module, a clock generator module, and a write module. The read module reads servo spirals from a magnetic medium of the HDD via a read head of the HDD and generates read signals. The clock generator module generates a spiral clock having a first frequency based on the read signals and generates based on the spiral clock R write clocks having R frequencies, respectively, that are different than the first frequency, where R is an integer greater than 1. The write module writes via a write head of the HDD a first servo wedge on a first one of R zones of the magnetic medium using a first one of the R write clocks and a second servo wedge on a second one of the R zones using a second one of the R write clocks.

Abstract: A system including a signal generating module and a position control module. The signal generating module generates position error signals based on servo bursts read from a servo region of a track of a disk drive. The servo bursts are read by a head of the disk drive and include first, second, third, and fourth servo bursts. The position control module generates differences between the position error signals and determines a position of the head relative to the track based on (i) a first difference of the differences and (ii) a second difference of the differences. The first difference is based on the first servo burst and the second servo burst. The second difference is based on (i) the third servo burst and (ii) the first servo burst or the second servo burst and is independent of the fourth servo burst.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an information storage device includes a recording/reproducing head, a positioning controller, a position detector, a storage module, and a position error detector. The position detector detects the position of the recording/reproducing head. The storage module stores servo control filters. The position error detector generates a new position error signal from a target position and the position of the recording/reproducing head when the positioning controller performs positioning control with control current obtained from a position error signal having passed through each servo control filter. Upon occurrence of a recording/reproducing error, learning to calculate a vibration amount from the position of the recording/reproducing head is sequentially performed for the servo control filters for a predetermined time.

Abstract: The present invention is designed to support plural servo patterns by setting a portion of the information of the servo pattern as a detection pattern, comparing the demodulated pattern of the portion of the information with the detection pattern, and controlling an operation timing of a test according to a result of the comparison.

Abstract: Embodiments herein illustrate patterned servo data that allows the patterned disk to be planarized with a relatively simple planarization process. A magnetic disk, in this regard, includes a data region having a plurality of tracks. The magnetic disk also includes a plurality of servo bursts patterned in the magnetic disk at a plurality of locations in each track. The servo bursts are operable to direct a controller to center a write head over a track in the data region and write a track identification. The servo bursts include magnetic lands and nonmagnetic grooves. The magnetic lands of the servo burst are generally configured with a uniform polarity of magnetization and a first uniform width. The nonmagnetic grooves are configured with a second uniform width.

Abstract: Provided is a magnetic recording apparatus including a magnetic recording medium having a magnetic recording position patterned of a magnetic substance and a read head reading information from the magnetic recording medium, wherein the magnetic recording medium includes: a data area having the magnetic recording position patterned including a plurality of data tracks; and a servo area including a servo burst for tracking the data tracks, wherein the servo burst includes a plurality of bursts deviating from one another in a downtrack direction, and a width of each of the bursts is equal to or greater than a width of the read head and narrower than twice the width of the read head. According to this structure, although data is reproduced using a read head having a greater width than a width of each of data tracks, a linear section in which an output voltage is reduced depending on a size of an off-track is formed. As a result, a dead zone can be removed.

Abstract: A magnetic recording disk drive has a position-error-signal (PES) servo pattern divided into at least two circumferentially adjacent fields that extend radially across the data tracks and include PES blocks that are DC magnetized in one direction, with each PES block having a magnetization opposite to the magnetization of its radially adjacent neighboring PES blocks. Each PES field is contiguous with and shifted radially relative to its circumferentially adjacent neighbor PES fields. Each PES block has a single DC magnetization, and the length of the magnetization is substantially longer than the length of the magnetizations in the other fields of the servo pattern.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed having a first disk surface, and a head actuated over the first disk surface. The first disk surface comprises a plurality of servo tracks and a plurality of data tracks. The data tracks of the first disk surface are banded together into a plurality of data zones, including a first data zone and a second data zone. A first servo tracks per inch (STPI) to data tracks per inch (DTPI) ratio of the first data zone is substantially different from a second STPI to DTPI ratio of the second data zone.

Abstract: When writing a hard disk pattern on a substrate applied with a resist by scanning an electron beam on the substrate while rotating a rotation stage, writing is started with respect to each radial direction position of each area based on a predetermined encoder pulse for each radial direction position among those generated according to the rotational angle of the rotation stage that occurs after a predefined encoder pulse that occurs ahead in a rotational direction of a radial direction position whose write start position in a circumferential direction in each area arrives first at the writing position as the rotation stage rotates and ahead of the write start position in the circumferential direction with respect to each radial direction position, and after a predetermined time from the predetermined encoder pulse.

Abstract: Methods of defining servo patterns and data patterns for forming patterned magnetic media are described. For one method, a lithographic process is performed to define a servo pattern in servo regions on a substrate. The lithographic process also defines a first data pattern in data regions of the substrate. The first data pattern is then transferred to (i.e., etched into) the data regions. Self-assembly structures are then formed on the data pattern in the data regions to define a second data pattern. The servo pattern is then transferred to the servo regions and the second data pattern is transferred to the data regions. Thus, the servo pattern is defined through lithographic processes while the data pattern is defined by a combination of lithographic processes and self-assembly.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention implements some or all major servo subfunctions for a storage device in integrated servo fields comprising sequences of encoded bits having selected mathematical properties. The integrated servo field is composed of a number of encoded sequences, which are members of a selected sequence set that is constrained to preferably provide some or all of the following functions: the Servo Track Mark (STM), the Position Error Signal (PES) and location information such as the track-ID. The juxtaposition of sequences in the servo wedges is additionally constrained to increase the detectability of the contribution of adjacent sequences in the read signal. The integrated servo fields can provide a Position Error Signal (PES) in relation to the center of a data track through the amplitude of the signal read for adjacent sequences.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention implements some or all major servo subfunctions for a storage device in integrated servo fields comprising sequences of encoded bits having selected mathematical properties. The integrated servo field is composed of a number of encoded sequences, which are members of a selected sequence set that is constrained to preferably provide some or all of the following functions: the Servo Track Mark (STM), the Position Error Signal (PES) and positional information such as the track-ID. The integrated servo fields can provide a Position Error Signal (PES) in relation to the center of a data track through the amplitude of the signal read for adjacent sequences. The servo system detects the sequences in the signal from the read head using a set of digital filters for the set of encoded sequences.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention implements some or all major servo subfunctions for a storage device in integrated servo fields comprising sequences of encoded bits having selected mathematical properties. The integrated servo field is composed of a number of encoded sequences, which are members of a selected sequence set that is constrained to preferably provide some or all of the following functions: the Servo Track Mark (STM), the Position Error Signal (PES) and positional information such as the track-ID. In one embodiment the plurality sequences encoding a location identifier such as a track-ID are distributed across a set of servo wedges. A method of encoding the location identifier using a Chinese Remainder Theorem is described.

Abstract: Approaches for estimating the operating radius of a head in a hard-disk drive. These approaches may be used in a constant or approximately constant density servo scheme. Statistics, which describe the proportion of high frequency values to low frequency values in a readback signal read by the read/write head of a persistent storage medium, such as a hard-disk drive (HDD), are maintained. An estimated location for the read/write head using the statistics is determined. The estimated location may be expressed as an estimated operating radius, which is an estimated distance from the center of the magnetic-recording medium to a current position of the read/write head. Based on the estimated location of the read/write head, an estimated clock frequency for a readback channel to use in reading the servo data stored on the magnetic recording medium is determined. The readback channel reads the servo data using the estimated clock frequency.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk having a plurality of servo tracks that define a plurality of data tracks, and a head actuated over the disk by a voice coil motor (VCM), wherein the head comprises a read element offset radially from a write element. The read element is positioned over a first servo track and the write element is positioned over a second servo track, and a first repeatable runout (RRO) of the first servo track is measured. The read element is positioned over the second servo track, and a second RRO of the second servo track is measured. A data center off-track is computed in response to the first RRO and the second RRO.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium includes a disk substrate and a magnetic recording layer formed on one surface or both surfaces of the disk substrate. The magnetic recording layer includes at least one pattern area forming a plurality of data tracks in which a position for magnetic recording is patterned with a magnetic body and at least one continuous area formed of a continuous magnetic body, and at least a part of a servo pattern for following the data track is recorded in the continuous area. A method of recording a servo pattern on a magnetic recording medium includes determining a center position of the data track and a start position of the continuous area and recording a servo pattern for following the data track in the continuous area with respect to center position of the data track and the start position of the continuous area.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method comprise a magnetoresistive head configured to respond to magnetization states of patterned cells formed on a patterned medium. The magnetoresistive head detects the magnetization states of at least two patterned cells formed on a patterned medium. The magnetoresistive head generates a readback signal based on the magnetization state of the at least two patterned cells. A detector circuit coupled to the head determines a bit pattern corresponding to the readback signal. A processor circuit coupled to the detector circuit determines positional information associated with the magnetoresistive head relative to the at least two patterned cells based on the bit pattern. The system further comprises a patterned medium.

Abstract: Servo patterns and associated methods of fabricating servo patterns are described. For patterned storage media, data sectors and servo sectors may be patterned using self-assembly. In one embodiment, self-assembly is used to form a first array of islands and a second array of islands in servo sectors that are track-wise offset. A servo writing process is then performed to write a desired servo pattern in the arrays, such as for burst fields, synchronization fields, etc.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a disk drive has a DTM type disk. The DTM type disk has a servo area on one recording surface. In the servo area, a servo pattern is recorded. The servo pattern is composed of a projection-depression pattern and an N- and P-pole magnetic pattern. The N- and P-pole magnetic pattern is recorded in an address-data region that contains a cylinder code.

Abstract: A recordable medium according to some embodiments includes a servo control field having a bit patterned media (BPM) pattern. The pattern includes a plurality of isolated magnetic islands or dots arranged in a down-track orientation and in a cross-track orientation. A phase of dots arranged on the medium in the servo control field varies in a first cross-track direction. The dots arranged on the medium may include a first phase pattern that has a first phase gradient in the first cross-track direction and a second phase pattern that has a second phase gradient, different from the first phase gradient, in the first cross-track direction. The dots may include a plurality of dot composites including a plurality of dots.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, disclosed herein is a disk drive that has a disk of discrete-track media (DTM) type. The DTM disk has servo regions. Each servo region has dividing grooves and non-servo data parts. Each dividing grooves extends along the centerline of any projecting region having a width larger than a prescribed value. Each non-servo data part suppresses reproduction noise. The disk drive has a read/write channel that includes a reproduced-signal processing unit. This unit reproduces servo data from each servo region.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk including a plurality of servo tracks defined by a plurality of servo sectors, wherein each servo sector comprises a plurality of servo bursts, and each servo burst comprises at least one of four phases. A first two of the phases are orthogonal, and a second two of the phases are orthogonal. As a head is actuated over the disk a servo sector is read to generate a read signal. The read signal is processed to demodulate the servo bursts into a position error signal (PES) representing an offset of the head from a target radial location on the disk, and the read signal is also processed to decode at least two of the phases of the servo bursts into a binary sequence.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk comprising a plurality of servo tracks defined by a plurality of servo sectors, wherein each servo sector comprises a plurality of servo bursts, and each servo burst comprises a predetermined phase. After positioning the head over one of the servo tracks, a servo burst in one of the servo sectors is read to generate a read signal, and a sine and cosine component are extracted from the read signal. At least one of the sine and cosine components is rotated by an angle based on a radial location of the head. A position error signal for the head is generated in response to the rotated component.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk having servo data defining a plurality of servo tracks. The servo data comprises a preamble comprising a varying length across a radius of the disk, and a plurality of slanted line servo bursts recorded at a tilt angle with respect to the preamble. The tilt angle varies across the radius of the disk commensurate with the varying length of the preamble. A position error signal (PES) is generated in response to a phase difference when reading the preamble and the slanted line servo bursts.

Abstract: Provided are a method of protecting a head and a disk in a HDD from shocks and an apparatus therefor by detecting the movement of the HDD using the amount of jitter in servo signals and unloading the head when the movement is great enough to damage the head and the disk. The method of protecting the HDD from shocks includes: reading the servo signals from the rotating disk using the head that follows tracks on the disk, detecting an amount of jitter in the servo signals, comparing the detected amount of jitter with a predetermined threshold amount of jitter corresponding to a movement great enough to damage the head and the disk, and unloading the head if the detected amount of jitter is greater than the predetermined threshold amount of jitter.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk, the disk including a plurality of servo sectors wherein each servo sector comprises at least one servo burst. A read signal emanating from the head is sampled while reading a servo burst in a servo sector to generate a plurality of sample values. A quality metric is generated in response to a plurality of sample values of a servo sub-burst representing part of the servo burst. When the quality metric does not exceed a threshold, the servo sub-burst sample values are excluded when generating a position error signal (PES) representing a position of the head over the disk. When the quality metric exceeds the threshold, the servo sub-burst sample values are included when generating the PES. The head is then positioned over the disk in response to the PES.

Abstract: In a disk drive, a wedge-based scheme is used to determine wedge offset correction values for a track of the disk drive. Correction values for the offset of each servo wedge are calculated wedge-by-wedge, based on the position error signal (PES) of the most recently measured servo wedge in combination with the measured PES of other servo wedges. To minimize transport delay of the servo, the majority of servo-control calculations may be pre-calculated prior to measuring the PES at the current wedge. Wedge offset correction values for a given servo wedge are corrected iteratively with each revolution of the storage disk.

Abstract: A technique is described for reducing overhead in a magnetic medium utilizing interspersed timing synchronization fields. In particular, a reader reads timing synchronization fields interspersed within data fields of the medium to obtain timing measurements. The reader is separated from a writer by a distance greater than a distance of the reader to traverse a select timing synchronization field. As such, the writer may perform a direct current (DC) write to the medium to suspend transitional write operations while the reader is reading the select timing synchronization field, and/or while the writer is over a unipolar field (e.g., a timing synchronization field).

Abstract: In a servo control loop, phase detection between a clock signal and servo burst fields on a movable storage media is carried out with compensation for the effects of frequency variation in the timing of servo burst fields.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a disk drive that can perform dynamic offset control (DOC). The disk drive has a magnetic head, a disk, and offset calculating modules. The magnetic head has read head. Offset-measuring position data is written in a non-servo area provided in the disk. The read head reads the offset-measuring position data from the disk. Based on the offset-measuring position data thus read, the offset calculating modules calculate an offset value that changes during a one-rotation period of the disk.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a hard disc apparatus comprises a disc, wherein areas between neighboring servo areas are allocated to data areas including data sectors, a head module, and a storage module configured to store head alignment data, wherein the head alignment data are defined for the data areas, and includes information indicating an interval from the servo area to a first data sector, information indicating a data area in one track, a first data sector which is a start sector of the track, and information indicating the presence/absence of a defective sector including a primary defect, and the start sector of a track including the defective sector is a data sector next to the defective sector.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium enhances the quality of a reproducing signal. The magnetic recording medium has a servo pattern formed in a servo pattern area on at least one surface of a disk-shaped substrate by a concave/convex pattern having convex portions (recording areas) and concave portions (non-recording areas), and a data track pattern formed by the concave/convex pattern in a data recording area on the at least one surface of the disk-shaped substrate. In a state where recording data is not recorded in the data recording area, the convex portions in the servo pattern area are DC-magnetized, and the convex portions in the data recording area are AC-magnetized.

Abstract: Data track patterns and servo patterns are formed on an information recording medium by concave/convex patterns divided into ring-shaped regions that are concentric with the data track patterns. In the servo patterns, a unit convex length and a unit concave length along the direction of rotation increase in each ring-shaped region from an inside to an outside of the ring-shaped region in proportion to the distance from the center of the data track patterns and a value produced by dividing an average unit convex (or concave) length inside each ring-shaped region by a distance from the center to the ring-shaped region decreases toward the outer periphery of the medium. The ring-shaped regions include plural first regions between an innermost region and an outermost region. Respective lengths along a radial direction of the first regions increase toward an outer periphery of the medium.

Abstract: A magnetic disk apparatus includes a magnetic disk, a magnetic head, a servo reproduction signal generator and a magnetic head controller. The disk includes a data recording area and a servo-pattern area. The data recording area includes a non-magnetic area scattered with magnetic regions, and the servo-pattern area includes uniformly magnetized magnetic regions larger than the magnetic regions in the recording area. The magnetic head reciprocates radially of the disk, giving a magnetization direction to the magnetic regions in the data recording area and reading the magnetization direction of the magnetic regions in the data recording area and the servo-pattern area. The servo reproduction signal generator reads the servo-pattern area, using the magnetic head, via an absolute-value calculation circuit to generate a servo reproduction signal before the recording or reading with respect to the data recording area.

Abstract: There is provided with a positioning control system which includes: a head moving unit configured to move a head for recording or reproducing information with respect to a disk capable of recording information; a position detecting unit configured to detect a position of the head; an error detecting unit configured to detect a position error signal of a detected head position with respect to a predetermined target position; a compensation controller configured to generate control input by performing phase lead compensation and phase delay compensation for the position error signal and supply the control input to the head moving unit; and a gain controller configured to control at least one of gains the phase lead compensation and the phase delay compensation based on frequency components contained in the position error signal and an amplitude of the position error signal.

Abstract: One illustrative embodiment of the present invention pertains to a device. The device is configured to evaluate a Gray code value and to provide compensation for error in the Gray code value. Another illustrative embodiment of the present invention pertains to a method. The method includes comparing Gray code information with servo information. The method also includes evaluating error in the Gray code information based on the comparison between the Gray code information with servo information. Another illustrative embodiment of the present invention pertains to a data storage system. The data storage system includes a data storage medium, a head, and a controller. The head is controllably positionable relative to the data storage medium. The controller includes a means for sensing position information from the head. The controller also includes a means for compensating for error in the position information, to position the head relative to the data storage medium.

Abstract: In a method of servo writing of a magnetic recording system and the magnetic recording system, the signal is recorded in a dummy area with a higher recording density than the burst signal. Also, the maximum bit length of the burst area is shortened as compared with the maximum bit length of the data area. A servo control method for perpendicular recording similar to that for longitudinal recording can be used to reduce the development cost. The anti-signal decay performance is also improved. Further, since the variations of the burst signal along the track width is suppressed, the positioning accuracy is improved. These effects combine to produce a reliable magnetic recording system of large capacity.

Abstract: A data-storage disk includes a disk sector for storing data and a servo wedge located at the beginning of the sector. The servo wedge indentifies the sector in conjunction with both an initial positioning of a read-write head and a data read or write operation. By using a servo wedge to provide both an initial head position on disk spin up and a head position during a read or write operation, one can increase a disk's data-storage capacity by reducing the number of, or altogether eliminating, spin-up wedges.

Abstract: The operational bandwidth of a servo control circuit can be increased using a plurality of servo processors that handoff between them the responsibility for controlling head positioning in response to sequentially occurring servo patterns.

Abstract: On a magnetic recording medium, M sets of burst patterns are formed along a direction of rotation of a substrate in each burst pattern region. Each burst pattern is formed so as to include two types of burst signal units that have an equal length along a radial direction of the substrate. In a predetermined range (2·M) centers in the radial direction of the burst patterns are present at intervals of (1/N) times the track pitch in the radial direction. The predetermined range has a length along the radial direction of (2M/N) times the track pitch. M or N is a natural number of two or higher. The two types of burst signal units are formed of non-recording regions and facing end parts in the radial direction of the first type of burst signal units and the second type of burst signal units are separated via recording regions.

Abstract: Data track pattern regions, in which data track patterns are formed by concave/convex patterns, and servo pattern regions, in which servo patterns are formed by concave/convex patterns, are provided on a magnetic recording medium so as to be alternately disposed in a circumferential direction. At least one predetermined region that differs to the data track pattern regions is provided between two servo pattern regions that are adjacent in a circumferential direction. A concave/convex pattern including a plurality of first convex parts formed continuously in a radial direction is formed in each predetermined region.

Abstract: A mechanical transport device includes a system for transport; and a hard disk drive attached to the system. The hard disk drive comprises a magnetic recording disk to record data, a head to read or write the data to or from the disk, and a drop sensor designed to sense a shock condition. The system for transport may be a vehicle such as a car. Additional systems are also presented.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for performing modified rate burst demodulation. For example, a method for performing modified rate burst demodulation is disclosed. The method includes receiving a data input that includes a synchronization pattern, an information pattern, and a demodulation pattern. A periodic boundary is established along with a phase and frequency of a sampling clock based at least in part on the synchronization pattern. The information pattern is processed using the sampling clock to determine a location fix. The sampling clock is phase shifted by a skew amount and a phase shifted sampling clock is provided. The demodulation pattern is processed using the phase shifted sampling clock.

Abstract: A hard disk drive with a controller that determines a position error signal gain. The position error signal gain is determined from a total servo loop gain and a function that is defined by a slope of a line of A and B servo bits measured at N off-track positions. The function determines an actual plant gain and thus provides a more accurate position error signal gain.

Abstract: In a disk drive, a wedge-based scheme is used to determine wedge offset correction values for a track of the disk drive. Correction values for the offset of each servo wedge are calculated wedge-by-wedge, based on the position error signal (PES) of the most recently measured servo wedge in combination with the measured PES of other servo wedges. To minimize transport delay of the servo, the majority of servo-control calculations may be pre-calculated prior to measuring the PES at the current wedge. Wedge offset correction values for a given servo wedge are corrected iteratively with each revolution of the storage disk.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk having a plurality of data tracks defined by a plurality of servo sectors, wherein each servo sector comprises a Gray coded address representing at least part of a track address. The disk drive further comprises a head actuated over the disk for detecting a first Gray coded address in a first servo sector. A second Gray coded address is generated in response to the first Gray coded address. The first Gray coded address is decoded into a first binary address, and the second Gray coded address is decoded into a second binary address. One of the first and second binary addresses closest to a target address is selected, and the head is positioned in response to the selected binary address.