Abstract: A data storage system according to one embodiment includes a head; a drive mechanism for passing a medium over the head; and a controller electrically coupled to the head. The system calculates a kurtosis value, using the current position error signal sample or derivative thereof, and adjusts a threshold value using the kurtosis value. The standard deviation or variance is compared to the threshold value, and writing is enabled when the standard deviation or variance does not exceed the threshold value.

Abstract: An audio recording software program adapted to capture spontaneous extemporaneous performance after group recording. The software permits a user to suspend recording of some tracks while continuing recording of at least one track, to capture extemporaneous performances of musical phrases, especially vocal performances, which are often preferred in the extemporaneous utterance which are difficult to recapture.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a processor, logic in the processor and/or memory configured to determine a physical position on a magnetic medium that corresponds to an end of encrypted data written over residual unencrypted data, and logic configured to store an indicator of the physical position on at least one of the magnetic medium and a memory coupled thereto. In another embodiment, a method includes determining a physical position on a magnetic medium that corresponds to an end of encrypted data written over residual unencrypted data, storing an indicator of the physical position on at least one of the magnetic medium and a memory coupled thereto.

Abstract: Approaches are provided for a hard-disk drive (HDD) and techniques for using multiple LUNs per HDD where each LUN is mapped to a head/disk interface. In one example, a HDD generates multiple LUNs and assigns each to a single head, such that data written by a first head is only associated to a first LUN, and so forth.

Abstract: Described are embodiments of an invention for customizing the range of acceptable write conditions to a tape of a tape cartridge that contracts or expands laterally based on environmental conditions. The tape drive utilizes servo information to determine if the tape has expanded or contracted from the nominal dimension and to determine the magnitude of the expansion or contraction. In the case of expansion, the magnitude of the determined expansion and the stored maximum amount of contraction must be below a predetermined threshold value to allow a write. In the case of contraction, the magnitude of the determined contraction and the stored magnitude of expansion must be below the same predetermined threshold value to allow a write. If the determined magnitude of contraction or expansion is greater than the stored magnitude of contraction or expansion, respectively, then the new extreme is stored.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for bipolar writing of servo marks to perpendicular and non-oriented magnetic recording medium. The method includes applying a varying current to a servo write head to alternately AC-erase and write sets of servo marks to regions of a servo track of a magnetic recording medium proximate to first and second write gaps, each servo mark of the sets of servo marks comprising first and second abutting magnetic domains of opposite magnetization directions, the magnetic recording medium moving with respect to the first and second write gaps in a recording direction, the magnetic recording medium being either (i) a perpendicular magnetic storage medium having magnetic particles with their easy axes oriented perpendicular to a top surface of the perpendicular storage medium or (ii) a non-oriented magnetic storage medium having magnetic particles with their easy axes randomly oriented relative to a top surface of the non-orientated storage medium.

Abstract: A hard disk drive (HDD) minimizes the effects of far track erasure (FTE) by counting the number of writes to the data tracks and incrementing counters based on the known effect of FTE on each track. The extent of the FTE effect is determined for each track within a range of tracks of the track being written, and based on the relative FTE effect for all the tracks in the range a count increment (CI) is determined for each track within the range. A counter is maintained for each track. For every writing to a track, a count for each track within a range of the track being written is increased by the CI value associated with the track number within the range. When the count value for a track reaches a predetermined threshold the data is read from that track and rewritten, preferably to the same track.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a recording medium controller includes a recording medium, an input module, a reading module, and a writing module. The recording medium includes a write area and an escape area. The write area includes track groups. Each of the track groups is a unit for writing data and includes tracks. The input module receives a write command for data. The reading module reads data stored in the escape area and data from a first track group of the track groups. The writing module writes data received for the write command to the escape area, and writes merged data obtained by merging the data read from the escape area and the data read from the first track group to each track of a second track group of the track groups by using a shingle recording technique in which adjacent tracks are partly overlapped with each other.

Abstract: Write protection for data of a rewritable data storage cartridge having partitions is provided in certain circumstances by providing logical write protection; and in response to detection of an application issuing at least one partition-based command with respect to the rewritable data storage cartridge, the logical write protection is disabled with respect to the detected application. Thus, where the cartridge has a non-default index addressing location, in response to detection of an application issuing at least one command initially addressing a location other than the non-default index location, logical write protection is enabled with respect to the detected application; and if the non-default index location is addressed, the logical write protection is disabled.

Abstract: A method of protecting information written to a recording medium includes magnetizing the recording medium to form a first magnetic pattern corresponding to information to be stored, and magnetizing the recording medium to form a protective magnetic pattern having a phase difference of 180° from the first magnetic pattern at a position adjacent to where the first magnetic pattern is formed, with adjacent bits of the first magnetic pattern opposite and the protective magnetic pattern opposite to each other.

Abstract: In a controller of a tape drive, a command processing unit receives a request to write new data, an offset determination unit determines whether old data is not partially overwritten with new data, and if old data is not partially overwritten with new data, a head position management unit makes a write head offset toward the unoverwritten portion. Then, a channel input/output unit reads pattern data that disables old data from a pattern storage unit and outputs the data to the write head to thereby overwrite the old data with the pattern data. After that, a tape transport management unit rewinds a tape and the head position management unit returns the write head to the original position to overwrite the old data with the new data as usual.

Abstract: Protection against data overwrite of a rewritable non-WORM data storage cartridge is provided by a data storage drive operating cartridge data overwrite protection procedures independent of, or not withstanding, the absence of cartridge controls relating to data overwrite protection. Also for the non-WORM cartridge, the drive responds to an allow data overwrite command to allow an immediately subsequent write type command to write to the cartridge even if the write command overwrites existing data. The overwrite protection procedures and data overwrite procedures may be configured and enabled for the data storage drive.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a magnetic disk drive includes a magnetic disk having data tracks, a magnetic head, a motion mechanism for moving the magnetic head, and a controller. The controller adds a value to a rewrite parameter for a rewrite region based on a number of writes to data tracks related to the rewrite region, the value is chosen to reflect a degree of influence the number of writes have on the rewrite region, and the magnetic head rewrites data of the rewrite region when the rewrite parameter is greater than a threshold. In another embodiment, a method includes writing data tracks in a rewrite region, defining values reflecting a degree(s) of influence on the rewrite region, adding the values to a rewrite parameter upon writing data to the data tracks, determining that the rewrite parameter has reached or exceeded a threshold and rewriting data in the rewrite region.

Abstract: Method for accurately determining the link position for appending new recordings on an optical disc, where address information extracted from the HF data of a previous recording is used in conjunction with position information derived from the pre-groove to determine the link position for the new recording. The pre-groove position information may be derived from the phase of the pre-groove wobble, and the HF data address may be flywheeled to provide a more robust system. The drive may store and update a record table with the begin and end addresses of contiguous previously recorded area, the stored information being used in conjunction with position information derived from the pre-groove to determine the link position for the new recording.

Abstract: An improved media player and a method for operating a portable computing device (e.g., media player) are disclosed. According to one aspect, a portable computing device is able to protect its disk drive when being subjected to undesired levels of acceleration. The portable computing device protects its disk drive by monitoring for such accelerations and operating to avoid usage of the disk drive during periods of acceleration. Through such protection, the likelihood of damage to the disk drive or loss of data stored on the disk drive is able to be substantially reduced. According to another aspect, a user of a portable computing device can be alerted when the portable computing device is being subjected to undesirable levels of acceleration.

Abstract: A magnetic tape cartridge, a recording system, and a magnetic tape drive are configured to, for example, guard against tampering with a write once overwrite protection pointer which allows a rewritable magnetic tape to be treated as write once. In one embodiment, the magnetic tape cartridge comprises a magnetic tape and a cartridge memory. The magnetic tape is configured to provide at least one overwrite protection pointer, the overwrite protection pointer identifying data to be protected from being overwritten; and the cartridge memory is configured to provide the at least one overwrite protection pointer, the overwrite protection pointer identifying magnetic tape data to be protected from being overwritten.