Registers – Coded record sensors – Particular sensor structure
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-09
2001-11-06
Frech, Karl D. (Department: 2876)
Registers
Coded record sensors
Particular sensor structure
C235S479000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06311893
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to systems and method for reading data from and writing data to data storage medium by employing the optical recording technology. More particularly, this invention is related to an improved optical data access system. The data access system is implemented in a portable data card drive device and in a high speed subsystem for reading data from and writing data to An optical data card which has a novel data track configuration for storing data with uniform density. Data can be stored for user applications or related to application system configurations.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional technology of reading-writing data on concentric circular data tracks often presents a problem that the data-bit density varies between the outer tracks and the inner tracks. The variable bit density in data storage is due to a geometrical factor that the outer data tracks are much longer in length than the inner tracks. A common practice is to form the inner tracks with a capacity to store the data bit at a higher bit density. A more complicate servo control system implemented with more complex signal-processing algorithms is required due to the variations of data storage density between different data tracks. Additionally, by varying the data storage density from the inner tracks toward the outside tracks, the data transfer rate is also changed in accessing data from the inner tracks then outside tracks. Such variation may also cause difficulties and complications in processing the data. Higher error rates may incur due to these variations between the inner tracks and the outer tracks.
Therefore, a need still exists for an improved data-card drive system to overcome the aforementioned difficulties encountered in the prior art. Specifically, this storage card drive system must provide a uniform density for data storage and a data-card drive system to access the data-storage card. Furthermore, it would be desirable that this system is portable and is also provided with several standardized sizes for processing standardized data-storage cards.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a data storage-card drive system with a pickup head moving above the data-storage card in rotational movement. The data read-write functions are enabled only for arc-segments of the rotational movement such that the data tracks are arranged as plurality of parallel arcs, e.g., half-circles, to overcome the aforementioned difficulties and limitations encountered in the prior art.
Specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a data-storage card drive system with a pickup head driven by a motor, e.g., a brushless motor, to rotate over the data-storage card with the rotation axis perpendicular to the card surface. The motor is mounted on a carriage for making horizontal movement along a longitudinal direction of the data card. The position of the pickup head is then servo-controlled by moving the carriage and the motor while the data storage card either stays as a fixed position or only pickup head is rotating and the card is making horizontal linear movements.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a data-storage card drive system for performing the data access tasks over a data storage medium surface, which has uniform data stroage density. A new configuration of data-tracks formed as parallel arc or arc-segments, e.g., semi-circular data track, is implemented such that all data tracks have substantially the same length for data storage and the data bits are stored with uniform density.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a data-storage card drive device implemented with a subsystem provided with local memory storage for conveniently interface with personal computers or peripheral devices to achieve higher speed operations.
Briefly, in a preferred embodiment, the present invention includes An optical data-card drive system. The drive system includes An optical pickup head for rotationally moving over and accessing data stored in the optical data-card. In a preferred embodiment, the optical pickup head is provided for reading data from and writing data to the optical data card. In another preferred embodiment, the optical pickup head is provided for accessing data over substantially one-half of the rotational movement. In another preferred embodiment, the optical pickup head is provided for accessing data over several arc-segments during the rotational movement. In another preferred embodiment, the optical pickup head is provided for rotating in a single rotational direction. In another preferred embodiment, the optical pickup head is provided for rotating in clockwise and counterclockwise directions. In another preferred embodiment, the optical pickup head is provided for rotating over arc segment having radius smaller than half-width of the optical data card. In another preferred embodiment, the optical pickup head is provided for rotating over an arc segment having a radius greater than half-width of the optical data card. In another preferred embodiment, the optical pickup head is provided as a removable and replaceable module. In another preferred embodiment, the optical pickup head is provided for accessing data by contacting the optical data card. In another preferred embodiment, the optical pickup head is provided for accessing data by rotating at a distance above the optical data card. In another preferred embodiment, the optical data-card drive system of further includes a motor that has a rotating shaft for mounting and rotating the optical pickup head. In another preferred embodiment, the optical pickup head further includes a data signal transformer for transforming a data signal through data signal induced charges of magnetic flux.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after having read the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment which is illustrated in the various drawing figures.
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King Francis K.
Liu Jeffrey F.
Dcard, Inc.
Frech Karl D.
Lin Bo-In
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