Head nudge and park peak current suppression

Details Head nudge and park peak current suppression Head nudge and park peak current suppression

1998-10-30

2001-11-13

Hudspeth, David (Department: 2651)

Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval

Automatic control of a recorder mechanism

Controlling the head

C360S046000, C360S069000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06317284

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention is directed to a disk drive device; more specifically, it is directed to a device for loading disk drive read-write heads onto a medium.
Over many years, a variety of devices that read and write information on a rotating disk medium have been developed and used as computer data storage devices. Of these devices, magnetic medium devices have been and still are among the most common computer storage devices. Widely used magnetic disk drive devices are generally available in two broad categories-removable and fixed. In particular, removable cartridge disk drives read and write information magnetically on a disk that is enclosed in a removable protective case. By contrast, fixed disk drives read and write information magnetically on a fixed disk that is permanently fixed in the data storage device.
Fixed disk drives are used as the principal data storage devices of computers, since they typically have data transmission speeds and storage capacities that are several orders of magnitude greater than removable disk drives. Obviously however, fixed disk drives have the drawback, as compared with removable disk drives, that the disk cannot be easily moved to another computer. As a result, it is ordinarily desirable to provide computers with both a removable disk drive along with a fixed disk drive and most desktop computers have both.
In recent years, however, mobile computers of very small sizes, such as handheld, notebook and lap-top computers, have become widely used. Because space in these computers is a premium, removable cartridge disk drives are attached externally or not at all. Furthermore, in such small computers, external removable cartridge drives are very inconvenient for mobile use. Hence, many of these types of computers do not have disk drives, but rather use IC card based storage media via a PCMCIA port on the computer. However, since IC cards use semiconductor memories, storage capacities are small, and costs are high. These drawbacks have made it difficult for such computers to use programs and data that have large storage requirements.
In response to the widespread use of small size mobile computers, smaller disk drives have been and are under development. Such drives present many development challenges including size and power constraints. The storage density is high and the components, smaller and potentially more delicate, are susceptible to damage. Moreover, small portable drives are likely to be battery powered and may share that battery power with a primary device such as a hand held computer.
Loading the heads onto the surface of the data storage medium is a critical part of the design of magnetic storage medium. Typically, the heads and the medium surface in magnetic storage devices are highly susceptible to damage. For example, small amounts of debris have been known to render drives and medium useless. Similarly, loading the heads onto the medium surface has the potential to damage the heads, the medium, or both. Moreover, loading the heads in small, high capacity device must also meet power and size constraints without causing damage to the drive or storage medium.
Therefore, there is a need to provide a head loading apparatus for disk drive device. Particularly, a disk drive device that is small and portable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to meet the aforementioned need, this invention provides a disk drive device having a magnetic medium. The disk drive device comprised an actuator coupled to the disk drive; a read-write head in mechanical communication with the actuator. The actuator moves the head over the medium in response to an electrical signal. The disk drive device also comprises a head load ramp, for maintaining the read-write head when it is in a parked position on the load ramp; data reading means in electrical communication with the read-write head for reading data from the medium by way of the read-write head; and control means in electrical communication with the data reading means and the actuator. The control means apply the electrical signal to the actuator for moving said heads between the parked position and the medium. The control means controls power to the data reading means such that the data reading means is changed to a low power state during the movement of the head between the parked position and the medium.
Preferably, the electrical signal applied to the actuator for moving the head between the parked position and the medium comprises a plurality of electrical pulses. Additionally, the low power state comprises a state wherein power is disconnected from a portion of the data reading means. Preferably, moving the data reading means to a low power state comprises placing a read channel circuit into a low or no power state.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5384675 (1995-01-01), Crawforth et al.
patent: 5402200 (1995-03-01), Shrinkle et al.
patent: 5615064 (1997-03-01), Blank et al.
patent: 5663846 (1997-09-01), Masuoka et al.
patent: 0 185 579 A1 (1986-06-01), None
U.S. application No. 09/183,903, Feng, filed Oct. 10, 1998

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