Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval – Automatic control of a recorder mechanism – Controlling the record
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-14
2001-10-16
Sniezek, Andrew L. (Department: 2753)
Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval
Automatic control of a recorder mechanism
Controlling the record
C360S053000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06304405
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus to reduce the time period from a power on status to a ready status of a hard disk drive device.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 1
is a flow chart describing the operation of a conventional hard disk drive device. The operation starts at step
1
in which a power-on reset (POR) operation is performed in response to the power on of the hard disk drive device. At step
2
, an MPU contained in the hard disk drive device starts its operation by using control programs stored in its read-only memory (ROM). Next, at step
3
, the rotation of a spindle motor which is coupled to a magnetic recording disk is started. Then, at step
4
, the MPU determines whether or not the rotational speed of the spindle motor and the magnetic recording disk reach a final rotational speed, for example 7200 rpm. If the final rotational speed is not met, then the operation returns to step
3
, otherwise, the operation proceeds to step
5
in which a supporting arm for supporting a head/slider assembly is moved from a rest position to a position above a data track of the magnetic recording disk by a voice coil motor.
Then at step
6
control programs stored in special data tracks (i.e., outside the data tracks used during normal read/write operations) on the magnetic recording disk are read and stored in random access memory (RAM), and the MPU sends a ready signal to a host processor. At step
7
, the hard disk drive device waits for a command from the host processor.
The amount of time for a conventional hard disk drive device to perform the steps described in steps
1
-
6
(i.e., to transition from a power-on status to a ready status) is relatively long, for example 10 seconds. Moreover, the steps described in steps
1
-
4
require about 90% of the total time to transition from the power-on status to the ready status.
One approach to reduce the time period from the power-on to the start of the ready status is to increase the current applied to the spindle motor. However, this approach raises a problem that a large current is required during the POR. Furthermore, this approach does not sufficiently reduce the time period.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to reduce the amount of time from a power-on status to a ready status of a hard disk drive device.
A method of controlling read and/or write operations of a disk drive device during start-up is described. After power-up, the rotational speed of a data recording disk is increased. When it is detected that the rotational speed of the data recording disk is rotating at a first rotational speed, a control program recorded on the data recording disk is read and then stored in a memory device. Additionally, a ready signal is sent to a host processor. Furthermore, while rotating the data recording disk at the first rotational speed, a read command is received from the host processor to perform a read operation. The rotational speed of the data recording disk is then increased to a second rotational speed. While rotating the data recording disk at the second rotational speed a read operation and/or write operation is performed.
For one aspect of the present invention, when a read command is received from the host processor, data is read from the data recording disk. Furthermore, it is determined whether or not the data read contains an error. If the data read does not contain an error, data is then transferred to the host processor. If the data read does contain an error, the data is reread from the data recording disk when performing the read operation while the data recording disk is rotating at the second rotational speed.
For another aspect of the present invention, while the data recording disk is rotating at the first rotational speed, a write command is received. Write data is then stored in the memory device and a write command completion signal is sent to the host processor. Furthermore, the data stored in the memory device is recorded on the data recording disk while the data recording disk is rotating at the second rotational speed.
A disk drive device is also described. The disk drive device includes a data recording disk and a spindle motor operable to support and rotate the data recording disk. Additionally, the disk drive device includes a head/slider assembly for reading data from and writing data to the data recording disk and a voice coil motor operable to position the head/slider assembly with respect to the data recording disk. The disk drive device also includes a memory device and a control unit. The control unit is operable to read a control program from the data recording disk, store it on the memory device, provide a ready signal to a host processor and perform a read operation while controlling the rotation of the spindle motor at a first rotational speed. If a data error is detected from the read operation, the read operation is retried while controlling the rotation of the spindle motor at a second rotational speed which is faster than the first rotational speed.
For one aspect of the present invention, the control circuit is further operable to store write data from the host processor in the memory device while controlling the rotation of the spindle motor at the first rotational speed.
For another aspect of the present invention, the control circuit is further operable to write the data stored in the memory device onto the data recording disk while controlling the rotation of the spindle motor at the second rotational speed.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and from the detailed description below.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5345347 (1994-09-01), Hopkins et al.
patent: 5345561 (1994-09-01), Kato
patent: 5774292 (1998-06-01), Georgiou et al.
“Plextor PX-43CH Internal CD-ROM Drive/PX-45CH External CD-ROM Drive Operation Manual”, p. 48, First Edition, Jun. 1994, Plextor Corp.
Asano Hideo
Suzuki Hiroaki
Feece Ron
International Business Machines - Corporation
Lee Monica D.
Sniezek Andrew L.
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