Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval – General processing of a digital signal – Data in specific format
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-15
2003-12-30
Hudspeth, David (Department: 2651)
Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval
General processing of a digital signal
Data in specific format
C360S051000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06671115
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a servo signal processing apparatus which processes servo information read from a servo area of a recording medium, and a recorded data reading apparatus.
While there has been a demand to increase memory capacity for magnetic disk devices, there has also been a demand for making such devices more compact. There has further been a demand to increase the data reading and writing speeds for such devices. To fulfill those demands, it is necessary to improve the efficiency of formatting magnetic disks and to reduce the circuit scale of a read channel IC, which is used in a recorded data reproducing apparatus.
In a conventional recorded data reproducing apparatus, analog data, which has been read via a head from a recording medium, is output to a read channel processor (hereinafter called “read channel IC”). The read channel IC has a data signal processor and a servo signal processor. The data signal processor is provided to acquire data information (user data) stored in a area of the disk. The data signal processor converts a read signal, input via a filter, to a digital signal and outputs the digital signal as user data.
The servo signal processor acquires information, such as head position information and head moving speed, from servo information stored in a servo area on the disk. The servo signal processor detects a peak position in accordance with a peak detection system. More specifically, the servo signal processor detects the peak position of the read signal, input via the filter, which has a level equal to or greater than a predetermined value set in an associated register. The servo signal processor checks the interval between detected peaks using an MPU (Micro Processor Unit) located outside the IC. Then, the servo signal processor determines whether the occasional read signal has a value of “1” or “0”, as well as detects a servo mark and reads a gray code.
When detecting the servo mark, the servo signal processor converts the read servo information to digital data. The servo signal processor then outputs the digital data to an arithmetic operation unit, such as a DSP located outside the IC. The arithmetic operation unit performs computations, such as a complex operation on the input digital information to calculate position information or the like. The computed information is converted to an analog signal, which is in turn sent to a head driver, which controls and moves the head accordingly.
Because the servo signal processor determines if the occasional read signal has a value of “1” or “0”, based on the interval between the detected peaks, the detection of a peak position becomes difficult as the interval between the detected peaks is narrowed. Maintaining as interval between the detected peaks, therefore, stands in the way of improving the recording density of the servo area and increasing the density of a disk.
Further, the read channel IC requires ten or more bits of data to be transferred in order to precisely control the read head. Therefore, the read channel IC is equipped with terminals (ten or more) for transferring multiple bits data and an interface circuit for transferring the multiple data to the DSP. The multiple terminals and the large-scale interface circuit inevitably increase the chip area of the read channel IC, which results in an increase in the manufacturing cost of ICs and reduces the data transfer speed.
Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a servo signal processing apparatus and a recorded data reading apparatus, which are capable of improving the density of a recording medium.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a servo signal processing apparatus and a recorded data reading apparatus, which can speed up the processing of servo information read from a recording medium.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a servo signal processing apparatus for processing a servo signal corresponding to servo information from a servo area provided on a recorded medium for controlling a read head, the servo area including a servo mark area for storing a servo mark indicative of a beginning of the servo area, a gray mark area for storing a gray mark indicative of a beginning of information for position control for the read head, and a gray code area for storing information, the apparatus including: an A-D converter for sampling and converting the servo signal to a digital data signal; a digital filter connected to the A-D converter for filtering the digital data signal based on a sampling clock, and for outputting filtered digital data; a servo mark detector connected to the digital filter for receiving the filtered digital data and for detecting the servo mark area based on a first continuity of a predetermined logical value; and a gray code decoder connected to the digital filter for receiving the filtered digital data and for detecting the gray mark area based on a second continuity of a predetermined logical value, wherein the gray code decoder decodes the information stored in the gray code area following the detected gray mark area.
The present invention further provides a method for processing a servo signal corresponding to servo information stored at a servo area on a recorded medium, the servo information for controlling a read head, the servo area including a servo mark area for storing a servo mark indicative of a beginning of the servo area, a gray mark area for storing a gray mark indicative of a beginning of information for position control for the read head, and a gray code area for storing the position control information, the method comprising the steps of: sampling and converting the servo signal to a digital data signal with an analog-to-digital converter; filtering the digital data signal based on a sampling clock and generating filtered digital data; analyzing the filtered digital data to detect the servo mark area based on a first continuity of a predetermined logical value; analyzing the filtered digital data to detect the gray mark area based on a second continuity of a predetermined logical value; and decoding the information stored in the gray code area following the detected gray mark area.
Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention.
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U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/526,276, Haraguchi et al., filed Mar. 15, 2000.
Haraguchi Hiroko
Sawada Masaru
Davidson Dan I.
Staas & Halsey , LLP
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