Disk drive method and apparatus

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein, said predetermined period of time is at least as long as that necessary for said head to physically settle at substantially said second radial position.

Claim 6

The method of claim 3 further including the steps of, after detecting said radial line and stopping said verifying, moving said first and second heads to a second position; and waiting a predetermined period of time after detecting said radial line and then writing a third and fourth track with said first and said second heads, respectively, said predetermined time being a time period less than the time period required to complete one revolution.

Claim 7

A disk drive system comprising: a data recording disk; rotation means connected to said disk for rotating said disk; at least one recording head; head movement means connected to said head(s) for radially moving said head(s) relative to and proximate to said disk; index means in communication with said disk for detecting when said disk is in a particular angular position relative to said head(s) and generating a sensor index signal responsive thereto; writing means connected to said head(s) for generating recording signals on receipt of a secondary index signal; and signal delay means for generating said secondary index signal a predetermined time relative to said sensor index signal.

Claim 8

A disk drive system comprising: a data recording disk; rotation means connected to said disk for rotating said disk; at least one recording head; head movement means connected to said head(s) for radially moving said head(s) relative to and proximate to said disk; index means in communication with said disk for detecting when said disk is in a particular angular position relative to said head(s) and generating a sensor index signal responsive thereto; writing means connected to said head(s) for generating recording signals on receipt of a secondary index signal; and signal delay means for generating said secondary index signal a predetermined time relative to said sensor index signal.

Claim 9

The system of claim 5 further including, selection means for adjusting said predetermined time according to the characteristic type of said data recording disk.

Claim 10

The system of claim 5 further including, track monitoring means for determining a track position of said head(s) relative to said data recording disk; and means for adjusting said predetermined time according to the track position determined by the track monitoring means.

Claim 11

A disk drive system comprising: a magnetic media disk having first and second sides for recording data signals; rotation means for turning said magnetic media disk; first and second transducer heads respectively proximate to said first and second sides of said magnetic media disk; head movement means connected to said transducer heads for moving said transducer heads radially over the surfaces of said first and second sides of said magnetic media disk; first conversion means for converting first side digital data signals to a first side analog data signals and for optimizing said analog signals to avoid interference with a second side analog data signals; and second conversion means connected to said second transducer head for converting second side digital data signals to a second side analog data signal and for optimizing said analog signal to avoid interference with said first side analog data signals.

Claim 12

A disk drive system comprising: a magnetic media disk having first and second sides for recording data signals; rotation means for turning said magnetic media disk; first and second transducer heads respectively proximate to said first and second sides of said magnetic media disk; head movement means connected to said transducer heads for moving said transducer heads radially over the surfaces of said first and second sides of said magnetic media disk; first conversion means for converting first side digital data signals to a first side analog data signals and for optimizing said analog signals to avoid interference with a second side analog data signals; and second conversion means connected to said second transducer head for converting second side digital data signals to a second side analog data signal and for optimizing said analog signal to avoid interference with said first side analog data signals.

Claim 13

A magnetic media comprising: a disk with magnetic media surfaces, the disk able to rotate with at least one transducer head in communication with at least one of said magnetic media surfaces; and a plurality of data tracks concentrically written on said magnetic media surfaces of the disk, each data track having a starting point that is skewed a predetermined angular distance from adjacent data tracks, said predetermined angular distance being the minimum distance along said data track that must pass under said transducer head during rotation of said disk in order for said transducer head to settle after being moved from one data track to another.

Claim 14

A magnetic media comprising: a disk with magnetic media surfaces, the disk able to rotate with at least one transducer head in communication with at least one of said magnetic media surfaces; and a plurality of data tracks concentrically written on said magnetic media surfaces of the disk, each data track having a starting point that is skewed a predetermined angular distance from adjacent data tracks, said predetermined angular distance being the minimum distance along said data track that must pass under said transducer head during rotation of said disk in order for said transducer head to settle after being moved from one data track to another.

Claim 15

The media of claim 9 wherein, said disk has an index mark; each of said data tracks comprises an address field; and each data track is positioned on its respective magnetic media surface such that no address field will coincide with said index mark.

Claim 18

The method of claim 11 wherein: the writing of said data tracks is such that a first of said data tracks starts at said index mark; and after writing a plurality of consecutive data tracks, at least one subsequent data track is written such that it also starts at said index mark.

Claim 19

A disk drive system comprising: a magnetic media disk having an index hole and a plurality of positions on at least one surface of the disk to record data tracks; a spindle motor attached to said disk for rotating said disk; a transducer head located proximate said disk; a transducer head motor attached to said head for moving said head radially across rotating surfaces of said disk from one data track position to another; an index sensor in communication with said disk index hole for determining an angular position of said disk; a track sensor in communication with said disk for determining a position of said head relative to a radial on a surface of said disk; conversion means connected to said head for converting digital data signals into analog data signals such that data may be communicated to and from at least one of the surfaces of said disk by the transducer head; controller means for simultaneously controlling the flow of said data and said spindle motor and said head motor; and means to initiate data recording connected to said index sensor, the track sensor, and the controller means for monitoring the head position relative to said disk and for sending a start signal to the controller means a predetermined time after the head is moved to a new track location, said predetermined time being at least enough for said transducer head to settle after being moved from one data track to another.

Claim 20

A disk drive system comprising: a magnetic media disk having an index hole and a plurality of positions on at least one surface of the disk to record data tracks; a spindle motor attached to said disk for rotating said disk; a transducer head located proximate said disk; a transducer head motor attached to said head for moving said head radially across rotating surfaces of said disk from one data track position to another; an index sensor in communication with said disk index hole for determining an angular position of said disk; a track sensor in communication with said disk for determining a position of said head relative to a radial on a surface of said disk; conversion means connected to said head for converting digital data signals into analog data signals such that data may be communicated to and from at least one of the surfaces of said disk by the transducer head; controller means for simultaneously controlling the flow of said data and said spindle motor and said head motor; and means to initiate data recording connected to said index sensor, the track sensor, and the controller means for monitoring the head position relative to said disk and for sending a start signal to the controller means a predetermined time after the head is moved to a new track location, said predetermined time being at least enough for said transducer head to settle after being moved from one data track to another.

Claim 21

A data recording system, comprising: means for simultaneously writing a pair of tracks, one track on each side of a disk, the means having separate digital and analog circuits for each of a pair of heads in communication with respective sides of said disk, the means also having means for preventing interference between said heads; means for simultaneously verifying said pair of tracks previously written; means for stepping said heads from one radial position to another radial position relative to said disk such that another pair of tracks may be accessed by the writing means and verifying means; and means for delaying less than one disk revolution time after stepping to another pair of tracks, the delaying means able to determine when the writing means can begin to write said tracks, the delay such that adjacent tracks, once written, are skewed from one another.

Claim 22

A data recording system, comprising: means for simultaneously writing a pair of tracks, one track on each side of a disk, the means having separate digital and analog circuits for each of a pair of heads in communication with respective sides of said disk, the means also having means for preventing interference between said heads; means for simultaneously verifying said pair of tracks previously written; means for stepping said heads from one radial position to another radial position relative to said disk such that another pair of tracks may be accessed by the writing means and verifying means; and means for delaying less than one disk revolution time after stepping to another pair of tracks, the delaying means able to determine when the writing means can begin to write said tracks, the delay such that adjacent tracks, once written, are skewed from one another.

Claim 23

The system of claim 14, wherein: the delay means comprises means to read a physical index mark from said disk and means to prevent the writing means from writing a sector address field that would be coincident with said index mark.

Claim 26

The method of claim 16, wherein: the delaying prevents the writing step from recording a sector address field that is coincident with a physical index mark from said disk.