Apparatus and method for shock attenuation in a disk recording and/or reproduction system using variable gain acceleration sensor

Claim 2

A disk recording/reproducing device, comprising: a) a disk rotatably mounted on said device, said disk having a surface containing recording tracks; b) means on said device for rotating the disk; c) a transducer; d) moveable actuator means on said device for supporting said transducer adjacent a surface of said disk and for moving said transducer to different radial locations with respect to said recording tracks; e) control means having an input circuit receiving the output of said transducer for controlling said moveable actuator means to maintain said transducer substantially centered on a recording track; f) accelerometer means on said device responsive to acceleration of said device for additionally controlling said moveable actuator means, and; g) means responsive to the output of said transducer in an off-track position for adjusting the gain of said accelerometer means.

Claim 3

The invention according to claim 1, in which: a) said accelerometer means comprises an accelerometer, and b) an amplifier connected to the output of said accelerometer, said amplifier having a variable gain circuit connected to receive the output of said transducer.

Claim 4

The invention according to claim 1, in which: a) said moveable actuator means comprises a rotary actuator, and b) said accelerometer means comprises a rotary accelerometer.

Claim 5

The invention according to claim 1, in which: a) said moveable actuator means comprises a linear actuator, and b) said accelerometer means comprises a linear accelerometer.

Claim 6

A memory storage and access device comprising a) a disk rotatably mounted on said device and having a surface for storing recordings in tracks; b) a motor power moveable arm on said device; c) a transducer mounted on said moveable arm; d) a control system for controlling said motor and arm to hold the transducer centered at a track on said surface; e) an accelerometer mounted on said device for sensing acceleration of said device due to impact forces coupled to said device for producing a feed forward control signal coupled to said control system to anticipate the effect of said impact force on said device under all the positions of said transducer and said track, for reducing the amount of positional change of the transducer relative to the center of said track; f) means for producing a transducer position error signal relative to the center of said track, and g) means responsive to the position error signal for optimizing the gain of said accelerometer.

Claim 7

A memory storage and access device comprising a) a disk rotatably mounted on said device and having a surface for storing recordings in tracks; b) a motor power moveable arm on said device; c) a transducer mounted on said moveable arm; d) a control system for controlling said motor and arm to hold the transducer centered at a track on said surface; e) an accelerometer mounted on said device for sensing acceleration of said device due to impact forces coupled to said device for producing a feed forward control signal coupled to said control system to anticipate the effect of said impact force on said device under all the positions of said transducer and said track, for reducing the amount of positional change of the transducer relative to the center of said track; f) means for producing a transducer position error signal relative to the center of said track, and g) means responsive to the position error signal for optimizing the gain of said accelerometer.

Claim 8

The invention according to claim 5, in which: a) said means responsive to the position error signal comprises a variable gain amplifier in which the gain of the amplifier is controlled by said position error signal.

Claim 9

The invention according to claim 5, in which: a) said moveable arm is a rotary actuator.

Claim 10

The invention according to claim 5, in which: a) said moveable arm is a linear actuator.

Claim 11

The invention according to claim 5, in which: a) said device is a disk drive.

Claim 12

The invention according to claim 5, in which: a) said device is a disk player.

Claim 15

In a memory storage and access device having a rotating member with a surface for storing data, a transducer on a moveable arm to be positioned at different radial locations on said rotating surface, means coupled to the transducer for providing a position error signal, a control system responsive to the position error signal for moving and positioning said moveable arm and an accelerometer for sensing acceleration of said device and coupled to said control system for additionally controlling the position of said moveable arm in response to acceleration of said device calibrated as a function of said position error signal, a method for calibrating said accelerometer, comprising: a) employing said position error signal to optimize accelerometer gain while said device is not subject to acceleration; b) subjecting said device to external shock or vibration, and c) optimizing accelerometer gain for minimal error while in a non-zero shock environment by employing said position error signal and letting the external shock or vibrating serve as an excitation to the system which comprises the rotating member, the transducer and moveable arm for which the position error is being reduced.

Claim 16

In a memory storage and access device having a rotating member with a surface for storing data, a transducer on a moveable arm to be positioned at different radial locations on said rotating surface, means coupled to the transducer for providing a position error signal, a control system responsive to the position error signal for moving and positioning said moveable arm and an accelerometer for sensing acceleration of said device and coupled to said control system for additionally controlling the position of said moveable arm in response to acceleration of said device calibrated as a function of said position error signal, a method for calibrating said accelerometer, comprising: a) employing said position error signal to optimize accelerometer gain while said device is not subject to acceleration; b) subjecting said device to external shock or vibration, and c) optimizing accelerometer gain for minimal error while in a non-zero shock environment by employing said position error signal and letting the external shock or vibrating serve as an excitation to the system which comprises the rotating member, the transducer and moveable arm for which the position error is being reduced.

Claim 17

The method according to claim 12, further comprising: a) optimizing the gain of the accelerometer by employing a least mean square (LMS) procedure.

Claim 18

The method according to claim 12, further comprising: a) optimizing the gain of the accelerometer employing a random search algorithm.

Claim 19

The method according to claim 12, further comprising: a) optimizing the gain of the accelerometer employing a steepest descent algorithm.

Claim 20

The method according to claim 12, in which: a) said device is subject to shock by operating the moveable arm to induce motion of the device.