Apparatus and method for reducing effects of slip/stick in a disk drive head assembly

Claim 2

A disk storage system having a disk comprised of a plurality of tracks for storing digital data, comprising: a transducer for reading data from and writing data to said tracks of said disk; an actuator assembly for moving said transducer from a first track to a second track having: a slider coupled to said transducer for locating said transducer close to a surface of said disk; a flexure coupled to said slider for allowing said slider to maintain a substantially constant height in reference to said disk; a servo for accelerating and decelerating said actuator assembly according to a predetermined profile specifying how said transducer is to be moved, wherein as said transducer approaches said second track, said servo abruptly accelerates said transducer for a predetermined duration according to-said profile to minimize offsets between said flexure and said load member.

Claim 3

The disk storage system of claim 1, wherein at approximately one track prior to said second track, said profile corresponds to a velocity of approximately three-tenths of a track per fifty-three microseconds.

Claim 4

The disk storage system of claim 2, wherein said profile is stored in read only memory (ROM).

Claim 5

In a magnetic recording system having a magnetic medium comprising a plurality of tracks for storing binary information, a read/write means for reading binary information from and writing binary information to said magnetic medium, and a means for positioning said read/write means over a particular portion of said magnetic medium, a method of moving said read/write means from a starting track to a destination track and properly aligning said read/write means to a center of said destination track, comprising the steps of: loading a memory means with a plurality of profiles which define acceleration and deceleration of said read/write means as a function of a distance said read/write means is to be moved; determining a distance from said starting track to said destination track; locating a profile from said memory means corresponding to said distance; accelerating said read/write means until said read/write means is moved to an approximate midpoint of said distance; decelerating said read/write means according to said profile, wherein said deceleration is gradually decreased as said read/write means approaches said destination track; abruptly accelerating said read/write means for a predetermined duration according to said profile prior to reaching said destination track for minimizing misalignment in said positioning means.

Claim 6

In a magnetic recording system having a magnetic medium comprising a plurality of tracks for storing binary information, a read/write means for reading binary information from and writing binary information to said magnetic medium, and a means for positioning said read/write means over a particular portion of said magnetic medium, a method of moving said read/write means from a starting track to a destination track and properly aligning said read/write means to a center of said destination track, comprising the steps of: loading a memory means with a plurality of profiles which define acceleration and deceleration of said read/write means as a function of a distance said read/write means is to be moved; determining a distance from said starting track to said destination track; locating a profile from said memory means corresponding to said distance; accelerating said read/write means until said read/write means is moved to an approximate midpoint of said distance; decelerating said read/write means according to said profile, wherein said deceleration is gradually decreased as said read/write means approaches said destination track; abruptly accelerating said read/write means for a predetermined duration according to said profile prior to reaching said destination track for minimizing misalignment in said positioning means.

Claim 7

The method of claim 4, wherein said abrupt accelerating step is comprised of reversing polarity of voltage applied to said positioning means.

Claim 8

The method of claim 5, wherein said ,abrupt acceleration is increased by increasing a voltage applied to said positioning means.

Claim 9

The method of claim 6, wherein said abrupt acceleration step occurs approximately one track prior to said destination track.