Ensuring Rate Of Spin-Up/Spin-Down Cycles For Spindle Motor In A Hard Disk Drive Does Not Exceed Rate Spindle Motor Is Designed To Handle
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method, computer program product and hard disk drive for restricting a rate of spin-up/spin-down cycles for a spindle motor in a hard disk drive. The firmware in the hard disk drive determines a maximum rate of spin-up/spin-down cycles the spindle motor is designed to handle over a designated period of time based on the number of spin-up/spin-down cycles the spindle motor is designed to handle over its expected lifetime. The firmware disables the automatic standby mode of operation if a calculated rate of spin-up/spin-down cycles during the designated period of time is greater than the maximum rate of spin-up/spin-down cycles the spindle motor is designed to handle over the designated period of time. By disabling the automatic standby mode of operation, the rate of spin-up/spin-down cycles will be reduced as the spindle motor will not incur a spin-up/spin-down cycle until the automatic standby mode of operation is enabled.
-
Citations
36 Claims
-
1-27. -27. (canceled)
-
28. A method for restricting a rate of load/unload cycles for an actuator in a hard disk drive comprising the steps of:
-
determining a number of load/unload cycles said actuator is designed to handle over its expected lifetime;
determining a maximum rate of load/unload cycles said actuator is designed to handle over a designated period of time using said number of load/unload cycles said actuator is designed to handle over its expected lifetime; and
calculating a rate of load/unload cycles while said hard disk drive is activated during said period of time;
wherein an low power idle state of operation is disabled if said rate of load/unload cycles while said hard disk drive is activated during said period of time is greater than said maximum rate of load/unload cycles said actuator is designed to handle over said designated period of time. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
-
-
31. A computer program product embodied in a machine readable medium for restricting a rate of load/unload cycles for an actuator in a hard disk drive comprising the programming steps of:
-
determining a number of load/unload cycles said actuator is designed to handle over its expected lifetime;
determining a maximum rate of load/unload cycles said actuator is designed to handle over a designated period of time using said number of load/unload cycles said actuator is designed to handle over its expected lifetime; and
calculating a rate of load/unload cycles while said hard disk drive is activated during said period of time;
wherein an low power idle state of operation is disabled if said rate of load/unload cycles while said hard disk drive is activated during said period of time is greater than said maximum rate of load/unload cycles said actuator is designed to handle over said designated period of time. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33)
-
-
34. A hard disk drive comprising:
-
a spindle;
a spindle motor attached to said spindle for rotatably turning said spindle along an axis of said spindle;
one or more disk storage media disposed coaxially along said axis of said spindle;
a ramp located at an edge of said one or more disk storage media;
a voice coil motor;
an actuator coupled to said voice coil motor;
a magnetic head held by said actuator, wherein said voice coil motor is configured to control movement of said actuator to load or unload said magnetic head onto said ramp;
a card coupled to said spindle motor configured to drive said spindle motor; and
a firmware coupled to said card, wherein said firmware holds software configured to perform the following steps;
determining a number of load/unload cycles said actuator is designed to handle over its expected lifetime;
determining a maximum rate of load/unload cycles said actuator is designed to handle over a designated period of time using said number of load/unload cycles said actuator is designed to handle over its expected lifetime; and
calculating a rate of load/unload cycles while said hard disk drive is activated during said period of time;
wherein an low power idle state of operation is disabled if said rate of load/unload cycles while said hard disk drive is activated during said period of time is greater than said maximum rate of load/unload cycles said actuator is designed to handle over said designated period of time. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
-
Specification