Digital optical disk system

• US 4,566,087 A
• Filed: 05/22/1984
• Issued: 01/21/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cascade Biosystems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cascade Biosystems, Inc.
• Inventors: Kraft, Crispin S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stephan, Steven L.
• Application Number:
  US06/613,082
• Time in Patent Office: 609 Days
• Field of Search: 369/34, 369/36, 369/197, 369/35, 369/37, 369/40
• US Class Current: 369/30.29
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/02 Control of operating function, e.g. switching from recording to reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/20 Driving; Starting; Stopping; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/41 Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 25/043 using rotating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/002 Programmed access in sequence to a plurality of record carriers or indexed parts, e.g. tracks, thereof, e.g. for editing; transfer of record carriers from magazine G11B15/68, G11B17/10; G11B17/22
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/0037 with discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/08 Disposition or mounting of heads or light sources relatively to record carriers

Abstract

A mass memory storage device has a plurality of optical disks that the rotation axes of each disk being mounted equidistantly from a main axis. An arm is rotatably mounted about the main axis and is selectively positioned adjacent one of the addressed disks. A transducer head is carried on the distal end of the arm and is operably positioned adjacent an addressed track on the addressed disk. The arm may have two branches at its distal end where each branch carries a transducer head so that data can be read from and written to each side of the disk. Further, about each rotation axis of a disk, may be disposed a plurality of disk coaxially aligned to increase the storage capacity of the memory device.

Claims

1. A memory disk system adapted for receiving a plurality of data disks, each of said disks having an obverse face, a reverse face, and a plurality of tracks on at least one said faces said memory disk system comprising:

means for rotatably mounting said plurality of disks radially from a main axis, the rotation axis of each of said disks being radially disposed equidistantly from and parallel to said main axis;

means for rotating each of said disks about its axis;

an arm rotatably mounted about said main axis and extending radially therefrom;

means for positioning said arm adjacent a selected one of said disks;

3. A memory disk system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said mounting means includes:

a hub having a backing plate, a positioning cone extending outwardly from a face of said backing plate, and an annular magnet disposed within said backing plate concentrically about said positioning cone, said positioning cone being adapted for co-axially engaging a center opening of an associated one of said disks, said magnet being positioned for magnetically securing a metallic ring disposed about the center opening of said associated one of said disks.

5. A memory disk system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said arm positioning means includes:

a motor which develops output rotational motion about said main axis and being operatively coupled to said arm;

encoder means for determining the angular position of said arm with respect to a reference angular position about said axis; and

means for selectively energizing said motor to position said arm at a predetermined angular position along which said axis of said one of said disks is disposed, said energizing means disabling said motor is response to said encoder means determining that said arm has been rotated to said predetermined angular position.

7. A memory disk system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said transducer head positioning means includes:

means for mounting said transducer head in linear slidable engagement on said distal end of said arm;

encoder means for determining the present position of said transducer head on said arm with respect the selected position of said transducer head when operatively adjacent said selected one of said track; and

means responsive to said encoder means for moving said transducer head along said arm in discrete steps, each step corresponding to the distance between adjacent ones of said tracks, the number of steps being determined by the difference between the present position and the selected position of said transducer head.

8. A memory disk system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said mounting means includes means for mounting a plurality of disks in a spaced apart facing relationship about each rotation axis and wherein said arm is axially slidably mounted along said main axis.

9. A memory disk system as set forth in claim 7 wherein said arm positioning means includes means for selectively translating said arm axially along said main axis when said arm is radially disposed between the radial positions of two adjacent rotation axes.

10. A memory disk system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said arm includes:

means for rotating said arm about its axis to selectively position said transducer head adjacent one of said obverse face and said reverse face on said one of said disks.

11. A memory disk system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said disks are optically readably and writeable disks.

13. A memory disk system as set forth in claim 11 wherein said mounting means includes means for mounting a pluraltiy of disks in a spaced apart facing relationship about each rotation axis and wherein said arm is axially slidably mounted along said main axis.

15. A memory disk system as set forth in claim 11 wherein said arm includes:

means for rotating said arm along its axis to selectively position said transducer head adjacent one of said obverse face and said reverse face on said one of said disks.

16. A memory disk system as set forth in claim 11 wherein said disks are optically readably and writeable disks.

18. A memory disk system as set forth in claim 16 wherein said mounting means includes means for mounting a plurality of disks in a spaced apart facing relationship about each rotation axis and wherein said arm is axially slidably mounted along said main axis.

2. a transducer head carried on a distal end of said arm;

and

means for operatively positioning said transducer head adjacent a selected one of said tracks on said one of said disks.

4. A memory disk system as set forth in claim 2 wherein said rotating means includes:

a motor associated with each said hub and coupled thereto to impart rotational motion developed by said motor to said hub.

6. A memory disk system as set forth in claim 4 wherein said encoder means includes:

an encoder member rotatable about said main axis and operatively coupled to the output rotational motion of said motor and being radially fixed with respect to said arm and having radial position indicia thereon indicating radial position with respect to said reference radial position; and

a stationary sensor which in response to said indicia indicates the radial position of said encoder member.

12. A memory disk system comprising:

a plurality of information carrying disks, each of said disks having an obverse face, a reverse face and a plurality of tracks disposed on one said faces in which information is stored and being rotatable about its axis, the rotation axis of each of said disk being radially disposed equidistantly from and parallel to a main axis;

means for rotating each of said disks about its axis;

an arm rotatably mounted about said main axis and extending radially therefrom;

means for positioning said arm adjacent a selected one of said disks;

a transducer head carried on a distal end of said arm; and

means for opertively positioning said transducer head adjacent a selected one of said tracks on said one of said disks.

14. A memory disk system as set forth in claim 12 wherein said arm positioning means includes means for selectively translating said arm axially along said main axis when said arm is radially disposed between the radial positions of two adjacent rotation axes.

17. In a data processing system having a central processing unit and a plurality of date disks, each of said data disks having a plurality of tracks about an axis thereof, each of said tracks having a plurality of addressable locations, each of said addressable locations having an address field and a data field, said central processing unit having means for developing an address word for addressing a selected one of said addressable locations and means for selectably reading data from and writing data to said data field of said selected one of said addressable locations when said address field thereof is addressed, said address word having a plurality of address bits, a memory disk system comprising:

means for mounting said plurality of data disks radially from a main axis, the rotation axis of each of said disks being disposed equidistantly from and parallel to said central axis;

means for rotating each of said disks about its axis;

an arm rotatably mounted about said main axis and extending radially therefrom;

means responsive to the state of selected first one of said address bits for selectively positioning said arm adjacent one of said disks which is identified by the state of said selected first ones of said address bits;

a transducer head carried on a distal end of said arm;

means responsive to the state of selected second ones of said address bits for operatively positioning said transducer head adjacent a selected one of said tracks on said one of said disks said selected one of said tracks being identified by the state of said selected second ones of said address bits; and

means responsive to the state of selected third ones of said address bits for addressing said address field of a selected one of said addressable locations identified by the state of said third ones of said address bits, said reading and writing means being selectively operative to read data from and write data to said data field of said selected one of said addressable locations through said transducer head.

19. A memory disk system as set forth in claim 17 which further includes:

means responsive to the state of selected fourth ones of said address bits for selectively translating said arm axially along said main axis to level which is identified by the state of said selected fourth ones of said address bits.