System and method for non-invasive accessor recalibration

• US 6,115,648 A
• Filed: 09/16/1997
• Issued: 09/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gallo, Frank David
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Butler, Michael E.
• Application Number:
  US08/931,296
• Time in Patent Office: 1,085 Days
• Field of Search: 364/478.06, 364/478.03, 364/478.02, 360/92, 369/34, 369/30, 700/218, 700/215, 700/214, 700/213, 700/216, 700/217
• US Class Current: 700/218
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/6835 the cassettes being transferred to a fixed recorder or player using a moving carriage
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 17/225 wherein the disks are transferred from a fixed magazine to a fixed playing unit using a moving carriage

Abstract

Non-invasive recalibration is performed for an accessor in a data storage library. The library includes an accessor along with multiple targets such as fiducials, media storage cells, and one or more media drives. A storage unit contains stored coordinates aligning the accessor with the targets. One of the fiducials is predefined as a master fiducial. When recalibrating, the accessor is used to determine new master coordinates currently defining the master fiducial. A positional difference is derived between the new master coordinates and the stored coordinates of the master fiducial. Coordinate update values are determined for each cell and drive according to the positional difference. The coordinate update value of each target may be the derived positional difference, or the target'"'"'s new coordinate. The coordinate update values are finally stored for use to position the accessor during subsequent operation of the library.

Claims

1. A method for recalibrating a first accessor in a data storage library, where each different alignment of the first accessor is characterized by a different coordinate, the library including multiple targets including fiducials, media storage cells, and one or more media drives, the library also including a storage unit containing a second accessor and a plurality of stored coordinates aligning the first accessor with the targets, the method comprising:

defining one of the fiducials as a master fiducial;

operating the first accessor to determine master coordinates defining the master fiducial;

locating the master fiducial to prevent the first and second accessors from colliding during the operation of the first accessor to determine master coordinates defining the master fiducial;

deriving a positional difference between the master coordinates and the stored coordinates of the master fiducial;

determining coordinate update values for each cell and drive according to the positional difference; and

storing the coordinate update values in the storage unit for use to position the accessor during subsequent operation of the library.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

suspending access of the media items during the operating, deriving, determining, and storing steps.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the coordinate update values to position the first accessor during subsequent operation of the library.

4. The method of claim 1, the coordinate update values comprising new coordinates for each cell and drive.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

for each target, storing its new coordinate in the storage unit in replacement of the stored coordinate for that target.

6. The method of claim 1, the coordinate update values comprising the positional difference.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining coordinate update values for each non-master fiducial.

8. A signal-bearing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method for recalibrating a first accessor in a data storage library, where each different alignment of the first accessor is characterized by a different coordinate, the library multiple targets including fiducials, media storage cells, and one or more media drives, the library also including a storage unit containing a plurality of stored coordinates aligning the accessor with the targets, the method comprising:

defining one of the fiducials as a master fiducial;

operating the first accessor to determine master coordinates defining the master fiducial;

locating the master fiducial to prevent the first and second accessors from colliding during said step of operating the first accessor to determine master coordinates defining the master fiducial;

deriving a positional difference between the master coordinates and the stored coordinates of the master fiducial;

determining coordinate update values for each cell and drive according to the positional difference; and

storing the coordinate update values in the storage unit for use to position the first accessor during subsequent operation of the library.

9. The medium of claim 8, the method further comprising:

suspending access of the media items during the operating, deriving, determining, and storing steps.

10. The medium of claim 8, the method further comprising:

using the coordinate update values to position the first accessor during subsequent operation of the library.

11. The medium of claim 8, the coordinate update values comprising new coordinates for each cell and drive.

12. The medium of claim 11, the method further comprising:

for each target, storing its new coordinate in the storage unit in replacement of the stored coordinate for that target.

13. The medium of claim 8, the coordinate update values comprising the positional difference.

14. The medium of claim 8, the method further comprising:

determining coordinate update values for each non-master fiducial.

15. A data storage library, comprising:

multiple targets at predefined positions, including fiducials, media storage cells, and one or more media drives;

a first media accessor, each different alignment of which is characterized by a different coordinate;

a second media accessor;

a storage unit containing a plurality of stored coordinates aligning the first accessor with the targets;

a library manager coupled to the storage unit and the first accessor, the library manager being programmed to perform a method to recalibrate the first accessor, the method comprising;

defining one of the fiducials as a master fiducial;

operating the first accessor to determine master coordinates defining the master fiducial;

locating the master fiducial to prevent the first and second accessors from colliding during said step of operating the first accessor to determine master coordinates defining the master fiducial;

deriving a positional difference between the master coordinates and the stored coordinates of the master fiducial;

determining coordinate update values for each cell and drive according to the positional difference; and

storing the coordinate update values in the storage unit for use to position the first accessor during subsequent operation of the library.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, the library manager being further programmed to perform steps comprising:

suspending access of the media items during the operating, deriving, determining, and storing steps.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, the library manager being further programmed to perform steps comprising:

using the coordinate update values to position the first accessor during subsequent operation of the library.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, the coordinate update values comprising new coordinates for each cell and drive.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, the library manager being further programmed to perform steps comprising:

for each target, storing its new coordinate in the storage unit in replacement of the stored coordinate for that target.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, the coordinate update values comprising the positional difference.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, the library manager being further programmed to perform steps comprising:

determining coordinate update values for each non-master fiducial.