Portable equipment incorporating magnetic disk device

• US 6,754,029 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2002
• Issued: 06/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ito, Tsutomu
• Primary Examiner(s): Sniezek, Andrew L.
• Application Number:
  US10/080,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20020126411A1
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 360/69, 360/75, 73/13.7, 734/88, 734/96, 324/207.11, 324/207.13, 324/207.22, 324/210, 324/212, 324/207.16
• US Class Current: 360/75
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 21/02 Driving or moving of heads

Abstract

In order to avoid destruction of recorded data on the magnetic disk due to a shock when portable equipment incorporating a magnetic disk falls from a person'"'"'s hand or similar, or to minimize damage to the magnetic head and magnetic disk device, in the portable equipment incorporating a magnetic disk device, the magnetic disk device 1 is provided with a magnetic head retraction mechanism and with a held-in-hand detection mechanism which detects whether the equipment is held in a person'"'"'s hand. When the held-in-hand detection mechanism detects that the equipment is not held in a person'"'"'s hand, the retraction mechanism causes the magnetic head 5 to be retracted from the recorded data portion of the magnetic disk 3 to the outside, so as to protect the magnetic disk device 1 and the data recorded on the magnetic disk from shocks.

Claims

1. Portable equipment incorporating a magnetic disk device, wherein

said magnetic disk device is provided with a magnetic head retraction mechanism, and a held-in-hand detection mechanism which detects whether said equipment is held in a person'"'"'s hand;

and,

when said held-in-hand detection mechanism detects that the equipment is not held in said hand, said retraction mechanism causes said magnetic head to be retracted from the recorded data portion of said magnetic disk to the outside, such that said magnetic disk device, and the data recorded on said magnetic disk, are protected from shocks.

2. The portable equipment incorporating a magnetic disk device according to claim 1, wherein said held-in-hand detection mechanism performs detection based on changes in electrostatic capacitance.

3. The portable equipment incorporating a magnetic disk device according to claim 1, wherein said held-in-hand detection mechanism performs detection based on optical changes.

4. The portable equipment incorporating a magnetic disk device according to claim 1, wherein said held-in-hand detection mechanism performs detection based on changes in infrared rays.

5. The portable equipment incorporating a magnetic disk device according to claim 1, wherein said held-in-hand detection mechanism performs detection based on a mechanical mechanism.