Low power hard disk drive using multiple, individually controllable actuators
First Claim
1. A method for placing a recording head over a recording media within a rotatable storage device, the method comprising the steps of:
- maintaining a plurality of recording heads within the rotatable storage device, wherein each recording head within the plurality of recording heads is individually activated and wherein each of the recording heads is parked when not activated;
determining a required recording head to access a requested data set, wherein the requested data set is stored within the rotatable storage device and wherein the required recording head is a recording head which accesses the requested data set; and
activating only the required recording head to access the requested data set.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A disk drive which incorporates separate actuators for each recording head so as to only place required recording heads over the recording media of multiple surface hard disk drives. The reduction in recording heads that are placed over the recording media reduces drag on the rotating disk holding the recording media and thereby reduces the power consumption. Reducing the number of recording heads over the recording media also reduces damage to the recording media surfaces in the event of a physical shock to the drive since inactive transducer heads are not in a position to damage the recording media.
18 Citations
17 Claims
-
1. A method for placing a recording head over a recording media within a rotatable storage device, the method comprising the steps of:
-
maintaining a plurality of recording heads within the rotatable storage device, wherein each recording head within the plurality of recording heads is individually activated and wherein each of the recording heads is parked when not activated;
determining a required recording head to access a requested data set, wherein the requested data set is stored within the rotatable storage device and wherein the required recording head is a recording head which accesses the requested data set; and
activating only the required recording head to access the requested data set. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
determining a damaged recording surface within the rotatable storage device; and
ceasing further use of a recording head that is associated with the damaged recording surface.
-
-
5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of copying data on the damaged recording surface to another recording surface.
-
6. A disk drive, comprising:
-
a plurality of recording heads within the disk drive, wherein each recording head within the plurality of recording head is individually activated and wherein each of the recording heads Is parked when not activated; and
a disk drive controller for determining a required recording head to access a requested data set, wherein the requested data set is stored within the disk drive and wherein the required recording head is a recording head which accesses the requested data set. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A computer readable medium including computer instructions for a disk drive controller, the computer instructions comprising instructions for:
-
controlling a plurality of recording heads within a disk drive, wherein each recording head within the plurality of recording head is individually activated and wherein each recording head is parked when not activated;
determining a required recording head to access a requested data set, wherein the requested data set is stored within the disk drive and wherein the required recording head is a recording head which accesses the requested data set; and
activating only the required recording head to access the requested data set. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
determining a damaged recording surface within the disk drive; and
ceasing further use of a recording head that is associated with the damaged recording surface.
-
-
17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising instruction copying data on the damaged recording surface to another recording surface.
Specification