Combining information from parallel servo channels

• US 7,839,599 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2009
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cherubini, Giovanni, Jelitto, Jens, Tsuruta, Kazuhiro, Cideciyan, Roy D., Hutchins, Robert A., Bui, Nhan X.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sniezek; Andrew L
• Application Number:
  US12/400,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20100226039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 360/77.12
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/584 for track following on tapes

Abstract

A weighted combining scheme exploits information from two servo channels operating in parallel. A timing-based servo module comprises two synchronous servo channels coupled respectively to receive two digital servo signals read from a data tape. Both channels have outputs for an unweighted parameter estimate and for a measure of the channel reliability. A weight computation module provides first and second weight signals using the measures of channel reliability from the servo channels. An offset computation module provides first and second offset terms which are summed with the unweighted parameter estimates. Multiplying nodes receive the unweighted parameter estimates and the weight signals and outputs offset weighted parameter estimates. A summing node receives the offset weighted parameter estimates and outputs a combined offset weighted parameter estimate to a servomechanism.

Claims

1. A method for providing information to a track-following servomechanism from parallel channels of a timing-based servo module in a linear tape drive, comprising:

receiving a first digital servo signal read from a data tape by a first servo element associated with a first synchronous servo channel;

generating a first unweighted lateral position estimate from the first digital servo signal;

generating a first lateral position estimate variance from the first digital servo signal;

receiving a second digital servo signal read from the data tape by a second servo element associated with a second synchronous servo channel;

generating a second unweighted lateral position estimate from the second digital servo signal;

generating a second lateral position estimate variance from the second digital servo signal;

dividing the first lateral position estimate variance by the sum of the first and second lateral position estimate variances to generate a first weight signal;

dividing the second lateral position estimate variance by the sum of the first and second lateral position estimate variances to generate a second weight signal;

providing a first offset term and a second offset term using first and second measures of reliability of the respective first and second synchronous channels and the first and second unweighted lateral position estimates from the first and second synchronous servo channels;

adding the first unweighted lateral position estimate and the first offset term to generate a first sum;

adding the second unweighted lateral position estimate and the second offset term to generate a second sum;

multiplying the first sum and the first weight signal to generate a first offset weighted lateral position estimate;

multiplying the second sum and the second weight signal to generate a second offset weighted lateral position estimate;

adding the first and second offset weighted lateral position estimates to generate a combined offset weighted servo signal; and

transmitting the combined offset weighted lateral position estimate to a track-following servomechanism.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

dividing the first lateral position estimate variance by the sum of the first and second lateral position estimate variances comprises dividing first lateral position estimate variance by the first lateral position estimate variance in response to a loss of timing event experienced by the second synchronous servo channel; and

dividing the second lateral position estimate variance by the sum of the first and second lateral position estimate variances comprises dividing second lateral position estimate variance by the second lateral position estimate variance in response to a loss of timing event experienced by the first synchronous servo channel.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

low pass filtering the first offset term before it is input to the first summing node;

low pass filtering the second offset term before it is input to the second summing node;

low pass filtering the first weight signal before it is input to the first multiplying node; and

low pass filtering the second weight signal before it is input to the second multiplying node.