Disc drive apparatus

• US 6,771,447 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2001
• Issued: 08/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Nagaki, Koichi, Kaneko, Michihiro, Watanabe, Tomo, Yamauchi, Keiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hudspeth, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, KIN C
• Application Number:
  US09/839,540
• Publication Number:
  US 20010050823A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,198 Days
• Field of Search: 360/75, 360/69, 360/5, 360/6, 360/31, 711/112, 701/33, 701/1
• US Class Current: 360/69
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/04 Arrangements for preventing, inhibiting, or warning against double recording on the same blank or against other recording or reproducing malfunctions
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 21/12 Raising and lowering; Back-spacing or forward-spacing along track; Returning to starting position otherwise than during transducing operation
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 21/22 while the head is out of operative position
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/54 with provision for moving the head into or out of its operative position or across tracks

Abstract

A disc drive arrangement adapted to move a head to a retract position upon shutting down of a power source voltage, wherein the number of retraction actions of the head is counted and notified. With this notification, a user can assume performance deterioration of the disc drive arrangement.

Claims

1. A disc drive apparatus adapted to write and/or read information onto and/or from an information recording disc, with the information recording disc being rotated by a rotary drive motor and a head drive being controlled to position a head in a radial direction of the information recording disc under supply of a predetermined rated power source voltage, said disc drive apparatus comprising:

a forcible restoration device for controlling the head drive to execute a forcible restoration action that forcibly moves the head to a retract position when the power source voltage drops below a predetermined threshold value;

a detection and count device for detecting execution of the forcible restoration action, counting the number of times the forcible restoration action is executed, and updating a count value every time execution of the forcible restoration action is detected; and

a notification device for providing a notification of the updated count value.

2. The disc drive apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection and count device detects the forcible restoration action by detecting a forcible restoration action itself which is executed by the forcible restoration device.

3. The disc drive apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection and count device detects the execution of the forcible restoration action by detecting a voltage drop detection signal from a voltage monitoring circuit indicating a drop of the power source voltage to a voltage below the predetermined threshold value.

4. The disc drive apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the forcible restoration device drives the head drive with a counter electromotive force generated by the rotary drive motor to execute the forcible restoration action.

5. The disc drive apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the detection and count device detects the forcible restoration action by detecting supply of the counter electromotive force of the rotary drive motor to the head drive.

6. The disc drive apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power source voltage is fed from an engine-driven power source unit provided on a vehicle, and the detection and count device detects the execution of the forcible restoration action by detecting a voltage drop detection signal from a voltage monitoring circuit indicating a drop of the power source voltage below the predetermined threshold value after a rise of the power source voltage over the predetermined threshold value.

7. The disc drive apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the notification device continuously executes a notification action under supply of the power source voltage.

8. The disc drive apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the notification device executes a notification action for a short period every time supply of the power source voltage is started.

9. The disc drive apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the notification device executes a notification action in a visually recognizable manner.

10. The disc drive apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the notification device executes the notification action with a color pattern that changes with an increasing number of detections.

11. A disc drive apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the notification device comprises a display device for providing a visual display of the updated count value.

12. A disc drive apparatus for writing and/or reading information onto and/or from an information disc, said disc drive apparatus comprising:

a rotary drive motor for rotating the information disc;

a head for writing and/or reading the information onto and/or from the disc;

a head drive for positioning the head in a radial direction of the disc;

a voltage input for providing a voltage to said rotary drive motor, said head, and said head drive;

a forcible restoration device for forcibly moving said head to a periphery of the disc when the voltage from said voltage source is below a predetermined level; and

a counter for counting the number of times said forcible restoration device has forcibly moved said head to the periphery of the disc.

13. The disc drive apparatus as claimed in claim 12, further comprising a notification device for providing a notification of the counted number.

14. The disc drive apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the notification device continuously provides the notification of the counted number.

15. The disc drive apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the notification device provides the notification of the counted number for a short period of time each time providing of voltage by said voltage input is started.

16. The disc drive apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the notification device comprises a display device for providing a visual display of the counted number.

17. The disc drive apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the display device displays a colored pattern that changes with an increasing counted number.

18. The disc drive apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said counter counts in response to a drop in the voltage provided by said voltage input to a voltage value below the predetermined value.

19. The disc drive apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said forcible restoration device moves said head with a counter electromotive force generated by said rotary drive motor to execute the forcible restoration action.

20. The disc drive apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said counter counts in response to detection of the counter electromotive force.

21. The disc drive apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said voltage input is adapted to receive voltage from a voltage source within a vehicle, and said counter counts in response to a drop in the voltage below the predetermined value following a rise in the voltage over the predetermined value.

22. A disc drive apparatus adapted to write and/or read information onto and/or from an information recording disc, with the information recording disc being rotated by a rotary drive motor and a head drive being controlled to position a head in a radial direction of the information recording disc under supply of a predetermined rated power source voltage, said disc drive apparatus comprising:

first means for controlling the head drive to execute a forcible restoration action that forcibly moves the head to a retract position when the power source voltage drops below a predetermined threshold value;

second means for detecting execution of the forcible restoration action, counting the number of times the forcible restoration action is executed, and updating a count value every time execution of the forcible restoration action is detected; and

a notification device for providing a notification of the updated count value.

23. A method of controlling a disc drive apparatus that includes a head and that is powered by a rotary drive motor which receives voltage from a power source, comprising:

monitoring the power source voltage;

in response to detecting of a drop in the power source voltage below a predetermined threshold value, forcibly moving the head to a retract position;

counting the number of times the forcible moving action is executed;

providing a notification of the number of times the forcible moving action is executed.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the head is forcibly moved to the retract position with a counter electromotive force generated by the rotary drive motor.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein the number of times the forcible moving action is executed is counted by counting detections of the counter electromotive force.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the notification of the number of times the forcible moving action is executed is a visual notification.