Transferring storage devices within storage device testing systems

• US 8,712,580 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2009
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Teradyne Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Teradyne Incorporated
• Inventors: Polyakov, Evgeny, Garcia, Edward, Truebenbach, Eric L., Merrow, Brian S., Whitaker, Brian J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess, Ramya
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOGAN, KYLE O
• Application Number:
  US12/988,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20110106298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,839 Days
• Field of Search: 700/218
• US Class Current: 700/218
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 17/225 wherein the disks are transferred from a fixed magazine to a fixed playing unit using a moving carriage
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1816 Testing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2516 Hard disks
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/128 of the plurality of recording/reproducing devices, e.g. disk drives, onto a chassis

Abstract

A method of transferring storage devices within a storage device testing system includes actuating an automated transporter to retrieve multiple storage devices presented for testing, and actuating the automated transporter to deliver each retrieved storage device to a respective test slot of the storage device testing system and insert each storage device in the respective test slot.

Claims

1. A method of transferring storage devices within a storage device testing system, the method comprising:

actuating an automated transporter to retrieve from a first area of the storage device testing system a first storage device presented for testing;

actuating the automated transporter to retrieve from a second area of the storage device testing system a second storage device presented for testing, with the first area differing from the second area, and with the automated transporter simultaneously holding and transporting the first and second storage devices around the storage device testing system; and

while the automated transporter holds the second storage device, actuating the automated transporter to deliver the first storage device to a test slot of the storage device testing system and to insert the first storage device in the test slot.

2. The method of any of claim 1, wherein the automated transporter comprises a manipulator comprising:

a manipulator body; and

first and second connectors disposed on the manipulator body and arranged in a substantially V-shaped configuration with respect to each other, each connector being configured to releasably attach to a storage device transporter.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the test slots comprises a first test slot, and wherein the method further comprises:

actuating the automated transporter to retrieve first and second storage device transporters;

wherein actuating the automated transporter to retrieve the first storage device presented for testing comprises carrying the first storage device with the first storage device transporter;

wherein actuating the automated transporter to retrieve the second storage device presented for testing comprises carrying the second storage device with the second storage device transporter;

wherein actuating the automated transporter to deliver the first storage device to the first test slot comprises;

actuating the automated transporter to deliver the first storage device transporter, carrying the first storage device, to the first test slot; and

actuating the automated transporter to deliver the second storage device transporter, carrying the second storage device, to a second test slot.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising inserting the first storage device transporter into the first test slot, engaging the first storage device with a respective connector of the storage device testing system, the inserted first storage device transporter providing closure of the first test slot.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the first and second storage devices are present in at least one storage device tote presented to the storage device testing system.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising actuating the automated transporter to retrieve the first storage device from the at least one storage device tote with the first storage device transporter by positioning the first storage device transporter below the first storage device, lifting the first storage device off a storage device support of the storage device tote, and carrying the first storage device in the first storage device transporter away from the storage device tote.

7. A method of transferring storage devices within a storage device testing system, the method comprising:

actuating an automated transporter having a manipulator to retrieve from a first area of the storage device testing system a first untested storage device presented for testing;

actuating the automated transporter to retrieve from a second area of the storage device testing system a second untested storage device presented for testing, with the first area differing from the second area, and with the automated transporter simultaneously holding and transporting the first and second untested storage devices around the storage device testing system; and

while the automated transporter holds the second untested storage device, actuating the automated transporter to deliver the first untested storage device to a test slot of the storage device testing system and to insert the first untested storage device in the test slot for testing.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the manipulator comprises:

a manipulator body; and

first and second connectors disposed on the manipulator body and arranged in a substantially V-shaped configuration with respect to each other, each connector being configured to releasably attach to a storage device transporter.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

actuating the automated transporter to retrieve a storage device transporter;

wherein actuating the automated transporter to retrieve the first untested storage device comprises;

actuating the automated transporter to retrieve the first untested storage device presented for testing by carrying the first untested storage device with the storage device transporter; and

wherein actuating the automated transporter to deliver the first untested storage device to the test slot comprises;

actuating the automated transporter to deliver the storage device transporter to the test slot.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising inserting the storage device transporter into the test slot, engaging the first storage device with a respective connector of the storage device testing system, the inserted storage device transporter providing closure of the test slot.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the first untested storage device is present in a storage device tote presented to the storage device testing system.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising actuating the automated transporter to retrieve the first untested storage device from the storage device tote with the storage device transporter by positioning the storage device transporter below the first untested storage device, lifting the first untested storage device off a storage device support of the storage device tote, and carrying the first untested storage device in the storage device transporter away from the storage device tote.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the test slot comprises a first test slot and wherein the method further comprises actuating the automated transporter and the manipulator to retrieve a tested storage device from a second test slot and carrying the tested storage device to a destination location.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising actuating the automated transporter to retrieve the tested storage device from the second test slot by actuating the manipulator to engage a respective storage device transporter of the tested storage device and carrying the tested storage device with its respective storage device transporter to the destination location.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising actuating the automated transporter to deliver the tested storage device carried by its respective storage device transporter to a receptacle of a destination storage device tote.

16. A method of transferring storage devices within a storage device testing system, the method comprising:

actuating an automated transporter having a manipulator to retrieve from a first area of the storage device testing system a first storage device housed in a first test slot of the storage device testing system, the manipulator being configured to transport multiple storage devices;

actuating the automated transporter to deliver the retrieved first storage device to a second test slot;

actuating the automated transporter to retrieve from a second area of the storage device testing system a second storage device while carrying the first storage device, with the first area differing from the second area; and

actuating the automated transporter to insert the first storage device into the second test slot while carrying the second storage device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

actuating the automated transporter to deliver the retrieved second storage device to the first test slot; and

actuating the automated transporter to insert the second storage device into the first test slot.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the manipulator comprises:

a manipulator body;

first and second connectors disposed on the manipulator body and arranged in a substantially V-shaped configuration with respect to each other, each connector being configured to releasably attach to a storage device transporter;

wherein the manipulator transports the first and second storage devices in corresponding releasably attached storage device transporters.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the first storage device is carried in a storage device transporter, and wherein actuating the automated transporter to insert the first storage device comprises:

inserting the storage device transporter into the second test slot, engaging the first storage device with a respective connector of the storage device testing system, the inserted storage device transporter providing closure of the second test slot.

20. A storage device testing system comprising:

an automated transporter;

at least one rack arranged about the automated transporter for access by the automated transporter;

multiple test slots housed by the at least one rack;

a transfer station arranged for access by the automated transporter, the transfer station presenting multiple storage devices for testing; and

wherein the automated transporter is configured to perform operations rising;

retrieving from a first area of the storage device testing system a first storage device presented for testing;

retrieving from a second area of the storage device testing system a second storage device presented for testing, with the first area differing from the second area, and with the manipulator simultaneously holding and transporting the first and second storage devices around the storage device testing system; and

while holding the second storage device, delivering the first storage device to a test slot of the storage device testing system and inserting the first storage device in the test slot.

21. The storage device testing system of claim 20, wherein the manipulator is configured to releasably attach to multiple storage device transporters.

22. The storage device testing system of claim 20, wherein the manipulator comprises:

a manipulator body; and

first and second connectors disposed on the manipulator body and arranged in a substantially V-shaped configuration with respect to each other, each connector being configured to releasably attach to a storage device transporter.

23. The storage device testing system of claim 20, wherein the transfer station comprises a transfer station housing configured to receive and support multiple storage device totes in a presentation position for servicing by the automated transporter, wherein a storage device tote comprises a tote body defining multiple storage device receptacles.

24. A storage device testing system comprising:

an automated transporter;

at least one rack arranged about the automated transporter for access by the automated transporter;

multiple test slots housed by the at least one rack;

a transfer station arranged for access by the automated transporter, the transfer station presenting multiple storage devices for testing; and

a manipulator attached to the automated transporter;

wherein one or more of the manipulator and the automated transporter are configured to perform operations comprising;

retrieving from a first area of the storage device testing system a first untested storage device presented for testing;

retrieving from a second area of the storage device testing system a second untested storage device presented for testing, with the first area differing from the second area;

simultaneously holding and transporting the first and second untested storage devices around the storage device testing system; and

while holding the second untested storage device, delivering the first untested storage device to a test slot of the storage device testing system and inserting the first untested storage device in the test slot for testing.

25. A storage device testing system comprising:

an automated transporter;

at least one rack arranged about the automated transporter for access by the automated transporter;

multiple test slots housed by the at least one rack;

a transfer station arranged for access by the automated transporter, the transfer station presenting multiple storage devices for testing; and

a manipulator attached to the automated transporter and configured to transport multiple storage devices;

wherein one or more of the manipulator and the automated transporter are configured to perform operations comprising;

retrieving from a first area of the storage device testing system a first storage device housed in a first test slot of the storage device testing system;

delivering the retrieved first storage device to a second test slot;

retrieving from a second area of the storage device testing system a second storage device while carrying the first storage device, with the first area differing from the second area; and

inserting the first storage device into the second test slot while carrying the second storage device.