Mobile device and disk drive restricted from reading a data storage zone in a mobile environment
View Patent ↗The invention may be embodied in a disk drive for use in a mobile device. The mobile device may be a hand held computing device such as a personal digital assistant (PDA) or a mobile terminal such as a cellular telephone. The mobile device includes a host processor for accessing data on the disk drive. The disk drive has a rotating disk media and a moveable read/write head disposed over the disk media. The disk media is divided into a first data storage zone and a second data storage zone. The data storage zones are radially disposed in discrete areas of the disk media and each zone has a plurality of tracks for storing data. The mobile device may read data from the first data storage zone when the mobile device is in a mobile environment. The mobile device may read data from the second data storage zone only when the mobile device is in a non-mobile environment and may not read data from the second data storage zone when the mobile device is in a mobile environment.
1. A mobile device comprising a host processor and a disk drive, the disk drive having a rotating disk media and a moveable read/write head disposed over the disk media, the disk media being divisible into zones that are radially disposed in discrete areas of the disk media, each zone having a plurality of tracks for storing data, the disk drive comprising:
a first data storage zone, wherein the mobile device may read data from the first data storage zone when the mobile device is in a mobile environment; and
a second data storage zone, wherein the mobile device may read data from the second data storage zone only when the mobile device is in a non-mobile environment and may not read data from the second data storage zone when the mobile device is in a mobile environment.
2. A mobile device as defined in claim 1 , wherein the mobile device is in a non-mobile environment when the mobile device is placed in a docking station and the mobile device is in a mobile environment when the mobile device is not placed in a docking station.
3. A mobile device as defined in claim 1 , wherein:
the first data storage zone includes a mobile-normal zone and a docked-safe zone;
the second data storage zone includes an ultra-safe zone;
the mobile device may write data to the ultra-safe zone or to the docked-safe zone only when the mobile device is in a non-mobile environment and not when the mobile device is in a mobile environment; and
the mobile device may write data to the mobile-normal zone when the mobile device is in a mobile environment or when the mobile device is in a non-mobile environment.
4. A mobile device as defined in claim 3 , wherein the disk drive prevents the moveable read/write head from dwelling over the ultra-safe zone when the device is in a mobile environment.
5. A mobile device as defined in claim 3 , wherein the disk drive prevents the moveable read/write head from moving over the ultra-safe zone when the device is in a non-mobile environment.
6. A mobile device a defined in claim 1 , wherein the first data storage zone includes a mobile-safe zone and a mobile-normal zone, and the mobile-safe zone has a track pitch that is wider than a track pitch of the mobile-normal zone.
7. A mobile device a defined in claim 6 , wherein the mobile-safe zone has a track pitch that is wider than a track pitch of the second data storage zone.
8. A mobile device a defined in claim 1 , wherein:
the disk drive includes a ramp for parking an actuator arm coupled to the read/write head when the disk drive is in a spin-down mode; and
the disk drive includes a mobile-low-power zone that is located on the disk media so that an actuator current is minimized for moving the read/write head to a data track in the mobile-low-power zone upon loading of the read/write head over the disk media from the ramp.
9. A mobile device a defined in claim 8 , wherein a distance from an outer diameter of the disk media to the mobile-low-power zone is between about 10 and 15 percent of a distance between the outer diameter and an inner diameter of the disk media.
10. A disk drive for use in a mobile device including a host processor, the disk drive having a rotating disk media and a moveable read/write head disposed over the disk media, the disk media being divisible into zones that are radially disposed in discrete areas of the disk media, each zone having a plurality of tracks for storing data, the disk drive comprising:
a first data storage zone, wherein the mobile device may write data to the first data storage zone when the mobile device is in a mobile environment; and
a second data storage zone, wherein the mobile device may read data from the second data storage zone only when the mobile device is in a non-mobile environment and may not read data from the second data storage zone when the mobile device is in a mobile environment.
11. A disk drive as defined in claim 10 , wherein the mobile device is in a non-mobile environment when the mobile device is placed in a docking station and the mobile device is in a mobile environment when the mobile device is not placed in a docking station.
12. A disk drive as defined in claim 10 , wherein:
the first data storage zone includes a mobile-normal zone and a docked-safe zone;
the second data storage zone includes an ultra-safe zone;
the mobile device may write data to the ultra-safe zone or to the docked-safe zone only when the mobile device is in a non-mobile environment and not when the mobile device is in a mobile environment; and
the mobile device may write data to the mobile-normal zone when the mobile device is in a mobile environment or when the mobile device is in a non-mobile environment.
13. A disk drive as defined in claim 12 , wherein the disk drive prevents the moveable read/write head from dwelling over the ultra-safe zone when the device is in a mobile environment.
14. A disk drive as defined in claim 12 , wherein the disk drive prevents the moveable read/write head from moving over the ultra-safe zone when the device is in a non-mobile environment.
15. A disk drive a defined in claim 10 , wherein the first data storage zone includes a mobile-safe zone and a mobile-normal zone, and the mobile-safe zone has a track pitch that is wider than a track pitch of the mobile-normal zone.
16. A disk drive a defined in claim 15 , wherein the mobile-safe zone has a track pitch that is wider than a track pitch of the second data storage zone.
17. A disk drive a defined in claim 10 , wherein:
the disk drive includes a ramp for parking an actuator arm coupled to the read/write head when the disk drive is in a spin-down mode; and
the disk drive includes a mobile-low-power zone that is located on the disk media so that an actuator current is minimized for moving the read/write head to a data track in the mobile-low-power zone upon loading of the read/write head over the disk media from the ramp.
18. A disk drive a defined in claim 17 , wherein a distance from an outer diameter of the disk media to the mobile-low-power zone is between about 10 and 15 percent of a distance between the outer diameter and an inner diameter of the disk media.