IP Library › Granted Patent US 6,987,631
Granted Patent B2
US 6,987,631 · App. 10/382,662 · Granted Jan 17, 2006

Data read/write method and apparatus

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 6,987,631
App. No.
10/382,662
Granted
Jan 17, 2006
Kind
B2
Abstract

An apparatus and method of reading and writing data from and to a data storage device is provided. One method of practicing the present invention comprises placing, or leaving an unused track, row or column adjacent to a medium track containing apparatus information. Another method of practicing the present invention comprises placing, or leaving an unused track, row or column adjacent to both sides of the medium track containing the apparatus information.

Claims (23)

1. A method of writing data to a data storage medium including regions, the method comprising:

identifying a apparatus information storage region on said data storage medium;

designating at least one buffer region adjacent said apparatus information storage region; and

wherein said apparatus information is written off-center in said apparatus information storage region, and at least partially is written to said at least one buffer region.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of designating at least one buffer region includes designating at least one buffer region on a first side of said apparatus information storage region and at least one buffer region on a second side of said apparatus information storage region.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising designating a plurality of data storage regions on the side of each of said at least one buffer region on an opposite side of said at least one buffer region from said apparatus information storage region.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising writing apparatus information to said apparatus information storage region.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising reading said apparatus information from said apparatus information storage region.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising reading said apparatus information from said apparatus information storage region and said at least one buffer region.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the region is a track.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus information is selected from a group consisting of: information relating to a status of the data storage medium, information relating to a status of a reading device for reading the written data, a data medium serial number, a location of a data storage medium defect, and information relating to a read/write head-medium calibration.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data storage medium is selected from a group consisting of: a magnetic medium, and an optical medium.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the data storage medium comprises a flash memory.

11. An information storage medium formatted into a plurality of regions comprising:

at least one region designated to store apparatus information;

at least one region designated to store data, other than said apparatus information;

at least one buffer region adjacent each of said regions designated to store apparatus information; and

apparatus information written off-center in said apparatus information storage region, and at least partially is written to said at least one buffer region.

12. The information storage medium of claim 11 wherein a first one of said at least one buffer regions is positioned on a first side of said apparatus information storage region and a second one of said at least one buffer regions is positioned on a second side of said apparatus information storage region.

13. The information storage medium of claim 11 further comprising a plurality of data storage regions positioned on the side of each of said at least one buffer region opposite from said apparatus information storage region.

14. The information storage medium of claim 11 included in an information storage assembly further comprising a read/write assembly.

15. The information storage medium of claim 11 , wherein each of said regions includes at least one track.

16. The information storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the apparatus information is selected from a group consisting of: information relating to a status of the data storage medium, information relating to a status of a reading device for reading the written data, a data medium serial number, a location of a data storage medium defect, and information relating to a read/write head-medium calibration.

Assignments (11)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053546/0001) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 071642/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (045455/0001) Recorded May 20, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.); DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC CORPORATION (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO MAGINATICS LLC); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO MOZY, INC.); SCALEIO LLC
Reel/Frame 061753/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (040136/0001) Recorded Apr 26, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.); DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC CORPORATION (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO MAGINATICS LLC); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO MOZY, INC.); SCALEIO LLC
Reel/Frame 061324/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 3, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; AVENTAIL LLC; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL, L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL SYSTEMS CORPORATION; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; MAGINATICS LLC; MOZY, INC.; SCALEIO LLC; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 058216/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 22, 2020
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053546/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 21, 2019
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 049452/0223 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 29, 2016
From: EMC CORPORATION
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 040203/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 21, 2016
From: ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; AVENTAIL LLC; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL SYSTEMS CORPORATION; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; MAGINATICS LLC; MOZY, INC.; SCALEIO LLC; SPANNING CLOUD APPS LLC; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 040136/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 21, 2016
From: ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; AVENTAIL LLC; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL SYSTEMS CORPORATION; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; MAGINATICS LLC; MOZY, INC.; SCALEIO LLC; SPANNING CLOUD APPS LLC; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 040134/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 18, 2010
From: IOMEGA CORPORATION
To: EMC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 023953/0328 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 5, 2003
From: MOSS, DARREN GLEN
To: IOMEGA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 013860/0229 →