Digital device configuration and method
View Patent ↗A digital Storage Element is described. A device is configured including a Storage Element for access by a user responsive to a native control code. A processing arrangement executes a control program for controlling the overall device and executing at least a portion of the native control code as part of the control program for interfacing with the Storage Element. A programming arrangement is provided separate from the device for customizing a read channel within the Storage Element. Command, user interaction and data transfer execution are discussed for mitigation of potential mechanical shock effects. Status indications relating to the Storage Element are provided including head position and mechanical shock. Calibration, test and operational monitoring procedures, for using head position status, are described. Failure configuration monitoring is provided in tracking overall performance and design considerations.
1. A device comprising:
a digital data storage arrangement configured to hold data, the digital data storage arrangement more susceptible to damage from mechanical shock while the digital data storage arrangement is in an unsafe state than while in a safe state, the digital data storage arrangement capable of accessing the data in the unsafe state and not capable of accessing the data in the safe state;
a user access arrangement configured to receive a user interaction; and
a processing arrangement configured to interpret the user interaction in a way that identifies a set of data in the digital data storage arrangement and defines a command to access the set of data, the processing arrangement further configured to begin to execute the command by directing the digital data storage arrangement to begin to access the set of data prior to an end of the user interaction, the processing arrangement further configured to terminate, if the user interaction ends before the digital data storage arrangement completes accessing the set of data, execution of the command by directing the digital data storage arrangement to enter the safe state before the digital data storage arrangement completes accessing the set of data.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the digital data storage arrangement is configured to store digital information under control of said processing arrangement and wherein said command defines a data access that uses the digital storage arrangement.
3. The device of claim 1 wherein the digital data storage arrangement is installed in the device in a way that is not intended for physical access thereto by the user.
4. The device of claim 1 wherein said digital data storage arrangement is electromechanical including a rotatable media configured to store said digital information and further including a motor arrangement configured to accomplish rotation of the rotatable media responsive to the processing arrangement, wherein the processing arrangement at least spins up the rotatable media in preparation for the data access using the motor arrangement responsive to partial entry of the user interaction.
5. The device of claim 4 further including an electronic memory arrangement wherein the command includes instructions to read certain information from the digital storage arrangement after spinning up said rotatable media and to transfer that certain information to said electronic memory arrangement such that the certain information is subsequently available in said electronic memory arrangement without the need to access the digital data storage arrangement.
6. The device of claim 1 wherein said command requires a time period for execution by the processing arrangement and wherein said processing arrangement controls the digital data storage arrangement by initiating the time period before the user interaction ends.
7. The device of claim 1 wherein the processing arrangement is further configured to interpret the user interaction in a way that defines a series of commands to be executed by the processing arrangement, and wherein said processing arrangement is further configured to initiate the execution of at least a first command of said series of commands, and wherein execution of the first command terminates if the user interaction ends prior to the complete execution of the first command.
8. The device of claim 7 wherein the processing arrangement is programmed, upon completion of the first command of said series of commands, to sequentially initiate additional ones of the series of commands during the user interaction such that a next one of the series of commands is initiated upon completion of a current one of the series of commands until the series of commands is complete and so that a maximum number of the additional commands is completed during the user interaction.
9. The device of claim 7 wherein said digital data storage arrangement is electromechanical including a rotatable media for storing the data and a motor arrangement for accomplishing rotation of the rotatable media responsive to the processing arrangement and the processing arrangement is configured to at least spin up the rotatable media in preparation for data access using the motor arrangement responsive to initiation of the first one of the series of data interactions.
10. The device of claim 9 wherein the command defines a read operation to read from the digital data storage arrangement.
11. The device of claim 9 wherein the command defines a write operation to write digital data to the digital data storage arrangement.
12. The device of claim 1 wherein the processing arrangement is configured to control the digital storage arrangement for an interval at least partially overlapping the user interaction.
13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the command, if executed during a mechanical shock, is more likely to cause at least one of device failure and corruption of data than when executing the command than when the device is subjected to the same mechanical shock but is not executing the command.
14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the processing arrangement is further configured to place the digital data storage arrangement in the safe state prior to the end of the user interaction.
15. In a device having a user access arrangement, a processing arrangement, and a digital data storage arrangement, the digital data storage arrangement configured to hold data, a method comprising:
receiving a user interaction, the user interaction having a first time period for completion;
interpreting the user interaction in a way that defines a command to transfer a set of data with the digital data storage arrangement, the digital data storage arrangement more susceptible to damage from mechanical shock while the digital data storage arrangement is in an unsafe state than while in a safe state, the digital data storage arrangement capable of transferring the data in the unsafe state and not capable of transferring the data in the safe state, the command to be executed by the processing arrangement, wherein the set of data is dependent on the user interaction;
initiating the execution of the command; and
placing the digital data storage arrangement in the safe state before transfer of the set of data is complete if the first time period elapses prior to the complete transfer of the set of data.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising installing the digital storage arrangement in the device in a way that is not intended for physical access thereto by the user.
17. The method of claim 15 wherein said digital data storage arrangement is electromechanical including a rotatable media for storing the data and a motor arrangement for accomplishing rotation of the rotatable media responsive to the processing arrangement and said method further comprises spinning up the rotatable media in preparation for data access using the motor arrangement responsive to partial entry of the user interaction.
18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising (i) providing an electronic memory arrangement having a storage capacity, (ii) programming said processing arrangement after spinning up said rotatable media, and (iii) transferring that certain information to said electronic memory arrangement such that the certain information is subsequently available in said electronic memory arrangement without the need to access the digital data storage arrangement.
19. The method of claim 15 wherein said command requires a second time period for execution by the processing arrangement, said method further comprising providing a digital data storage arrangement for storing digital information under control of said processing arrangement and wherein interpreting the user interaction further defines the command as requiring a data access that uses the digital storage arrangement and wherein initiating the execution of the command further includes the controlling the digital storage arrangement by initiating the second time period when no more than a portion of the first time period has elapsed.
20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising providing the digital data storage arrangement for storing digital information under control of said processing arrangement, and interpreting the user interaction further defines a series of commands, and wherein initiating the execution of the command further comprises controlling the storage arrangement such that said processing arrangement initiates the execution of at least a first command of said series of commands, and wherein execution of the first command terminates if the first time period elapses prior to the complete execution of the command.
21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising programming the processing arrangement to, upon completion of the first command of the series of commands, sequentially initiate additional ones of the series of commands during the user interaction and to initiate a next one of the series of commands upon completion of a current one of the series of commands until the series of commands is complete and so that a maximum number of the additional commands is completed during the user interaction.
22. The method of claim 21 wherein said digital data storage arrangement is electromechanical including a rotatable media for storing said digital information and a motor arrangement for accomplishing rotation of the rotatable media responsive to the processing arrangement and said method, further comprises spinning up the rotatable media under control of the processing arrangement in preparation for data access using the motor arrangement responsive to initiation of the first one of the series of commands.
23. The method of claim 15 wherein providing said digital storage arrangement includes the step of installing the digital storage arrangement in the device in a way that is not intended for physical access thereto by the user.
24. The method of claim 15 wherein interpreting the user interaction further comprises interpreting the command to define a read operation to read digital data from the digital storage arrangement.
25. The method of claim 15 wherein interpreting the user interaction further comprises interpreting the command to define a write operation to write digital data to the digital storage arrangement.
26. The method of claim 15 , wherein the device, if subjected to mechanical shock, is more likely to suffer device failure and/or corruption of data when executing the command than when the device is subjected to the same mechanical shock but is not executing the command.
27. The device of claim 15 , wherein the processing arrangement is further configured to place the digital data storage arrangement in the safe state prior to the completion of the first time period.