System and method for managing multiple write sessions to holographic storage media
View Patent ↗A holographic storage system records digital data to a holographic recording medium at recording locations that are strategically left open. A controller determines whether or not a predetermined event has occurred or a predetermined condition is present. If either the event occurs or the condition is present, the opened recording locations are closed. Subsequent data may be holographically recorded in open recorded locations as data appended to previously recorded data. The holographic storage system optionally includes an interim storage device. Controller may comprise a virtual storage controller.
1. A method of holographic data recording, the method comprising:
a) providing a holographic recording medium comprising at least one data recording region, the at least one recording region including one or more data recording locations;
b) performing at least one iteration of the following steps:
i) providing a data light beam and a reference light beam;
ii) encoding data onto the data light beam;
iii) configuring the reference light beam;
iv) directing the data light beam and the reference light beam to a data recording location on the holographic recording medium such that a holographic grating is formed in the holographic recording medium by the interference between the data light beam and the reference light beam, the holographic grating storing a currently written data page, and
c) receiving a request for data stored at the data recording location on the holographic recording medium;
d) determining if the data recording location is a closed region;
e) fixing an area around the data recording location if the region is open; and
f) reading the data in the data recording location.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising recording additional data by:
determining whether there is a recorded region with at least one open recording location; and
writing the additional data to the at least one open data recording location of the recorded region if present.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one data recording location is closed if the amount of recorded data is greater than or equal to a predetermined amount of data.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one open data recording location is closed by fixing the at least one open data recording location.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein each data recording location of the holographic recording medium is capable of holographically recording multiple data sets comprising a single bit or an array of bits.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein data is holographically recorded to one or more overlapping data recording locations.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein data is holographically recorded by a process selected from the group consisting of shift multiplexing, tilt multiplexing, and polytopic multiplexing.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least open data recording location is closed after a predetermined period of time.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the data is stored in an interim storage device prior to being holographically recorded.