Method for determining wear of a data storage medium and data storage device
View Patent ↗The invention relates to a method of determining wear of a data storage medium actively by performing a read operation on the data storage medium and detecting a read signal, comparing the read signal to at least one wear threshold; and determining a wear level of an area of the data storage medium based on the comparison. The wear threshold is lower than a detection threshold, wherein the detection of the read signal above the detection threshold indicates the presence of stored data.
1. A method comprising:
performing a read operation for determining the presence of stored data on an area of a data storage medium comprising detecting a read signal;
comparing the read signal to at least one wear threshold; and
determining a wear level of the area of the data storage medium based on the comparison;
wherein the wear threshold is lower than a detection threshold, wherein the detection of the read signal above the detection threshold indicates the presence of stored data.
2. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising comparing the read signal to the detection threshold.
3. A method according to claim 2 , comprising determining the wear level based only on portions of the read signal below the detection threshold.
4. A method according to claim 1 , comprising comparing the read signal to a plurality of different wear thresholds, each being lower than the detection threshold.
5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the wear level is determined depending on the number of portions of the read signal which exceed the or each wear threshold in the area.
6. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising storing the determined wear level information on the data storage medium.
7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the data storage medium stores data in the form of indentations on a surface, wherein the read signal detects a roughness of the surface.
8. A method according to claim 7 , wherein the data storage medium is a probe storage medium having a polymer surface into which indentations are formed the thermomechanically.
9. A method comprising:
performing a read operation for determining the presence of stored data on an area of data storage medium comprising detecting a read signal;
comparing the read signal to at least one wear threshold, wherein the wear threshold is lower than a detection threshold, wherein the detection of the read signal above the detection threshold indicates the presence of stored data;
determining a wear level of the area of the data storage medium based on the comparison; and
controlling a write operation based on the wear level determination.
10. A method according to claim 9 , further comprising controlling the write operation to write new data to areas having low wear levels relative to the wear levels of the rest of the surface.
11. A method according to claim 9 , further comprising controlling the write operation to avoid writing new data to areas having high wear levels relative to the wear levels of the rest of the surface.
12. A device comprising:
a data storage medium; and
a controller for controlling writing of data to the data storage medium,
wherein the controller is configured to
detect a read signal resulting from performing a read operation for determining the presence of stored data on an area of the data storage medium;
compare the read signal to at least one wear threshold; and
determine a wear level of the area of the data storage medium based on the comparison;
wherein the wear threshold is lower than a detection threshold, wherein the detection of the read signal above the detection threshold indicates the presence of stored data.
13. A data device according to claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to compare the read signal to the detection threshold and determine the wear based only on portions of the read signal below the detection threshold.
14. A device according to claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to compare the read signal to a plurality of different wear thresholds, each being lower than the detection threshold.
15. A device according to claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the wear level depending on the number of portions of the read signal which exceed each of the at least one wear thresholds in the area.
16. A device according to claim 12 , wherein the data storage medium comprises a surface having data stored thereon in the form of indentations on the surface, wherein the read signal is a measure of a roughness of the surface.
17. A device according to claim 16 , wherein the data storage medium is a probe storage medium having a polymer surface into which indentations are formed thermomechanically.
18. A device according to claim 17 , further comprising a probe array for writing data to the data storage medium.
19. A device according to claim 18 , further comprising actuators configured to move the data storage medium with respect to the probe array.
20. A device according to claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to control a write operation based on the wear level determination.
21. A device according to claim 20 , wherein the controller is configured to control the write operation to write new data to areas having low wear levels relative to the wear levels of the rest of the surface.
22. A device according to claim 20 , wherein the controller is configured to control the write operation to avoid writing new data to areas having high wear levels relative to the wear levels of the rest of the surface.
23. An integrated circuit comprising a device according to claim 12 .
24. A handheld device including a device according to claim 12 .
25. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer readable processing instructions comprising:
instructions for performing a read operation for determining the presence of stored data on an area of a data storage medium comprising detecting a read signal;
instructions for comparing the read signal to at least one wear threshold; and
instructions for determining a wear level of the area of the data storage medium based on the comparison;
wherein the wear threshold is lower than a detection threshold, wherein the detection of the read signal above the detection threshold indicates the presence of stored data.