IP Library Patent Application 12483005
Patent Application
App. No. 12/483,005

STORAGE DEVICE, STORAGE-DEVICE CONTROLLING METHOD, AND CONTROL CIRCUIT FOR STORAGE DEVICE

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US None
App. No.
12/483,005
Abstract

A storage device includes: a head that reads and writes data stored in a storage medium; an arm that holds the head; a voice coil motor formed of a coil and a magnet, the voice coil motor that lets a current flow through the coil to move the arm; a disk enclosure that accommodates the storage medium, the head, the arm, and the voice coil motor; a temperature sensor that detects a temperature in the disk enclosure; and a controller that determines an amount of current flowing through the coil for moving the head to a target position on the storage medium and estimates a temperature of the coil from the amount of current flowing through the coil, the temperature in the disk enclosure detected by the temperature sensor, and a predetermined value.

Claims (20)

1 . A storage device comprising:

a head that reads and writes data stored in a storage medium;

an arm that holds the head;

a voice coil motor that includes a coil and a magnet, and moves the arm according to current flowing through the coil;

a disk enclosure that accommodates the storage medium, the head, the arm, and the voice coil motor;

a temperature sensor that detects a temperature in the disk enclosure; and

a controller that determines an amount of current flowing through the coil for moving the head to a target position on the storage medium and estimates a temperature of the coil from the amount of current flowing through the coil, the temperature in the disk enclosure detected by the temperature sensor, and a predetermined value.

2 . The storage device according to claim 1 , wherein

the controller estimates the predetermined value from a thermal resistance of the coil, a reference temperature, a resistance value of the coil at the reference temperature, and a temperature coefficient of the coil.

3 . The storage device according to claim 1 , wherein

the controller sums amounts of current flowing through the coil for a predetermined period, and estimates a temperature of the coil for every predetermined period.

4 . The storage device according to claim 1 , wherein

the controller decreases the amount of current to be supplied to the coil, when the temperature of the coil is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

5 . The storage device according to claim 1 , wherein

the controller estimates the temperature of the coil when the head repeats a seek operation of moving tracks as many as one third of the number of all tracks.

6 . A method of controlling a storage device including a head that reads and writes data stored in a storage medium; an arm that holds the head; a voice coil motor formed of a coil and a magnet, the voice coil motor supplying a current to the coil to move the arm; a disk enclosure that accommodates the storage medium, the head, the arm, and the voice coil motor; a temperature sensor that detects a temperature in the disk enclosure; and a controller that determines an amount of current to be supplied to the voice coil motor, the method comprising:

determining the mount of current flowing through the coil for moving the head to a target position on the storage medium; and

estimating the temperature of the coil from the amount of current flowing through the coil, the temperature in the disk enclosure detected by the temperature sensor, and a predetermined value.

7 . A control circuit for a storage device including a head that reads and writes data stored in a storage medium; an arm that holds the head; a voice coil motor formed of a coil and a magnet, the voice coil motor moving the arm according to a current flowing through the coil; a disk enclosure that accommodates the storage medium, the head, the arm, and the voice coil motor; and a temperature sensor that detects a temperature in the disk enclosure, wherein the control circuit determines the amount of current flowing through the coil to move the head to a target position on the storage medium, and

the control circuit estimates a temperature of the coil from the amount of current flowing through the coil, a temperature in the disk enclosure detected by the temperature sensor, and a predetermined value.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 23, 2009
From: FUJITSU LIMITED
To: TOSHIBA STORAGE DEVICE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 023558/0225 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 11, 2009
From: ISHIYAMA, HIROSHI
To: FUJITSU LIMITED
Reel/Frame 022814/0639 →