IP Library Granted Patent US 9,153,263
Granted Patent B1
US 9,153,263 · App. 14/152,737 · Granted Oct 6, 2015

Disk drive detecting mini wedge by evaluating wedge ID of servo sector

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,153,263
App. No.
14/152,737
Granted
Oct 6, 2015
Kind
B1
Abstract

A disk drive is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk comprising a plurality of tracks defined by servo sectors forming a plurality of full wedges and a plurality of mini wedges. The wedge ID field of a servo sector forming one of the full wedges is offset from a beginning of a sync mark by a first offset, and the wedge ID field of a servo sector forming one of the mini wedges is offset from the beginning of the sync mark by a second offset equal to the first offset. A first servo sector is read from the disk to generate a read signal, the read signal is demodulated to detect the wedge ID of the first servo sector, and the detected wedge ID is evaluated to determine whether the first servo sector forms one of the mini wedges.

Claims (32)

1. A disk drive comprising:

a disk comprising a plurality of tracks defined by servo sectors forming a plurality of full wedges and a plurality of mini wedges, wherein:

each servo sector comprises a sync mark and a wedge ID field for storing a wedge ID identifying one of the wedges;

the wedge ID field of a servo sector forming one of the full wedges is longer than the wedge ID field of a servo sector forming one of the mini wedges;

the wedge ID field of a servo sector forming one of the full wedges is offset from a beginning of the sync mark by a first offset; and

the wedge ID field of a servo sector forming one of the mini wedges is offset from the beginning of the sync mark by a second offset equal to the first offset;

a head actuated over the disk; and

control circuitry configured to:

read a first servo sector from the disk to generate a read signal;

demodulate the read signal to detect the wedge ID of the first servo sector; and

evaluate the detected wedge ID to determine whether the first servo sector forms one of the mini wedges.

2. The disk drive as recited in claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to determine whether the first servo sector forms one of the mini wedges by evaluating at least one high order bit of the detected wedge ID.

3. The disk drive as recited in claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to determine whether the first servo sector forms one of the mini wedges when the detected wedge ID exceeds a threshold.

4. The disk drive as recited in claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to evaluate the detected wedge ID to determine whether the first servo sector forms one of the mini wedges that precedes one of the full wedges.

5. The disk drive as recited in claim 4 , wherein there are M mini wedges between consecutive full wedges and the control circuitry is further configured to evaluate the detected wedge ID to determine a position of the first servo sector within the M mini wedges.

6. The disk drive as recited in claim 5 , wherein when the first servo sector is determined to form one of the full wedges, the control circuitry is further configured to shift the detected wedge ID left at least once to identify the full wedge.

7. The disk drive as recited in claim 1 , wherein when the first servo sector is determined to form one of the full wedges, the control circuitry is further configured to shift the detected wedge ID left at least once to identify the full wedge.

8. A method of operating a disk drive, the disk drive comprising a head actuated over a disk comprising a plurality of tracks defined by servo sectors forming a plurality of full wedges and a plurality of mini wedges, wherein:

each servo sector comprises a sync mark and a wedge ID field for storing a wedge ID identifying one of the wedges;

the wedge ID field of a servo sector forming one of the full wedges is longer than the wedge ID field of a servo sector forming one of the mini wedges;

the wedge ID field of a servo sector forming one of the full wedges is offset from a beginning of the sync mark by a first offset; and

the wedge ID field of a servo sector forming one of the mini wedges is offset from the beginning of the sync mark by a second offset equal to the first offset;

the method comprising:

reading a first servo sector from the disk to generate a read signal;

demodulating the read signal to detect the wedge ID of the first servo sector; and

evaluating the detected wedge ID to determine whether the first servo sector forms one of the mini wedges.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 , further comprising determining whether the first servo sector forms one of the mini wedges by evaluating at least one high order bit of the detected wedge ID.

10. The method as recited in claim 8 , further comprising determining whether the first servo sector forms one of the mini wedges when the detected wedge ID exceeds a threshold.

11. The method as recited in claim 8 , further comprising evaluating the detected wedge ID to determine whether the first servo sector forms one of the mini wedges that precedes one of the full wedges.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein there are M mini wedges between consecutive full wedges and the method further comprises evaluating the detected wedge ID to determine a position of the first servo sector within the M mini wedges.

13. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein when the first servo sector is determined to form one of the full wedges, the method further comprises shifting the detected wedge ID left at least once to identify the full wedge.

14. The method as recited in claim 8 , wherein when the first servo sector is determined to form one of the full wedges, the method further comprises shifting the detected wedge ID left at least once to identify the full wedge.

Assignments (8)
PATENT COLLATERAL AGREEMENT - DDTL LOAN AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 21, 2023
From: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 067045/0156 →
PATENT COLLATERAL AGREEMENT - A&R LOAN AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 21, 2023
From: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 064715/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL 038744 FRAME 0481 Recorded Feb 8, 2022
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 058982/0556 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 5, 2018
From: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 045501/0714 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 17, 2016
From: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 038744/0481 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 17, 2016
From: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 038744/0281 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 17, 2016
From: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 038722/0229 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 10, 2014
From: CHANG, MICHAEL; GUO, WEI; QUISENBERRY, RUSS A.; GUO, GUOXIAO
To: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 032651/0224 →