Patent · US Expired

Media defect management within disk drive sector format

US4914530A · kind A · utility

29Cited by
1References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 21, 1987
Grant dateApr 3, 1990
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 21, 2007

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11B2220/20
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

In a rotating disk drive for storing and retrieving data used by a host system computer, a narrow gap is provided within a data sector format for each concentric data track of the drive. This gap may be normally located at the end of the track, in a speed tolerance buffer region following the last sector. In the event a media defect is detected which otherwise falls within a NAR area for a particular sector, this gap may be shifted to the beginning of the data track, thereby shifting all of the sectors and their NAR areas backward by the width of the gap. The media defect otherwise falling into the NAR area of a particular sector then falls harmlessly into a data field of a preceding sector, and this preceding sector may then be read and mapped out of service by insertion of a spare sector within the physical track without any loss of user data storage capability.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.