Patent · US Expired

Read/write head buffer

US5155811A · kind A · utility

5Cited by
5References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 31, 1989
Grant dateOct 13, 1992
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 31, 2009

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F11/1008
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The read/write head buffer provides a buffer memory for each read/write head in the rotating media data storage system to that a seek request from the processor can be handled as soon as the beginning of the requested data record is positioned below the associated read/write head. The data image stored on the rotating media is read from the rotating media by the read/write head and stored in the read/write head buffer independent of the availability of a data communication path to the processor. Thus, the read data operation need not be synchronized with the availability of a data communication path to the processor and the requested data is retrieved from the rotating media as soon as the data record is properly positioned. In no case is the data retrieval time greater than one revolution of the rotating media. The error correction codes written on the rotating media to protect the integrity of the requested data are maintained since they are stored in the read/write head buffer along with the data record. Thus, once a data communication path is established to the processor, the control module receives the track data image from the read/write head buffer and can deformat this data…

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