Patent · US Expired

Data corruption detector for magnetic media

US5479097A · kind A · utility

0Cited by
4References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 29, 1993
Grant dateDec 26, 1995
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 29, 2013

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11B23/021
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A tape cartridge or other physical volume includes a housing configured to accommodate magnetic data storage media, such as a reel of magnetic tape. A magnetic field detector is coupled to the housing for indicating whether the housing has been exposed to a magnetic field of sufficient intensity to corrupt or bulk erase the magnetic media. In a first embodiment, the detector is implemented as a magnetic media element having a predefined pattern of magnetic domains recorded thereon. In a second embodiment, the detector is implemented with a magnetic film element having a predefined pattern of magnetic domains recorded thereon and a polarizing filter stacked on top of the magnetic film element to polarize light incident upon the magnetic film element. Based on the Kerr effect, light incident upon the magnetic domains will undergo a shift in polarization angle before being reflected back to the polarizing filter. Erasure or alteration of the magnetic domains will modify the polarization shift. A dielectric reflector disposed between the polarizing filter and the magnetic film element will multiply the Kerr effect. A reference image is provided for visual comparison of the light reflec…

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