Disc drive servo system employing thermal signals
US5999360A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 14, 1997 |
| Grant date | Dec 7, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 14, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11B5/59627
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A magnetic disc drive has a magnetoresistive element (26) for reading user data from concentric tracks of a rotatable magnetic recording disc (32). The magnetoresistive element has a resistance based on a magnetic field derived from user data and based on temperature of the magnetoresistive element. Heat generated by the bias current through the head is in part dissipated through the disc, the amount of heat dissipated being representative of disc/head spacing. The surface of the recording disc has contour elements (50, 52, 54) arranged in a pattern representing servo data, the contour elements having a height such that the spacing between the magnetoresistive element and the contour elements is different from the spacing between the magnetoresistive element and a nominal surface of the recording disc. As a result, a modulated signal (66) from the head contains a component representative of user data and a component representative of servo data.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.