Methods and apparatus for overlapping data tracks on a storage medium
US6185063A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 29, 1997 |
| Grant date | Feb 6, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 29, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11B5/59627
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A narrow read head and a wider write head are used to store and retrieve data from a storage medium, such as a magnetic disk or tape. The wider write head is selectively positioned to record overlapping data tracks. The read head is subsequently positioned to read the non-overlapping portions of the data tracks. In one format, a read seldom data block is recorded by sequentially recording a plurality of data tracks such that each subsequent data track partially overlaps a previously written data track. In another format, pairs of data tracks are recorded by side-by-side, wherein within each pair of data tracks there is an overlapping region. In either format, the narrower read head is positioned to read the non-overlapping portions of the data tracks. Consequently, the storage capacity of the storage medium is optimized to take advantage of the narrow read head.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.