Patent US5216655A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5216655A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for surface reallocation for improved manufacturing process margin
Assignee: Maxtor Corp
•
Filing: 1991-06-26
•
Granted: 1993-06-01
•
Expires: 2011-06-26
Abstract
Abstract In the manufacture of a high capacity data storage device having multiple surfaces for recording information, the yield of the manufacturing process is improved by providing the storage device with a spare surface. If a recording surface is found to be totally defective, or, substantially worse than the other surfaces, as determined by the manufacturing testing procedures, that surface is, by means of a remapping table, logically retired and the information intended for the defective surface is stored on the logically reallocated spare surface.
Inventors
- 👤 Patrick Hearn
- 👤 Fernando A. Zayas
- 👤 Antonios E. Prentakis
- 👤 William D. Lewis
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 19:08
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11B; G11B20/00; G11B20/10; G11B20/18; G11B20/1883; G11B20/1816; G11B27/00; G11B27/36; G11B2220/00; G11B2220/20
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
170 words
A method for accessing information and managing defects in a disk storage device in which information is stored on a plurality of media surfaces and a controller is connected to a plurality of read/write heads, at least one read/write head associated with each media surface, comprising the steps of: providing at least one spare media surface anywhere within the disk storage device; providing an associated spare read/write head for said spare media surface, said spare read/write head connected to the controller; writing, by means of the controller and the read write heads, information on each of the media surfaces; determining, by the controller and the read/write heads reading the information written in the writing step, if any one of the media surfaces or associated read/write heads is a defective media surface or a defective read/write head; retiring said defective media surface and said defective read/write head; and activating said spare media surface and said associated spare read write head to replace said defective media surface or said defective read/write head.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
170 words
A method for accessing information and managing defects in a disk storage device in which information is stored on a plurality of media surfaces and a controller is connected to a plurality of read/write heads, at least one read/write head associated with each media surface, comprising the steps of: providing at least one spare media surface anywhere within the disk storage device; providing an associated spare read/write head for said spare media surface, said spare read/write head connected to the controller; writing, by means of the controller and the read write heads, information on each of the media surfaces; determining, by the controller and the read/write heads reading the information written in the writing step, if any one of the media surfaces or associated read/write heads is a defective media surface or a defective read/write head; retiring said defective media surface and said defective read/write head; and activating said spare media surface and said associated spare read write head to replace said defective media surface or said defective read/write head.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
119 words
The method according to claim 1 further including the steps of: providing a head map having a plurality of entries for storing addresses of the media surfaces and the associated read/write heads, one entry for each of the media surfaces and the associated read/write head; removing a defective entry from said head map, said defective entry corresponding to said defective media surface or said defective read/write head; adding a spare entry to said head map, said spare entry corresponding to said spare media surface and said spare read/write head; addressing the read/write heads by means of said head map created by said providing and adding steps; and storing said head map on at least one of the media surfaces.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method according to claim 1 further including the steps of: measuring, for each of the media surfaces, a level of performance characteristics; comparing said measured levels of performance characteristic; determining a worst media surface, said worst media surface having a worst level of performance characteristics, declaring, said worst media surface as said defective media surface.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
165 words
In a data processing system including a host computer (1) a data storage device (2) connected to the host computer by a system bus (3), the data storage device including a plurality of media surfaces (110), a controller (300) connected to a plurality of read/write heads (210), at least one read/write head for each of the media surfaces, an apparatus for accessing information and managing defects comprising: at least one spare media surface; a spare read/write head connected to said spare media surface, said spare read-write head connected to the controller; means (76) for testing each of the media surfaces; means (77) for detecting if any one of the media surface or associated read/write heads is a defective media surface or a defective read/write head; means (84) for retiring said defective media surface and said defective read/write head; and means (85) for activating said spare media surface and said associated spare read write head to replace said defective media surface or said defective read/write head.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
165 words
In a data processing system including a host computer (1) a data storage device (2) connected to the host computer by a system bus (3), the data storage device including a plurality of media surfaces (110), a controller (300) connected to a plurality of read/write heads (210), at least one read/write head for each of the media surfaces, an apparatus for accessing information and managing defects comprising: at least one spare media surface; a spare read/write head connected to said spare media surface, said spare read-write head connected to the controller; means (76) for testing each of the media surfaces; means (77) for detecting if any one of the media surface or associated read/write heads is a defective media surface or a defective read/write head; means (84) for retiring said defective media surface and said defective read/write head; and means (85) for activating said spare media surface and said associated spare read write head to replace said defective media surface or said defective read/write head.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
102 words
The apparatus as in claim 4 further comprising: a head map (42) having a plurality of entries (51-59) for storing addresses of the media surfaces and their associated read/write heads, one entry for each of the media surfaces and its associated read/write head; removing a defective entry (55) from said head map, said defective entry corresponding to said defective media surface or said defective read/write head; adding a spare entry (59) to said head map, said spare entry corresponding to said spare media surface and said spare read/write head; and storing said head map on at least one of the media surfaces.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
67 words
The apparatus as in claim 4 further comprising: means (76) for measuring, for each of the media surfaces, a level of performance characteristics; means (82) for comparing said measured levels of performance characteristic of the media surfaces to determine a worst media surface, said worst media surface having a worst level of performance characteristics, means (83) for declaring said worst media surface as said defective media surface.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
280 words
A method for accessing information and managing defects in a disk storage device in which information is stored on a plurality of media surfaces and a controller is connected to a plurality of read/write heads, at least one read/write head associated with each media surface, comprising the steps of: providing at least one spare media surface anywhere within the disk storage device; providing an associated spare read/write head for said spare media surface, said spare read/write head connected to the controller; writing, by means of the controller and the read write heads, information on each of the media surfaces; determining, by the controller and the read/write heads reading the information written in the writing step, if any one of the media surfaces or associated read/write heads is a defective media surface or a defective read/write head; retiring, if said determinining step determines that there is a defective media surface or a defective read/write head, said defective media surface and said defective read/write head; measuring, for each of the media surfaces, a level of performance characteristics; comparing said measured levels of performance characteristic; determining a worst media surface, said worst media surface having a worst level of performance characteristics; retiring, if there is no defective media surface or a defective read/write as determined by said determining step, said worst media surface and said associated worst read/write head; activating said spare media surface and said associated spare read write head to replace said worst media surface or said worst read/write head; and addressing the read/write heads by means of said head map created by said providing and adding steps; and storing said head map on at least one of the media surfaces.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
280 words
A method for accessing information and managing defects in a disk storage device in which information is stored on a plurality of media surfaces and a controller is connected to a plurality of read/write heads, at least one read/write head associated with each media surface, comprising the steps of: providing at least one spare media surface anywhere within the disk storage device; providing an associated spare read/write head for said spare media surface, said spare read/write head connected to the controller; writing, by means of the controller and the read write heads, information on each of the media surfaces; determining, by the controller and the read/write heads reading the information written in the writing step, if any one of the media surfaces or associated read/write heads is a defective media surface or a defective read/write head; retiring, if said determinining step determines that there is a defective media surface or a defective read/write head, said defective media surface and said defective read/write head; measuring, for each of the media surfaces, a level of performance characteristics; comparing said measured levels of performance characteristic; determining a worst media surface, said worst media surface having a worst level of performance characteristics; retiring, if there is no defective media surface or a defective read/write as determined by said determining step, said worst media surface and said associated worst read/write head; activating said spare media surface and said associated spare read write head to replace said worst media surface or said worst read/write head; and addressing the read/write heads by means of said head map created by said providing and adding steps; and storing said head map on at least one of the media surfaces.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4420807A
Cited
US4434487A
Cited
US4903198A
Cited
US4498146A
Cited
US5146571A
Cited
US4935825A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1996-05-31 | 1996-11-30 | 1997-06-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2000-05-31 | 2000-11-30 | 2001-06-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2004-05-31 | 2004-11-30 | 2005-06-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |