Seagate Technology Incorporated

Jpmorgan Chase Bank, As Collateral Agent

CheeWai Lum

KokChoon See

Myint Ngwe

KokHoe Chia

LianYong Tan

LingLing Chua

Xiong Liu

Wenxiang Xie

Jian Qiang

BengWee Quak

WeiLoon Ng

TeckKhoon Lim

QuekLeong Choo

EngHock Lim

KokSeng Lim

YeowWeoi Yek

Implementations disclosed herein provide a method comprising determining used shingled data tracks adjacent to a target track using a track usage monitoring scheme, and reading the used shingled data tracks to perform a write operation to the target track.

Fast shingled tracks recording

Method and apparatus for servicing commands such as the type issued by a host device to load an operating system from an associated data storage device. A controller is adapted to, upon receipt of a selected command sequence comprising a first command followed by a second command, determine an elapsed time interval between the first and second commands. The controller further uses the elapsed time interval to subsequently service the first and second commands during a subsequent receipt of the selected command sequence. Preferably, a command history table is generated to list the commands in the command sequence and the associated time intervals, and to use the time intervals to predict when the next command will occur. Readback data are pre-fetched to a buffer to expedite servicing of the commands, and the controller selectively enters one or more reduced power modes between successive commands to reduce power consumption levels.

Expedited and low power command sequence servicing

A method of performing a retry procedure may begin with detecting an error in a first zone of a data storage medium. Upon detecting the error, it is determined whether any retry procedure of a sequence of retry procedures has been performed upon detecting a previous error in the first zone. If a first retry procedure of the sequence was unsuccessfully performed upon detecting the previous error, there is performed a second retry procedure that follows next after the first retry procedure in the sequence.

Performing retry operations

A system to ensure written data integrity in a data storage device that is operating outside of predefined normal operating conditions is disclosed. The system includes an environmental stress monitoring module operable to identify data storage device operation in an environmental stress condition and a write integrity check module for verifying written data integrity during data storage device operation in the environmental stress condition. The system and method of data protection provides a means of ensuring written data integrity without sacrificing performance during normal drive operational environmental conditions.

Environmental stress protection scheme for a data storage device

A smart retry operation, or set of retry procedures to be performed in sequence, that optimizes itself for a data storage device's individual characteristics, including variations across the data storage media and variations introduced as the device degrades over time, is disclosed. The data storage media (e.g. a disc in a disc drive) is divided into a number of zones and a separate smart retry operation is maintained for each zone. The data storage media is then tested to find errors correctable by the retry procedures. A statistical likelihood for each retry procedure is developed. The sequential order of the retry procedures in each zone's operation is then optimized based on the statistics. A single read/write retry sequences or separate read and write retry sequences may be maintained. The retry operations may be constantly re-optimized over the lifetime of the data storage device.

Smart retry operation

An apparatus and associated method for detecting head collision with disc media, or other matter, during a write operation is disclosed. The method and apparatus generally monitor the resistance of an MR element on the head in order to detect a temperature increases indicative of a head collision. The resistance can be compared to a pre-selected threshold to generate an output indicative of head collision.

Write head collision detection using MR read element in disc drives

Method and apparatus for increasing process yields of data storage devices which store data on media surfaces using read/write heads. An initial linear bit recording density is determined for each head, the linear bit recording density comprising a density at which each head is capable of writing data to and reading data from the corresponding media surface. Defective storage sectors are identified on the media surfaces to determine whether a sufficient number of logical storage sectors are available to meet a predetermined data storage capacity. The linear bit recording density of at least one of the heads is then altered to ensure that the storage device has sufficient logical storage sectors to meet the predetermined capacity.

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Singapore, Singapore

CheeWai Lum