Iomega Corporation

Mark L Reimann

Robert L Short

Daniel D Rochat

Eric Ryon Peters

Chad Adams

Allen T Bracken

Marvin R Deforest

Todd R Shelton

Kelly D Wright

Jeffery D Penman

Theodore J Smith

Hiromichi Oribe

Dan Rochat

An information storage device ( ) includes a cradle ( ) which can removably receive a cartridge ( ) that contains a rotatable hard disk ( ). A read/write head ( ) is supported for movement adjacent the disk by a pivotal actuator arm ( ). The cradle controls alignment of the head with the disk using feedback servo tracking. Calibration parameters used to perform this tracking, such as servo information or read channel information, may be stored in a special track ( ) which is on the disk, and which may be a read-only track. The special track stores a plurality of sets of calibration parameters, each corresponding to a respective combination of a cradle and an environmental characteristic such as temperature. The special track may also be used to store the number of times that the cartridge has been inserted into each of several different cradles, as well as a selected retry method which is more likely than other methods to be successful in recovering data that was subject to errors.

Method and apparatus for saving calibration parameters for a removable cartridge

An information storage device ( ) includes a cartridge ( ) removably inserted into a cradle ( ) that has a drive module ( ) releasably coupled to an interface module ( ). A drive electronics circuit ( ) in the drive module is coupled to a hard disk drive mechanism ( ) in the cartridge, and is coupled through a bus switch ( ) and a bus ( ) to a bridge circuit ( ) in the interface module. An auxiliary circuit ( ) in the drive module is coupled to the bus, is controlled by the bridge circuit, operates the bus switch, and handles considerations relating to removability of the cartridge. The interface module is one of several interchangable interface modules which each have a different bridge circuit to interface the bus to a respective different communication protocol.

Method and apparatus for providing extended functionality for a bus

A disk is manufactured having a reduced capacity based on a quantity of addressable and non-addressable portions. The method of formatting the disk comprises identifying a first quantity of the storage portions; and labeling the first quantity of storage portions as non-addressable storage portions such that the non-addressable storage portions cannot be accessed by a user or a disk drive. The first quantity of storage portions may include addressable portions designated as non-addressable portions.

Disk partitioning to create a usable, lower capacity disk cartridge

A system and methods for providing offset information on a storage medium are provided by writing at least one unalterable mark on the storage medium during a manufacturing formatting process. The unalterable mark(s) are variably offset from a fixed position. The amount of offset represents a first source of unique information. The unalterable mark(s) themselves comprise a second source of information. Both sources of information are combinable and may be utilized in connection with the generation of a unique serial number for the storage medium or for other digital rights management purposes.

System and methods for using offset information on a data storage medium

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Layton, UT, United States of America

Mark L Reimann