Storage Technology Corporation

Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Storage Technology Coproration

Matthew P Wojciechowski

Joe Kent Jurneke

Steven Michael Kientz

Donovan M Janssen

Lynn C Jacobs

William Thomas Veno

Steven Gregory Trabert

Christian Allen Todd

James C Cates

Mark Hennecken

John S Todor, Jr

David L Trachy

David Lyle Peterson

Michael S Wagner

Kurt William Pyatt

Howard Hayakawa

Gary Francis

A tape drive system for a tape cartridge including a tape and wireless identification tag may read information from the wireless identification tag and write the information to the tape. The tape drive system may toggle a bit stored on the wireless identification tag to indicate that the information has been written to the tape. The information may include tape initialization information.

Method and system for writing information to a tape cartridge

A tape drive for reading both new technology tapes and legacy tapes. The tape drive includes a three bump head with two outer read bumps and an inner write bump. The outer read bumps include readers for reading data from tracks of a first width on a first storage tape while the inner write bump includes writers for writing data in tracks of the first storage tape. Legacy readers are provided in the head to read data from tracks of a second width that is greater than the first track width on a second storage tape. The legacy readers are provided by piggybacking or merged-pole techniques in the inner write bump or are provided in one or both of the outer read bumps. The tape drive includes control circuitry with channels for processing data signals from the narrower readers and channels for processing data signals from the wider legacy readers.

Tape drive with read/write head having legacy read elements and with special-purpose read channels

A method and system for transmitting tape cartridge information using a bi-axial tape cartridge antenna design. A contactless tape cartridge memory device is provided in which the memory device is accessible from multiple surfaces of the cartridge. A single flexible antenna surrounds the tape cartridge memory device. The antenna may be bent to fit within the corner of the tape cartridge, thus providing a parallel antenna surface to two locations on the cartridge, such as the front of the cartridge and the side or bottom of the cartridge. As a result, the memory device in the tape cartridge may be read when the cartridge is being inserted into the tape drive as well as while the cartridge is stored within the tape drive.

Multi-directional cartridge memory antenna designs

A cartridge system uses a pluggable remotely accessible tag to store information related to the cartridge. These tags may be accessed by tape drives having pluggable remotely accessing receivers.

Pluggable cartridge memory chip and memory access

A data tape storage cartridge for a data storage system that has a transponder for reading and writing data. The data storage tape cartridge includes a housing having a window and at least one wall. A panel is retained on the housing and configured to cover the window. A retainer is provided on the panel for the transponder. The transponder functions as an identification tag to which data is written and from which data is read to identify the data storage tape cartridge. The removable panel may also include a write protect switch that may be actuated to prevent a tape from being overwritten.

Data tape storage cartridge with removable panel mounted transponder

Identification of servo tracks is provided by adding one or more additional symbols to the write elements of at least some tracks on a servo recording head. The additional symbols are ignored for timing purposes, as they are not necessarily symmetrical, but the added symbols provide identification by their alterations on the otherwise identical patterns.

Timing based servo pattern incorporating band encoding

A tape reader is designed to read down-level linear track tapes having a multiple number of new tacks in the positions of each older wider track and having tape subject to pack level tape distortions which may result from environmental stresses and inter-use delay time. If tracks are displaced with respect to ideal servo reference positions, then optimal down-level reading may require selecting segments from different new track choices along the length of the tape. Decision choices of tracks and longitudinal break points are based on a; combination of gathered metrics per tape and engineering knowledge of each product. These data are stored first in internal memory. Longer-term memory storage particular to each tape may include cartridge memory either in the form of possible cartridge chip memory or writing to a section of tape in each cartridge. Decisions may be optimized with increasing number of read cycles and supplemented by knowledge in longer-term cartridge memory. For strong tape distortion, an intermediate step requirement may be the separate reading of whole tracks into buffer memory per channel and then reading the alternate track choice separately while selecting the proper segment of each track on a per channel basis.

Method and apparatus for reading down-level tapes having distorted media

A guide mechanism and method for positioning a tape media in a transverse position at a transducer. A first surface guide disposed to one side of the transducer engages the tape media surface to orient the tape media surface non-planar with respect to the transverse position. A second surface guide disposed between the first surface guide and transducer engages the tape media surface to orient the tape media surface parallel to the transverse position. An edge guide disposed adjacent to the transducer engages the edge of the tape media positioning the tape media at a predetermined transverse position. A third and fourth surface guides and a second edge guide may be provided on the opposite side of the transducer to permit positioning of the tape media having bidirectional movement.

Tape guide mechanism which orients tape in transverse and normal-to-transverse directions for adjusting tape stiffness

A method and associated apparatus for reduction of data loss errors in computer data tape transport applications. In tape transport devices with moveable read heads (i.e. auto-tracking read/playback heads), by sensing telemetry information regarding tape movement and alignment of a position on the tape medium before the position on the tape encounters the moveable head. Prior systems provided for such sensing only as the tape was read by the moveable head such that compensation could be made only for subsequent read operation. By sensing the telemetry data in advance of the tape encountering the moveable head, the head may be adjusted in time to encounter the misaligned tape medium compensating for the misalignment. Similarly, telemetry data relating to the speed of the tape motion as sensed by a channel reading a predetermined recorded sequence of bits permits compensation for both erroneous tape speed and tape medium stretch or contraction.

Method and apparatus for reducing data loss errors in a magnetic tape

A characteristic of helical scan tracks is that a distortion that occurs in the written data tracks is not uniform over the entire length of the track. Therefore, segments of the helical scan track can be read even though the entirety of the helical scan track cannot be read in a single pass. Therefore, laterally moving the read heads a predetermined distance in a selected direction to access a section of the helical track can produce full amplitude read signals and thereby that section of helical scan track can be read. Once a section of the helical scan track is read, the read heads are moved another incremental distance to access a next section of the distorted helical scan track. Each section of the track is thereby read on a different helical scan as the read heads are incrementally repositioned on each scan. The read sections of the helical scan track are stored in the memory of the tape drive control unit and then used to reconstruct the entirety of the track. This enables the tape drive system to recover the entirety of the distorted helical scan track and data is not lost.

System for reading data from a distorted magnetic tape media

The tape transport system acquires telemetry information pertaining to the tape medium at a position in advance of the associated tape segment passing over the movable read head. The advance telemetry information includes tape motion and position information which is used to identify both physical defects in the tape medium and misalignment of the tape medium with respect to the movable read head. The advance telemetry information are used to adjust the tape speed and the position of the movable read head with respect to the tape medium as the tape moves ahead to encounter the read head. This compensation can significantly reduce the data loss errors induced by tape speed and tape tracking errors.

Tape transport system using variable tape speed to achieve constant data

A tape threading apparatus (20) includes a tape guide arm (22) having a spring-biased elbow (32). The arm (22) is coupled for rotation with a rotatable shaft (24). The shaft is provided with a barrel cam (76, 92) for a third dimension of movement. A drive mechanism includes two gears (88, 90) that overlap to permit vertical slippage in the third dimension of movement. An arm guide cam slot (102) provides a directional orientation for movement of the arm (22) along a tape travel pathway (100).

Automatic tape guide arm with three dimensional range of motion and

A multimedia array (100) is formed from a plurality of compartments (102, 104) that are capable of receiving differently sized cartridges (30, 50, 70) for presentment to a robotic arm (166). The compartments each include a sidewall ramp (150) for use in centering the cartridges in the compartments, and a rearward boss (134) for positioning forward surfaces (32, 52, 72) of the respective cartridges equidistantly (at distance D) from the forwardmost surface (114) of the compartments.

Storage array for presenting tape media of differing dimensions to a

A read/write head positioning device for vertically displacing a magnetic head relative to a tape transport path of a high-performance tape path system, enabling the magnetic head to read and write magnetic data on a plurality of parallel data tracks of a passing magnetic medium which is moving longitudinally on the tape transport path. The device includes a support base assembly fixedly secured in a position proximate to the tape transport path, a carriage assembly adapted to securely receive a magnetic head, and a rack and pinion linear slide bearing unit interposed between the carriage and base to enable the carriage to smoothly and controllably move in the vertical axis relative to the base under the control of an electromagnetic device. The linear slide mechanism includes a rectangular carriage and a base of substantially U-shaped cross-section disposed so as to straddle the carriage. The carriage has longitudinal recesses of rectangular cross-section symmetrically formed on parallel side surfaces. The base has longitudinal recesses formed in opposing inner surfaces of skirt portions in opposing relationship with the longitudinal recesses of the carriage. A pair of bearing rods is respectively interposed in each of the recesses to form a bearing roller surface. On each side of the device is a pair of opposing parallel rack gears, one integral with the base and the other integral with the carriage. These rack gears work in conjunction with each other to communicate with associated pinion gears to enable controlled movement of the carriage relative to the base. The pinions are configured with retaining through holes to freely secure an associated ball bearing. As the bearings travel along the bearing rolling surfaces, the pinions rotate as they travel in the longitudinal direction.

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Erie, CO, United States of America

Matthew P Wojciechowski