Storage Technology Corporation

International Business Machines Corporation

William C Dodt

John C Owens

Charles Allen Milligan

Donald F McCarthy

Jerry L Donze

David T Hoge

Terry R Gottehrer

Nelson K Arter

Brian G Cleveland

Zengqi Yu

Michael Lawrence Leonhardt

Donovan M Janssen

Brian P Egan

Douglas Christian Hansen

Robert D Stroud

Ronald W Korngiebel

Samuel D Cheatham

Michael D Avritt

Ted A Rehage

Charles R Kirkpatrick

Thomas Mattingly Brown

Charles A Farel

Francis L Robinson

Marion J Herman

Ralph Leon Butts

Kurt William Pyatt

Thomas G Liehe

Edward P Lutter

William K Taylor

Hari S Narahari

Larry Stephen Mitchell

Donald R Schenck

Richard Mendoza

Debra C Rutherford

Wayne J Bauer

A method of extending media cartridge radio frequency identification (RFID) performance physical range includes mounting a plurality of passive antenna couplers in a first sending/receiving device, connecting the couplers to a radio transmitter/receiver in the first sending/receiving device, and communicating wirelessly between the first sending/receiving device and a second radio transmitter/receiver in a second sending/receiving device within a predetermined physical range.

System and method for extending performance of media cartridge RF identification

A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag system includes a coupler/controller subsystem and a memory. The coupler/controller subsystem wirelessly receives and transmits at least one user signal and at least one master signal. The memory is electrically coupled to the coupler/controller subsystem. The memory includes a user portion for storing information contained in the at least one user signal and a master portion for storing information contained in the at least one master signal, and the master portion of the memory is unalterable by a user.

System and method for locked code on a radio frequency identification tag

A helical scan transport apparatus for reading and writing data on to a magnetic recording tape which is wound on a supply reel rotatably mounted within a removable tape cartridge includes a chassis having a front end portion and rear end portion. An elevator assembly is mounted on the chassis at the front end. The elevator assembly is configured to receive the tape cartridge and to position the tape cartridge in a loaded position. A take-up reel assembly is coupled to the chassis at the rear end position. A helical deck is mounted on a central portion of the chassis between the elevator assembly and the take-up reel assembly. The helical deck includes a rotary read/write head, a substantially linear tape loading path between the elevator assembly and the take-up reel assembly, and a movable guide for the seizing the tape from the tape loading path and for at least partially wrapping the tape around the rotary head. A linear threading mechanism is configured to grasp the leader block of the tape, thread the tape through the tape loading path of the helical deck, and couple the leader block to the take-up reel assembly. The helical transport has a form factor compatible with the Storage Technology Corporation Model 4400 Automated Cartridge System.

Helical scan transport for single reel tape cartridge

The tape drive control unit administers both computer data and video data that is stored on the same type of data storage media. This is accomplished by determining, when a magnetic tape is mounted in the tape drive, the format that is used to store the data on the magnetic tape media. In the case of video data, the data is directly written on to the magnetic tape media, while for computer data, a header is interposed between a leader portion of the magnetic tape on the 3480-type magnetic tape cartridge and the remainder of the magnetic tape contained therein.

Method and apparatus for automatically activating a one of video data channel and a computer data channel in a tape drive in response to detection of the nature of the data recorded on a magnetic tape loaded in the tape drive

An apparatus for reducing head wear in a helical scan tape transport passes a flow of relatively clean, dry air through a transport housing without allowing the flow of air to flow directly across the rotary head assembly. Air from a fan positioned at a rear portion of the transport cools a power supply and creates a positive air pressure within the transport housing. The air is heated by the power supply before it passes through the transport housing, so that only relatively 'dry' air reaches the rotary head assembly. The air is exhausted out the opening through which a tape is loaded. This arrangement substantially reduces the possibility of contaminants entering the transport housing. Additionally, the air cleans a magnetic recording tape on a tape cartridge as the tape is passes through the transport housing so that only relatively 'clean' tape reaches the rotary head assembly.

Apparatus and method for reducing head wear in helical scan tape

The control software and hardware in the tape drive control unit creates and manages a header segment at the beginning of the magnetic tape. This header is interposed between a leader portion of the magnetic tape on the 3480-type cartridge and the remainder of the magnetic tape contained therein. This header segment contains two sections, a first of which is a data record directory that is used by the control unit to denote the location of each data record written on to the magnetic tape as well as administrative information associated with the data record. The second section of the header is an administrative information section that contains data relating to the magnetic tape itself. The administrative information includes the identification of the tape volume, the tape drive, write protect status of the magnetic tape, identification of the media, error record log and other information that enables the user, the host processor and the tape drive control unit to manage the data records written onto the magnetic tape without reference to any other sources of administrative data. In addition, the header itself can be self protected by computing an error correction code across the data contained within the header to enable the control unit to identify whether the header integrity has been compromised.

Method and apparatus for administering data on magnetic tape medium by

A novel method is disclosed for performing a high speed search for a selected data block or data file utilizing any one of several presently existing helical scan tape formats which utilize, in addition to the helically scanned tracks, one or more longitudinal tracks for recording indexing information indicative of the location of data blocks and file marks stored on the associated helical tracks. Data file location information is written to a header area on a series of helical tracks and to one (or more) of the longitudinal tracks when a data block or a file mark is written to a tape. A high speed search for a desired data block or data file can then be performed using this track location information.

Method for utilizing a longitudinal track on a helical scan tape data

The video-to-data converter buffers and converts the video data received from a camera or a conventional video tape drive into a data record format that is compatible with a computer data tape drive subsystem and its media, such as a 3480-type magnetic tape cartridge. In addition, a header is interposed between a leader portion of the magnetic tape and the remainder of the magnetic tape. This header segment contains two sections, a first of which is a data record directory that is used by the control unit to denote the location of each data record on the magnetic tape as well as administrative data associated with the data record. The second section of the header is an administrative information section that contains data relating to the magnetic tape itself.

Method and apparatus for administering video data on magnetic tape media

Indicator portion of a write protect block

In response to the mounting of a magnetic tape on the tape drive, the tape drive begins reading data from the tape into the preload buffer while concurrently signalling the data processor that the tape drive is instantaneously available to read/write data. The data processor can then begin the data transfer operation without incurring the delay occasion by media set up time. The data that is transferred from magnetic tape is stored in the preload buffer in anticipation of the data processor issuing a data read command. Upon receipt of the data read command, the tape drive reads the data out of the preload buffer to the data processor via the data channel while simultaneously reading data from the magnetic tape into the preload buffer.

System for reading and stopping reading data from magnetic tape into

The cleaning tape comprises a substrate on which is overlaid a coating that provides a mechanical abrading surface to clean the elements in the tape path, such as the read/write heads. The coating has a high coefficient of friction to remove and retain the residues that have accumulated on the read/write heads. The coating is impregnated with or encloses a cleaning solvent that is controllably released by the mechanical movement of the cleaning tape over the read/write heads. The cleaning solvent can be isopropyl alcohol or other solvents that are encapsulated in some manner in the cleaning tape. As the solvent is released on to the read/write heads, it chemically loosens the debris which the abrasive coating can then mechanically remove from the read/write heads and also retain on the abrasive coating.

Apparatus for cleaning a tape path in a tape drive

The control software and hardware in the tape drive control unit creates and manages a multiple level error detection and correction system to protect the data written on the magnetic tape. The helical scan data write circuits operate on the received stream of data records to produce two orthogonal error detection and correction codes on a scan group level. The data write circuit divides the received stream of data records into data segments, each of which contains a predetermined number of data bytes. A first of these scan group error codes is generated on a per data segment basis while a second scan group error is generated across multiple data segments. A third level error correction code is also used to protect an entire scan group rather than data on a per byte basis. The third level error correction code generator produces an error code over a predetermined number of sequentially written scan groups to enable the control unit to reconstruct an entire scan group if its data integrity is compromised.

Method and apparatus for detecting and correcting errors in data on

Control software and hardware in the tape drive control unit creates and manages a header segment at the beginning of the magnetic tape. This header segment includes an administrative information section that contains data relating to the magnetic tape itself. The administrative information includes read/write status information such as the write protect status of the magnetic tape that enables the tape drive control unit to manage the data records written onto the magnetic tape without reference to any other source of administrative data. In addition, each data record written on the magnetic tape includes a header which denotes the read/write status of the data record.

Method and apparatus for managing data on rewritable media to define

This magnetic tape cartridge has the same exterior dimensions as a conventional 3480-type magnetic tape cartridge but houses different media. To clearly identify the media contained in the cartridge, a label receiving recess in included on the back of the cartridge. A human readable and machine readable label can be inserted into this recess to identify the media contained in this cartridge. Additional label recesses are provided juxtaposed to the media identification recess and on the top and side of the cartridge to receive user installed labels to uniquely identify the cartridge.

Magnetic tape cartridge having media identification

The control software and hardware in the tape drive control unit creates and manages a header segment at the beginning of the magnetic tape. This header is interposed between a leader portion of the magnetic tape on the 3480-type cartridge and the remainder of the magnetic tape contained therein. This header segment contains two sections, a first of which is a data record directory that is used by the control unit to denote the location of each data record written on to the magnetic tape as well as administrative information associated with the data record. The second section of the header is an administrative information section that contains data relating to the magnetic tape itself. The stream of data records is divided into data segments, a plurality of which comprise a single helical scan track. The helical scan tracks are formed into scan groups and written on the magnetic tape. At least one longitudinal track is written on the magnetic tape coextensive with the helical scan groups to provide data to enable the tape drive to quickly locate data records recorded on the magnetic tape.

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Broomfield, CO, United States of America

William C Dodt