The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 06, 2011
Filed:
May. 18, 2009
Munir Ahmad, Austin, TX (US);
Kevin Mundt, Austin, TX (US);
Munir Ahmad, Austin, TX (US);
Kevin Mundt, Austin, TX (US);
Dell Products L.P., Round Rock, TX (US);
Abstract
A data storage device having fall protection includes a rotatable media platter operable to receive and store data, a read/write head operable to communicate with the media platter by writing the data to the media platter and by reading the data from the media platter, an arm supporting the read/write head, a servo motor coupled the arm and operable to move the arm to and from the media platter, a drive controller operable to control the media platter, the read/write head and the servo motor, and a general purpose input/output (GPIO). In an embodiment, the GPIO is coupled with a fall sensor that is external to the data storage device so that when the fall sensor sends a floating interrupt trigger, signaling that the fall sensor is falling, the GPIO receives the interrupt trigger and the drive controller performs an emergency routine to cache data in flight to or from the data storage device and park the read/write head away from the media platter.