JP2001035101A - Protection function of magnetic disk device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent damage of a magnetic disk device due to falling and dropping of a personal computer without providing a new parts such as a sensor, to miniaturize the device and to make the same light in weight. SOLUTION: By putting weight balance of a magnetic head and a voice coil motor out of order, the inclination of the magnetic disk device can be detected without mounting a sensor, the positioning test of the magnetic head is performed when power is turned on. The direction in which the magnetic disk device is disposed is recognized when power of the magnetic disk is turned on due to the positioning error at the time of positioning the magnetic head, the change of disposed direction is detected by monitoring the change of the positioning error of the magnetic head during operation, and the magnetic head is retreated in a saving area before the impact due to the falling and dropping occur.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a magnetic disk device used for storing such information in a computer system including a personal computer and a portable information terminal, and more particularly to protection of a magnetic disk medium and a magnetic disk head.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, the size, thickness, weight, and capacity of magnetic disk drives mounted on laptop personal computers and portable information terminals have been remarkable. Also, the price of the device is required to be as low as possible.

Conventionally, when an operator accidentally starts dropping while operating a laptop personal computer or a portable information terminal having a built-in magnetic disk device, and a ground is applied to a floor or the like, an impact sensor or the like is applied. Thus, an apparatus that detects abnormal contact between a magnetic head and a magnetic disk medium and takes measures against impact such as evacuating the magnetic head from a recording area to a head evacuating area is generally used. As means for detecting the inclination or drop of the apparatus before detecting an impact, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.
-203505, a gyro sensor in a portable terminal,
Alternatively, a means for detecting inclination and drop by providing a pressure sensor on the support portion of the magnetic disk,
Japanese Patent No. 29450 discloses a state sensor and means for detecting inclination and drop using the state sensor.
886 discloses means for detecting a fall using an acceleration sensor.

[0004]

In the conventional magnetic disk protection mechanism described above, a sensor must be newly provided, which is required for a magnetic disk device mounted on a laptop personal computer or a portable information terminal. However, the problems of miniaturization, weight reduction, thinning, and cost reduction cannot be solved.

[0005]

According to the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, a function of recognizing an installation direction of a magnetic disk by an operation test at the time of power-on and a change in the installation direction during a read / write operation or the like. A function of detecting and suspending the read / write operation by changing the installation direction to evacuate the magnetic head and a function of resuming the interrupted processing after a predetermined time are provided.

[0006]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a flowchart of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the magnetic disk drive of the present embodiment using the data recording device of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, inside the HDD device body of the present embodiment,
Magnetic disk medium 12, magnetic head (head unit) 11,
An arm 17 and a voice coil motor 18 (hereinafter, the magnetic head 11, the arm 17, and the voice coil motor 18 are collectively referred to as a head mechanism 19) are provided. The magnetic head 11 records and reproduces data in a recording area of the magnetic disk medium 12.

The positioning operation of the magnetic head 11 will be described. Position information is written on the magnetic disk medium 12. When a command for positioning at a certain position, a command for writing data at a certain position, a command for reading data at a certain position, or another command is issued from an upper laptop personal computer or a portable information terminal, the voice coil motor 18 is used. To move the magnetic head 11 to a designated position. The magnetic head 11 reads the positioning information recorded on the magnetic disk medium 12 at the time of the positioning operation, and performs the positioning while reflecting the value of the positioning information on the current flowing through the voice coil motor 18. After the positioning is completed, if the command from the host PC is a recording command or a reproduction command, data recording and reproduction operations are performed. During the recording and reproducing operations after the positioning operation, the position information recorded on the magnetic disk medium 12 is read so that the magnetic head 11 stops at a fixed position.

FIG. 3 shows a magnetic disk drive mounted on a laptop personal computer or a portable information terminal.
As shown in (a), (b), (c), (d), and (f), any surface of the rectangular parallelepiped housing may be set down. For this purpose, the moment by the gravity applied to the voice coil motor 18 as a power point and the magnetic head 11 as an action point is made equal about the fulcrum of the head mechanism 19. Therefore, when the operation of positioning the magnetic head 11 in the same place is performed regardless of which surface is installed, the current flowing through the voice coil motor 18 can be positioned at a constant value.
Further, even if the installation direction of the magnetic disk device 10 changes during the operation of positioning the magnetic head 11, the positioning operation can be continued without considering the moment of gravity applied to the magnetic head 11, and The position of the magnetic head 11 does not change even if the installation direction changes while the magnetic head 11 is stopped at the position specified by the upper laptop personal computer or the portable information terminal after the positioning of the magnetic head 11 is completed. Therefore, it is possible to keep stopping at the designated position, and the processing can be continued without affecting the data recording and reproducing operations. In other words, the magnetic head 11 cannot detect the inclination of the device.

When the magnetic disk drive 10 is stored in a desktop personal computer or a tower personal computer, the side on which the magnetic disk drive 10 is stored depends on the PC. However, when the magnetic disk device 10 is mounted in a laptop personal computer or a portable information terminal, the magnetic disk device stored in a laptop personal computer or a portable information terminal may have the magnetic disk medium. 12 are stored in a horizontal direction, and the magnetic disk medium 12 is substantially horizontal even during use. Therefore, the change in the gravitational moment applied to the magnetic head 11 only needs to be considered in the vertical direction. Therefore, the weight balance of the head mechanism 19 is changed so that the magnetic head 11 and the voice coil motor 18 are affected by the moment of gravity when the magnetic disk medium 12 in the magnetic disk device 10 is not horizontal. I do. Hereinafter, the installation direction of the magnetic disk device 10 and the moment applied to the magnetic head 11 will be described. In consideration of the moment applied to the tip of the magnetic head 11 when the magnetic head 11 is positioned on the outer circumference and when the magnetic head 11 is positioned on the inner circumference in each placement of the magnetic disk device 10, the magnetic disk medium 12 is horizontally moved. When placed, the magnetic head 11
Is the gravitational force in the vertical direction. Therefore, no matter where the magnetic head 11 is positioned, the moment applied in the direction parallel to the magnetic disk medium is the same. However, when the disk device 11 is placed so that the magnetic disk medium 12 is vertical, as shown in FIGS. 4 (a), (b), (c) and (d), the installation direction and the magnetic head The magnitude and direction of the force applied to the magnetic head in a direction parallel to the magnetic disk medium 12 differs depending on the position of the position 11. Therefore, if the installation direction of the magnetic disk device 10 is changed, a difference occurs between the positioning target position and the actual positioning destination for each positioning destination of the magnetic head 12. 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, and 3D when the magnetic disk drive 11 is manufactured.
(E) and (f), the magnetic head 1 is installed at a plurality of positions in each installation state with the six directions set downward.
1 is performed, and the difference between the target position of the positioning operation in each direction and the actual positioning destination is measured and recorded on the non-volatile memory in the magnetic disk device 10 or on the magnetic disk medium 12. . When the power is turned on, the magnetic head 11 is positioned at a plurality of positions on the magnetic disk medium 12, and the difference between the target position of each positioning operation and the actual positioning destination is measured. By comparing the recorded information at the time of manufacture with the measurement result at the time of power-on, the magnetic disk drive 1 is turned on at the time of power-on.
Recognizing which side of the magnetic head 11 is set down, a value in consideration of the positioning error of the magnetic head 11 at that time is set as a target position in a steady state of positioning. When an access operation command to the magnetic disk device 10 is issued from the host CPU to perform the position operation to the designated position on the magnetic disk medium 12, the positioning target position of the magnetic head 11 set at power-on and the actual position Compare the positioning positions of. At this time, when the positioning target position of the magnetic head 11 set at power-on and the actual positioning position are substantially equal, it is recognized that no change such as inclination has occurred, and the processing is continued. When the positioning target position of the magnetic head 11 set at power-on and the actual positioning position during the operation of the magnetic disk device 10 largely deviate, it is determined that a change such as inclination has occurred. When the device is tilted, the following three conditions are considered. (1) The operator suspends the operation with the power on and tries to hold a laptop personal computer or a portable information terminal in his hand. (2) The personal computer tilts,
There is a risk of falling. (3) The personal computer or the portable information terminal may fall off the edge of the desk or the like. In the states of (2) and (3), the magnetic disk device may receive a strong shock due to falling or falling after being tilted, and the magnetic disk medium 12 and the magnetic head 11 may be damaged. When the inclination of the disk device 10 is detected, the instruction issued from the host CPU is interrupted, and the magnetic head 11 is evacuated to a refuge area. Here, in the case of (1), the upper CPU generally writes unwritten data in the non-volatile memory onto the magnetic disk medium 12 by a resume function or the like, and performs a process of shutting off power. Also, in the states (2) and (3), it is necessary to restart the interrupted processing after the drop has ended and the magnetic disk 10 is no longer subject to impact. Therefore, after a certain period of time, a test for resetting the target position of the magnetic head 11 is performed, the target position is newly set, and the process interrupted by detecting the inclination is restarted.

[0011]

According to the present invention, the inclination of the magnetic disk drive can be detected without mounting a sensor by disturbing the weight balance between the magnetic head and the voice coil motor. When the power is turned on, the positioning test of the magnetic head is performed. Recognizes the direction in which the magnetic disk drive is installed when the magnetic disk is powered on due to positioning errors during positioning, and detects changes in the mounting direction by monitoring changes in the positioning error of the magnetic head during operation Then, the magnetic head is evacuated to the evacuation area before an impact due to falling and falling occurs.

According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the magnetic head and the magnetic disk medium from being damaged due to falling and falling of the personal computer without providing new parts.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart of one embodiment for realizing the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9 execution process, 4, 6 decision branch, 10 magnetic disk device, 11 magnetic head, 1
2 ... magnetic disk medium, 13 ... head positioned on the outer circumference, 14 ... force applied to head positioned on the outer circumference, 15 ...
Head located on the inner periphery, 16: Force applied to the head located on the inner periphery, 17: Arm, 18: Voice coil motor, 19: Head mechanism.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A function of storing a difference in a positioning destination during a positioning operation of a magnetic head due to a difference in an installation direction when a magnetic disk drive is manufactured. 2. A test of the positioning operation of the magnetic head when the power supply of the magnetic disk drive is turned on, and the result is compared with the difference of the positioning destination in the positioning operation of the magnetic head due to the difference in the installation direction according to claim 1. A function that recognizes the direction in which the magnetic disk is installed at startup. 3. When the change from the installation direction of the magnetic disk recognized in claim 2 to another installation direction is detected by monitoring the expected value of the positioning destination and the actual positioning destination during operation of the magnetic disk device, Function to interrupt the processing during operation and evacuate the magnetic head. 4. A function of performing a positioning test of the magnetic head after a predetermined time has elapsed after the magnetic head is evacuated, and restarting the processing interrupted in claim 3. 5. A magnetic head operating mechanism in which the weight of the magnetic head and the voice coil motor is not balanced because the magnetic head itself detects the inclination of the magnetic disk device. 6. A magnetic disk drive having the functions of the above claims.