JPH1116104A - Storage device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain the storage device capable of accelerating a processing speed at the time of using this device as a FIFO type buffer memory. SOLUTION: A write magnetic head 20A and a read magnetic head 20B provided corresponding to a recording surface of a magnetic disk 18 are fitted to tip parts of a write access arm 22A and a read access arm 22B respectively. Then, the write magnetic head 20A is driven by a drive device 24A, while the read magnetic head 20B is driven by device 24B respectively and independently of each other.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a storage device,
In particular, the present invention relates to a storage device that can be used as a buffer memory for absorbing a difference in processing speed between devices in a system including a plurality of devices.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a hard disk device is used as a FIFO type buffer memory in a system constituted by a plurality of devices. The hard disk device includes a magnetic head 20 provided corresponding to the recording surface of the magnetic disk 18 as shown in FIG. The magnetic head 20 includes a read element (not shown) for reading information using an MR element or the like and a write element (not shown) for writing information using a coil or the like.

A magnetic head 20 is attached to the tip of an access arm 22 and is held at a position slightly (for example, about 0.1 to 0.2 μm) away from a corresponding recording surface of a magnetic disk 18. The end of the access arm 22 opposite to the side on which the magnetic head 20 is mounted is attached to a drive device (not shown). The drive of the access arm 22 causes the magnetic head 20 to move in the M direction, Write information to the disk 18 or read information from the magnetic disk 18.

[0004]

However, the hard disk drive used as the above-mentioned conventional FIFO type buffer memory has only one magnetic head for writing and reading information.
After the writing operation of all information is completed, the written information is read, or the writing operation of the information and the reading operation of the written information are performed in a time-sharing manner. However, there is a problem that the required time increases.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problem, and has as its object to provide a storage device capable of increasing the processing speed when used as a FIFO type buffer memory.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a storage device, comprising: a disk capable of recording information on a plurality of tracks and rotatable; and storing information on each track of the disk. A write head which has a writing function and is movable in a direction of coming and going with respect to the center of the disk; and a function of reading information written on each track of the disk and having a function of making contact with the center of the disk. A reading head movable in a separating direction; and a drive unit for independently moving the writing head and the reading head.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the storage device has a function of recording information on a plurality of tracks and writing information on each track of a rotatable disk, and comes into contact with and separates from the center of the disk. A drive head which has a function of reading information written on each track of the disk and is movable in a direction approaching / separating from the center of the disk. Are moved independently. The storage device includes a hard disk device, a magneto-optical disk device, and the like.

As described above, according to the storage device of the first aspect, since the write head and the read head can be moved independently of each other, the write operation and the read operation are performed in parallel. Thus, the processing speed when used as a FIFO type buffer memory can be increased.

In the storage device of the present invention, the write head and the read head can be moved independently of each other, so that the write head and the read head can be moved asynchronously or synchronously. Can be.

[0010]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention; The printing system according to the present embodiment uses C (cyan), M (magenta), Y (yellow), and C (cyan) used when printing color prints such as magazines and newspapers.
A color proof image (color print proof printing) is produced by a color printer in order to prepare a plate making film of four plates for each color of K (black) and to improve the efficiency of the color proofing operation of the image at the time of making the plate making film. Is also created in advance.

First, referring to FIG.
Will be described. The printing system 50 includes an input device 52 including a CCD scanner or the like that inputs a document to be printed as image data for each of R (red), G (green), and B (blue). 52 is connected to an editing machine 54 constituted by a personal computer or the like. The editing device 54 classifies the image data input by the input device 52 into gradation image data, character data, and line drawing data, and performs editing operations such as changing and setting the layout of the classified data, color calibration, and the like. A function is provided for converting image data (R, G, B) into halftone dot area ratio data (C, M, Y, K).

On the other hand, a CRT display 56 for displaying an image being edited is connected to the editing machine 54. The operator can change and set the layout while referring to the image displayed on the CRT display 56. And so on.

The editing machine 54 prints out the inputted halftone dot area ratio data (C, M, Y, K) on a lithographic film, thereby making a plate making film for each color of C, M, Y, K. And a color printer 60 that prints a color proof image used when performing color calibration.

On the other hand, between the input device 52 and the editing device 54, a hard disk device 1 as a storage device is placed in a state where it can be accessed from both the input device 52 and the editing device 54.
0A is connected, and a hard disk device 10B as a storage device is connected between the editing machine 54 and the output machine 58 so as to be accessible from both the editing machine 54 and the output machine 58.

Next, the configuration of the hard disk devices 10A and 10B will be described with reference to FIGS. The hard disk devices 10A and 10B according to the present embodiment have the configurations shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively.
It is similar.

Hard disk drives 10A and 10B
Is provided with a driving device 14 for rotating the shaft 12 at a high speed at a constant speed when the power is turned on. Shaft 12
, A cylindrical spindle 16 is mounted so that their axes coincide with each other, and a magnetic disk 18 as a disk of the present invention is mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the spindle 16.

The magnetic disk 18 is formed of a hard material in a disk shape having a predetermined thickness, and has a recording surface formed by applying a magnetic material to an upper surface in FIG. A hole having substantially the same diameter as the outer diameter of the spindle 16 is formed in the center of the magnetic disk 18. The spindle 16 is inserted into the hole, and the magnetic disk 18 is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the spindle 16. Therefore, the hard disk drive 1
When the power supplies 0A and 10B are turned on and the drive device 14 rotates the shaft 12, the magnetic disk 18 is rotated integrally with the spindle 16.

The hard disk devices 10A and 1A
Reference numeral 0B includes a write magnetic head 20A as a write head and a read magnetic head 20B as a read head provided corresponding to the recording surface of the magnetic disk 18. The write magnetic head 20A includes a write element (not shown) for writing information by a coil or the like, and the read magnetic head 20B includes a read element (not shown) for reading information using an MR element or the like. It is comprised including. Write magnetic head 2
0A and the read magnetic head 20B are attached to the tips of the write access arm 22A and the read access arm 22B, respectively, and slightly (for example, about 0.1 to 0.2 microns) from the corresponding recording surface of the magnetic disk 18. It is held at a remote location. The ends of the write access arm 22A and the read access arm 22B on the side opposite to the side on which the write magnetic head 20A and the read magnetic head 20B are mounted are connected to the drive units 24A and 24A, respectively.
4B.

The drive unit 24A includes a write magnetic head 2
A function of controlling writing of information to be recorded on the magnetic disk 18 input from the host device by 0A to the magnetic disk 18, a function of controlling movement of the write magnetic head 20A in the W direction (see FIG. 3), and the like. A provided control circuit (not shown) is provided. The drive unit 24B has a function of controlling reading of information recorded on the magnetic disk 18 by the reading magnetic head 20B,
A control circuit (not shown) separate from the above-described control circuit having a function of controlling the movement of the 0B in the R direction (see FIG. 3) is provided. As described above, since the write magnetic head 20A and the read magnetic head 20B are controlled by separate control circuits, the write operation and the read operation can be performed independently of each other. The drive circuit 24
A and 24B correspond to the driving means of the present invention.

The operation of the present embodiment will now be described. In the printing system 50 shown in FIG.
To create a color proof image and perform color proofing,
The flow of processing when the output machine 58 creates four plate-making films for each of the colors C, M, Y, and K will be described.

First, a print original of a color print is read by the input device 52, and the read image data (R, G,
B) is written into a predetermined area of the hard disk device 10A, and a signal indicating the start of writing the image data to the hard disk device 10A is output to the editing machine 54. Upon input of the signal from the input device 52, the editing machine 54 sequentially reads the image data written in the hard disk device 10A from the predetermined area in the order of writing in the FIFO method, and reads the read image data (R, G, B). Is converted into halftone dot area ratio data (C, M, Y, K) and output to the color printer 60. The color printer 60 creates a color proof image by printing out the inputted dot area ratio data. At this time, in the hard disk device 10A, the write magnetic head 20A and the read magnetic head 20B are moved independently of each other, so that the writing of image data by the input device 52 and the reading of image data by the editor 54 are performed in parallel. It is done.

The editor 54 outputs the halftone dot area data (C, M, Y, K) to the color printer 60 and simultaneously outputs the image data (R, G, B) of the print original. To C
The information is displayed on the RT display 56. Operator CR
Referring to the image displayed on the T display 56, the image data is classified into gradation image data, character data, and line drawing data, and then the layout of each classified data is changed and set. Printer 6
When the color proofing is required with reference to the color proof image created by the printer 0, the halftone dot area ratio data (C) is input through an input means (not shown) such as a keyboard and a mouse provided in the editing machine 54. , M, Y, K) by rewriting the values.

Thereafter, until the layout of the image displayed on the CRT display 56 and the color of the color proof image are in a desired state, the layout is changed and set, and the dot area ratio data ( C, M, Y, and K) are repeatedly performed by the color printer 60 to create a color proof image and the color proofing operation using the created color proof image 60.

When the layout change / setting operation and the color proofing operation are completed, the editing machine 54 outputs the halftone dot area ratio data (hereinafter, referred to as the result of the layout change / setting operation and the color proofing operation). Layout data) into a predetermined area of the hard disk device 10B,
A signal indicating the start of writing the layout data to the hard disk device 10B is output to the output device 58.
In the output device 58, when the signal is input from the editing device 54,
The layout data written in the hard disk device 10B is sequentially read from the predetermined area by the FIFO method in the written order and printed out, whereby C, M,
Four plate making films are prepared for each color of Y and K. At this time, in the hard disk device 10B, the write magnetic head 20A and the read magnetic head 20B are moved independently of each other, and the writing of the layout data by the editor 54 and the reading of the layout data by the output device 58 are performed in parallel. It is done.

The C, M, Y,
The plate printing film of the four plates for each color of K can be subjected to plate printing by a plate printing device (not shown) to produce a color print finally obtained.

As described in detail above, the hard disk device as the storage device according to the present embodiment performs the writing operation by the reading magnetic head 20B in parallel with the writing operation of the image data by the writing magnetic head 20A. Since the read operation of the stored image data can be performed, the processing speed when used as a FIFO type buffer memory can be increased as compared with the case where the write operation and the read operation are performed by only one magnetic head. .

In the present embodiment, the case where the hard disk device as the storage device of the present invention is applied as the FIFO buffer memory for the image data in the printing system shown in FIG. 1 has been described. The present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to, for example, the printing system 50B shown in FIG.

A printing system 50B shown in FIG. 4 is obtained by directly connecting an input device 52 and an output device 58 to the printing system 50 shown in FIG. A hard disk device 10C configured similarly to the hard disk devices 10A and 10B is connected between the input device 52 and the output device 58 so as to be accessible from both devices.

That is, the printing system 50B includes the editing machine 5
When editing work such as layout change / setting is performed by using the input device 52, the input device 52 is used to speed up the editing work.
When making a plate making film using coarse image data obtained by performing a predetermined thinning process on image data of a predetermined resolution inputted by the user, the predetermined data is passed only through the hard disk device 10C without passing through the editing machine 54. By configuring so as to output the image data of the resolution to the output device 58, a plate making film of high image quality can be created in a short time. In this case, the image data (R, G, B) input by the input device 52 is converted into halftone dot area ratio data (C,
M, Y, K) must be provided in either the input device 52 or the output device 58.

In this case, similarly to the present embodiment, the reading operation of the image data written to the hard disk device 10C by the output device 58 is performed in parallel with the writing operation of the image data to the hard disk device 10C by the input device 52. As a result, plate making films can be produced at a higher speed than in the case of using a conventional hard disk drive having one magnetic head.

In this embodiment, the magnetic disk 1
8, one write magnetic head 20A and one read magnetic head 20B are provided for one recording surface, but the present invention is not limited to this.
Another write magnetic head and a read magnetic head may be provided with the other surface of the magnetic disk 18 as a recording surface, and each magnetic head may be independently movable. In this case, a plurality of writing operations and a plurality of reading operations can be performed in parallel, so that the processing speed can be further increased.

In this embodiment, a case has been described in which a control circuit for controlling the operation of each magnetic head is provided for each magnetic head. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Needless to say, the control circuit may be configured as a single control circuit having the above function.

Also, in the present embodiment, the distance between the input device 52 and the editing device 54, the distance between the editing device 54 and the output device 58,
Hard disk devices (10A and 10A)
The case where B) is provided has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and one hard disk device is connected to be accessible by the input device 52, the editing device 54, and the output device 58. It is good also as a form. In this case, since one hard disk device can be used, the cost of the entire system can be reduced as compared with the present embodiment.

Further, in this embodiment, a case has been described in which the storage device of the present invention is applied to a hard disk device. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be applied to a magneto-optical disk device. it can. In this case, instead of the magnetic head for writing and the magnetic head for reading,
A write head and a read head composed of an LD or the like are used.

[0035]

As described above in detail, according to the storage device of the present invention, the write head and the read head can be moved independently of each other, so that the write operation and the read operation can be performed in parallel. And the processing speed when used as a FIFO buffer memory can be increased.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a system configuration example of a printing system as an example of a system using a storage device (hard disk device) of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a hard disk device according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration around a magnetic disk of the hard disk device according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 4 is another system (printing system) according to the embodiment;
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a system configuration of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a magnetic disk of a conventional storage device (hard disk device).

[Explanation of symbols]

10A, 10B, 10C Hard disk device (storage device) 18 Magnetic disk (disk) 20A Write magnetic head (write head) 20B Read magnetic head (read head) 22A Write access arm 22B Read access arm 24A drive circuit (drive means) 24B drive circuit (drive means)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A disk capable of recording information on a plurality of tracks and rotatable, and having a function of writing information on each track of the disk and capable of moving in a direction moving toward and away from the center of the disk. A read head that has a function of reading information written on each track of the disk and is movable in a direction of coming and going with respect to the center of the disk; a write head and the read head A drive unit for moving the head and the head independently of each other.