Western Digital Technologies Assigned Three Patents

Storage device compensating for magnetic tape distortion when shingle writing data tracks
Western Digital Technologies, Inc., San Jose, CA, has been assigned a patent (11532330) developed by Biskeborn, Robert G., Hollister, CA, Olson, Trevor W., San Jose, CA, and Watson, Mark L., Boulder, CO, for a “data storage device compensating for magnetic tape distortion when shingle writing data tracks.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “The disclosed embodiments generally relate to a data storage device for accessing a magnetic tape. The device includes write heads writing data tracks on the magnetic tape and control circuitry configured to: (1) use the heads to write a first set of data tracks on the magnetic tape,(2) measure a distortion of the first set of data tracks after the first set of data tracks have been written,and (3) use the heads to shingle write a second set of data tracks relative to the first set of data tracks based on the measured distortion. To compensate for the distortion, a priority servo is chosen based on whether the distortion is an expansion or contraction, and/or whether the shingle writing direction is inbound or outbound. The head bar is moved during shingle writing toward the servo track associated with the priority servo.”

The patent application was filed on 2021-09-09 (17/471028).

Tape drive configured to enable magnetic media to fly above upstream or downstream head assembly
Western Digital Technologies, Inc., San Jose, CA, has been assigned a patent (11532320) developed by Biskeborn, Robert G., Hollister, CA, and Ruiz, Oscar J., San Jose, CA, for a “tape drive configured to enable magnetic media to fly above an upstream or a downstream head assembly.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “The present disclosure generally relates to a tape head and a tape drive including a tape head. The tape head comprises a first same gap verify (SGV) head assembly comprising a first media facing surface (MFS) and a plurality of first write transducer and first read transducer pairs, and a second SGV head assembly comprising a second MFS and a plurality of second write transducer and second read transducer pairs. During operation, when a tape or magnetic media moves in a first direction over the tape head, the tape contacts the second MFS and is spaced from the first MFS, and when the tape moves in a second direction opposite the first direction over the tape head, the tape contacts the first MFS and is spaced from the second MFS. As such, the tape contacts only one edge of either the first or second MFS during operation.”

The patent application was filed on 2021-10-27 (17/512127).

2D magnetic recording (tdmr) for high areal density tape drive
Western Digital Technologies, Inc., San Jose, CA, has been assigned a patent (11532325) developed by Le, Quang, Liu, Xiaoyong, San Jose, CA, Bai, Zhigang, Fremont, CA, Ho, Kuok San, Emerald Hills, CA, and Takano, Hisashi, San Jose, CA, for a “two-dimensional magnetic recording (tdmr) for high areal density tape drive.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “The present disclosure is generally related to a tape drive including a tape head configured to read shingled data tracks on a tape. The tape head comprises a first module head assembly aligned with a second module head assembly. Both the first and second module head assemblies comprises one or more servo heads and a plurality of data heads. Each data head comprises a write head, a first read head aligned with the write head, and a second read head offset from the first read head in both a cross-track direction and a down-track direction. The first read heads and the second read heads are configured to read data from a shingled data track of the tape simultaneously. In some embodiments, the tape head is able to be dynamically tilted in order to tilt the first and second reads heads when reading curved portions of shingled data tracks.”

The patent application was filed on 2021-12-15 (17/551981).