Patent ID: 9443551
Filing Date: 2016-09-13
CPC Classification: G11B

Claim Text:
1. A method for reading data that have been encoded into codewords, the method comprising: positioning a plurality of read heads to read codewords that have been written across multiple tracks of a medium, the plurality of read heads being positioned relative to a first group of the multiple tracks so that each read head in the plurality of read heads reads a different portion of the first group of the multiple tracks, wherein each different portion of the multiple tracks overlaps at least one other different portion of the multiple tracks; obtaining data from the plurality of read heads; detecting signals from the obtained data; decoding the detected signals; positioning the plurality of read heads relative to a second group of the multiple tracks so that each read head in the plurality of read heads reads a different portion of the second group of the multiple tracks, wherein each different portion of the second group of multiple tracks overlaps at least one other different portion of the second group of multiple tracks, and wherein the second group of multiple tracks includes the first number of tracks; again obtaining data from the plurality of read heads; again detecting signals, from data obtained during the again obtaining; again decoding signals, from the again detecting; and selecting a better result from between the decoding and the again decoding.