Patent ID: 6512652
Filing Date: 2003-01-28
Classification: G06F,G11B,Y02D

Abstract:
A method of reducing power consumption of a constant linear velocity (CL V) disk drive, wherein the disk drive has a head capable of reading data, a head actuator, a disk medium including a spiral storage path and having an outer periphery and being mounted in the disk drive, a clock, a control processor in communication with the clock, a spindle motor for spinning the disk medium at a measurable angular velocity, and a spindle motor control module in communication with the spindle motor to maintain a substantially constant linear velocity of the disk, the method comprising the machine-executed steps of:(a) determining an activity level of the disk drive; (b) referencing a predetermined activity level criterion to determine if the activity level satisfies the activity level criterion; and (c) while maintaining the drive at an operational level where the head is enabled to read and write data, issuing a seek signal to the head actuator to displace the head to a track of the disk medium closest in proximity to the outer periphery of the disk medium if the activity level criterion is met.