Patent ID: 7529061

Claim:
A magnetic tape drive comprising: a head assembly comprising a plurality of servo read elements including at least a first and a second servo read element configured to detect transition stripes of a servo pattern on magnetic tape media, wherein said servo pattern comprises: a plurality of parallel longitudinal servo bands that lie between a plurality of longitudinal data bands; said plurality of servo bands comprise odd servo bands and even servo bands, wherein each of said odd servo bands lie between said each of said even servo bands; each servo band comprising a plurality of frames, wherein each frame comprises a plurality of bursts of transition stripes, each burst having a first transition stripe; said first transition stripe of each burst of each said odd servo band is longitudinally shifted from said first transition stripe of each burst of each said even servo band by a substantially equal distance, D, such that servo information of said odd servo bands is interleaved with servo information from said even servo bands; said first servo read element is configured to detect at least two transition stripes of said even servo band on said magnetic tape media at a first time; servo detection logic configured to detect a timing of said at least two transition stripes of said even servo band on said magnetic tape media; servo controller configured to position said head assembly laterally with respect to said magnetic tape media in response to said timing of said at least two transition stripes of said even servo band on said magnetic tape media; said second servo read element configured to detect at least two transition stripes of said odd servo band on said magnetic tape media at a second time, wherein said second time is a time delay after said first time corresponding to said distance D; said servo detection logic further configured to detect a timing of said at least two transition stripes of said odd servo band on said magnetic tape media; and said servo controller further configured to position said head assembly laterally with respect to said magnetic tape media in response to said timing of said at least two transition stripes of said odd servo band on said magnetic tape media.