Patent ID: 7257691

Claim:
A method for variable-rate read/write operation of a probe-based data storage device in which data is written to and read from an array of A storage fields by a corresponding array of probes, the method comprising: receiving input data blocks, each writable in A/k 0 storage fields where k 0 is an integer ≧2; for successive groups of k 0 blocks, writing the k 0 blocks to respective sub-arrays (SA 1 to SAk 0 ), each of A/k 0 storage fields, of the storage field array by selectively writing at one of a series of rates, ranging from 1 block at a time to k 0 blocks at a time, in dependence on a desired data write-rate; and reading the blocks from the sub-arrays (SA 1 to SAk 0 ) by selectively reading at one of a series of rates, ranging from one sub-array at a time to k 0 sub-arrays at a time, in dependence on a desired data read-rate.