Patent ID: 8614935

Claim:
A data storage system comprising: an optical tape having a set of gaps repeating at regular intervals along the tape and dividing the tape into segments, the segments having a plurality of tracks each exhibiting fields of modulated wobble indicative of a physical track address; an optical pick-up unit configured to detect the fields of modulated wobble; and at least one controller operatively arranged with the pick-up unit, configured to command movement of the tape and, for each gap of the set, configured to (i) record the physical track address of one of the tracks on one side of the gap, wherein the pick-up unit has a position when detecting the fields of modulated wobble indicative of the physical track address of the one track, (ii) maintain the position of the pick-up unit as the gap moves by the pick-up unit, (iii) record the physical track address of a first detected one of the tracks on the other side of the gap, and (iv) assign a logical track address to the recorded physical track addresses.