Patent ID: 8643975

Claim:
A method for operating a storage device having a tape (TP) and a head (HU) which is operable to read and/or write data from and respectively to the tape (TP), wherein the tape (TP) is moveable in a predetermined longitudinal direction (X), said method comprising: determining, within the scope of a tape skew estimation, at least two consecutive current lateral tape positions (y x (t 1 ), y x (t 2 )) of the tape (TP) with respect to a predetermined reference point (REF) at a predetermined longitudinal capture position, determining a tape skew (θ) of the tape (TP) dependent on the at least two determined lateral positions (y x (t 1 ), y x (t 2 )), wherein the tape skew (θ) represents an angle between a current tape motion direction (TMD) of the tape (TP) and the longitudinal direction (X), determining a skew control signal (u ν ) dependent on the determined tape skew (θ), and controlling a rotational head position (ν) of the head (HU) dependent on the skew control signal (u ν )to align the head (HU) to the current tape motion direction (TMD) in such a way that the head (HU) is operable to read and/or write data.