Patent ID: 7573669

Claim:
A method for writing a pattern on each track on a disk using a head having a read element and a write element disposed at different positions in the radial direction of the disk, the method comprising: using the read element to read a pattern written by the write element and using the readout to identify the offset value between the read element and the write element in the radial direction; based on the identified offset value, using the readout of the pattern on the disk obtained from the read element to move and position the write element; using the write element to write a pattern at the track position where the write element is positioned; after repeating the identification of the offset value, the moving of the write element and the writing of a pattern a plurality of times, using the preceding offset values identified by using the readouts to anticipate the following offset values; and based on the anticipated offset values, sequentially moving the write element to each track position and using the write element to write a pattern, wherein the relationship between the offset values identified by using the readouts and the tracks on which patterns have been written is used to anticipate the offset value corresponding to each of the following tracks, and wherein the rate of change in the offset values identified by using the readouts for the tracks on which patterns have been written is used to anticipate the rate of change in the offset values for the following tracks, and the anticipated rate of change is used to identify the offset value corresponding to each of the following tracks.