Information processing apparatus and head retraction processing method of built-in hard disk drive thereof

Abstract

An information processing apparatus is disclosed. The information processing apparatus includes a hard disk drive, an acceleration sensor, a determination section, and a threshold value setup section. The hard disk drive is capable of retracting a head to a data-free landing zone. The acceleration sensor detects acceleration. The determination section obtains high frequency components from acceleration information detected by the acceleration sensor, obtains a vibration level corresponding to the obtained high frequency components, compares the vibration level with a threshold value which has been set up, and determines whether or not there is a necessity to retract the head of the hard disk drive to the data-free landing zone. The threshold value setup section allows a user to change the threshold value and set up the changed threshold value.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing hardware of a note-type PC according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the note-type PC shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing connections of an EC and an acceleration sensor of the note-type PC shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a display message upon retraction of a magnetic head of a HDD;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing an overall operation of a shock/vibration determination engine of the EC;

FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing an operation for a shock/vibration determination process corresponding to only low frequency components of acceleration information;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an MMI display screen for a sensitivity setup and a shock level display;

FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing a process for a sensitivity management and a shock level display performed by utility software;

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a communication sequence between the utility software and the EC; and

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing another communication sequence between the utility software and the EC.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising: a hard disk drive which is capable of retracting a head to a data-free landing zone;an acceleration sensor which detects acceleration;a determination section which obtains high frequency components from acceleration information detected by the acceleration sensor, obtains a vibration level corresponding to the obtained high frequency components, compares the vibration level with a threshold value which is set up, and determines whether or not there is a necessity to retract the head of the hard disk drive to the data-free landing zone; anda threshold value setup section which allows a user to change the threshold value and set up the changed threshold value.

2. The information processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the acceleration sensor detects acceleration in directions of three axes,wherein the determination section obtains high frequency components from acceleration information of directions of three axes detected by the acceleration sensor, obtains a vibration level corresponding to the obtained high frequency components, compares the vibration level with a threshold value which has been set up, and determines whether or not there is a necessity to retract the head of the hard disk drive to the data-free landing zone.

3. The information processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising: a display section which is capable of displaying information for the user,wherein the threshold value setup section displays a man-machine interface screen on the display section to allow the user to change the threshold value and set up the changed threshold value, obtains information about the threshold value that the user has input on the man-machine interface screen, and sends a request to the determination section to change the threshold value.

4. The information processing apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein the threshold value setup section periodically obtains a vibration level obtained at the determination section and displays the obtained vibration level on the man-machine interface screen.

5. The information processing apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein the threshold value setting section displays the threshold value which has been set up by the user on the man-machine interface screen such that the user can compare the threshold value with the vibration level.

6. The information processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the determination section is embedded in an embedded controller (EC).

7. A head retraction processing method for an embedded hard disk drive, comprising the steps of: causing an acceleration sensor to detect acceleration;obtaining high frequency components from the detected acceleration information, obtaining a vibration level corresponding to the obtained high frequency components, comparing the vibration level with a threshold value which has been set up, and determines whether or not there is a necessity to retract the head of the hard disk drive to the data-free landing zone; andallowing a user to change the threshold value and set up the changed threshold value.

8. The head retraction processing method as set forth in claim 7, wherein the acceleration detecting step is performed by causing the acceleration sensor to detect acceleration of directions of three axes,wherein the determination step is performed by obtaining high frequency components from acceleration information of directions of three axes detected by the acceleration sensor, obtaining a vibration level corresponding to the obtained high frequency components, comparing the vibration level with a threshold value which has been set up, and determining whether or not there is a necessity to retract the head of the hard disk drive to the data-free landing zone.

9. The head retraction processing method as set forth in claim 7, wherein the threshold setup step is performed by displaying a man-machine interface screen on a display section to allow the user to change the threshold value and set up the changed threshold value and obtaining information about the threshold value that the user has input on the man-machine interface screen.

10. The head retraction processing method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the threshold value setup step is preformed by periodically obtaining a vibration level obtained in the determination step and displaying the obtained vibration level on the man-machine interface screen.

11. The head retraction processing method as set forth in claim 10, wherein the threshold value setup step is performed by displaying the threshold value which has been set up by the user on the man-machine interface screen such that the user can compare the threshold value with the vibration level.