Method and apparatus regulating saturation water vapor pressure in a hard disk drive

Abstract

Method operating hard disk drive (HDD) by receiving temperature and pressure readings from sensors, determining condensation danger from reading and asserting heat-up control to stimulate a thermoelectric device to move heat from exterior to interior thermal zone of HDD. Apparatus implementing method including embedded circuit, embedded processor in embedded circuit, thermal controller, thermal processor in thermal controller, and HDD. Manufacturing methods for apparatus and apparatus as products of these processes.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an example of a hard disk drive using an embedded processor in an embedded circuit, temperature sensor, humidity sensor and a thermoelectric device in accord with the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a further example of the hard disk drive of FIG. 1 using a thermal controller;

FIGS. 3A and 3B show an example of a hard disk drive using a thermal processor in an thermal controller, temperature sensor, humidity sensor and a thermoelectric device in accord with the invention;

FIG. 4A shows the controller group consisting of the embedded processor and thermal processor, at least one of which includes at least one instance of a controller;

FIGS. 4B to 5C show some details of the controllers of FIG. 4A;

FIG. 5D shows the embedded processor including at least one instance of the first computer directed by the first program system;

FIG. 5E shows the thermal processor including at least one instance of the second computer directed by the second program system;

FIG. 6A shows further details of the embedded processor;

FIG. 6B shows a flowchart of the first program system of FIG. 5D;

FIG. 7A shows a flowchart of the second program system of FIG. 5E;

FIG. 7A shows some details of determining the condensation danger from the flowcharts of FIGS. 6B and/or 7A;

FIGS. 8 to 11B show examples of the thermoelectric device and its operation;

FIG. 12A shows an external cover including the thermal controller;

FIG. 12B shows the thermoelectric device including the thermal controller;

FIG. 12C shows some further details of the second program system of FIGS. 5E, 7A and 7B;

FIGS. 13A to 13C show the external cover further include a fan driving by the thermal controller; and

FIGS. 14A to 14D show systems including at least one of the invention's hard disk drive coupling to at least one thermal conduit in accord with the invention.

Claims

1. A method, comprising the steps: receiving a temperature reading from a temperature sensor and a humidity reading from a humidity sensor; wherein said temperature sensor and said humidity sensor are included in a hard disk drive;determining a condensation danger based upon said temperature reading and said humidity reading; andasserting a heat-up control to stimulate a thermoelectric device to transfer heat from an exterior to an interior thermal zone, both of said hard disk drive, when said condensation danger is affirmed;wherein said hard disk drive comprises said interior thermal zone including each slider accessing a rotating disk surface within said hard disk drive.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step determining said condensation danger, further comprises at least one member of the group consisting of the steps: affirming said condensation danger for said temperature reading when said humidity reading is above a humidity threshold for said temperature reading; andaffirming said condensation danger for said temperature reading is below a second top operating temperature;wherein said second top operating temperature is below a top operating temperature for said hard disk drive in air below N percent humidity; wherein said N is at most 30.

3. An embedded circuit for directing said hard disk drive to implement the method of claim 1, comprising: an embedded processor receiving said temperature reading and said humidity reading via a sensor coupling with said temperature sensor and said humidity sensor;wherein said embedded processor determines said condensation danger based upon said temperature reading and said humidity reading; andwherein said embedded circuit, further comprises:said embedded processor communicatively asserts said heat-up control via a control coupling to said thermoelectric device to transfer heat from said exterior to said interior thermal zone, both of said hard disk drive, when said condensation danger is affirmed.

4. The embedded circuit of claim 3, wherein said embedded processor communicatively asserts said heat-up control via said control coupling to said thermoelectric device, comprises a member of the group consisting of: said embedded processor providing a driving signal based upon said heat-up control via said control coupling to at least one contact of said thermoelectric device;said embedded processor transferring said temperature reading and said humidity reading via said control coupling to a thermal controller to provide said driving signal; andsaid embedded processor communicating said heat-up control via said control coupling to alert said thermal controller to provide said driving signal to stimulate said thermoelectric device.

5. A method of manufacturing said embedded controller of claim 3, comprising the step: providing said embedded processor to create said embedded circuit.

6. The embedded circuit as a product of the process of claim 5.

7. The embedded processor of claim 3, comprising: means for receiving said temperature reading from said temperature sensor and said humidity reading from said humidity sensor;means for determining said condensation danger based upon said temperature reading and said humidity reading; andmeans for asserting said heat-up control to stimulate said thermoelectric device to transfer heat from said exterior to said interior thermal zone, both of said hard disk drive, when said condensation danger is asserted.

8. The embedded processor of claim 7, wherein said means for asserting said heat-up control, comprises a member of the group consisting of: means for providing a driving signal to at least one contact of said thermoelectric device;means for transferring said temperature reading and said humidity reading to a thermal controller to provide said driving signal; andmeans for communicating said heat-up control to alert said thermal controller to provide said driving signal and stimulate said thermoelectric device.

9. A method of manufacturing said embedded processor of claim 7, comprising the step: providing said means for receiving, said means for determining, and said means for asserting to create said embedded processor.

10. The embedded processor as a product of the process of claim 9.

11. The thermal controller for stimulating said thermoelectric device of claim 4, comprising at least one member of the group consisting of: a thermal processor second receiving said temperature reading and said humidity reading via said control coupling from said embedded circuit;said thermal processor third receiving said temperature reading and said humidity reading via said sensor coupling from said temperature sensor and said humidity sensor; andsaid thermal processor sensing said heat-up control via said control coupling.

12. The thermal controller of claim 11, wherein said thermal processor determines said condensation danger based upon said temperature reading and said humidity reading; and wherein said thermal processor stimulates said thermoelectric device to transfer heat from said exterior to said interior thermal zone, both of said hard disk drive, when said condensation danger is affirmed.

13. The embedded processor and said thermal processor of claim 8, each comprise: at least one instance of a controller receiving at least one input, maintaining at least one state and generating at least one output; wherein at least one of said states is represented by at least one member of a state representation group consisting of: a non-redundant digital representation, a redundant representation, and an analog representation;wherein said redundant representation includes at least one member of the group consisting of: a numerically redundant representation of said non-redundant digital representation and an error control representation of said non-redundant digital representation.

14. The embedded processor of claim 13, wherein said controller may include at least one instance of at least one member of the group consisting of: a computer directed by a program system and accessibly coupled to a memory, wherein said program system includes at least one program step residing in said memory;a finite state machine;an inferential engine;a neural network;wherein said computer includes at least one data processor and at least one instruction processor; wherein each of said data processors is directed by at least one of said instruction processors; and wherein said computer is accessibly coupled via a buss to said memory.

15. The embedded processor of claim 14, wherein said program system, comprises at least one member of the group consisting of the program steps: receiving said temperature reading from said temperature sensor and said humidity reading from said humidity sensor;determining said condensation danger based upon said temperature reading and said humidity reading; andasserting said heat-up control to stimulate said thermoelectric device to transfer heat from an exterior to an interior thennal zone, both of said hard disk drive, when said condensation danger is affirmed.

16. The embedded processor of claim 15, wherein said program system, comprises the program steps: receiving said temperature reading from said temperature sensor and said humidity reading from said humidity sensor;determining said condensation danger based upon said temperature reading and said humidity reading; andasserting said heat-up control to stimulate said thermoelectric device to transfer heat from said exterior to said interior thermal zone, when said condensation danger is asserted.

17. The thermal processor of claim 13, wherein said controller includes at least one instance of a member of the group consisting of: a finite state machine;a second computer second accessibly coupled via a second buss to a second memory and directed by a second program system comprising at least one program step residing in said second memory;a communications interface for communicatively coupling to at least one member of the group consisting of: said embedded circuit, said temperature sensor, and said humidity sensor.

18. The second program system of claim 17, comprising at least one member of the group consisting of the program steps: second receiving said temperature reading and said humidity reading from said embedded circuit;third receiving said temperature reading and said humidity reading from said temperature sensor and said humidity sensor;sensing said heat-up control to alert said thermal controller;determining said condensation danger based upon said temperature reading and said humidity reading; andstimulating said thermoelectric device to transfer heat from said exterior to said interior thermal zone, both of said hard disk drive, when said condensation danger is affirmed.

19. A method of manufacturing said thermal controller of claim 17, comprising: providing thermal processor to create said thermal controller.

20. The thermal controller as a product of the process of claim 19.

21. The thermal processor of claim 11, comprising at least one member of the group consisting of: means for second receiving said temperature reading and said humidity reading from said embedded circuit;means for third receiving said temperature reading and said humidity reading from said temperature sensor and said humidity sensor; andmeans for sensing said heat-up control to alert said thermal controller.

22. The thermal processor of claim 21, further comprising: means for determining said condensation danger based upon said temperature reading and said humidity reading; andmeans for stimulating said thermoelectric device to transfer heat from said exterior to said interior thermal zone, both of said hard disk drive, when said condensation danger is affirmed.

23. The thermal processor of claim 22, wherein at least one member of the second thermal controller means group includes at least one instance of said controller. wherein said second thermal controller means group, consists of: said means for second receiving, said means for third receiving, said means for sensing, said means for determining and said means for stimulating.

24. A method of manufacturing said thermal processor of claim 23, comprising: providing at least one member of said second thermal controller means group to create said thermal processor.

25. The thermal processor as a product of the process of claim 24.

26. The hard disk drive using at least one member of the controller group consisting of: said embedded circuit and said thermal controller of claim 11, comprising: at least one of said members of said controller group coupled with said temperature sensor and said humidity sensor;at least one of said members of said controller group coupled with said thermoelectric device; andsaid thermoelectric device thermally coupled to said interior thermal zone of said hard disk drive and to said exterior region of said hard disk drive.

27. The hard disk drive of claim 26, further comprising: said embedded circuit coupled with said temperature sensor and said humidity sensor; andsaid embedded circuit coupled with said thermoelectric device to stimulate said thermoelectric device to transfer heat from said exterior to said interior thermal zone of said hard disk drive when said condensation danger is affirmed.

28. The hard disk drive of claim 26, further comprising: said embedded circuit coupled with said temperature sensor and said humidity sensor;said thermal controller coupled with said thermoelectric device to stimulate said thermoelectric device to transfer heat from said exterior to said interior thermal zone of said hard disk drive when said condensation danger is asserted.

29. The hard disk drive of claim 28, wherein said embedded circuit provides at least one member of a signal group to said thermal controller; wherein said signal group, consists of: said heat-up control, a version of said humidity reading, and a version of said temperature reading.

30. The hard disk drive of claim 26, further comprising: said thermal controller coupled with said temperature sensor and said humidity sensor;said thermal controller coupled with said thermoelectric device to stimulate said thermoelectric device to transfer heat from said exterior to said interior thermal zone of said hard disk drive when said condensation danger is asserted.

31. The hard disk drive of claim 30, further comprising: a second of said temperature sensors and a second of said humidity sensors, both coupled to said embedded circuit.

32. The hard disk drive of claim 26, further comprising at least one member of the group consisting of: a third of said temperature sensors and a third of said humidity sensors, where said member samples said exterior of said hard disk drive.

33. A method of manufacturing said hard disk drive of claim 26, comprising the steps: coupling said at least one member of said controller group to said temperature sensor and said humidity sensor to provide said temperature reading and said humidity reading;coupling said at least one member of said controller group to said thermoelectric device to create said hard disk drive.

34. The hard disk drive as a product of the process of claim 33.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the step coupling said at least one member of said controller group to said temperature sensor and said humidity sensor, further comprises a member of the group consisting of the steps: coupling said embedded circuit to said temperature sensor and said humidity sensor to provide said temperature reading and said humidity reading;coupling said thermal controller to said temperature sensor and said humidity sensor to provide said temperature reading and said humidity reading; andcoupling both said embedded circuit and said thermal controller to said temperature sensor and said humidity sensor to provide said temperature reading and said humidity reading.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein the step coupling said at least one member of said controller group to said thermoelectric device to create said hard disk drive, further comprises a member of the group consisting of the steps: coupling said embedded circuit to said thermoelectric device to create said hard disk drive; andcoupling said thermal controller to said thermoelectric device to create said hard disk drive.

37. The hard disk drive of claim 26, wherein said thermoelectric device includes at least one instance of at least one member of the group consisting of: a semiconductor device and a thermal-resistive device.