Method and apparatus for efficient storage and retrieval of multiple content streams

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide disk controller operable to facilitate the efficient storage and retrieval of multiple content (data) streams to magnetic disk media. This disk controller includes an interface module, a memory module, and a processing module. The interface module is operable to couple the disk controller to a hard disk drive. The memory module and processing module in combination are operable to execute instructions that detect the geometry associated with the hard disk drive. Then the disk controller is operable to determine when the hard disk drive geometry supports assigning unique RW heads to unique content (data) streams. When the hard disk geometry supports assigning unique RW heads to unique content (data) streams, RW heads may be preferentially reserved or assigned to unique content streams wherein the RW heads are able to write unique content streams to memory locations within the hard disk drive, wherein these memory locations may be contiguous or near contiguous.

1 . A storage device, comprising:
 a first channel input operable to receive a first content stream streamed to a host device coupled to the storage device via a first channel;   a second channel input operable to receive a second content stream streamed simultaneous to the first content stream to the host device via a second channel;   a magnetic disk media operable to store content streams;   a first read/write (RW) head;   a second RW head; and   a disk controller coupled to the first channel input, the second channel input, the first RW head, and the second RW head, wherein the disk controller is operable to:
 determine a first disk location on the magnetic disk media to store the first content stream, the first disk location comprising a plurality of substantially contiguous data blocks; 
 determine a second disk location on the magnetic disk media to store the second content stream, the second disk location comprising a plurality of substantially contiguous data blocks; and 
 write the first content stream to the first disk location using the first RW head and the second content stream to the second memory disk using the second RW head. 
   
   
   
       2 . The storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the storage device is a hard drive and the magnetic disk media includes at least one platter. 
   
   
       3 . The storage device of  claim 2 , wherein the first RW head is assigned to an upper face of the at least one platter, and the second RW head is assigned to a lower face of the at least one platter. 
   
   
       4 . The storage device of  claim 3 , wherein the first RW head and second RW head are operable to be independently positioned within the hard drive. 
   
   
       5 . The storage device of  claim 3 , wherein the disk controller is operable to write the first content stream and the second content stream to another data block using a standard storage algorithm when at least one of the first RW head and the second RW head is not available. 
   
   
       6 . The storage device of  claim 5 , wherein the disk controller is operable to:
 defragment the first content stream and the second content stream to near contiguous respective disk locations after writing the first content stream and the second content stream to the another data block using the standard storage algorithm.   
   
   
       7 . A storage system, comprising:
 a host device including a first channel input operable to receive a first content stream streamed thereto via a first channel and a second channel input operable to receive a second content stream streamed simultaneous to the first content stream thereto via a second channel;   a magnetic disk media operable to store content streams; and   a disk controller coupled to the host device and the magnetic disk media, wherein the disk controller is operable to:
 determine a first disk location on the magnetic disk media operable to store the first content stream, the first disk location comprising a plurality of substantially contiguous data blocks; 
 determine a second disk location on the magnetic disk media operable to store the second content stream, the second disk location comprising a plurality of substantially contiguous data blocks, wherein the first disk location and second disk location are based on multiple head access to the first disk location and second disk location; and 
 write the first content stream to the first disk location and the second content stream to the second disk location. 
   
   
   
       8 . The storage system of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a first tuner operable to provide the first content stream to the first channel input; and   a second tuner operable to provide the second content stream to the second channel input.   
   
   
       9 . The storage system of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a multiple RW head memory system including a first read/write (RW) head operable to write the first content stream to the first disk location and a second read/write (RW) head operable to write the second content stream to the second disk location.   
   
   
       10 . The storage system of  claim 9 , wherein the magnetic disk media is a hard disk drive that includes at least one platter and the first RW head is assigned to an upper face of the at least one platter, and the second RW head is assigned to a lower face of the at least one platter. 
   
   
       11 . The storage system of  claim 9 , wherein the first RW head and second RW head are operable to be independently positioned. 
   
   
       12 . The storage system of  claim 7 , wherein the disk controller is operable to write the first content stream and the second content stream to another data block when multiple RW heads are not available. 
   
   
       13 . The storage system of  claim 12 , wherein the disk controller is operable to:
 defragment the first content stream and the second content stream to near contiguous respective disk locations after writing the first content stream and the second content stream to the another data block.   
   
   
       14 . The storage system of  claim 7 , wherein the host device is a multimedia device. 
   
   
       15 . A disk controller, comprising:
 an interface coupled to a hard disk drive;   a memory; and   a processing device coupled to the memory, wherein a combination of the processing device and the memory is operable to execute instructions that:
 reserve a first read/write (RW) head of a multiple RW head memory system coupled to the hard disk drive to a first content stream streamed to a host device coupled to the disk controller via a first channel; 
 reserve a second RW head of the multiple RW head memory system to a second content stream streamed simultaneous to the first content stream to the host device via a second channel; 
 write the first content stream to a first disk location in the hard disk drive with the first RW head, the first disk location comprising a plurality of substantially contiguous data blocks; and 
 write the second content stream to a second disk location in the hard disk drive with the second RW head, the second disk location comprising a plurality of substantially contiguous data blocks. 
   
   
   
       16 . The disk controller of  claim 15 , wherein the combination of the processing device and the memory is further operable to execute instructions that:
 detect a geometry associated with the hard disk drive, and wherein both the first RW head and the second RW head are reserved when the hard disk drive geometry supports assigning unique RW heads to unique content streams.   
   
   
       17 . The disk controller of  claim 15 , wherein the first disk location and the second disk location are within a cylinder of the hard disk drive. 
   
   
       18 . The disk controller of  claim 15 , wherein the disk controller is implemented as an integrated circuit. 
   
   
       19 . A method for storing simultaneous content streams to magnetic disk media, comprising:
 receiving a first content stream streamed to a host device coupled to the magnetic disk media via a first channel;   receiving a second content stream streamed simultaneous to the first content stream to the host device via a second channel;   determining a first disk location on the magnetic disk media operable to store the first content stream, the first disk location comprising a plurality of substantially contiguous data blocks;   determining a second disk location on the magnetic disk media operable to store the second content stream, the second disk location comprising a plurality of substantially contiguous data blocks, wherein the first disk location and the second disk location are based on multiple head access to the first disk location and the second disk location; and   writing the first content stream to the first disk location and the second content stream to the second disk location.   
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 reserving a first read/write (RW) head of a multiple RW head memory system for the first channel; and   reserving a second RW head of the multiple RW head memory system for the second channel.