Patents by Inventor D. Brent Douglas

D. Brent Douglas has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6304406
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for minimizing the effects of rotational vibration upon a disc drive having a base deck supporting a rotatable disc and an actuator having a moveable data head. A fixed head is supported over the disc at a predetermined radius and transduces a circumferentially extending frequency pattern written to the disc at a constant frequency to generate a readback signal. A frequency modulation (FM) demodulator generates a rotational velocity signal indicative of application of rotational vibration to the base deck in relation to changes in frequency of the readback signal. A servo circuit controllably positions the moveable data head in response to the rotational velocity signal and servo information readback by the moveable data head. The servo circuit interrupts a data transfer operation between the moveable data head and a host device when a magnitude of the rotational velocity signal exceeds a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2001
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: D Brent Douglas, Lealon R. McKenzie, Nathaniel B. Wilson, Stuart K. Francis, Arthur J. Clark
  • Patent number: 6285522
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for minimizing the effects of rotational vibration upon a disc drive having first and second heads supported adjacent first and second disc recording surfaces, respectively. A frequency modulation (FM) demodulator generates a rotational velocity signal indicative of application of rotational vibration to the base deck in relation to changes in frequency of a readback signal generated from a circumferentially extending frequency pattern written to the first disc recording surface at a constant frequency. A servo circuit controllably positions the first and second heads in response to servo information stored on the second disc recording surface and the rotational velocity signal from the FM demodulator. The servo circuit further interrupts a data transfer operation between the second disc recording surface and a host device when a magnitude of the rotational velocity signal exceeds a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Lealon R. McKenzie, D. Brent Douglas, Nathaniel B. Wilson, Stuart K. Francis
  • Patent number: 6222336
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for detecting rotational vibration applied to a disc drive having an actuator supporting a head adjacent a rotatable disc. A spindle motor has a set of driver coils which rotate the disc through electrical commutation, and a set of velocity sense coils which sense the rotational velocity of the motor in relation to voltages established across the sense coils. Rotational vibration is detected in relation to changes in the rotational velocity of the disc. A data transfer operation between the disc and a host device is interrupted when the magnitude of the rotational vibration exceeds an acceptable level. A servo circuit compensates for the application of rotational vibration to the disc drive by adjusting current applied to the actuator in relation to the changes in the rotational velocity of the disc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Lealon R. McKenzie, D. Brent Douglas