Patents by Inventor Dallas D. Hickerson

Dallas D. Hickerson 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).

  • Method and apparatus for vibration damping of a suspended media read/write head
    Patent number: 8189440
    Abstract: A method of controlling a head for a recording medium includes determining that the head is in an inoperative state, and activating a damping arrangement in response to the determination that the head is inoperative. A movement of the head while the head is inoperative is sensed. The damping arrangement is used in response to the sensing step to exert a force upon the head to thereby damp the movement, a magnitude of the force being dependent upon a parameter of the movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, division of Panasonic Corporation of North America
    Inventors: James R. Christ, Michael P. Colalillo, Dallas D. Hickerson
  • Integrated vehicle entry/data transfer device and method
    Publication number: 20100079241
    Abstract: An integrated vehicle entry/data transfer device (100) comprises vehicle entry logic (208) adapted to provide at least one vehicle entry function, a data input/output port (120) that is adapted to receive external data and a memory (204) that is adapted to store external data received via the data input/output port (120). The integrated vehicle entry/data transfer device (100) also comprises data processing logic (203) adapted to transfer data from the data input/output port (120) to the memory (204) and from the memory (204) to a vehicle system in a vehicle, whereby the external data is brought into the vehicle via operation of the at least one vehicle entry function and transferred to the vehicle system from the memory (204).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicant: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America
    Inventors: Christopher T. Tarte, Dallas D. Hickerson
  • Method and apparatus for vibration damping of a suspended media read/write head
    Publication number: 20090195908
    Abstract: A method of controlling a head for a recording medium includes determining that the head is in an inoperative state, and activating a damping arrangement in response to the determination that the head is inoperative. A movement of the head while the head is inoperative is sensed. The damping arrangement is used in response to the sensing step to exert a force upon the head to thereby damp the movement, a magnitude of the force being dependent upon a parameter of the movement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2008
    Publication date: August 6, 2009
    Applicant: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, Division of panasonic corporation of North America
    Inventors: James R. Christ, Michael P. Colalillo, Dallas D. Hickerson