Patents by Inventor Lawrence H. LIANG

Lawrence H. LIANG 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: 10957361
    Abstract: A storage device tray has a form factor designed to support a larger storage device, and is configured to secure a small storage device, thereby acting as an adapter between storage device sizes. The storage device tray includes a sliding mechanism configured with pegs that may couple to screw holes in the storage device. The sliding mechanism also exerts a force against the storage device to secure that storage device, and may be locked to further secure that storage device. At least one advantage of this approach is that a storage device can be coupled to a storage device tray without using screws.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Super Micro Computer, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Chen, Lawrence H. Liang, Che-ming Yang
  • Patent number: 10372364
    Abstract: A storage enclosure includes a plurality of hard drive sub-boards, each configured to include a plurality of hard drives. A local logic device manages each hard drive sub-board. A master logic device manages the local logic devices. The master logic device receives management commands from a host computer system coupled to the storage enclosure, and routes those commands to specific local logic devices. The local logic devices then relay the commands to specifically targeted hard drives. Thus, each hard drive within the storage enclosure can be independently controlled, allowing a single hard drive to be powered down without powering down other hard drives in the enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: SUPER MICRO COMPUTER, INC.
    Inventors: RS Hsiao, Kelvin Tseng, Lawrence H. Liang, Richard Chen
  • Patent number: 10331181
    Abstract: An expansion card holder for fixing an expansion card on a circuit board is provided. A connector is arranged on the circuit board and an end of the expansion card is coupled with the connector. The expansion card holder includes a carrier plate, a positioning buckle and a pressing block. The carrier plate is fixed on the circuit board, and multiple position holes arranged in a row are defined on the carrier plate. The positioning buckle is inserted in one of the position holes and engaged with the circuit board. The pressing block is inserted in another one of the position holes and engaged with the expansion card. The expansion card holder is thereby compatible with various sizes of expansion cards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: SUPER MICRO COMPUTER INC.
    Inventors: Pae Yoong Ng, Lawrence H. Liang, Richard S. Chen, Pak Kai Ho
  • Patent number: 10296228
    Abstract: A storage enclosure includes a plurality of hard drive sub-boards, each configured to include a plurality of hard drives. Each hard drive sub-board is coupled to one or more expanders, via and interface unit, with a set of dual-pass shielded cables. The expander includes a plurality of chipsets coupled to a complex logic device. Each chipset may communicate with a different subset of hard drives with potentially different timing characteristics. The dual-pass shielded cables may be arranged to mitigate these differences. In addition, pin assignments associated with the cables may be set in order to further mitigate the timing differences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: SUPER MICRO COMPUTER, INC.
    Inventors: Kelvin Tseng, Trina Shih, Lawrence H. Liang, Richard Chen
  • Publication number: 20190005988
    Abstract: A storage device tray has a form factor designed to support a larger storage device, and is configured to secure a small storage device, thereby acting as an adapter between storage device sizes. The storage device tray includes a sliding mechanism configured with pegs that may couple to screw holes in the storage device. The sliding mechanism also exerts a force against the storage device to secure that storage device, and may be locked to further secure that storage device. At least one advantage of this approach is that a storage device can be coupled to a storage device tray without using screws.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2018
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Inventors: Richard CHEN, Lawrence H. LIANG, Che-ming YANG
  • Patent number: 10082963
    Abstract: A storage enclosure includes a plurality of hard drive sub-boards, each configured to include a plurality of hard drives. Each hard drive sub-board is coupled to one or more expanders, via and interface unit, with a set of dual-pass shielded cables. The expander includes a plurality of chipsets coupled to a complex logic device. Each chipset may communicate with a different subset of hard drives with potentially different timing characteristics. The dual-pass shielded cables may be arranged to mitigate these differences. In addition, pin assignments associated with the cables may be set in order to further mitigate the timing differences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: SUPER MICRO COMPUTER, INC.
    Inventors: Kelvin Tseng, Trina Shih, Lawrence H. Liang, Richard Chen
  • Patent number: 10082844
    Abstract: A removable hard drive tray includes a seat, a coupling plate and a coupling arm. The seat includes a bottom plate, a first side plate and a second side plate. The first side plate has a through hole. The coupling plate is disposed in an outer side of the first side plate and has a hollow slot. The coupling arm has a pivot end and a free end. The pivot end is pivoted in the hollow slot, and the free end has a latch. The free end rotates to the hollow slot and passes the through hole. Thus the hard drive is combined in the accommodating space by an engagement of the latch and the fastening hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: SUPER MICRO COMPUTER INC.
    Inventors: Jerry C. Yang, Lawrence H. Liang, Richard S. Chen
  • Patent number: 10074403
    Abstract: A storage device tray has a form factor designed to support a larger storage device, and is configured to secure a small storage device, thereby acting as an adapter between storage device sizes. The storage device tray includes a sliding mechanism configured with pegs that may couple to screw holes in the storage device. The sliding mechanism also exerts a force against the storage device to secure that storage device, and may be locked to further secure that storage device. At least one advantage of this approach is that a storage device can be coupled to a storage device tray without using screws.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: SUPER MICRO COMPUTER, INC.
    Inventors: Richard Chen, Lawrence H. Liang, Che-ming Yang
  • Publication number: 20180226106
    Abstract: A removable hard drive tray includes a seat, a coupling plate and a coupling arm. The seat includes a bottom plate, a first side plate and a second side plate. The first side plate has a through hole. The coupling plate is disposed in an outer side of the first side plate and has a hollow slot. The coupling arm has a pivot end and a free end. The pivot end is pivoted in the hollow slot, and the free end has a latch. The free end rotates to the hollow slot and passes the through hole. Thus the hard drive is combined in the accommodating space by an engagement of the latch and the fastening hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2017
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Inventors: Jerry C. YANG, Lawrence H. LIANG, Richard S. CHEN
  • Publication number: 20180188783
    Abstract: An expansion card holder for fixing an expansion card on a circuit board is provided. A connector is arranged on the circuit board and an end of the expansion card is coupled with the connector. The expansion card holder includes a carrier plate, a positioning buckle and a pressing block. The carrier plate is fixed on the circuit board, and multiple position holes arranged in a row are defined on the carrier plate. The positioning buckle is inserted in one of the position holes and engaged with the circuit board. The pressing block is inserted in another one of the position holes and engaged with the expansion card. The expansion card holder is thereby compatible with various sizes of expansion cards.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2017
    Publication date: July 5, 2018
    Inventors: Pae Yoong NG, Lawrence H. LIANG, Richard S. CHEN, Pak Kai HO
  • Patent number: 9971606
    Abstract: A storage enclosure includes a plurality of hard drives coupled to a logic device that, in turn communicates with an operating system (OS) executing on a host computer system. When the storage enclosure is powered on, the hard drives become active at different times and transmit activation reports to the logic device in a random order. The logic device receives these activation reports, and then reorders then to align with the bay numbers where the hard drives are mounted. The logic device then transmits the reordered activation reports, and the OS assigns logical IDs to the hard drives that match the bay numbers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: SUPER MICRO COMPUTER, INC.
    Inventors: Kelvin Tseng, Trina Shih, Lawrence H. Liang, Richard Chen
  • Patent number: 9928882
    Abstract: A screw-free removable hard disk case includes a carrier, a slide rail and a slide sheet. The carrier includes a first lateral plate and a second lateral plate which define an accommodation space, the first lateral plate is formed with an elastic arm disposed with an insertion pin; the slide rail is disposed at an outer side of the first lateral plate, and formed with a slide groove corresponding to the elastic arm; the slide sheet is combined between the slide rail and the first lateral plate with a sliding means and exposed in the slide groove, the insertion pin is pressed by the slide sheet for being inserted in a lock hole correspondingly formed on a hard disk, so that the hard disk can be combined in the accommodation space through the insertion pin and the lock hole being mutually buckled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: SUPER MICRO COMPUTER INC.
    Inventors: Jerry C. Yang, Lawrence H. Liang, Richard S. Chen
  • Patent number: 9801299
    Abstract: A server disk drive holder assembly includes an outer tray, an inner tray and a latch arm. The outer tray includes a locking hole. The inner tray overlaps on the outer tray. The inner tray is movable with respect to the outer tray. The inner tray includes a fastening hole. A latch arm is pivotally disposed on an outer side of the outer tray. The latch arm includes a hook portion. When the locking hole is aligned with the fastening hole, the hook portion is inserted through the locking hole to be engaged with the fastening hole. A disk drive can be clamped between the outer tray and the inner tray. By utilizing the movable latch arm to fasten the outer tray and the inner tray, the disk drive can be quickly mounted and dismounted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: SUPER MICRO COMPUTER INC.
    Inventors: Richard S. Chen, Lawrence H. Liang, Jerry C. Yang
  • Publication number: 20170300264
    Abstract: A storage enclosure includes a plurality of hard drive sub-boards, each configured to include a plurality of hard drives. A local logic device manages each hard drive sub-board. A master logic device manages the local logic devices. The master logic device receives management commands from a host computer system coupled to the storage enclosure, and routes those commands to specific local logic devices. The local logic devices then relay the commands to specifically targeted hard drives. Thus, each hard drive within the storage enclosure can be independently controlled, allowing a single hard drive to be powered down without powering down other hard drives in the enclosure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2016
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Inventors: RS HSIAO, Kelvin TSENG, Lawrence H. LIANG, Richard CHEN
  • Publication number: 20170300238
    Abstract: A storage enclosure includes a plurality of hard drive sub-boards, each configured to include a plurality of hard drives. Each hard drive sub-board is coupled to one or more expanders, via and interface unit, with a set of dual-pass shielded cables. The expander includes a plurality of chipsets coupled to a complex logic device. Each chipset may communicate with a different subset of hard drives with potentially different timing characteristics. The dual-pass shielded cables may be arranged to mitigate these differences. In addition, pin assignments associated with the cables may be set in order to further mitigate the timing differences.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2016
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Inventors: Kelvin TSENG, Trina SHIH, Lawrence H. LIANG, Richard CHEN
  • Publication number: 20170300237
    Abstract: A storage enclosure includes a plurality of hard drive sub-boards, each configured to include a plurality of hard drives. Each hard drive sub-board is coupled to one or more expanders, via and interface unit, with a set of dual-pass shielded cables. The expander includes a plurality of chipsets coupled to a complex logic device. Each chipset may communicate with a different subset of hard drives with potentially different timing characteristics. The dual-pass shielded cables may be arranged to mitigate these differences. In addition, pin assignments associated with the cables may be set in order to further mitigate the timing differences.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2016
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Inventors: Kelvin TSENG, Trina SHIH, Lawrence H. LIANG, Richard CHEN
  • Publication number: 20170300339
    Abstract: A storage enclosure includes a plurality of hard drives coupled to a logic device that, in turn communicates with an operating system (OS) executing on a host computer system. When the storage enclosure is powered on, the hard drives become active at different times and transmit activation reports to the logic device in a random order. The logic device receives these activation reports, and then reorders then to align with the bay numbers where the hard drives are mounted. The logic device then transmits the reordered activation reports, and the OS assigns logical IDs to the hard drives that match the bay numbers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2016
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Inventors: Kelvin TSENG, Trina SHIH, Lawrence H. LIANG, Richard CHEN
  • Patent number: 9652000
    Abstract: A converter includes a connecting block and multiple conversion modules corresponsive to each positioning slot. The connecting block has multiple positioning slots. Each conversion module includes a printed circuit board, and a positioning notched edge formed at an edge of the printed circuit board, and at least a portion of each printed circuit board is accommodated into the corresponsive positioning slot, and each positioning notched edge is latched and coupled to an edge of the corresponsive positioning slot, and each printed circuit board has a first connector and a second connector electrically connected to the first connector, and both of the first connector and the second connector are configured on both sides of the connecting block respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: SUPER MICRO COMPUTER INC.
    Inventors: Richard S. Chen, Lawrence H. Liang, Pae Yoong Ng, Hsin-Yun Shih
  • Publication number: 20170131747
    Abstract: A converter includes a connecting block and multiple conversion modules corresponsive to each positioning slot. The connecting block has multiple positioning slots. Each conversion module includes a printed circuit board, and a positioning notched edge formed at an edge of the printed circuit board, and at least a portion of each printed circuit board is accommodated into the corresponsive positioning slot, and each positioning notched edge is latched and coupled to an edge of the corresponsive positioning slot, and each printed circuit board has a first connector and a second connector electrically connected to the first connector, and both of the first connector and the second connector are configured on both sides of the connecting block respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2015
    Publication date: May 11, 2017
    Inventors: Richard S. CHEN, Lawrence H. LIANG, Pae Yoong NG, Hsin-Yun SHIH
  • Patent number: 9648775
    Abstract: A storage device tray has a form factor designed to support a larger storage device, and is configured to secure a small storage device, thereby acting as an adapter between storage device sizes. The storage device tray includes a clip configured with pegs that may couple to screw hole sin the storage device. The clip also exerts a force against the storage device to secure that storage device. At least one advantage of this approach is that a storage device can be coupled to a storage device tray without using screws.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: SUPER MICRO COMPUTER, INC
    Inventors: Richard Chen, Lawrence H. Liang, Che-ming Yang