Patents by Inventor Thomas C. Zirps

Thomas C. Zirps 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: 9502062
    Abstract: First and second repeatable runout (ZAP) values are both located on a first virtual track of a magnetic disk. The first ZAP value is offset from the first virtual track center in a first direction and the second ZAP value is offset from the first virtual track center in a second direction opposite the first direction. At least one of the first and second ZAP values are accessed when performing repeatable runout correction for a writer of the read/write head that is being positioned over a second virtual track of the magnetic disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC
    Inventors: Andrei Dorobantu, Thomas C. Zirps, Tim Rausch
  • Patent number: 9178531
    Abstract: The disclosure is related to systems and methods for achieving improved servo Gray code error detection and correction. A device may include a circuit configured to read servo data that is encoded using a Gray code encoding scheme to produce servo Gray code, read one or more Check bits associated with the servo Gray code, determine whether a read or write head is positioned over a target data track based on the servo Gray code and the one or more Check bits, and execute a read or write operation when the read or write head is positioned over the target data track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Mustafa Can Ozturk, Puskal Prasad Pokharel, Barmeshwar Vikramaditya, Thomas C. Zirps
  • Patent number: 7589930
    Abstract: Compensation for repeated runout (RRO) error, such as in a data storage device servo circuit, is preferably carried out by obtaining a population distribution of RRO error values from at least selected ones of a subset of tracks. An RRO error compensation value is determined for each one of the subset of tracks when a variance characteristic of said population distribution meets a selected criterion. Preferably, a first track of a storage medium has a servo field at a first angular position on the medium, a repeated runout (RRO) error compensation field at a second angular position on the medium, and a user data field at a third angular position on the medium. An immediately adjacent second track preferably has a servo field at the first angular position and a user data field at the second angular position in lieu of an RRO error compensation field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Reed D. Hanson, Thomas C. Zirps, Peng Yan, Samir Mittal, Timothy F. Ellis
  • Publication number: 20080225654
    Abstract: Compensation for repeated runout (RRO) error, such as in a data storage device servo circuit, is preferably carried out by obtaining a population distribution of RRO error values from at least selected ones of a subset of tracks. An RRO error compensation value is determined for each one of the subset of tracks when a variance characteristic of said population distribution meets a selected criterion. Preferably, a first track of a storage medium has a servo field at a first angular position on the medium, a repeated runout (RRO) error compensation field at a second angular position on the medium, and a user data field at a third angular position on the medium. An immediately adjacent second track preferably has a servo field at the first angular position and a user data field at the second angular position in lieu of an RRO error compensation field.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2007
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Applicant: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Reed D. Hanson, Thomas C. Zirps, Peng Yan, Samir Mittal, Timothy F. Ellis
  • Patent number: 6847503
    Abstract: A system and method for correcting repeatable runout errors during manufacture of a disc drive. The system includes a Kalman filter having a recursive learning gain input and includes a recursive learning Again-setting circuit coupled to the recursive learning gain input. The recursive learning gain is initially set based on an estimate of a ratio of non-repeatable run out error to an estimate of the repeatable run out error. On subsequent recursions, the recursive learning gain-setting is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2005
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Tao Zhang, John Christopher Morris, Thomas C. Zirps
  • Publication number: 20030184909
    Abstract: A system and method for correcting repeatable runout errors during manufacture of a disc drive. The system includes a Kalman filter having a recursive learning gain input and includes a recursive learning gain-setting circuit coupled to the recursive learning gain input. The recursive learning gain is initially set based on an estimate of a ratio of non-repeatable run out error to an estimate of the repeatable run out error. On subsequent recursions, the recursive learning gain-setting is reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2002
    Publication date: October 2, 2003
    Inventors: Tao Zhang, John Christopher Morris, Thomas C. Zirps
  • Patent number: 6449116
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for compensating for repeatable run-out errors in a disc drive is provided in which transfer function values for a servo loop in the disc drive are first determined. A sequence of repeatable run-out values for a portion of the disc drive is then determined. A transform is applied to the sequence of repeatable run-out values to obtain frequency-domain repeatable run-out values. Each frequency-domain repeatable run-out value is divided by a respective transfer function value to produce a sequence of frequency-domain compensation values which are then stored. An inverse transform is applied to the frequency-domain compensation values to obtain a sequence of time-domain compensation values. The sequence of time-domain compensation values is inserted into the servo loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: John C. Morris, Thomas C. Zirps
  • Publication number: 20010043428
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for compensating for repeatable run-out errors in a disc drive is provided in which transfer function values for a servo loop in the disc drive are first determined. A sequence of repeatable run-out values for a portion of the disc drive is then determined. A transform is applied to the sequence of repeatable run-out values to obtain frequency-domain repeatable run-out values. Each frequency-domain repeatable run-out value is divided by a respective transfer function value to produce a sequence of frequency-domain compensation values which are then stored. An inverse transform is applied to the frequency-domain compensation values to obtain a sequence of time-domain compensation values. The sequence of time-domain compensation values is inserted into the servo loop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2001
    Publication date: November 22, 2001
    Inventors: John c. Morris, Thomas C. Zirps