Abstract: A hard disk drive with a circuit that provides a control signal to a voice coil motor to move a head across a disk of the drive. The drive includes a flex circuit that applies a bias force onto an actuator arm coupled to the head. The circuit includes a state estimator that provides a plurality of estimation errors and a bias estimator that creates a bias estimate. The bias estimate includes an average of the estimation errors and is a function of the flex circuit bias force. The bias estimate is used to create the control signal provided to the voice coil motor. The bias estimate reduces seek time during a seek routine.

Abstract: A control network comprises a plurality of network nodes arranged in a plurality of tiers, with first-tier nodes and lower tier nodes. A master control bus interconnects the first-tier nodes, which are also connected to a power source. Lower-tier buses interconnect groups of the lower tier nodes. The lower-tier buses include both data lines and a power source line derived from the power source, allowing the lower tier nodes to selectively distribute power to local loads. A first-tier node may be embodied as a hub controller configured to be connected to one or more of said lower-tier buses. The hub controller may comprise a plurality of internal hub nodes (including a hub master node and hub slave nodes) integrated within the same physical unit.

Abstract: A transmission mechanism between two or more shafts of devices that interact or could possibly interact with people. The transmission mechanism has a particular application to the sector of machines for muscular training and/or rehabilitation, devices for entertainment such as carousels and amusement-park rides, service machines and robots that physically interact with human beings, and industrial robots that operate in close proximity to the operator.

Abstract: A power management system and associated method includes provision of local wireless energy control units at remote sites for controlling power delivery to customer loads, and a central station with a wireless transmitter for broadcasting commands to the wireless energy control units. The wireless energy control units each comprise a bank of switches for controlling power delivery to electrical loads at each local site. The controllable switches preferably have a deformable bimetal member controlled by a heated coil for engaging and disengaging electrical contacts. Each wireless energy control unit is capable of being pre-configured so as to specify the order or priority in which electrical loads are disengaged, in response to commands to reduce power consumption received from the central station. The central station issues power reduction commands according to different priority levels or alert stages, causing the local wireless energy units to disengage local loads accordingly.

Abstract: A method for writing servo onto a disk of a hard disk drive with a servo writer. The method includes writing a plurality of spiral servo signals onto a disk. The spiral servo signals include a plurality of short spirals separated by unequal distances. The short spirals are detected by determining the unequal distances and used to write a plurality of servo patterns. The unequal distances provide information of the short spirals at different quadrants of the disk. The distances between a bank of odd short spirals is different than a bank of even short spirals which allows the servo writer to determine whether the bank is odd or even without switching banks. Either the even or odd bank of short spirals can be used to locate a starting reference point from which the servo writer can count spirals and write A, B, C and D servo bursts.

Abstract: A controllable electronic switch for, e.g., controlling power distribution comprises a deformable member such as a bimetal arm that can be deformed to break an electrical path. The deformable member may be anchored at one end and in controllable contact with an electrical conductor at the other end. A heating element, such as a coil, can be used to selectively heat the deformable member. The controllable electronic switch can alternatively comprise a deformable member that is terminated in a wedge-shaped member. When the deformable member bends in response to being heated, the wedge-shaped member forces apart a pair of contacts thus breaking an electrical path. The wedge-shaped member and/or associated structures may be configured as a cam mechanism with multiple latching positions.

Abstract: A disk drive that regenerates a desiccant within the drive. The drive includes a housing that encloses a head and a disk. A first desiccant is located adjacent to a hole of the housing. A second desiccant is coupled to the first desiccant. The second desiccant is also coupled to a source of heat. Heat is transferred through the second desiccant to the first desiccant. The heat evaporates fluid within the first desiccant. The evaporated fluid flows into and through the second desiccant. The evaporation of fluid regenerates the first desiccant so that is can continuously absorb humidity within the drive.

Abstract: An electronic game that awards the last player to correctly answer a question before the expiration of a timer. The game includes a plurality of buttons and corresponding indicators coupled to a housing. Within the housing is a controller that causes a question to be displayed on a screen. A timer also counts to a time interval. The controller activates an indicator associated with a button that was depressed last by a player that provides a correct answer to the question at the expiration of a timer. The last player can then move a token on a board. The player that moves their token to the end of the board wins the game.

Abstract: An electronic game that awards the last player to correctly answer a question before the expiration of a timer. The game includes a plurality of buttons and corresponding indicators coupled to a housing. A question is provided to the players. A timer counts to a time interval. The controller activates an indicator associated with a button that was depressed last by a player that provides a correct answer to the question at the expiration of the timer. The last player can then move a token on a board. The player that moves their token to the end of the board wins the game.

Abstract: A hard disk drive with a voice coil motor coupled to a head. The head moves relative to a disk. The voice coil motor receives a biasing voltage and has a back emf voltage. A test circuit is coupled to the voice coil motor to determine the back emf voltage. The back emf voltage can be used to analyze low frequency vibration in the disk drive. The test circuit can be constructed so that the back emf voltage is proportional to a pair of test resistors and/or a pair of test inductors. The biasing voltage allows the back emf voltage to be measured and analyzed while the head is at any location from the ID to the OD of the disk.

Abstract: A hard disk drive that includes an optical pick-up coupled to a head of a hard disk assembly (“HDA”). The head is located adjacent to a disk. The optical pick-up can sense the surface of the disk by detecting light reflected from the surface. The optical pick-up is coupled to a particle circuit that can distinguish between an embedded particle and a floating particle from the reflected light.

Abstract: A hard disk drive with an encoder that writes data onto a disk in accordance with a plurality of first codes. Each code contains a plurality of digital bits. The first codes are selected so that if a bit is added or dropped during a write or read process the resulting bitstream can only be one of the selected first codes. This allows the bitstream to be accurately decoded to detect and correct for the added/dropped bit.

Abstract: An image sensor that has one or more pixels within a pixel array. The pixel array may be coupled to a control circuit and one or more subtraction circuits. The control circuit may cause each pixel to provide a first reference output signal and a reset output signal. The control circuit may then cause each pixel to provide a light response output signal and a second reference output signal. The light response output signal corresponds to the image that is to be captured by the sensor. The subtraction circuit may provide a difference between the reset output signal and the first reference output signal to create a noise signal that is stored in memory. The subtraction circuit may also provide a difference between the second reference output signal and the light response output signal to create a normalized light response output signal. The noise signal may then be subtracted from the normalized light response output signal to generate the output data of the sensor.

Abstract: A hard disk drive that includes a voice coil motor controlled by a servo. The servo provides a driving signal that has multiple sinusoidal waveforms. The multi-sinusoidal waveforms minimize seek time and vibrations in the drive.

Abstract: A lighting apparatus comprises a light panel having a panel frame, and a plurality of LEDs or other light elements secured to the panel frame. A self-contained battery unit securably attaches to the outside of the panel frame. The light panel may have a dimmer switch, and may also be capable of receiving power from a source other than the self-contained battery unit. The lighting apparatus can be mounted to a camera or a stand through adapters. Diffusion lenses or color gels can be integrated with or detachable from the light panel. The lighting apparatus may conveniently be provided in the form of a kit, with one or more of a light panel, self-contained battery unit, compact stand, connecting cable(s), adapter(s), lenses or color gels, and so on, provided in a single package.

Abstract: A telescopic skateboard may include a pair of direction casters mounted for steering rotation on a twistable one piece skateboard. A center section may be made sufficiently narrower than outboard foot support areas so that the board may be twisted by a rider to add energy for rolling motion to wheels in the casters. The center section may also be made sufficiently resistant to bowing and twist so that the skateboard may be ridden as a conventional, non-flexible skateboard. The center section may include telescoping male and female portions and an extension control.

Abstract: A toy device unit that includes a pair of stacked transparent plates coupled to a housing. A user can write images on each plate. Mounted to the housing is a first light source aligned with an edge of the first plate and a second light source aligned with an edge of the second plate. The unit has a switch that can be moved by a user to illuminate either the first plate or the second plate.

Abstract: A sound reproduction system comprises a left and right speakers located in close proximity, and a sound processor which provides audio signals to the pair of speakers. The sound processor preferably derives a cancellation signal from the difference between the left and right channels. The resulting difference signal is scaled, delayed (if necessary), and spectrally modified before being added to the left channel and, in opposite polarity, to the right channel. The spectral modification to the difference channel preferably takes the form of a low-frequency boost over a specified frequency range, in order to restore the correct timbral balance after the differencing process. Additional phase-compensating all-pass networks may be inserted in the difference channel to correct for any extra phase shift contributed by the spectral modifying circuit. The technique may be used in a surround sound system.

Abstract: A business to business mobile teleconferencing system. The system includes a mobile robot that can be remotely operated from a remote station. Both the robot and the remote station may have a camera, a screen, a microphone and a speaker to conduct a teleconference between a user at the remote station and personnel located in viewing proximity of the robot.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for storing position offset information not used for aligning the read element of an MR head with the centerline of written data, during a read operation. The skew or offset between the read and the write elements on a read head is first calibrated. The offset information then stored on one or more dedicated tracks of the disk. To accomplish this, the write element is aligned with the centerline of the dedicated track. The position offset information is then written in the data field of the dedicated track. During the power-on process, the read element is aligned with the centerline of the dedicated track and the position offset information may be retrieved by simply reading the information previously stored on the dedicated track.