Abstract: A protective cap for an electrical connector of a hard disk drive. The connector is assembled to a hard disk drive that contains one or more electrical circuits. The protective cap can be placed onto the top of the electrical connector to prevent an electrostatic discharged onto the connector. The cap can therefore protect the electrical circuits from damage due to an electrostatic discharge onto the connector.

Abstract: An airflow damper is affixed to a top interior wall of a hard disk assembly, so that a specified gap distance between the airflow damper and an upper disk within the hard disk assembly is realized. The gap distance is determined as a function of velocity of the driven disks. The airflow damper is designed to have a thickness so that the determined gap distance is realized for the given velocity. The airflow damper eliminates secondary airflow within the hard disk assembly, to prevent formation of a large vortex above the upper disk and to thus reduce airborne noise.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for receiving digital television signals where the receiver is capable of demodulating and demultiplexing the digital television signals from multiple, independent transmission channels. The preferred embodiment of the present invention provides for a Dual Channel Digital TV Receiver which receives signals from two independent transmission channels. In order to address each of the digital television signals from the two independent transmission channels, the Dual Channel Digital TV Receiver of the preferred embodiment of the present invention includes two independent paths for channel demodulation and transport stream demultiplexing. Thus, within the Dual Channel Digital TV Receiver of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a signal from each of the transmission channels are received, decoded and sent for further processing or viewing, as desired by the user.

Abstract: A test system and method determining performance of a merged magnetoresistive read-write head based upon operating the write inductive head of the merged read-write head, measuring the resistance of the read head under certain read current bias conditions and finding which read heads have been damaged by ESD.

Abstract: The present invention is a system and system for equalizing a signal in a communication system. The signal is represented by samples at a time instant, and the samples are filtered using a sign permutation filter. An estimate of the signal is determined by a linear combination of the samples with corresponding weights. The error of the estimate is then computed. The weights are updated by an updating circuit to minimize the error.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product for linearizing a position error signal of a transducer in a hard disk drive. In one embodiment, a disk including a first plurality of tracks each includes first and second servo bursts defining a track reference line, and a second plurality of the first plurality of tracks on the disk each includes third and fourth servo bursts defining a second plurality of different position offsets from the track reference line of the second plurality of tracks. Each of the second plurality of different position offsets being at a different value than any other position offset. The second plurality is no greater than the first plurality. The second plurality of different position offsets are used for linearizing a position error signal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating a position information signal for the head of a hard disk drive. The disk has a track which contains a plurality of servo bursts that allow the head to be centered with the centerline of the track. The servo bursts are first sensed and an upper and a lower threshold values, based on the values of servo bursts, are generated. A position error signal based on the upper and lower threshold and the values of the servo bursts are generated and stored in a memory device.

Abstract: Systems are provided for converting high definition pictures or data to lower definition images using wavelet transforms. In the preferred embodiments, the wavelet transforms are be used in either the transmission/coding or reception/decoding phase for enabling a more efficient conversion of the signal and providing a more robust and accurate output. The wavelet transforms may be applied to conventional systems to enhance performance or entire transmission and reception systems may be designed where the wavelet transforms are applied to the data for coding, decoding and decimation operations.

Abstract: A method and system for commanding and controlling diverse home devices is provided. A first home device capable of displaying user interface data is connected to a home network. A second home device stores user interface data that defines a user interface for commanding and controlling the second home device, also connected to the home network. The first device receives the user interface data from the second device over the network. The first device then displays the user interface as defined by the data. The user interacts with the user interface displayed on the first device by a control device. User input is accepted from the user responsive to the interaction. Control and command information is sent from the first home device to the second home device in order to control the second device according to the user input.

Abstract: The invention includes a method and apparatus repairing read heads of a merged magnetoresistive read-write head without the use of external magnets nor the exclusive use of read bias current to heat the read head.

Abstract: A vortex generator that extends from an inner surface of a housing. The vortex generator cooperates with an air flow generated by a rotating disk of the disk drive to create vortices. The vortices can remove contaminants located on the surface of a disk.

Abstract: A method and system for detecting electrostatic noise in a magneto-resistive head which may be caused by a plurality of conditions manifesting in the frequency domain as either an amplitude spike or an unstable baseline. In one embodiment, the signals generated by the head when reading a DC-erased track are compared. When viewed in the frequency domain the spectrum gap between the signals is used to determine if the head being tested suffers from defects causing an unstable baseline or from defects causing an amplitude spike.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for moving a transducer across a disk surface in accordance with generalized Fourier seek trajectories for position, velocity, and acceleration control. The generalized Fourier acceleration trajectory includes one or more sine functions with the coefficients determined using a least-mean-square-error technique, which optimizes the selection of the trajectory. The corresponding velocity and position trajectories are derived based on the selected acceleration trajectory. The generalized Fourier seek method and apparatus provides improved performance and robustness of hard disk drive servomechanism, including shorter seek time. Additionally, the hard disk drive is more immune to external disturbances, and the acoustic noise caused by seeking is reduced. Using the generalized Fourier seek method, the duration of acceleration and deceleration modes may be equal or different.

Abstract: A hard disk drive assembly which includes a limiter plate that is attached to an actuator arm. The limiter plate limits a movement of a flexure arm that is attached to a head. The head is coupled to a disk. The limiter plate limits the distance that the head can move away from the disk. Limiting the movement of the head may reduce the impact force associated with the head slapping the disk.

Abstract: A head suspension assembly comprising a visco-elastic coupling between a load beam dimple or protrusion and a suspension flexure to which a slider is rigidly coupled. The damping material is selected for a low static modulus, which reduces mechanical vibration by absorbing kinetic energy and releasing the energy as heat. The gimbaling function of the suspension is not significantly effected by the damping material because the damping effect occurs primarily when there is an undesirable relative velocity (movement with respect to time) between the dimple and the flexure.

Abstract: The present invention is a mechanism for making minute adjustments in the position of a read/write head for magnetically or optically reading from or writing to a data storage media. The head positioning mechanism (microactuator) will preferably be used in association with known disk storage actuation systems such as those typically used in current magnetic data storage devices such as hard disk drives, and optical data storage devices such as CDs. The microactuator comprises a slider support arm with a slider formed thereon, that is separated from an anchor structure by a gap. A pizoelectric element is positioned across the gap and is coupled at one end to the slider support arm, and at the other to the anchor structure. The anchor structure has greater resistance to bending than the slider support arm. Thus, when the piezoelectric element changes length, the slider support arm will tend to bend relative to the anchor structure, moving the slider on the slider support arm a controlled minute distance.

Abstract: A single latch that can secure an actuator arm when a hard disk drive has a clockwise rotational acceleration, or a counterclockwise rotational acceleration. The latch has a first end that can engage a first latch portion of the actuator arm when the disk drive has a clockwise rotational acceleration. The same latch also has a second end that can engage a second latch portion of the actuator arm when the disk drive has a counterclockwise rotational acceleration.

Abstract: A hard disk drive which has a housing that can attenuate noise. The housing may include a first layer that is attached to a second layer and a third layer located between the first and second layers. The layers may be designed to create a transfer function that attenuates, or rolls off, acoustic noise within a range of frequencies.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for moving a transducer across a disk surface so that the transducer has a generalized Fourier series seek acceleration trajectory. In one embodiment, the generalized Fourier series seek acceleration trajectory includes tuned coefficients that are determined empirically. The generalized Fourier series seek trajectories provide improved performance and robustness of hard disk drive servomechanisms, resulting in shorter seek time. Additionally, the hard disk drive is more immune to external disturbances, and the acoustic noise caused by seeking is reduced. In one embodiment, the duration of acceleration and deceleration are equal. In another embodiment, the duration of acceleration and deceleration are unequal, resulting in more flexibility to decrease residual vibrations of mechanical components, and further reduction of seek time.

Abstract: A set-top electronics and network interface unit arrangement is connected to an internal digital network interconnecting devices in the home. The digital network operates on a single, nomodulated, baseband channel. Entertainment services are introduced into the network through network interface units that are coupled to an external network and to the internal network. The network interface units perform the necessary interfacing between the external and internal networks, and make the entertainment services available to all terminals connected to the internal network. Set-top electronics that are separate from the network interface units connect to the internal network and convert the information in the digital data stream for display, by a television, for example.