Patents Represented by Attorney John H. Holcombe

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  • Forced backhitch for speed matching in a multi-speed tape drive
    Patent number: 6958878
    Abstract: In a magnetic tape drive having a plurality of stepped operational speeds, data storage logic estimates, from the effective data fill rate for a data buffer and the drive data write rate, the time cost to continue to operate the magnetic tape drive at the current stepped operational speed from a target to the next end of wrap; estimates, the time cost to force a backhitch of the magnetic tape data storage media and change the stepped operational speed to a higher stepped operational speed and operate the magnetic tape drive at the higher stepped operational speed to the next end of wrap; and determines the lesser time cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Glen Alan Jaquette, Arturo Avila Mojica
  • Writing to magnetic tape with backhitchless backspacing and data set invalidation
    Patent number: 6950257
    Abstract: Backspacing over data to overwrite the data as recorded on magnetic tape is provided logically, rather than by causing a magnetic tape to drive to backhitch. The data is written to the magnetic tape as it was before it was logically changed in order to insure that the data is preserved on tape. Recovery of the data is from a succeeding data set which logically invalidates the original data by a superseding identifier. Control logic arranges data transactions for writing to magnetic tape as data sets; and, in response to backspace and overwrite commands, or when transactions are accumulated into a succeeding data set, rewrites the original transaction adjusted in accordance with the commands as a superseding data set downstream from the original transaction, logically invalidating the original transaction by setting a superseding identifier in the superseding data set(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Paul Merrill Greco, Glen Alan Jaquette, Hiroshi Itagaki, Hironobu Nagura, Hirokazu Nakayama, Satoshi Tohji, Terue Watanabe
  • Rezeroing a robot accessor of an automated data storage library
    Patent number: 6943976
    Abstract: The positioning of a robot accessor in an automated data storage library is rezeroed with respect to a home position which potentially avoids moving the robot accessor to the home position in every rezero operation. The robot accessor is moved to the expected location of a reference point in the library. If the reference point is sensed by a robot accessor sensor at substantially the expected location, the rezero operation is completed; else, the rezero operation is continued. Alternatively, if there is an offset between the sensed location of the reference point and the expected location, the robot accessor is moved to a second expected location of a second reference point. If the offsets are consistent, the calibration is updated, completing the rezero operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Gerard Goodman, Aaron Lyle Herring
  • Data read transducers for determining lateral position of a tape head with respect to longitudinal servo bands of magnetic tape
    Patent number: 6940682
    Abstract: In a magnetic tape system, during lateral repositioning of a tape head between servo bands, the servo head is not on a servo band and is unable to provide servo position information. Hence, information about the lateral position may be lost. A control system selectively senses data read transducers of the tape head; and, upon detecting a servo signal of a servo band from a sensed data read transducer, determines the lateral position of the tape head with respect to the detected servo band based upon the position of the data read transducer that sensed the detected servo signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Nhan Xuan Bui, Robert Allen Hutchins, Glen Alan Jaquette, Larry Leeroy Tretter, Eiji Ogura, Kazuhiro Tsuruta
  • Tape path roller guide and method for making
    Patent number: 6938851
    Abstract: A tape path roller guide has a cylindrical guiding surface between two flanges. A plurality of continuous venting valleys in the guiding surface are wholly parallel to a central axis of the cylinder forming axial paddle-like surfaces generating air flow away from the cylindrical guiding surface tending to draw air from the guiding surface. Thus, a tape is allowed to stay in contact with the guiding surface. Because of the continuous venting valleys, the roller cylinder is made by molding or extrusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: David Michael Davis
  • Tape servo information with superimposed data information providing servo band identification
    Patent number: 6937413
    Abstract: In magnetic tape having separate longitudinal servo bands of servo information with superimposed data information, the separate servo bands have selected different superimposed data information, to identify the separate servo bands for independent addressability. The servo information comprises non-parallel laterally extending transitions to indicate lateral positioning, and the selected different superimposed data information may comprise a lack thereof in portion(s) of the servo bands. Where the superimposed data information is longitudinal position information of the tape, the selected different superimposed data information may comprise different longitudinal position information of one or more servo band(s). The selected different superimposed data information may comprise a band identifier in the superimposed data information of one or more of the servo bands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Nhan Xuan Bui, James Howard Eaton, Junichi Fukuda, Glen Alan Jaquette, Eiji Ogura, Mark Allan Taylor, Kazuhiro Tsuruta
  • Failure isolation in a distributed processing system employing relative location information
    Patent number: 6931564
    Abstract: Failure isolation in a distributed processing system of processor nodes coupled by a multi-drop bus network. The processor nodes have information of relative locations of the processor nodes on the network, and have an associated local error indicator, such as a character display. Each node independently tests access to other nodes on the network, and upon detecting a failure to access one or more nodes, determines, from the relative locations, the node having failed access which is closest. The failure detecting processor posts, at its associated local error indicator, an identifier of the closest failed access node. A user may inspect the local error indicators and thereby isolate the detected failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Gerard Goodman, Michael Philip McIntosh, Robin Daniel Roberts
  • Timing based servo with fixed distances between transitions
    Patent number: 6879457
    Abstract: A servo writer generates a linear servo track timing based servo pattern comprised of transitions that extend laterally of the track. At least three spaced apart write elements, two of parallel azimuthal orientation, and at least one of a different azimuthal orientation, write patterns corresponding to the write elements, fixing both the distance between transitions having different azimuthal orientation, the “A” distance, and the distance between transitions having parallel azimuthal orientation, the “B” distance. The fixed distances provide precise sensing of lateral position based on a measure of time over the “A” distance compared to time over the “B” distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James Howard Eaton, Wayne Isami Imaino, Tzong-Shii Pan
  • Storage device mounted in portable data storage media type cartridges
    Patent number: 6867942
    Abstract: A data storage cartridge having an data storage device, such as an encased magnetic disk drive assembly, is, in one embodiment, of generally an exterior dimensional form factor of a tape cartridge having a leader block with a hole therethrough for engagement by a threading pin. To distinguish the cartridge from a tape cartridge, the cartridge shell comprises a blocking portion at the location of the leader block hole. A transfer station both identifies the cartridge and indicates the presence of the cartridge at an end of travel in a cartridge receiver, employing an optical source and an opposed sensor directed toward the leader block hole when a cartridge is at the end of travel. In another embodiment, an encased magnetic disk drive assembly is supported and mounted in a cartridge shell by a shock mount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas Robert Albrecht, John Ray Blair, Allen Ronald Cox, David Michael Davis, Paul Merrill Greco, James Mitchell Karp, George G. Zamora
  • Data set information for recovery of synchronized data on magnetic tape
    Patent number: 6865043
    Abstract: Special fields for error recovery are provided in data set information tables of data sets written with synchronized transactions. If a transaction only partially fills a data set, that data set is rewritten in a succeeding data set, appending the next transaction. A moving access point in the table identifies the appended transaction, allowing the rewritten transaction to be skipped during read recovery. The table provides recovery trails by providing a thread to tie the data sets together, the status of the data set, and pointers, such as identifying the wrap of the immediately succeeding data set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Toshimi Ataku, Paul Merrill Greco, Hiroshi Itagaki, Glen Alan Jaquette, Hironobu Nagura, Toshiyuki Shiratori
  • Writing synchronized data to magnetic tape
    Patent number: 6856479
    Abstract: Synchronized data is written to magnetic tape while reducing the number of backhitches. A controller detects a pattern of synchronizing events for received data records to be written to tape; writes each transaction of data records to the magnetic tape; accumulates the synchronized transactions in a buffer; and subsequently recursively writes the accumulated transactions of data records from the buffer to the magnetic tape in a sequence. A single backhitch may be employed to place the recursively written accumulated data records following the preceding data, maximizing performance and capacity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Glen Alan Jaquette, Paul Merrill Greco, James Mitchell Karp
  • Releasable, repeatable electrical connection employing compression
    Patent number: 6854982
    Abstract: An electrical connection releasably, repeatably electrically couples with respect to a matching connection of a portable cartridge. A substrate in the portable cartridge has electrical contacts on a facing surface of a flex cable termination mounted on a backing plate. A matching circuitized flexible substrate has electrical contacts on a facing surface thereof, which are arranged to match the portable cartridge electrical contacts when in a face-to-face relationship, and is mounted on a compression element with protruding compression members. Elongated electrical contacts are registered with two adjacent individual compression members. A loader exerts a normal force to the cartridge to compress the compression element and create non-wiping contact between the facing electrical contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William Louis Brodsky, Dennis Hurley Byrne, Alex Chliwnyj, David Michael Davis, James Mitchell Karp, George G. Zamora
  • Measurement of write track width for magnetic tape head
    Patent number: 6842304
    Abstract: Width of a write track for a magnetic tape head is measured by writing a foreground magnetic track signal on a magnetic tape having a dissimilar background signal. A magnetic tape read head is moved from beyond one edge, laterally across, and beyond the opposite edge of the foreground track signal. Logic detects the read head encountering the one edge and the opposite edge of the foreground track signal; and determines, from an independent position sensor, the width of the foreground track signal as the lateral distance between the lateral position of the read head at one edge, and at the opposite edge of the foreground track signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Alex Chliwnyj, Christopher Robert Pandolfo, David Lee Swanson, Steven Carter Wills
  • Releasable, repeatable electrical connection employing compression
    Patent number: 6837718
    Abstract: An electrical connection releasably, repeatably electrically couples with respect to a matching connection of a portable cartridge. A substrate in the portable cartridge has electrical contacts on a facing surface of a flex cable mounted on a backing plate. A matching circuitized flexible substrate has electrical contacts on a facing surface thereof, which are arranged to match the portable cartridge electrical contacts when in a face-to-face relationship, and is mounted on a compression element with protruding compression members. Elongated electrical contacts are registered with two adjacent individual compression members. A loader exerts a normal force to the cartridge to compress the compression element and create non-wiping contact between the facing electrical contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William Louis Brodsky, Dennis Hurley Byrne, Alex Chliwnyj, David Michael Davis, James Mitchell Karp, George G. Zamora
  • Calibration of tape drive velocity employing DC motor hall sensor
    Patent number: 6836386
    Abstract: Calibration logic separately operates DC motors of a tape drive at a steady state estimated velocity (Omega C) for at least one full revolution without a tape; senses Hall sensor(s) to indicate a full revolution of each motor, measuring the time of the full revolution; determines the actual velocity (Omega A) of each motor employing the measured time; compares Omega C to Omega A to determine a calibration constant (K calib) for each motor; to calibrate the motor velocity of each motor, for determining the velocity for a mounted tape by averaging the tape velocity generated by each motor based on the calibrated motor velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: John Alexander Koski
  • Target self-security for upgrades for an embedded device
    Patent number: 6834347
    Abstract: Authentication of an upgrade to computer readable program code of a target embedded device is accomplished by causing the computer processor of the embedded device to access an unique machine identifier; to access an identifier key associated with the upgrade; to process the identifier key and/or unique machine identifier, such as by decrypting the key and/or encrypting the identifier; to compare the identifier key with the unique machine identifier; and causing the computer processor, if the identifier key matches the unique machine identifier, to enable the upgrade; else, to fail the upgrade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Gerard Goodman, Mark Edward Hill, Glen Alan Jaquette, Toshiyuki Shiratori
  • Eccentricity compensation in a web handling system
    Patent number: 6831801
    Abstract: A control system compensates for web tension variation caused by a first spool, (A) determines rotational frequency of the first spool; (B) determines variation in rotational velocity at the second spool which occurs at the (A) first spool frequency; (C) determines the rotational position at the first spool corresponding to the (B) variation in rotational velocity at the second spool; (D) calculates a drive motor profile for the first spool which tends to cancel the (B) variation in rotational velocity at the second spool; and (E) superimposes the (D) drive motor profile on a first spool drive motor at the (C) determined rotational position of the first spool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Alex Chliwnyj, David Michael Davis, David Lee Swanson
  • Combined tension control for tape
    Patent number: 6817560
    Abstract: Dynamic tension control for tape transported along a tape path between supply and take-up reels, driven by supply and take-up motors, and having tachometers for determining linear speed of the tape. A controller accelerates the tape toward a target speed, initially operating the motors in static acceleration tension control; and if the linear speed of the tape is within a predetermined range of the target tape speed, operating the motors in composite tension control employing static tension control and delta velocity control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James Mitchell Karp, John Alexander Koski, Steven Carter Wills
  • Concurrent configuration of drives of a data storage library
    Patent number: 6813698
    Abstract: Drives of a data storage library are concurrently configured. A processor transmits library configuration data separately to each drive, initializes a first configuration process state, with a time-out period, for each drive. A drive responds with a status response, the first process state is updated to “completed”. A request for drive unique information is transmitted to the responding drive, advancing the process to a second state, with a time-out period. A drive responds with the information, and the second process state is updated to “completed”, and the received information is stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Frank David Gallo, Brian Gerard Goodman, Ronald Faye Hill, Jr., Roberta Lee Winston
  • Shutter mechanism for a portable data storage cartridge
    Patent number: 6813117
    Abstract: A shutter mechanism is provided at an access opening in a portable data storage cartridge. Clamshell shutters meet at a common junction in the access opening. Actuation paddles positioned at the clamshell shutters are arranged to, when engaged by actuation pins, pivot the respective clamshell shutters in opposite directions away from the common junction, to expose the access opening. The clamshell shutters are mounted such that, when pivoted away from the common junction, each clamshell shutter remains within the cartridge housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John Ray Blair, Allen Ronald Cox, David Michael Davis