Patents Assigned to Seagate Technologies
  • User selectable caching management
    Patent number: 8499120
    Abstract: A data storage device can include at least one non-volatile storage medium, at least one data cache, and a controller configured to perform cache writing operations between the at least one non-volatile storage medium and the at least one data cache based on user-selected caching modes. Also presented is a user interface that can be configured to selectively enable and disable one or more caching modes, which selection of a caching mode directs cache writing operations performed by a controller. In some examples, a caching mode can be selected in a manner that is independent of a host computer system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventor: Martin R. Furuhjelm
  • IC protection circuit, method for protecting IC, and apparatuses having the IC protection circuit
    Patent number: 8493680
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a power supply line connected between a DC power supply and an integrated circuit, and a first electronic element and a second electronic element serially connected between the power supply line and ground. The second electronic element is open when the first electronic element is short-circuited due to an overvoltage induced in the power supply line. When the overvoltage exceeds a breakdown voltage of the first electronic element, the first electronic element supplies an overcurrent induced in the power supply line to the second electronic element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Seagate Technology International
    Inventors: Young-Keun Oh, Gyu-Sang Lee, Ki Choel Lee
  • Protective layer on gimbal for scratch mitigation
    Patent number: 8493689
    Abstract: A head gimbal assembly includes a gimbal, a slider, and a polymer layer. The gimbal comprises a metal layer, and the metal layer of the gimbal defines a gimbal mounting portion for attachment to a metallic load beam and a gimbal tongue extending from the gimbal mounting portion. The slider comprises a ceramic material for carrying a transducing head, and at least a portion of the slider is secured to the gimbal tongue. The polymer layer is positioned adjacent to the gimbal and configured for limiting ceramic-to-metal and metal-to-metal contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Manish Virmani, Paritosh Chandrakant Panchal, James Fisher, Keefe Michael Russell, Sandeepan Bhattacharya
  • Energy-efficient transitioning among device operating modes
    Patent number: 8495400
    Abstract: Methods and devices are provided for managing the transitions between operating modes in a data device. In an illustrative example, a method includes storing, in a control system for a device, a value for a first interval of time. The value indicates a minimum interval of time required for the device to remain in a lower power operating mode to provide energy savings at least equal to an energy cost associated with transitioning between the lower power operating mode and a higher power operating mode. The method further includes receiving a signal that instructs the device to transition from the lower power operating mode to the higher power operating mode. The method also includes ensuring that the device has remained in the lower power operating mode for at least as long as the first interval of time before it transitions to the higher power operating mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Christopher R. Fulkerson, Bradley J. Gill, Abhay T. Kataria
  • Tunable random bit generator with magnetic tunnel junction
    Patent number: 8495118
    Abstract: A random number generator device that utilizes a magnetic tunnel junction. An AC current source is in electrical connection to the magnetic tunnel junction to provide an AC current having an amplitude and a frequency through the free layer of the magnetic tunnel junction, the AC current configured to switch the magnetization orientation of the free layer via thermal magnetization. A read circuit is used to determine the relative orientation of the free layer magnetization in relation to the reference layer magnetization orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Xiaobin Wang, Wenzhong Zhu, Henry Huang, Yiran Chen, Haiwen Xi
  • Transducer bonded to a laser module for heat assisted magnetic recording
    Patent number: 8488435
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a transducer assembly including a waveguide and a grating structured to couple electromagnetic radiation into the waveguide, and a laser module including a laser diode and a transparent cover adjacent to an output facet of the laser diode, wherein the laser module is bonded to the transducer assembly and the laser diode directs electromagnetic radiation through the transparent cover and onto the grating. A method of making the apparatus is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventor: Tanya Jegeris Snyder
  • Slider with improved robustness to particle contact
    Patent number: 8488278
    Abstract: In a disc drive, a slider having electronic communication with the surface of a data disc, the slider having a first up-track mill transition that has a transition mill to remove oblique mill transitions so that the transition has a substantially perpendicular portion that impacts contaminant particles on or near the disc surface. In other embodiments, other edges of the slider have transition mills to remove oblique transition mills from possible impact with such particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Gary Joseph Kunkel, Quinn J. Haddock
  • Methods and devices to reduce outer code failure rate variability
    Patent number: 8489979
    Abstract: The variability of outer code failure rate of memory pages of a solid state memory device can be reduced by selectively grouping the pages included in the outer code words. The data in the page groups are encoded into outer code words which are stored in the memory device. Encoding the data of the page groups and storing the encoded data includes intermittently accumulating an outer code parity as the pages are sequentially stored in the memory device according to a particular order. The pages can be randomly selected for the page groups or can be grouped based on predicted or measured failure rate information. In a memory device having multi-level memory cells, predicting the failure rate of a page can be based on whether the page is a most significant bit (MSB) page or a least significant bit (LSB) page.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventor: Bernardo Rub
  • Collecting debris from a tool
    Patent number: 8484795
    Abstract: An apparatus and associated method are provided for collecting debris from a tool. A housing defines a channel, at least one of the tool and the housing being selectively movable to operably orient the tool at a predefined reference relationship to the channel. A magnetic member is operable to demagnetize at least one of the tool and the debris. A windage source in fluid communication with the channel is operable to establish a windage contacting the tool to cooperate with the magnetic member in removing the debris from the tool. A conduit connected to the channel collects the removed debris.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Chad Francis Barclay, Joseph Charles Lutz, Kok Wah Jackie Tan, Kok Loong Teng
  • Memory cell with stress-induced anisotropy
    Patent number: 8487390
    Abstract: A magnetic memory element that has a stress-induced magnetic anisotropy. The memory element has a ferromagnetic free layer having a switchable magnetization orientation switchable, a ferromagnetic reference layer having a pinned magnetization orientation, and a non-magnetic spacer layer therebetween. The free layer may be circular, essentially circular or nearly circular.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Dimitar V. Dimitrov, Ivan Petrov Ivanov, Shuiyuan Huang, Antoine Khoueir, Brian Lee, John Daniel Stricklin, Olle Gunnar Heinonen, Insik Jin
  • Programmable metallization memory cell with layered solid electrolyte structure
    Patent number: 8487291
    Abstract: Programmable metallization memory cells having an active electrode, an opposing inert electrode and a variable resistive element separating the active electrode from the inert electrode. The variable resistive element includes a plurality of alternating solid electrolyte layers and electrically conductive layers. The electrically conductive layers electrically couple the active electrode to the inert electrode in a programmable metallization memory cell. Methods to form the same are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Nurul Amin, Insik Jin, Wei Tian, Andrew James Wirebaugh, Venugopalan Vaithyanathan, Ming Sun
  • Modular interface communications with a storage cartridge
    Patent number: 8485839
    Abstract: A serial interface connector and corresponding method electrically connects to a storage cartridge that has a housing enclosing a serial communications device. The serial interface connector has a first plurality of electrical contacts and a retainer. The retainer operably contactingly engages the housing to impart a bias that retains the electrical contacts of the serial interface connector seated in electrical connection with a respective second plurality of electrical contacts of the serial communications device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Michael Gene Morgan, Homer Stewart Pitner, Jr.
  • Diode assisted switching spin-transfer torque memory unit
    Patent number: 8482971
    Abstract: A memory array includes a cross-point array of bit and source lines. A memory is disposed at cross-points of the cross-point array. The memory unit includes a magnetic tunnel junction data cell electrically coupled to a bit line and a source line. The magnetic tunnel junction data cell is configured to switch between a high resistance state and a low resistance state by passing a polarized write current through the magnetic tunnel junction data cell. A transistor is electrically between the magnetic tunnel junction data cell and the bit line or source line and a diode is in thermal or electrical contact with the magnetic tunnel junction data cell to assist in resistance state switching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Xuguang Wang, Yiran Chen, Dimitar V. Dimitrov, Hongyue Liu, Xiaobin Wang
  • Magnetic memory element with multi-domain storage layer
    Patent number: 8482967
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for enhancing data writing and retention to a magnetic memory element, such as in a non-volatile data storage array. In accordance with various embodiments, a programmable memory element has a reference layer and a storage layer. The reference layer is provided with a fixed magnetic orientation. The storage layer is programmed to have a first region with a magnetic orientation antiparallel to said fixed magnetic orientation, and a second region with a magnetic orientation parallel to said fixed magnetic orientation. A thermal assist layer may be incorporated into the memory element to enhance localized heating of the storage layer to aid in the transition of the first region from parallel to antiparallel magnetic orientation during a write operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Haiwen Xi, Yuankai Zheng, Xiaobin Wang, Dimitar V. Dimitrov, Pat J. Ryan
  • Presentation of shingled magnetic recording device to a host device resource manager
    Patent number: 8482874
    Abstract: A shingled magnetic recording hard drive is presented to a resource manager of a host device as an emulated device such as one or more optical media, an array of sequential access media, and/or write-once, read-many device. Data targeted for the emulated device is written to the shingled magnetic recording hard drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventor: Joshua Bartholomew Tinker
  • Three dimensionally stacked non volatile memory units
    Patent number: 8482957
    Abstract: A memory unit including a first transistor spanning a first transistor region in a first layer of the memory unit; a second transistor spanning a second transistor region in a second layer of the memory unit; a first resistive sense memory (RSM) cell spanning a first memory region in a third layer of the memory unit; and a second RSM cell spanning a second memory region in the third layer of the memory unit, wherein the first transistor is electrically coupled to the first RSM cell, and the second transistor is electrically coupled to the second RSM cell, wherein the second layer is between the first and third layers, wherein the first and second transistor have an transistor overlap region, and wherein the first memory region and the second memory region do not extend beyond the first transistor region and the second transistor region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Xuguang Wang, Yong Lu, Hai Li, Hongyue Liu
  • Multi-bit STRAM memory cells
    Patent number: 8482970
    Abstract: A multi-bit spin torque magnetic element that has a ferromagnetic pinned layer having a pinned magnetization orientation, a non-magnetic layer, and a ferromagnetic free layer having a magnetization orientation switchable among at least four directions, the at least four directions being defined by a physical shape of the free layer. The magnetic element has at least four distinct resistance states. Magnetic elements with at least eight magnetization directions are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventor: Dimitar V. Dimitrov
  • Exchange coupled magnetic elements
    Patent number: 8481181
    Abstract: Approaches to reduce switching field distribution in energy assisted magnetic storage devices involve first and second exchange coupled magnetic elements. The first magnetic elements have anisotropy, Hk1, volume, V1 and the second magnetic elements are magnetically exchange coupled to the first magnetic elements and have anisotropy Hk2, and volume V2. The thermal stability of the exchange coupled magnetic elements is greater than about 60 kBT at a storage temperature of about 300 K. The magnetic switching field distribution, SFD, of the exchange coupled magnetic elements is less than about 200% at a predetermined magnetic switching field and a predetermined assisting switching energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Xiaobin Wang, Kaizhong Gao
  • Magnetic sensor with perpendicular anisotrophy free layer and side shields
    Patent number: 8482883
    Abstract: A tunneling magneto-resistive reader includes a sensor stack separating a top magnetic shield from a bottom magnetic shield. The sensor stack includes a reference magnetic element having a reference magnetization orientation direction and a free magnetic element having a free magnetization orientation direction substantially perpendicular to the reference magnetization orientation direction. A non-magnetic spacer layer separates the reference magnetic element from the free magnetic element. A first side magnetic shield and a second side magnetic shield is disposed between the top magnetic shield from a bottom magnetic shield, and the sensor stack is between the first side magnetic shield and the second side magnetic shield. The first side magnetic shield and the second side magnetic shield electrically insulates the top magnetic shield from a bottom magnetic shield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Dimitar V. Dimitrov, Zheng Gao, Wonjoon Jung, Paul Edward Anderson, Olle Gunnar Heinonen
  • VARIABLE DATA DENSITY FOR DATA STORAGE
    Publication number: 20130170064
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and apparatuses that provide for variable data density on a disc data storage medium, where the variable data density may have a circumferential definition and a radial definition. In some examples, devices and methods may include measuring a read or write performance attribute on a disc data storage medium and selectively setting a data density rate that may vary in a circumferential direction for the disc data storage medium based on the read or write performance attribute. In other examples, apparatuses can include a data storage device having a disc data storage medium and a controller configured to measure a performance attribute of the disc data storage medium and to selectively set different Bits Per Inch (BPI) for data storage within different areas of the disc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2012
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Applicant: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventor: Tae Young Kim