Patents Assigned to Seagate Technologies
  • Data matching for hardware data compression
    Patent number: 9450606
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for generating match data for a symbol in a symbol history for use in a hardware-based data compressor. An apparatus for performing history matching for Lempel-Ziv (“LZ”) compression includes a symbol history RAM comprising 2S N bit entries, each entry corresponding to a symbol value represented by S bits and indicating locations within the last N symbols of input data where the symbol value occurred; a symbol counter array comprising 2S counters, each counter corresponding to a symbol value and indicating a number of symbols processed since the last occurrence of the symbol value in the input data; and a barrel shifter configured to shift the entry corresponding to an input symbol value left by a number of bits based on a value of the counter corresponding to the input symbol value to produce a symbol match vector for the input symbol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventor: Howard William Winter
  • Data storage component test deck
    Patent number: 9449643
    Abstract: A test deck may be employed as part of a data storage component testing system. A test deck can consist of at least a bottom cover mating to a top cover to define an enclosed testing region configured to house a data storage medium, transducing head, and head suspension. The top cover may have an access port occupied by a door providing access to the enclosed testing region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Michael Louis Rancour, Brett Robert Herdendorf, Ronald Eldon Anderson
  • Solid-state storage device including a high resolution analog-to-digital converter
    Patent number: 9449719
    Abstract: A storage device includes a solid-state storage medium having a plurality of cells adapted to store data and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) coupled to at least one cell of the plurality of cells. The ADC includes a first operating mode having a first number of quantization levels to determine a value stored in the at least one cell based on a number of possible values represented by the at least one cell. The ADC further includes a second operating mode having a second number of quantization levels to determine the value stored in the at least one cell, where the second number of quantization levels is greater than the first number of quantization levels. The ADC selectively enables the first or the second operating mode as a selected operating mode and determines a signal representative of the value stored in the at least one cell using the selected operating mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventor: Nicholas P. Mati
  • Bad memory unit detection in a solid state drive
    Patent number: 9443616
    Abstract: An apparatus comprising a memory and a controller. The memory is configured to process a plurality of read/write operations. The memory comprises a plurality of memory unit granularities each having a size less than a total size of the memory. The controller is configured to process a plurality of I/O requests to the memory units of the memory that are not marked as bad on a memory unit list. The controller is configured to track a plurality of bad blocks of the memory. The controller is configured to determine which of the memory units to mark as bad based on a test of whether a unit of memory larger than a block of the memory has failed. The test is based on a threshold of the bad blocks in the unit of memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Zhengang Chen, Earl T. Cohen, Erich F. Haratsch, Jeremy Werner
  • Device security using an encrypted keystore data structure
    Patent number: 9443111
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for data security through the use of an encrypted keystore data structure. In accordance with some embodiments, first and second sets of input data are respectively encrypted using first and second encryption keys to form corresponding first and second encrypted data sets. The first and second encryption keys are combined to form a string. A hidden key stored within a system on chip (SOC) is used to encrypt the string to form an encrypted keystore data structure, and the first and second encrypted data sets and the encrypted keystore data structure are stored in a memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Manuel A. Offenberg, Monty A. Forehand, Christopher J. DeMattio, KianBeng Lim
  • Storage device out-of-space handling
    Patent number: 9443591
    Abstract: Described embodiments detect an impending out-of-space (OOS) condition of a media. On startup, a media controller determines whether an impending OOS indicator is set from a previous startup. If the impending OOS indicator is not set, it is determined whether a free pool size has reached a threshold. The free pool is blocks of the solid-state media available to be written with data. If the free pool size has not reached the first threshold, while the startup time is less than a maximum startup time, garbage collection is performed on the solid-state media to accumulate blocks to the free pool. If the startup time reaches the maximum startup time and the free pool size has not reached the threshold, the impending OOS indicator is set and the media is operated in impending OOS mode. Otherwise, if the free pool size reaches the threshold, the media is operated in normal mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Leonid Baryudin, Earl T. Cohen
  • Direct hinting for a memory device
    Patent number: 9436408
    Abstract: A data storage area of a data storage device can be used to communicate information between the data storage device and an external device or software. In some examples, configuration data stored within the data storage area can be used to determine a subset of data to copy or move from a first data storage medium to a second data storage medium. The data storage area can be a unique partition and the data storage device can locate partition information to determine a location of the partition. The data storage device can then use the partition to store data for two-way communication between the data storage device and an external system, device, or software.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: John Edward Moon, Robert Dale Murphy, Michael Habinsky, David A Hitch, Thomas Dale Hosman
  • Enhanced queue management
    Patent number: 9436634
    Abstract: A paired queue apparatus and method comprising request and response queues wherein queue head and tail pointer update values are communicated through an enhanced pointer word data format providing pointer indicator information and optional auxiliary information in a single transfer, wherein auxiliary information provides additional system communication without consuming additional bandwidth. Auxiliary information is optionally contained in a response data entry written to a response queue or in a request entry written to a request queue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Timothy Lawrence Canepa, Earl T. Cohen
  • Varying data writer side shield gap distal the ABS
    Patent number: 9437220
    Abstract: A data writing element may be configured at least with a write pole positioned adjacent a first shield along a first axis and adjacent a second shield along a second axis. The second shield may be separated from the write pole by a first gap distance on an air bearing surface (ABS) and by a second gap distance distal the ABS with the first and second gap distances meeting at a transition surface oriented parallel to the ABS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Muhammad Asif Bashir, Mark Gubbins, Swaraj Basu, Marcus B. Mooney
  • Key-value data storage device with hybrid architecture
    Patent number: 9438426
    Abstract: A key-value storage device and method of using the same. In some embodiments, keys are stored in a key store in a first non-volatile memory and corresponding values associated with the keys are stored in a value store of a second non-volatile memory. An input command is received from a host device, the input command having a key associated with a value. Different first and second hash values are generated by applying a hash function to the key. The input command is executed responsive to the first and second hash values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Peng Li, Frank R. Dropps
  • Write operation with immediate local destruction of old content in non-volatile memory
    Patent number: 9436594
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for writing data to a non-volatile memory device, such as a solid state drive (SSD). In accordance with various embodiments, a host write command is serviced by writing a newer copy of user data to a first selected empty physical location in a non-volatile memory, and by concurrently overwriting an older copy of said user data previously stored to a different, second selected occupied physical location of the non-volatile memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventor: Laszlo Hars
  • Tamper sensor
    Patent number: 9430680
    Abstract: A deformable tamper sensor and tamper resistant electronic system is operable to detect opening of an enclosure and perform actions responsive to the detection. Movable elements within the tamper sensor are held in position when the sensor is compressed and define a multi-bit sensor value. Transitioning the sensor from a compressed to a non-compressed state non-destructively provides a new sensor value through movement of one or more elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventor: Dmitry Obukhov
  • Zero-one balance management in a solid-state disk controller
    Patent number: 9430154
    Abstract: An SSD controller maintains a zero count and a one count, and/or in some embodiments a zero/one disparity count, for each read unit read from an SLC NVM (or the lower pages of an MLC). In an event that the read unit is uncorrectable in part due to a shift in the threshold voltage distributions away from their nominal distributions, the maintained counts enable a determination of a direction and/or a magnitude to adjust a read threshold to track the threshold voltage shift and restore the read data zero/one balance. In various embodiments, the adjusted read threshold is determined in a variety of described ways (counts, percentages) that are based on a number of described factors (determined threshold voltage distributions, known stored values, past NVM operating events). Extensions of the forgoing techniques are described for MLC memories.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventor: Earl T Cohen
  • Data integrity management in a data storage device
    Patent number: 9430329
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for data integrity management in a data storage device. In accordance with some embodiments, a controller transfers user data blocks between a host device and a main memory. Each user data block has an associated logical address. A data integrity manager generates and stores a verification code for each user data block in a table structure in a local memory. The data integrity manager uses the verification code to independently verify a most current version of a selected user data block is being retrieved by the controller from the main memory during a host read request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventor: Jon David Trantham
  • Method of shaping a trailing edge of a slider
    Patent number: 9431035
    Abstract: A slider comprising a body having an air bearing surface (ABS), wherein the ABS extends between a leading edge and a trailing edge of the body. The slider comprises a transducer supported by the body and positioned near the trailing edge, wherein the transducer comprises a pole tip partially extending from the body. The slider comprises a surface defined in the body and forming the trailing edge, wherein the surface comprises a plurality of segments. A first segment of the plurality of segments extends from the ABS and is offset from a portion of the pole tip recessed within the body. The first segment is offset from the pole tip portion by a lesser extent than any other of the plurality of segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Gordon Merle Jones, Edwin Frank Redja, Joseph Michael Stephan
  • Non-volatile buffering to enable sloppy writes and fast write verification
    Patent number: 9424946
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for managing data in a memory. In accordance with some embodiments, input write data having a selected logical address are stored in a rewriteable non-volatile (NV) buffer. A copy of the input write data is transferred to an NV main memory using a sloppy write process. A verify operation is subsequently performed to verify successful transfer of the copy of the input write data to the NV main memory using a hash value generated responsive to the input write data in the NV buffer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Kevin Arthur Gomez, Michael Joseph Steiner, Mark Allen Gaertner, Ryan James Goss
  • Data storage device with adaptive data capacity
    Patent number: 9424879
    Abstract: A data storage device can have one or more data bits that are stored on a data storage medium and accessed with a transducing head. The data bits may be organized on the data storage medium to provide a surface data capacity. A performance degradation can be predicted for the transducing head by a controller connected to the transducing head. In response to the predicted performance degradation, the surface data capacity of the data storage medium is decreased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventor: Feng Li
  • Apparatus with vapor-trapping pathway
    Patent number: 9424887
    Abstract: Various aspects of the present disclosure are directed toward a disc drive apparatus including a disc drive actuator assembly, and a vapor-trapping pathway. The vapor-trapping pathway, in certain embodiments, is formed by an inner surface of an eblock, outer surface of a pivot shaft, and first and second shields. The vapor-trapping pathway being designed to mitigate the flow of vapor into an interior enclosure of the disc drive from within a ball-bearing cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventor: Mark Dubé
  • Lock-free communication storage request reordering
    Patent number: 9423977
    Abstract: Lock-free communication storage request reordering enables reduced latency and/or increased bandwidth in some usage scenarios, such as a multi-threaded driver context operating with a device, such as a storage device (e.g. a Solid-State Disk (SSD)) enabled to respond to a multiplicity of outstanding requests.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventor: Timothy Lawrence Canepa
  • Imprint template for patterned recording media
    Patent number: 9424872
    Abstract: Provided herein is an apparatus including a rectangular array of rectangular protrusions in a first region corresponding to a data region; and a hexagonal array of circular protrusions in a second region corresponding to a servo region, wherein a first global protrusion density for the first region is greater than a second global protrusion density for the second region. Also provided herein is a method including forming a first template; forming a second template; and cross-imprinting the first template and the second template to form a third template corresponding to the foregoing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Seagate Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Shuaigang Xiao, XiaoMin Yang, Kim Y. Lee, Yautzong Hsu, Hongying Wang