Patents Examined by Brian E. Miller
  • Patent number: 10818113
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing awareness of emergency vehicles are provided. Sensors located around a vehicle may detect moving objects that pose potentially dangerous situations for the vehicle occupants and for the object. This can cause the doors to lock automatically in order to make the situation safer. Additionally, electromagnetic radiation sensors located around the vehicle may detect the lights and sounds of emergency vehicles. If the electromagnetic data from the electromagnetic radiation sensors match a known pattern of electromagnetic data emitted by emergency vehicles stored in a library an alarm may be sounded through the speakers of the vehicle in order to alert the vehicle occupants of an emergency vehicle in the vicinity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSUANCE COMPANY
    Inventors: John A. Nepomuceno, Leo Chan, Steven C. Cielocha, Roxane Lyons, Matthew S. Megyese, William J. Leise, Jennifer Criswell Kellett, Kristopher Keith Gaudin, Jennifer L. Crawford, Jeremy Myers, Edward P. Matesevac, III, Rajiv C. Shah
  • Patent number: 10818318
    Abstract: A data storage library includes a number of storage cartridges arranged in a rack accessed by a actuated media player. The actuated media player is adapted to move along a plane relative to a fixed subset of the storage cartridges in the rack to and to selectively couple to each storage cartridge of the fixed subset to facilitate selective read/write access.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC
    Inventors: Brett R. Herdendorf, Jon D. Trantham, Anil J. Reddy, Riyan Alex Mendonsa, Krishnan Subramanian
  • Patent number: 10811035
    Abstract: A recording head includes a waveguide core and write pole extending to a media-facing surface of the recording head. A near-field transducer is located between the waveguide core and the write pole. First and second side shields are located on either crosstrack side of the near-field transducer. The first and second shields have edges facing and conformal with first and second tapered sides and a peg of the near-field transducer such that there are respective first and second constant-width gaps therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: TaeWoo Lee, David M. Grundman
  • Patent number: 10813252
    Abstract: A data center may include a tape library rack module along with rack computer systems. The rack computer systems may be configured to provide computing capacity within a data center environment. In some embodiments, the tape library rack module may include an enclosure encompassing an interior of the tape library rack module, a rack within the interior, and a tape library unit mounted on the rack. The tape library rack unit may include tape cartridges configured to store data within a tape environment that is different than the data center environment. The tape library rack unit may be within a portion of the interior that is enclosed such that it is environmentally isolated from the data center environment. In some examples, the tape library rack module may include a cooling unit and/or a humidifier unit, which may provide the tape environment to the environmentally isolated portion of the interior of the tape library rack module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Darin Lee Frink, Kevin Bailey, Peter George Ross, Bryan James Donlan, James Caleb Kirschner, Mary Crys Calansingin, Paul David Franklin, Masataka Kubo
  • Patent number: 10811041
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic disk device includes a housing that includes a bottom wall, a magnetic disk contained in the housing, a first head and a second head configured to write data to the magnetic disk, and read data from the magnetic disk, a first actuator assembly including the first head, a second actuator assembly including the second head, a first flexible print circuit board including a first connector, a second flexible print circuit board including a second connector, and a control circuit board that is provided outside the housing, and includes a third connector electrically connected to the first connector and the second connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation
    Inventor: Norio Yoshikawa
  • Patent number: 10811039
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are perpendicular magnetic recording writers for providing spin-torque-assisted write field enhancement, and hard disk drives comprising such magnetic write heads. A spin-torque-assisting element is disposed in the write gap and extends to the air-bearing surface (ABS). The spin-torque-assisting element comprises a non-magnetic layer in contact with a main pole, a DC-field generation (DFG) layer with a first side in contact with the non-magnetic layer, and a spacer layer in contact with a second side of the DFG layer. A magnetization of the DFG layer is configured to be aligned substantially parallel to a write gap magnetic field generated by the main pole during a write process, and the magnetization of the DFG layer is configured to flip its direction in response to application of a bias current exceeding a specified magnitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: James Terrence Olson, Hiroyuki Hoshiya, Alexander Goncharov, Masato Shiimoto, Mikito Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 10808423
    Abstract: An access control system including a locking assembly and a drive assembly operable to actuate the locking assembly. The drive assembly includes an electromechanical actuator, an energy storage device, and a control system. The electromechanical actuator is operable, upon receiving power, to transition the locking assembly between a locked state and an unlocked state. The energy storage device is electrically coupled to the electromechanical actuator, and is configured to store electrical power from the power supply when the drive assembly is coupled to the power supply. The control system is configured to couple the drive assembly to the power supply in response to a first condition, and to thereafter transmit energy only from the energy storage device to power the electromechanical actuator, based at least in part upon a level of energy stored in the energy storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Schlage Lock Company LLC
    Inventors: John C. Carpenter, William B. Ainley
  • Patent number: 10806178
    Abstract: Electronic consumable devices (ECDs) are provided with integrated bio-traceability to facilitate user-based usage restriction, tracking, etc. For example, an individual legally purchases an ECD (e.g., an e-cigarette) from a vendor, and the ECD has a biosensor (e.g., fingerprint scanner) integrated therein. During the purchasing, the vendor uses a controller device to set up registration of the ECD for the individual, and the ECD cannot be used prior to registration. As part of the registration, the individual uses the biosensor to register a biometric signature, and the vendor's controller device confirms registration of the ECD. According to some embodiments, subsequent to registration, the ECD can be used only in connection with maintaining both device-level authorization based on communications with one or more remote controller devices and user-level authorization based on acquisition of the registered biometric signature by the integrated biosensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Shenzhen Goodix Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yi He, Bo Pi
  • Patent number: 10811040
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a disk device includes a plurality of disk-shaped recording media, a first actuator assembly supported by a support shaft, a second actuator assembly supported by the support shaft and spaced from the first actuator assembly, a flexible printed wiring board includes a base portion, a first relay portion extending from the base portion and connected to the first actuator assembly, and a second relay portion extending from the base portion and connected to the second actuator assembly, a support member fixed to the base portion of the flexible printed wiring board, and a reinforcing member provided in the base portion in the vicinity of the first relay portion and the second relay portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA ELECTRONIC DEVICES & STORAGE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kota Tokuda, Nobuhiro Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 10789977
    Abstract: A magnetic recording head includes a trailing shield, a main pole, and a spin Hall layer. The spin Hall layer is disposed between the trailing shield and the main pole. A first spin torque layer is disposed between the spin Hall layer and the trailing shield. A second spin torque layer is disposed between the spin Hall layer and the main pole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Suping Song, Zhanjie Li, Terence Lam, Lijie Guan
  • Patent number: 10783907
    Abstract: A reader includes a free layer and a side shield that biases the free layer. The side shield includes a main bias layer having a first magnetic moment value and a first magnetization direction. The side shield also includes a compensation bias layer having a second magnetic moment value that is less than the first magnetic moment value and a second magnetization direction that is opposite to the first magnetization direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC
    Inventors: Victor Sapozhnikov, Taras Grigoryevich Pokhil, Mohammed Shariat Ullah Patwari, Shaun Eric McKinlay
  • Patent number: 10777219
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to data storage devices, and more specifically, to storage devices employing an energy-assisted magnetic recording write head. The write head may comprise a main pole, a trailing shield, a conducting gap disposed between the main pole and the trailing shield, and one or more current blockers. The conducting gap may be conformal with the main pole. The one or more current blockers may be configured to direct the current from the main pole to the trailing shield through the conducting gap. The one or more current blockers may be further configured to recess the conducting gap away from the media facing surface. The one or more current blockers may be configured to direct the current away from a media facing surface of the write head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Muhammad Asif Bashir, Yaguang Wei, Petrus Antonius Van Der Heijden, Xinjiang Shen, Terence Lam, Zhigang Bai, Youfeng Zheng, Changqing Shi, Michael Kuok San Ho, Jian-Gang Zhu, Lijie Guan, Venkatesh Chembrolu
  • Patent number: 10770108
    Abstract: Provided is a disc storage apparatus that includes a case including an opening on an upper surface of the case and capable of storing N rows of stacked M disc-shaped recording media (N and M each indicate a positive integer of two or greater), a tray cover that slides from a rear end of the case and cover the opening, and a locking mechanism that locks a state of the opening being covered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naofumi Goto, Takeshi Kubo
  • Patent number: 10770096
    Abstract: A recording head includes a bearing surface, a first writer and a first shield structure for the first writer. The recording head also includes a second writer and a second shield structure for the second writer. The recording head further includes a magnetic bridge connecting the first shield structure to the second shield structure at the bearing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC
    Inventors: Wei Tian, Javier Guzman, Jianhua Xue, Kirill Rivkin, Jian Zhong, Lei Lu
  • Patent number: 10762924
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to tape heads for use in a tape drive system. The tape head includes a plurality of servo elements and a plurality of data elements disposed between the servo elements. An electrostrictive material is present in the tape head. Electrodes are coupled to the electrostrictive material to permit a voltage to be distributed across the electrostrictive material. The voltage causes the electrostrictive material to expand, and thus expand the tape head. By expanding the tape head by adding voltage, or contracting the tape head by lowering voltage, the spacing between adjacent data elements can be adjusted to match the spacing between adjacent data tracks on a tape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: David J. Seagle
  • Patent number: 10762923
    Abstract: A head support mechanism is provided with: a slider with a head element; a slider support plate; a load beam that holds the slider support plate; a fulcrum protrusion that is provided around a front end part of the load beam which supports the slider support plate; drive means that is configured to pivotally move the slider support plate centering on the fulcrum protrusion; and a drive means support portion that is provided to overlap and support the drive means. The drive means support portion has a narrow part and at least one wide part provided on a front end part side and a rear end part side of the load beam with respect to the narrow part. The drive means support portion is disposed at a position overlapping the fulcrum protrusion in a projection plane in a direction perpendicular to a main surface of the slider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hideki Kuwajima
  • Patent number: 10748573
    Abstract: An apparatus according to one embodiment includes a beam and a module coupled to the beam. The module has an array of transducers. A displacement device is positioned between the beam and the module for bending the module, thereby altering a pitch of the transducers. A method according to one embodiment includes applying a control signal to a displacement device positioned between a module having an array of transducers and a beam for bending the module, thereby altering a pitch of the transducers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert G. Biskeborn, Calvin S. Lo, Hugo E. Rothuizen
  • Patent number: 10748564
    Abstract: A multi-layer microactuator for a hard disk drive suspension includes a piezoelectric (“PZT”) layer, a constraining layer, a lower electrode layer, a middle electrode layer, and an upper electrode layer. The lower electrode layer is on a bottom surface of the PZT layer and includes a first lower electrode island, a second lower electrode island, and a third lower electrode island. The second lower electrode island includes a finger extending from a main body portion towards a first end of the PZT layer. The middle electrode layer is disposed between a top surface of the PZT layer and a bottom surface of the constraining layer. The middle electrode layer including a first middle electrode island and a second middle electrode island, the second middle electrode island including a finger extending from a main body portion towards the first end of the PZT layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Magnecomp Corporation
    Inventors: Kuen Chee Ee, Long Zhang, Peter Hahn, David Glaess, Amornrat Jaturawit
  • Patent number: 10741203
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording head includes a main magnetic pole which applies a recording magnetic field to a magnetic recording medium, an auxiliary magnetic pole which faces the main magnetic pole across a recording gap, a first magnetic bypass layer which is provided in a recording gap in a track direction, and a second magnetic bypass layer which is provided in the recording gap in the track direction and is arranged at a distance from the first magnetic bypass layer in a track width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation
    Inventor: Yusuke Tomoda
  • Patent number: 10734035
    Abstract: A hard disk drive comprises a sensor configured to detect a mixing ratio within the hard disk drive and a membrane electrode assembly. The membrane electrode assembly comprises a gas flow path that couples an inside of the hard disk drive to an outside of the hard disk drive, and the gas flow path includes a cathode and anode that electrolytically remove water vapor from the inside of the hard disk drive. The drive further includes an energy source coupled to the membrane electrode assembly and a controller coupled to the sensor and the energy source. The controller is configured to activate the energy source in response to the sensor detecting a mixing ratio greater than a threshold mixing ratio and to deactivate the energy source in response to the sensor detecting a mixing ratio less than the threshold mixing ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Hao Sun, Noppavit Yongrattana, Lionel Young, Yap Pow Ming