Patents Examined by Brian Miller
  • Patent number: 9934372
    Abstract: Technologies for performing orientation-independent bioimpedance-based user authentication include a compute device. The compute device includes a plurality of electrodes usable to transmit an alternating current and measure a bioimpedance in a section of the body of a user. The compute device is to transmit, with a pair of the electrodes, an alternating current through the section of the body of the user, measure, with a pair of the electrodes, a bioimpedance of the section of the body to the transmitted alternating current, generate a tomographic image as a function of the measured bioimpedance, identify a position of a fiduciary marker in the tomographic image, rotate the tomographic image to a predefined orientation as a function of the position of the fiduciary marker, extract one or more biometric features from the rotated tomographic image, and perform authentication of the user as a function of the extracted one or more biometric features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Cory Cornelius, Micah J. Sheller, Jason Martin
  • Patent number: 9924241
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a patch cord comprises: a communications cable that includes a first conductor and a second conductor that form a first differential pair, a third conductor and a fourth conductor that form a second differential pair; a fifth conductor and a sixth conductor that form a third differential pair, a seventh conductor and an eighth conductor that form a fourth differential pair; and a plug that is attached to a first end of the communications cable, the plug comprising: a plug housing that receives the communications cable; first through eighth plug contacts that each are at least partially within the housing and that are electrically connected to the respective first through eighth conductors; and a color identification tag that has a first color pattern that is a unique identifier for the patch cord.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: CommScope, Inc. of North Carolina
    Inventor: Yi-Teh Shih
  • Patent number: 9916854
    Abstract: In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a sequential storage media drive may include a first reel for rotatably winding sequential storage media tape from an opposing second reel of a data cartridge, an enclosure for housing the first reel and housing the data cartridge when the data cartridge is inserted into the sequential storage media drive and an access door mechanically coupled to the enclosure, the access door configured to be translated from a closed position to an open position to allow a user to access the first reel from an exterior of the enclosure in the event the data cartridge of the sequential storage media tape becomes lodged in the sequential storage media drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Elizabeth A. McTeer, Randy M. Ortiz
  • Patent number: 9916872
    Abstract: A data storage system assembly includes a hermetically-sealed enclosure, a double-barrier sealing system comprising first and second sealing members spaced from each other, and a vacuum source that operates in the space between sealing members to generate a lower pressure in the space than in the enclosure. A lighter-than-air gas may be enclosed in the enclosure, and a plurality of non-hermetically-sealed data storage devices may be housed within the enclosure. Air, humidity, and other contaminants may be intercepted by the vacuum system rather than leak into and pollute the sealed internal environment of the storage system enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Darya Amin-Shahidi, Vipin Ayanoor-Vitikkate, Toshiki Hirano
  • Patent number: 9916871
    Abstract: A data storage library includes at least a first library portion and at least a second library portion, wherein the second library portion is configured to store and receive media associated with data storage cartridges and comprises an environmental conditioning unit configured to control environmental conditions within the second library portion to be different than environmental conditions external to the second library portion. The data storage library also includes at least one acclimation chamber formed by the first library portion, wherein the at least one acclimation chamber permits gradual transition of environmental condition(s) within the at least one acclimation chamber toward at least one of the corresponding environmental condition(s) external and internal to the second library portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jose G. Miranda Gavillan, Brian G. Goodman, Kenny Nian Gan Qiu
  • Patent number: 9916848
    Abstract: A method includes identifying a microelectronic device located at an air bearing surface and a resistive heating element, said resistive heating element electrically isolated from the microelectronic device. The method further includes applying a bias current through the resistive heating element to generate localized heat and heating the microelectronic device by the localized heat. In an aspect, the method further includes identifying a predetermined humidity threshold, identifying a separation distance between the microelectronic device and the resistive heating element in at least one dimension, determining an effective temperature for which relative humidity at that region of the air bearing surface where the microelectronic device is located is reduced below the predetermined humidity threshold, and adjusting the bias current such that the microelectronic device is heated at least to the effective temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Icko E. T. Iben, Lee C. Randall
  • Patent number: 9909351
    Abstract: A garage door opener system having a garage door opener and a remote input device electrically connected to the garage door opener by an electrical conductor. The remote input device receives power by the electrical conductor. The remote input device includes a device controller to communicate an event message, monitor for an acknowledgement message within a time period, and repeat the event message when the acknowledgement message is not received within a time period. The garage door opener includes a master controller. The master controller receives the event message and communicates the acknowledgement message in response to receiving the event message. Also disclosed is a method of operating the garage door opener system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: TTI (MACAO COMMERCIAL OFFSHORE) LIMITED
    Inventor: William Marcus McNabb
  • Patent number: 9901748
    Abstract: A portable device for the optical signal transmission from and to the human eye, in which it is proposed that a rod-shaped housing (1) is provided, on the two end regions of which at least one emitter (3) and/or detector of electromagnetic waves is arranged and which has a holding clamp (2) in its middle region, wherein a power supply for the respective at least one emitter (3) and/or detector as well as a control unit (8), which is connected to the at least one emitter (3) and/or detector, are provided within the rod-shaped housing. The invention provides a portable device for the optical signal transmission from and to the human eye, which can be worn with a high wearing comfort in a discreet manner in the vicinity of the head and, and in particular allows the device to be worn in parallel with commercially available spectacles. Furthermore, the handling, storage and transport of corresponding devices are greatly facilitated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Inventors: Michael Geyer, Mark Wallerberger
  • Patent number: 9905273
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an actuator assembly, a dampening assembly coupled to the actuator assembly, and a vibration sensor assembly coupled to the dampening assembly and coupled to the actuator assembly by way of the dampening assembly. A method includes attaching a dampening assembly to an actuator assembly and attaching a vibration sensor assembly to the dampening assembly. The dampening assembly is positioned between the vibration sensor assembly and the actuator assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Antanas Daugela, Neal F. Gunderson, Reed D. Hanson, Ricardo P. Freeman, Andrew R. Motzko, Erik J. Lindquist
  • Patent number: 9899048
    Abstract: A flexible printed circuit for a storage drive assembly is provided. The flexible printed circuit includes a stiffener layer having a first stiffener region, and a second stiffener region separated from the first stiffener region by a hinge region, a first insulation layer disposed on the stiffener layer, a conductive electrode layer disposed on the first insulation layer; and a second insulation layer disposed on the conductive electrode layer, wherein the hinge region is formed from the first insulation layer, the conductive electrode layer and the second insulation layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Mukund Vijay
  • Patent number: 9899047
    Abstract: A bond pad set includes at least one ground pad and at least one electrical bond pad configured to bias and send/receive signals. The bond pad set is electrically connected to a multiplicity of electrical components. At least one electrical bond pad of the bond pad set is shared between two or more of the electrical components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC
    Inventors: Jason Bryce Gadbois, Declan Macken, Karsten Klarqvist
  • Patent number: 9888615
    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: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    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: 9886985
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a disk device includes a housing and a sealing board fixed to a base of the housing. The base includes a through-hole and an installation surface formed around the through-hole. One of a first principal surface of the sealing board and the installation surface includes a projection formed therein. The sealing board is fixed to the installation surface by an adhesive material provided on an outer side of the projection with respect to the through-hole with the first principal surface or the installation surface abutting against the projection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Makoto Okamoto, Takuma Kido, Yasutaka Sasaki
  • Patent number: 9886976
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a hard disk drive slider having an extended three-dimensional air-bearing surface (ABS). The slider has an ABS and a back surface opposite the ABS, where at least a portion of the back surface defines a plane (i.e., if the back surface is substantially flat, the back surface itself defines the plane). Defined herein is an ABS function, which describes the characteristics of a portion of the ABS in a two-dimensional plane made by taking a cross-section of the slider perpendicular to the plane defined by the at least a portion of the back surface. The cross-section of the slider taken perpendicular to the plane has an ABS function that is a multi-valued function, which is defined herein as a relation for which, for at least one possible input value along the selected axis in the plane, the relation evaluates to two or more distinct nonzero values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Weidong Huang
  • Patent number: 9875760
    Abstract: A slider of a magnetic recording head comprises a media-facing surface, an upper surface opposing the media-facing surface, a leading edge, and a trailing edge. A plurality of electrical bond pads is disposed in a spaced-apart relationship on the trailing edge of the slider. An interconnect interposer is connected to the trailing edge of the slider. The interposer comprises a back side comprising a plurality of electrical contacts in contact with the plurality of bond pads on the trailing edge of the slider. The interposer also comprises a front side comprising a plurality of electrical interposer pads corresponding in number to the plurality of electrical contacts on the back side. The interposer further comprises a plurality of conductors each of which electrically couples one of the plurality of electrical contacts on the back side with one of the plurality of interposer pads on the front side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC
    Inventors: Kevin Anthony McNeill, Lars Ahlen, Jason Bryce Gadbois, James Gary Wessel, Bradley Ver Meer
  • Patent number: 9875462
    Abstract: A docking module for use in a modular locking system includes a locking daughter board configured to selectively operate a locking mechanism into locking and unlocking positions. The docking module further includes an ID daughter board configured to interact with an identifier incorporated into a latching body of a tangible item in order to generate identification information regarding the tangible item. The ID daughter board is configured to transmit the identification information to a remote computer. The locking daughter board is configured to receive instructions from the remote computer regarding whether to selectively move the locking mechanism into the locking and unlocking positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Kiosk Information Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Roger H. Grow, Richard L. Malone, Charles Newsom
  • Patent number: 9872135
    Abstract: A system, method and computer readable medium are provided. One system includes a transmit antenna, at least one receive antenna, and an imager configured to acquire one or more images in a scanning area having one or more radio frequency identifier (RFID) tags including an RFID tag of interest. The system further includes a controller configured to operate the transmit antenna and the at least one receive antenna to acquire location information from the RFID tags, wherein the controller is further configured to operate the imager to acquire the images while the location information is acquired. The system includes a processor configured to correlate the acquired location information and the one or more images to determine an image corresponding to a location of the RFID tag of interest. The system additionally includes a display configured to display the image corresponding to the location of the RFID tag of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: INTERMEC IP CORP.
    Inventors: Hunter Leland, Stephen J. Kelly, Eric Chrisman, Pavel Nikitin
  • Patent number: 9865285
    Abstract: Provided is a wiring thin plate capable of securely hold-down the wiring thin plate around a scheduled portion to be a welded spot even if the wiring thin plate is downsized and involves widened wiring traces. The wiring thin plate includes a metal supporting layer, an insulating layer on the supporting layer, a wiring part having a plurality of wiring traces on the insulating layer, a scheduled portion defined on the supporting layer to be welded, and a protrusion formed on the supporting layer for the scheduled portion and having a height that is the same as a height of the wiring part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Naoki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9865286
    Abstract: A magnetic tape recording module having electrical lapping guides located within and adjacent to an array of magnetic read/write elements. Electrical leads connected with the electrical lapping guides are buried deep within the head build, close to the substrate so that they can pass beneath the electrical leads of the read/write elements without any capacitive coupling between the electrical lapping guide leads and the read/write element leads. The presence of the electrical lapping guides within and adjacent to the read/write element leads provides much more accurate control of read/write element stripe height during lapping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Cherngye Hwang, David John Seagle, Diane L. Brown
  • Patent number: 9852777
    Abstract: A hermetically-sealed hard disk drive (HDD) involves the inner surfaces of sidewalls of a second cover overlapping with and adhesively bonded with the outermost surfaces of sidewalls of an enclosure base. Matching angled sidewalls for the inner and outermost surfaces, and an adhesive bond that provides a hermetic seal in which a ratio of the height to the thickness of the adhesive bond is in a range of 50-100:1, may be utilized to provide a hermetic seal having a long, narrow diffusion path to inhibit diffusion of gas through the adhesive bond. The second cover may include preformed corner corrugations, and the base may include corner pockets in which corner pleats, formed with the corner corrugations by bending inward the cover sidewalls, are received within when the cover and base are bonded together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas R. Albrecht