Patents Examined by Hoa Thi Nguyen
  • Patent number: 7385892
    Abstract: In a DVD-R on which information is to be recorded by an information recording apparatus, prior to the recording of the information therein, there are recorded in advance at least identification information for identifying the information recording apparatus for recording the information onto the DVD-R, and recording parameter information containing optimization information for optimizing a recording state in the record processing executed by the information recording apparatus specified by the identification information. Furthermore, the information recording apparatus reads the recording parameter information at the execution of record processing to use it for the record processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshio Sasaki, Satoshi Uchiumi, Hirohisa Tsudome, Kunio Matsumoto, Eiji Muramatsu, Shoji Taniguchi, Akiyoshi Inoue
  • Patent number: 7375909
    Abstract: A write driver for driving a write current through a write head connected to the write head by an interconnect or flexible transmission line. The write driver includes a circuit matching an output impedance of the write driver to the odd characteristic impedance of the interconnect and includes a current source generating a current output to the write head. The write driver provides a current amplification effect as the output current is half the write current driven through the write coil. The impedance matching circuit includes an output resistor with a resistance equal to the odd characteristic impedance of the interconnect. The write driver includes a voltage source that operates to maintain a voltage drop of zero on the output resistor during the initial period of twice the transmission delay of the interconnect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Alessandro Venca, Roberto Alini, Baris Posat
  • Patent number: 7369337
    Abstract: A magnetic field application apparatus includes a pair of magnetic field application means, each of which is arranged, at least during application of a magnetic field, on either side of a magnetic field application target so as to face each other, and which generate a magnetic field in a predetermined direction. Each of the magnetic field application means includes a pair of magnetic portions which generate a magnetic field in a desired direction from one of the magnetic portions toward the other magnetic portion, and of which the polarities on the side facing the magnetic field application target are different from each other. Each of the pair of magnetic portions is formed so that magnetic force applied to the magnetic field application target becomes weaker stepwise or continuously from the side of the magnetic portion, facing the other magnetic portion, toward the opposite side thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Michinobu Fujisawa
  • Patent number: 7339871
    Abstract: An optical disc has spatial features (notches, bumps, etc.) that intentionally distort the analog Read Data signal. For a mark or space that is centered on a spatial feature, the distortion does not affect the resulting binary Read Data signal. If an edge of a mark or space is near the spatial feature, the resulting binary Read Data signal is altered. For calibration, marks or spaces are written adjacent to spatial features, with a range of times for initiating the writes. The result is a range of write times that do not alter the binary Read Data signal. From these known times and spatial locations, it is known when a mark or space must be written to ensure accurate spatial placement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Josh Hogan
  • Patent number: 7280302
    Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed for connecting to a host, the host comprising loopback circuitry operable to loop a pattern received from the disk drive back to the disk drive. The disk drive comprises interface circuitry including a transmitter driver operable to transmit transmission signals at a transmission amplitude, and a receiver driver operable to receive reception signals. The transmitter driver is configured to transmit at an initial transmission amplitude, and a calibration pattern is transmitted to the host through the transmitter driver. The reception signals received by the receiver driver are monitored to detect a loopback pattern representing a loopback of the calibration pattern. The loopback pattern is processed to detect an error, and the transmission amplitude is adjusted in response to the error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: John C. Masiewicz
  • Patent number: 7274528
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided to protect head elements on a head of a head guide assembly, having a magnetic tape, and a leader coupled to the magnetic tape at a first end, such that the height of the leader is less than the height of the magnetic tape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: Certance LLC
    Inventors: John Anthony Hamming, Robert Ralph Heinze, Umang Mehta
  • Patent number: 7212371
    Abstract: A storage device, which comprises a storage media, a spindle motor which spins the storage media, a head unit which records and reads the data to the storage media, an actuator which carries out the positioning operation to the head unit on the storage media, a loading and unloading system which controls the actuator and carries out the unload operation that withdraws the head unit from the storage media and the loading operation that shifts the head unit onto the storage media, and a measurement means which measures the unloading energy required for the unload operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Yukio Abe, Shunji Saitou, Yoshifumi Obara
  • Patent number: 7207051
    Abstract: An optical disk physical has a recording region divided into zones, each zone including physical tracks adjacent to each other. An integer number of sectors are provided in each physical track. The angular recording density is higher in the more outward zones such that the linear recording density is substantially constant throughout the recording region, and logical tracks are formed of a predetermined number of sectors, independent of the physical tracks. The conversion between the logical track and sector addresses read from the disk and the linear logical addresses supplied from a host device is easy. The addresses written in headers of the sectors in the logical track in which data are actually recorded, including substitute sectors used in place of defect sectors, are preferably consecutive to further facilitate the conversion between the logical track and sector addresses read from the disk and the linear logical addresses supplied from the host device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kyosuke Yoshimoto, M. C. Rao, Hiroyuki Ohata, Kazuhiko Nakane, Teruo Furukawa, Junichi Kondo, Masafumi Ototake
  • Patent number: 7199961
    Abstract: One embodiment features a method, apparatus, and computer-readable media comprising receiving a pulse generated in response to a transition of a head over a predetermined pattern on a storage medium; measuring a first amplitude of the pulse at a first predetermined time and one or more second amplitudes of the pulse at respective second predetermined times; and calculating a distance between the head and the storage medium based on a function of the first and second amplitudes. Another embodiment features a method, apparatus, and computer-readable media comprising receiving a pulse generated in response to a transition of a head over a predetermined pattern on a storage medium; measuring a first amplitude of a power spectrum of the pulse at a first predetermined frequency and a second amplitude of the power spectrum of the pulse at respective second predetermined frequencies; and calculating a distance between the head and the storage medium based on a function of the first and second amplitudes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventors: Zining Wu, Toai Doan
  • Patent number: 7197757
    Abstract: A disk cartridge includes a case accommodating a disk and having a first hole, a cover installed at the case and having a second hole open to an outside of the cover, a shutter installed to be capable of moving with respect to the case disposed under the disk to open/shut the first hole formed on the case, and a plurality of protruding portions provided at the shutter to support a non information area provided at an outer circumferential side of the disk and having inclined surfaces inclined at a predetermined angle. When the shutter is opened, the disk descends along the inclined surfaces. When the shutter is shut, the disk ascends along the inclined surfaces to closely contact a portion of the cover disposed around the second hole of the cover. Thus, since the shutter contacts only a non-information area of the disk, an information area of the disk can be safely kept from being damaged during an operation of opening/shutting the first hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hong-kyun Yim, Yong-hoon Lee, Jae-yong Eum, Han-kook Choi
  • Patent number: 7193805
    Abstract: A slider (2?) with a reduced fly height is disclosed. The slider includes a small micropad (66) on the lower surface (22?) of the slider (2?). A sensor region (62) of a head (61) that is carried by the slider (2?) protrudes into the micropad (66). The fluid pressure acting on an air bearing surface system (26) on the lower surface (22?) of the slider (2?) is insufficient to dispose the entire lower surface (22?) of the slider (2?) in spaced relation to its corresponding disk (136) during the initial portion of the very first operation of the disk drive. The micropad (66) is thereby burnished, and continues to burnish until the air bearing surface system (26) assumes a position relative to the disk (136) that allows the fluid pressure acting on the air bearing surface system (26) to dispose the entire lower surface (22?) of the slider (2?) in spaced relation to the disk (136).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Maxtor Corporation
    Inventor: Quinn Haddock
  • Patent number: 7181753
    Abstract: The medium comprises a bilayer stack constituted of an inorganic layer (30) and a semi-reflecting layer (32). The inorganic layer (30) can be deformed under the effect of light radiation (34) passed through the semi-reflecting layer, which lowers the reflection coefficient of the stack. Application to irreversible recording of information data, for example on discs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignees: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique, MPO International
    Inventors: Ludovic Poupinet, Bernard Bechevet, Marie-Francoise Armand, Robin Perrier, Olivier Fallou
  • Patent number: 7180699
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for increasing the capacity of magnetic media storage is disclosed. More specifically, an improved two-sided magnetic tape is disclosed. In one implementation, in order to mitigate pack winding problems, a trade-off can be made between the back-coat roughness of a side of the magnetic tape and the mechanical imprint of that roughness in the recording surface of that side (e.g., compromise between roughness and recording density). For example, a recording density and coding scheme deemed appropriate for a relatively large recording head-to-media separation can be used for the “rougher” side of a two-sided tape, and the highest recording density achievable can be used for the “best” or smoothest side of the two-sided tape. Depending on the recording density/roughness match selected, an optimum capacity gain can be selected from a range of capacity gains with values between 1 and 2 (e.g., 1<(gain in capacity)<2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Storage Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Richard H. Dee
  • Patent number: 7180695
    Abstract: The amount of position error written into a servo burst pattern can be reduced by using additional media revolutions to write the pattern. Where servo bursts are used to define a position on the media, trimming a first burst and writing a second burst on separate revolutions of the media will result in a different amount of position error being written into each burst. The end result will be a reduction in the overall error in position information. In order to further reduce the position error given by a combination of bursts, each burst also can be trimmed and/or written in multiple passes. The overall error in position should decrease as the number of passes used to write a burst combination increases. This description is not intended to be a complete description of, or limit the scope of, the invention. Other features, aspects, and objects of the invention can be obtained from a review of the specification, the figures, and the claims.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Richard M. Ehrlich
  • Patent number: 7173790
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a magnetic disk apparatus comprises a magnetic disk for recording information; a magnetic head that reads information from, or writes information to, the magnetic disk; an actuator device that drives the magnetic head; and a control system that controls the driving of the actuator device. The actuator device is configured by a dual stage actuator comprising a fine actuator that drives the head and a coarse actuator that drives the magnetic head together with the fine actuator. The control system includes a fine controller that generates an operational value for driving the fine actuator and a coarse controller that generates an operational amount for driving the coarse actuator. The control system includes a mechanism for smoothly changing the operational amount generated by the fine controller immediately before saturation resulting from an applied voltage limit of the fine actuator or at the time the fine actuator returns to a control range from the saturation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Masahito Kobayashi, Shinsuke Nakagawa, Hidehiko Numasato, Yoshio Soyama
  • Patent number: 7171675
    Abstract: A disc player 10 which moves a disc stopper 55 controlling the movement of a drawn disc 1 and clamps and chucks the disc on a turntable, wherein the disc stopper is designed so that is it positioned in a positioning position where the disc and the turntable are positioned concentric with each other and in a retracted position where the disc stopper is spaced from the disc clamped and chucked to a turntable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Katsuhisa Satoh
  • Patent number: 7170707
    Abstract: A disk drive system includes an adjustable output (linear or switching) voltage regulator including an output terminal that provides an output voltage. A plurality of loads each include a voltage supply terminal that receives the output voltage. A controller dynamically adjusts the output voltage based, e.g., based on which of the loads are active.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Brian K. Tanner, Richard M. Ehrlich
  • Patent number: 7168080
    Abstract: An optical disc drive includes a main body at which a spindle motor is installed. A tray installed at the main body is loadable/unloadable into/from the main body, and a disc holder is rotatable by the spindle motor when the tray is in a loaded position, and is joinable to a clamping hole of a disc so as to fix the disc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seung-hoon Kim, Young-woo Huh, Chung-ung Kim, Pil-je Cho, Young-sun Jung, Sung-hun Lee, Kyu-hyeong Lee
  • Patent number: 7167334
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for digital control of a head-disk assembly actuator with dynamic velocity compensation. In preferred methods of the invention steps are disclosed in which, the actuator voltage in an HDA is sampled and a velocity error is determined. The voltage applied to the actuator is compensated for the velocity error. Disclosed methods of the invention also include steps for measuring the actual voltage at the actuator motor and alternatively, for calculating the actuator motor voltage using digital processing techniques. A digital voltage command is then provided for applying compensated voltage to the actuator motor. Apparatus for implementing the methods of the invention in a hard drive assembly having an actuator motor is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: John Kevin Rote, Liyong Chen
  • Patent number: 7167440
    Abstract: An optical information recording medium which makes it possible to reduce the noise level, improve the C/N ratio and store record data for a long time period. An optical information recording medium has a recording layer formed on a substrate, for having a laser beam irradiated thereto for recording and reproduction of record data. The recording layer includes a first sub-recording film and a second sub-recording film. The first sub-recording film is formed of a first material containing Si as the main component. The second sub-recording film is formed of a second material containing Al as the main component and having Ti added thereto, and disposed in the vicinity of the first recording film. The laser beam is irradiated to the recording layer via a light transmitting layer formed in a manner covering the recording layer side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyasu Inoue, Koji Mishima, Masaki Aoshima, Hideki Hirata, Hajime Utsunomiya