Abstract: A method of receiving input from a user includes providing a surface within reach of a hand of the user. A plurality of locations on the surface that are touched by the user are sensed. An alphanumeric character having a shape most similar to the plurality of touched locations on the surface is determined. The user is audibly or visually informed of the alphanumeric character and/or a word in which the alphanumeric character is included. Feedback is received from the user regarding whether the alphanumeric character and/or word is an alphanumeric character and/or word that the user intended to be determined in the determining step.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system for implementing head degradation detection and prediction for hard disk drives (HDDs) are provided. Statistical parameter stability tests are used that are calculated as Confidence Intervals (CIs) from HDD parameter measurements. HDD parameters include, for example, change or delta in fly height (dFH), magnetic resistor resistance (MRR) head values, servo variable gain amplifier (SVGA) readback amplitude values, that are used in conjunction with two or more confidence level indicators and an Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving-Average (ARIMA) (p, d, q) predictor for head degradation detection and field failure prediction.

Abstract: A first adaptive fly height measurement is performed between a read/write head and a recording medium during a stage of qualification testing of a magnetic disk drive. A second adaptive fly height measurement of the read/write head is performed during a subsequent stage of the qualification testing. In response to determining that a fly height decrease between the first and second adaptive fly height measurements is above a threshold value, a mitigation operation is performed to remove a contaminant from a media-facing surface of the read/write head.

Abstract: First and second controllers output respective first and second control signals for first and second plants that respectively correspond to the stages of an actuator. An inverse model of the first plant used to determine a decoupled output of the second plant from a combined output of the first and second plants. A disturbance estimate is subtracted from the second control signal to obtain a disturbance-corrected output. A loop-shaping filter is used between the disturbance corrected output and the second plant.

Abstract: Systems and methods for compensating for magnetoresistive (MR) jog offset direct current (DC) drift in a disc drive are described. In one embodiment, a method may include determining an occurrence of NOS, for example, by monitoring disc slip, to determine when the method should proceed. An MR jog offset DC drift amount is determined for each head of the disc drive. One of several approaches may be employed for determining the MR jog offset DC drift amount. By determining an MR jog offset DC drift amount for each head, a compensation profile is determined for the drive. The determined compensation profile may then be used during operation of the disc drive to compensate for the DC drift. One of several approaches may be employed for compensating based on the compensation profile.

Abstract: A method of automatically programming a new load control device that replaces an old load control device takes advantage of a remote identification tag (e.g., an RFID tag) located in the vicinity of the old device. The remote identification tag stores an identifier that is representative of a location in which the old device is installed. The method includes the steps of: (1) storing a setting of an old device in a memory of a controller; (2) associating the setting with the identifier of the old device in the memory of the controller; (3) the new device retrieving the identifier from the remote identification tag after the new device is installed in the location of the old device; (4) the new device transmitting the identifier to the controller; and (5) the controller transmitting the setting of the old device to the new device in response to receiving the identifier.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for controlling the position of a control object in a closed loop control system, such as a servo control system used in a data storage device. In some embodiments, spaced apart first and second data tracks are written to a rotatable data recording medium without using repeated runout (RRO) compensation values to correct for RRO error in servo data written to the medium. A third data track is subsequently written so as to be interspersed between and partially overlap the first and second data tracks. The third data track is written using a set of RRO compensation values to correct for the RRO error in the servo data.

Abstract: A slider having a reader and a writer is moved relative to a magnetic bit pattern medium comprising magnetic dots arranged to include a plurality of pre-written servo sectors, data fields defined between servo sectors to which data can be written and erased, and pre-written timing synchronization fields interspersed within the data fields. In some approaches, two different tone patterns are read from one or more of the timing synchronization fields, and fly height of the slider is determined using the two different tone patterns. In other approaches, two odd harmonics are demodulated from a mixed tone pattern read from one or more of the timing synchronization fields, and fly height of the slider is determined using the two odd harmonics.

Abstract: The present invention realizes a calibration operation for detecting a motor speed, without employing digital correcting by an external CPU. The calibration operation calculates a comparison reference value corresponding to aback EMF detection signal of a back EMF detector circuit when a zero current flows through a motor and when an arm is fixed. Accordingly, the back EMF detection signal of the back EMF detector circuit is set as the first value and the second value responding to the non-zero current flowing through the motor, and the semiconductor integrated circuit calculates the comparison reference value from the first value and the second value. The difference between the comparison reference value and the comparison input value as the back EMF detection signal of the back EMF detector circuit is reduced by adjusting the gain of an internal amplifier of the back EMF detector circuit by an adjustment unit.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method includes acquiring, by the computer, position information from encoding on a magnetic medium, calculating, by the computer, an estimated position information of the magnetic medium using a media thickness value, comparing, by the computer, the estimated the estimated position information with the position information acquired from encoding, determining, by the computer, whether an error between the estimated position information and the acquired position information is within a specified range. In response to the determining that the error is within the specified range, the media thickness value is stored by the computer to a memory. In response to the determining that the error is outside the specified range, the media thickness value is changed by the computer to make the estimated position information fall within the specified range.

Abstract: A method of controlling clearance in a disk drive, including the steps of: mounting a recording head having at least one heating element at a first distance from a top surface of the disk; measuring a first passive fly height between the top surface of the disk and a bottom surface of the head; applying a first quantity of energy to the heating element(s) to permanently deform the head and change the distance between the top surface of the disk and a bottom surface of the head to a second passive fly height that is less than the first passive fly height; and applying a second quantity of energy to the heating element(s) to temporarily deform the head and change the distance between the top surface of the disk and a bottom surface of the head to an operational clearance distance that is less than the second passive fly height.

Abstract: A magnetic recording head comprises a transducer, a heater, a writer and a laser. The transducer is configured to write to a magnetic recording medium during a write operation. The heater, writer and laser are configured to affect a protrusion of the transducer. The heater is calibrated to produce a pre-write heater power to obtain a target pre-write clearance for a write operation through use of a clearance-heater power curve. The curve is generated by measuring a clearance between the transducer and the medium as the heater is cycled from zero to a contact power.

Abstract: A computer program product, according one embodiment, includes a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions readable and/or executable by a processing circuit to cause the processing circuit to: determine, by the processing circuit, an actual spacing between at least two servo tracks written on a magnetic tape based on signals from at least two servo writer elements; compare, by the processing circuit, the actual spacing with an intended spacing between the at least two servo tracks; and use, by the processing circuit, at least one actuator sandwiched between the servo writer elements to adjust a distance between the servo writer elements in response to determining that a difference between the actual spacing and the intended spacing is in a predetermined range.

Abstract: In a correction value calculating method according to an embodiment, a first distance is measured as a distance actually traveled by a head while the head is unloaded. Meanwhile, a first correction value is generated. The first correction value is used to correct a first torque value exerted on a coil when the head is unloaded. Then, a second torque value is obtained with the first correction value. The second torque value is exerted on the coil when the head is actually unloaded. Based on the second torque value, a second distance traveled by the head is calculated. Then, a second correction value used to correct the second torque value is calculated based on the first correction value, and the ratio of the first distance to the second distance.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the wear on a hard disk drive. Specifically, determining the overcoat wear of a head and/or disk during operation. In one embodiment, the magnetic head is disposed adjacent to the disk. A slider voltage is applied between a disk having a first overcoat and a head having a second overcoat as the disk is spinning By monitoring in real time a change in both touchdown power and a change in an interfacial current at a head disk interface, an electrochemical oxidation of the first overcoat can be determined. Additionally, by changing the polarity of the slider voltage, an electrochemical oxidation of the second overcoat can be determined. Finally, by measuring a passivation current produced between the head and the disk, the precise location of a touchdown event can be determined.

Abstract: An apparatus according to one embodiment includes a motor having: a rotor, a magnet, and a damping layer positioned between the rotor and the magnet. The damping layer is constructed of a material characterized by converting kinetic energy into heat.

Abstract: A tape appliance that includes two read heads and two write heads arranged along a magnetic tape path. The heads are configured such that for a first longitudinal direction of tape travel along the tape path, the tape engages the tape bearing surface of a first one of the write heads followed by engaging the tape bearing surface of a first one of the read heads and flies over the tape bearing surfaces of the other write head and the other read head. For the reverse longitudinal direction of tape travel along the tape path, the tape engages the tape bearing surface of the other write head followed by engaging the tape bearing surface of the other read head and flies over the tape bearing surfaces of the first write head and the first read head.

Abstract: Systems and method are disclosed for facilitating efficient calibration of filters for correcting room and/or speaker-based distortion and/or binaural imbalances in audio reproduction, and/or for producing three-dimensional sound in stereo system environments. According to some embodiments, using a portable device such as a smartphone or tablet, a user can calibrate speakers by initiating playback of a test signal, detecting playback of the test signal with the portable device's microphone, and repeating this process for a number of speakers and/or device positions (e.g., next to each of the user's ears). A comparison can be made between the test signal and the detected signal, and this can be used to more precisely calibrate rendering of future signals by the speakers.

Abstract: A reverberation suppression device comprises: an echo canceller that removes an echo component included in an input signal; a howling suppressor that detects occurrence of howling based on a frequency characteristic of the input signal from which the echo component has been removed and attenuates a frequency level of a component of the detected howling; and an initial sound suppressor that detects a sound section of the input signal in which the frequency level of the howling component has been attenuated and suppresses a signal value at a sound start portion of the detected sound section.

Abstract: A loudness learning and balancing system for one or more audio channels. The system learns user volume preferences from manual interventions, providing effective and robust loudness learning to provide a consistent and balanced sonic experience. The system also reduces and/or eliminates incorrect attenuation or over-amplification of quiet interludes in the audio material, thereby eliminating artifacts such as noise pumping or breathing. In addition, the system reduces low level noise in the audio signals while preserving a wide dynamic range at most listening levels.