Patents by Inventor Alan B. Johnston

Alan B. Johnston has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20080174906
    Abstract: In general, the invention is directed to techniques for integrated interconnects with a set of disc drives. The interconnects allow for a set of disc drives to be positioned in an array; for example, as set of disc drives may be stacked to communicate with a device through a single interface of the device. The interconnects may be formed as vias within the housing of the disc drives. Vias may produced using MEMS techniques, e.g., electroplating, as part of the manufacturing processes of the disc drive itself.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2007
    Publication date: July 24, 2008
    Inventors: Alan B. Johnston, Roger L. Hipwell, Bradley J. Ver Meer, John R. Pendray, Steven A. Kalderon, Wayne A. Bonin, Jeffery Kenneth Berkowitz, Hans L. Leuthold, Song Sheng Xue, Nurul Amin, Andrew D. White, Patrick Joseph Ryan
  • Patent number: 7233457
    Abstract: A perpendicular writer of the present invention comprises a main pole connected to two return poles and further includes one or more shorting shields thereby reducing erasure field on double layer perpendicular media. The perpendicular writer may include side shorting shields connecting the first and second return poles thereby modifying the crosstrack field gradient. Additionally, the perpendicular writer may include a top shorting shield modifying the downtrack gradient and may additionally include a bottom shorting shield for further reduction of erasure fields. The distance between the main pole and the shorting shields may be modified to customize the write field gradient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2007
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Alan B. Johnston, Mark A. Gubbins, William J. O'Kane
  • Patent number: 6597545
    Abstract: A magnetic sensor includes a magnetoresistive sensor element and electrical contacts coupled to the magnetoresistive element configured to sense a response of the magnetoresistive element to a magnetic field. A magnetic shield is positioned adjacent the magnetoresistive element and configured to shield the magnetoresistive element from stray magnetic fields. The shield has a substantially stable magnetic domain pattern. A shield flux thief is positioned generally in a plane of the shield and spaced apart from the shield by a gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Declan Macken, Alan B. Johnston, Harry S. Edelman
  • Publication number: 20030097447
    Abstract: An approach for providing voice processing over a packet switched network is disclosed. A communication system includes a special forking proxy server that receives a message for establishing a session between a calling user agent and a called user agent. The message has a first payload corresponding to a first call leg. The system also includes a bridging user agent that communicates with the first network element and generates a response that contains the first payload and a second payload that corresponds to a second call leg. The bridging user agent is configured to bridge the first call leg and the second call leg to establish a session between the calling user agent and the called user agent. The special forking proxy server is configured to fork an acknowledgement message from the calling party to acknowledge the session establishment by the called user agent. The present invention has particular applicability to SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) IP (Internet Protocol) telephony services.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2001
    Publication date: May 22, 2003
    Inventor: Alan B. Johnston
  • Patent number: 6456460
    Abstract: A read while write dual bump tape head for increasing allowable linear and areal bit density comprises first and second thin-film inductive write heads. The first thin film, inductive write head has a first top pole and a first shared pole. The first shared pole is patterned such that it has a width at a tape bearing surface of the dual bump tape head narrower than a width of the first top pole at the tape bearing surface. The second thin-film inductive head has a second top pole and a second shared pole. The second shared pole is patterned such that it has a width at the tape bearing surface narrower than a width of the second top pole at the tape bearing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Maura P. Connolly, Alan B. Johnston, Mark E. Troutman, David Hutson
  • Publication number: 20020048125
    Abstract: A magnetic sensor includes a magnetoresistive sensor element and electrical contacts coupled to the magnetoresistive element configured to sense a response of the magnetoresistive element to a magnetic field. A magnetic shield is positioned adjacent the magnetoresistive element and configured to shield the magnetoresistive element from stray magnetic fields. The shield has a substantially stable magnetic domain pattern. A shield flux thief is positioned generally in a plane of the shield and spaced apart from the shield by a gap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2001
    Publication date: April 25, 2002
    Inventors: Declan Macken, Alan B. Johnston, Harry S. Edelman
  • Patent number: 5986856
    Abstract: A transducer in a magnetic storage device includes an elongated magnetoresistive element having an active region. First and second electrical contacts couple to the elongated magnetoresistive element on opposite sides of the active region. A bottom inductive write pole and shared shield is positioned adjacent the elongated magnetoresistive element and includes a body region and a pole tip region proximate the active region. The shared shield includes a notch defined between the pole tip region and the body region to thereby improve magnetic stability in the pole tip region. A top inductive write pole is spaced apart from the bottom inductive write pole and shared shield to form a magnetic gap with the pole tip region for inductively writing information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: Segate Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Declan Macken, Alan B. Johnston