Patents by Inventor Arnold O. Thornton

Arnold O. Thornton 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: 20030136846
    Abstract: An optical memory card including a substrate with a data zone covered by an information carrying layer, at least one diffractive optical element (DOE) that is positioned on the substrate, and a metal element coupled to the substrate. The data zone advantageously has a small inner radius, e.g., 12 mm. The DOE may be embossed in the substrate within the data zone formed on the substrate. The metal element may include a hole or protrusion to align the card with a driver. A method for making the card includes embossing a substrate with DOE and grooves, and provides an information carrying layer. A driver for the memory card including a magnetic chuck and a reading laser.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2002
    Publication date: July 24, 2003
    Inventors: Timothy C. Higgins, Vladimir A. Knyazik, Michael H. Ngo, Arnold O. Thornton
  • Patent number: 6033766
    Abstract: A method of producing a high resolution expanded analog gray scale mask is described. Using an inorganic chalcogenide glass, such as a selenium germanium, coated with a thin layer of silver, a gray scale mask may be produced with accurate control of the size, uniformity and variance of the pixels. The selenium germanium glass is composed of column structures arranged perpendicularly to the substrate giving a possible edge precision of 100 .ANG.. The column structures also prevent undercutting during the etching process, thus permitting pixels to be placed close together. Accordingly, selenium germanium may be used as a high resolution gray scale mask with an expanded analog gray scale. The gray scale mask may be used to impress information as a modulated thickness on a selenium germanium photoresist layer on an inorganic substrate. The selenium germanium photoresist layer may then transfer the gray scale to the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2000
    Assignee: Aerial Imaging Corporation
    Inventors: Barry Block, Arnold O. Thornton, Jan Ingwersen, Walter Daschner
  • Patent number: 5998066
    Abstract: A method of producing a high resolution expanded analog gray scale mask is described. Using an inorganic chalcogenide glass, such as a selenium germanium, coated with a thin layer of silver, a gray scale mask may be produced with accurate control of the size, uniformity and variance of the pixels. The selenium germanium glass is composed of column structures arranged perpendicularly to the substrate giving a possible edge precision of 100 .ANG.. The column structures also prevent undercutting during the etching process, thus permitting pixels to be placed close together. Accordingly, selenium germanium may be used as a high resolution gray scale mask with an expanded analog gray scale. The gray scale mask may be used to impress information as a modulated thickness on a selenium germanium photoresist film on an inorganic substrate. The selenium germanium photoresist film may then transfer the gray scale to the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: Aerial Imaging Corporation
    Inventors: Barry Block, Arnold O. Thornton
  • Patent number: 5446612
    Abstract: A head suspension assembly for a hard disk drive data storage device which prevents contact between the head portion of the mechanism and the surface of the data storage media. An arm member includes a head assembly secured to one end and a bushing at the other end for engaging a rotatable positioning shaft. The arm member applies a resilient beam loading force to urge the arm member away from the media, and includes an aerodynamic airfoil that interacts with the air flow adjacent to the media surface to oppose the beam loading force and move the arm member toward the media to a proper flying height. When the disk is spinning, the negative lift of the airfoil opposes the resilient loading of the arm member and urges the arm member closer to the surface of the rotating media. As the head approaches the rotating surface, the positive lift of the air bearing counterbalances the negative lift from the airfoil such that a dynamic equilibrium is established at a predetermined flying height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 29, 1995
    Assignee: Areal Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Arnold O. Thornton, Hang T. Nguyen, Greg N. Nguyen, Don P. Williams
  • Patent number: 5278709
    Abstract: A compact disk drive useful with a laptop computer comprises at least one glass disk, thin film read/write heads and a head actuator preferably made of magnesium material. The drive motor hub and hub flange are made of steel and the magnet housing for the actuator is made from an integral steel unit. A flexible cable assembly, which is connected to the read/write head circuits and to external circuitry for data processing and for providing control signals, is formed with two flexible sections. Each section is attached to the head actuator and to stationary posts of the disk drive housing thereby balancing the forces applied to the actuator when it is moved for head accessing. A clamp for holding the disk to the motor hub is designed to minimize distortion and to prevent shifting and misalignment of the disk relative to the center of the motor hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 11, 1994
    Assignee: Areal Technology
    Inventors: Arnold O. Thornton, Akihiko Kumano, Thien-Greg N. Nguyen, Robert F. Hoppe, Donald P. Williams