Patents by Inventor Brian William Karr
Brian William Karr 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).
-
Patent number: 9812161Abstract: A sensor supported by a head transducer has a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) and a sensor resistance. The sensor operates at a temperature above ambient and is responsive to changes in sensor-medium spacing. Conductive contacts connected to the sensor have a contact resistance and a cross-sectional area adjacent to the sensor larger than that of the sensor, such that the contact resistance is small relative to the sensor resistance and negligibly contributes to a signal generated by the sensor. A multiplicity of head transducers each support a TCR sensor and a power source can supply bias power to each sensor of each head to maintain each sensor at a fixed temperature above an ambient temperature in the presence of heat transfer changes impacting the sensors. A TCR sensor of a head transducer can include a track-oriented TCR sensor wire for sensing one or both of asperities of the medium.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 2016Date of Patent: November 7, 2017Assignee: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLCInventors: Manuel Charles Anaya-Dufresne, Brian William Karr, Gary Joseph Kunkel, Zhen Wei
-
Patent number: 9632149Abstract: A magnetic sensor includes a magnetic layer comprising magnetic material and a grain refining agent. The magnetic layer having a grain-refined magnetic layer surface. A layer adjacent the magnetic layer has a layer surface that conforms to the grain-refined magnetic layer surface.Type: GrantFiled: October 11, 2013Date of Patent: April 25, 2017Assignee: Seagate Technology LLCInventors: Brian William Karr, Eric Walter Singleton, Qing He
-
Publication number: 20160372144Abstract: A sensor supported by a head transducer has a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) and a sensor resistance. The sensor operates at a temperature above ambient and is responsive to changes in sensor-medium spacing. Conductive contacts connected to the sensor have a contact resistance and a cross-sectional area adjacent to the sensor larger than that of the sensor, such that the contact resistance is small relative to the sensor resistance and negligibly contributes to a signal generated by the sensor. A multiplicity of head transducers each support a TCR sensor and a power source can supply bias power to each sensor of each head to maintain each sensor at a fixed temperature above an ambient temperature in the presence of heat transfer changes impacting the sensors. A TCR sensor of a head transducer can include a track-oriented TCR sensor wire for sensing one or both of asperities of the medium.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 30, 2016Publication date: December 22, 2016Inventors: Manuel Charles Anaya-Dufresne, Brian William Karr, Gary Joseph Kunkel, Zhen Wei
-
Patent number: 9472224Abstract: An apparatus comprising a writer, a reader, and a sensor configured to at least sense thermal asperities of a magnetic storage medium. The apparatus includes a writer heater configured to thermally actuate the writer, a reader heater configured to thermally actuate the reader, and a sensor heater configured to thermally actuate the sensor. The thermally actuated sensor is configured to detect thermal asperities arising from the magnetic storage medium during a topographical survey of the medium. The sensor heater is configured to be rendered inoperable subsequent to the survey in response to receiving a predetermined signal while the writer and the reader heaters remain operable.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 2013Date of Patent: October 18, 2016Assignee: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLCInventors: Declan Macken, Erik Hutchinson, Brian William Karr
-
Patent number: 9449629Abstract: A sensor supported by a head transducer has a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) and a sensor resistance. The sensor operates at a temperature above ambient and is responsive to changes in sensor-medium spacing. Conductive contacts connected to the sensor have a contact resistance and a cross-sectional area adjacent to the sensor larger than that of the sensor, such that the contact resistance is small relative to the sensor resistance and negligibly contributes to a signal generated by the sensor. A multiplicity of head transducers each support a TCR sensor and a power source can supply bias power to each sensor of each head to maintain each sensor at a fixed temperature above an ambient temperature in the presence of heat transfer changes impacting the sensors. A TCR sensor of a head transducer can include a track-oriented TCR sensor wire for sensing one or both of asperities of the medium.Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 2015Date of Patent: September 20, 2016Assignee: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLCInventors: Manuel Charles Anaya-Dufresne, Brian William Karr, Gary Joseph Kunkel, Zhen Wei
-
Publication number: 20160019923Abstract: A sensor supported by a head transducer has a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) and a sensor resistance. The sensor operates at a temperature above ambient and is responsive to changes in sensor-medium spacing. Conductive contacts connected to the sensor have a contact resistance and a cross-sectional area adjacent to the sensor larger than that of the sensor, such that the contact resistance is small relative to the sensor resistance and negligibly contributes to a signal generated by the sensor. A multiplicity of head transducers each support a TCR sensor and a power source can supply bias power to each sensor of each head to maintain each sensor at a fixed temperature above an ambient temperature in the presence of heat transfer changes impacting the sensors. A TCR sensor of a head transducer can include a track-oriented TCR sensor wire for sensing one or both of asperities of the medium.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 17, 2015Publication date: January 21, 2016Inventors: Manuel Charles Anaya-Dufresne, Brian William Karr, Gary Joseph Kunkel, Zhen Wei
-
Publication number: 20150162038Abstract: An apparatus comprising a writer, a reader, and a sensor configured to at least sense thermal asperities of a magnetic storage medium. The apparatus includes a writer heater configured to thermally actuate the writer, a reader heater configured to thermally actuate the reader, and a sensor heater configured to thermally actuate the sensor. The thermally actuated sensor is configured to detect thermal asperities arising from the magnetic storage medium during a topographical survey of the medium. The sensor heater is configured to be rendered inoperable subsequent to the survey in response to receiving a predetermined signal while the writer and the reader heaters remain operable.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 5, 2013Publication date: June 11, 2015Applicant: Seagate Technology LLCInventors: Declan Macken, Erik Hutchinson, Brian William Karr
-
Patent number: 8824100Abstract: A device having an air bearing surface, the device including a writer portion having an air bearing surface at the air bearing surface of the device; and an overcoat layer disposed on at least a portion of the air bearing surface of the writer portion, wherein the overcoat includes a material having a magnetic moment of at least about 0.1 Tesla (T).Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2012Date of Patent: September 2, 2014Assignee: Seagate Technology LLCInventors: Brian William Karr, Joel William Hoehn, Declan Macken, Christopher Loren Platt, Mei-Ling Wu, Sarbeswar Sahoo, Michael Christopher Kautzky
-
Publication number: 20140063644Abstract: An apparatus and generally associated method may be directed to a magnetic reader capable of concurrently or independently data access and environmental measurements. Various embodiments construct such a magnetic reader with first and second data transducing elements that are each adapted to selectively read data and measure clearance from an adjacent data storage media.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 29, 2012Publication date: March 6, 2014Applicant: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLCInventors: Huazhou Lou, Manuel Charles Anaya Defresne, Declan Macken, Brian William Karr
-
Publication number: 20140035572Abstract: A magnetic sensor includes a magnetic layer comprising magnetic material and a grain refining agent. The magnetic layer having a grain-refined magnetic layer surface. A layer adjacent the magnetic layer has a layer surface that conforms to the grain-refined magnetic layer surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 11, 2013Publication date: February 6, 2014Inventors: Brian William Karr, Eric Walter Singleton, Qing He
-
Patent number: 8582252Abstract: A magnetic sensor includes a magnetic layer comprising magnetic material and a grain refining agent. The magnetic layer having a grain-refined magnetic layer surface. A layer adjacent the magnetic layer has a layer surface that conforms to the grain-refined magnetic layer surface.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2005Date of Patent: November 12, 2013Assignee: Seagate Technology LLCInventors: Brian William Karr, Eric Walter Singleton, Qing He
-
Publication number: 20130128385Abstract: A device having an air bearing surface, the device including a writer portion having an air bearing surface at the air bearing surface of the device; and an overcoat layer disposed on at least a portion of the air bearing surface of the writer portion, wherein the overcoat includes a material having a magnetic moment of at least about 0.1 Tesla (T).Type: ApplicationFiled: May 21, 2012Publication date: May 23, 2013Applicant: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLCInventors: Brian William Karr, Joel William Hoehn, Declan Macken, Christopher Loren Platt, Mei-Ling Wu, Sarbeswar Sahoo, Michael Christopher Kautzky
-
Patent number: 7183893Abstract: A tunneling magnetoresistive stack includes a first ferromagnetic layer, a tunnel barrier layer on the first ferromagnetic layer, and a second ferromagnetic layer on the tunnel barrier layer. The tunneling magnetoresistive stack exhibits a negative exchange coupling between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer indicating that the tunneling magnetoresistive stack has a high quality tunnel barrier layer.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2004Date of Patent: February 27, 2007Assignee: Seagate Technology LLCInventors: Peter Hampden Clifton, Eric Walter Singleton, David James Larson, Brian William Karr, Kristin Joy Duxstad
-
Patent number: 7035062Abstract: The present invention provides a tunneling magneto-resistive read sensor structure that improves sensitivity and linear density of the sensor structure. The sensor includes first and second electrodes and a stack positioned between the electrodes. The stack includes first and second free layers with magnetization orientations that are biased relative to each other. A tunneling barrier (insulating layer) or non-magnetic metal spacer is positioned between the first and second free layers. A sense current is passed between the first and second free layers of the stack. The amount of current passing through the first and second free layer changes based upon the orientation of the first and second free layers relative to each other.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2002Date of Patent: April 25, 2006Assignee: Seagate Technology LLCInventors: Sining Mao, Eric Shane Linville, Zheng Gao, Brian William Karr, Janusz Jozef Nowak, Olle Gunnar Heinonen
-
Patent number: 6650519Abstract: A method and apparatus for protecting a thin film sensor such as a magnetoresistive head from damaging electrical transients, such as electrostatic discharge. A thin film sensor assembly includes a thin film sensor in electrical contact with a first and a second electrical contact. A shunting structure is deposited between and in electrical communication with the first and second electrical contacts such that the shunting structure as deposited is a high resistance path between the first and second electrical contacts and does not electrically short the first and second electrical contacts. Heat treating the shunting structure then forms a low resistance path between the first and second electrical contacts to provide protection of the sensor from electrostatic discharge.Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 2000Date of Patent: November 18, 2003Assignee: Seagate Technology LLCInventors: Brian William Karr, Lance Eugene Stover, Michael Berry Hintz