Patents by Inventor Charles A. Neumann

Charles A. Neumann 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: 10459891
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for replicating data across data storage devices of a logical volume. A data storage system may create a logical volume by grouping the multiple data storage devices together. The data storage devices may be external standalone data storage devices. The data storage system may also replicate data across the logical volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles A. Neumann
  • Patent number: 10317434
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for determining an input voltage level of an input voltage received by a connection cable. A monitoring component may determine whether the input voltage level matches one of a plurality of voltage levels. The connection cable may include an indicator component that may indicate which of the plurality of voltage levels matches the input voltage level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Dean Mitcham Jenkins, Charles A. Neumann
  • Patent number: 9772650
    Abstract: A device may comprise data storage, a power manager and a bridge device that is coupled to the data storage and to the power manager, and configured to bridge between at least a first data protocol and at least a second data protocol. The bridge device may comprise a UART, a first clock, a second clock and bridge device firmware configured to cause the bridge device to selectively configure the UART for communication using the first clock or the second clock. The power manager may be configured to, when a command is to be issued to the data storage when the bridge device firmware has configured the UART for communication using the first clock, assert a signal that causes the bridge device firmware to stop configuring the UART for communication using the first clock and to configure the UART for communication using the second clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Nguyen, Charles A. Neumann
  • Patent number: 9577372
    Abstract: A connector may include at least one power conductor configured to supply power to an electronic device; at least one ground conductor to supply a ground to the electronic device; at least one data conductor configured to carry data to or from the electronic device; optionally, one or more connector orientation conductors; a first magnet on a first side of the connector; and a second magnet on a second side of the connector. The connector may be reversible to be magnetically-connectable to a mating connector in a first orientation and in a second orientation that is 180 degrees from the first orientation. The connector may be operative to carry data and power to and/or from the mating connector when connected to the mating connector in the first orientation or in the second orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Musa I. Kakish, John E. Maroney, Charles A. Neumann
  • Patent number: 9116679
    Abstract: A storage device including a communications interface configured to receive data and power, a plurality of disk drives configured to be powered only by the power received by the communications interface, a controller configured to configure the plurality of disk drives as a redundant array of independent disks, a power regulator configured to transmit the received power from the communications interface to the plurality of disk drives, and a peak current reduction circuit configured to reduce peak current usage by the plurality of disk drives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Musa I. Kakish, Charles A. Neumann
  • Patent number: 8963471
    Abstract: A controller for a DC motor comprises an output switching element configured to couple to the DC motor; an input switching element coupled to the output switching element; a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal coupled to a control terminal of the input switching element and a supply voltage applied to the output switching element. A resistive-capacitive (RC) network may be coupled to a control terminal of the output switching element, with the RC network being configured to integrate the PWM signal into a DC voltage. A first resistive network may be configured to set a bias for the output switching element when the input switching element is turned off, and a second resistive network may be configured to set the bias for the output switching element when the input switching element is turned on, such that the controller is effective to provide zero-to-full supply voltage control to the DC motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles A. Neumann