Patents by Inventor Christopher Nicholas

Christopher Nicholas 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: 20190347222
    Abstract: A data storage device can employ a front end bus to optimize data storage performance. A first controller may be connected to a first memory via a first bus and to a second memory via a second bus with the first bus and first memory housed within an internal cavity of an enclosure while the second bus is exposed to an exterior surface of the housing and the second memory is separated from the internal cavity. The first controller can be configured to substitute the second memory for the first memory in response to a front end controller identifying a type of data storage of the second memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Inventor: Christopher Nicholas Allo
  • Patent number: 10474361
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for managing data. A host device is coupled to multiple hybrid data storage devices each having a primary non-volatile memory (NVM), a secondary NVM, a top level controller and a secondary controller. During a normal I/O processing mode, host access commands are serviced by the top level controllers to direct transfers with the respective primary and secondary NVMs. During a front end I/O processing mode, the host device forms a consolidated, distributed memory space in which data are separately stored to the secondary NVMs by the host device. The primary NVM may be rotatable recording media and the secondary NVM may be flash memory. The secondary NVM may be in the form of removable SSD cards that plug into the storage devices to support replacement and performance upgrades, as well as allowing transitions between cold and hot data storage modes in a single system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventor: Christopher Nicholas Allo
  • Publication number: 20190339867
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for managing data. A host device is coupled to multiple hybrid data storage devices each having a primary non-volatile memory (NVM), a secondary NVM, a top level controller and a secondary controller. During a normal I/O processing mode, host access commands are serviced by the top level controllers to direct transfers with the respective primary and secondary NVMs. During a front end I/O processing mode, the host device forms a consolidated, distributed memory space in which data are separately stored to the secondary NVMs by the host device. The primary NVM may be rotatable recording media and the secondary NVM may be flash memory. The secondary NVM may be in the form of removable SSD cards that plug into the storage devices to support replacement and performance upgrades, as well as allowing transitions between cold and hot data storage modes in a single system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2018
    Publication date: November 7, 2019
    Inventor: Christopher Nicholas Allo
  • Publication number: 20190342301
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for establishing trust among processing devices arranged into a trust family. In some embodiments, each processing device in a group of devices has an internal token value as a unique ID value associated with the corresponding device. The internal token values are distributed among the various devices so that each device stores the internal token value of another device as an external token value. A host controller circuit authenticates the trust family by querying the devices and receiving responses therefrom. Each response is generated by a device using the external token value stored by the device. In this way, the trust family is authenticated by matching each of the external token values to each of the devices in the group. The devices may be data storage devices such as solid state drives (SSDs) in a multi-device storage environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2018
    Publication date: November 7, 2019
    Inventor: Christopher Nicholas Allo
  • Patent number: 10460110
    Abstract: Security of computers, data storage devices, and servers can be improved with a multiple key access system. In some embodiments, a local key management device can be a locally (or virtually) located data storage device such as a HDD or SDD. The key management device may be part of a computer or server system and can have a first secure area protected by a cryptographic module (e.g. hardware integrated circuit). The first secure area can store a key to access a second secure area, which may function as a local key management server (LKMS) and store access information to authenticate another data storage device coupled to the computer. For example, the LKMS may store an access key to provide the computer with access to another data storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Nicholas Allo, Kevin Gautam Sternberg, Saheb Biswas
  • Publication number: 20190260123
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure describe systems, methods, and structures for optical phased array calibration that advantageously may be performed as a single-pass measurement of phase offset with respect to only a single interference measurement. In sharp contrast to the prior art—systems, methods, and structures according to aspects of the present disclosure advantageously produce phase offsets and phase functions of each element without time-consuming iterative procedures or multiple detector signals as required by the prior art.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2019
    Publication date: August 22, 2019
    Applicant: ANALOG PHOTONICS LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Nicholas POULTON, Peter RUSSO, Erman TIMURDOGAN, Matthew BYRD, Diedrik VERMEULEN, Ehsan HOSSEINI
  • Patent number: 10382201
    Abstract: Security of data storage devices and servers can be improved by the system and methods described herein. In some embodiments, a key management device of a server can be a locally (or virtually) located data storage device such as a HDD or SDD. The key management device may be part of a server system and can have a secure area protected by a cryptographic module (e.g. hardware integrated circuit). The secure area can store a certificate needed to authenticate another data storage device coupled to the server. A second server may authenticate the certificate and provide the access key to the another data storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Nicholas Allo, Saheb Biswas, Kevin Gautam Sternberg
  • Patent number: 10366492
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and method for segmentation and identification of structured features in images. According to an aspect, a method may include representing an image as a graph of nodes connected together by edges. For example, the image may be an ocular image showing layered structures or other features of the retina. The method may also include adding, to the graph, nodes adjacent to nodes along first and second sides of the graph. The added nodes may have edge weights less than the nodes along the first and second sides of the graph. Further, the method may include assigning start and end points to any of the added nodes along the first and second sides, respectively. The method may also include graph cutting between the start and end points for identifying a feature in the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: Duke University
    Inventors: Sina Farsiu, Stephanie J. Chiu, Cynthia A. Toth, Joseph A. Izatt, Xiao T. Li, Peter Christopher Nicholas
  • Publication number: 20190180058
    Abstract: Systems and methods for wireless enabled security in relation to a storage drive are described. In one embodiment, the systems and methods may include receiving, at a storage drive, a request from a host of the storage drive. In some cases, the request may be received via a wired connection between the storage drive and the host.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2019
    Publication date: June 13, 2019
    Applicant: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC
    Inventor: Christopher Nicholas Allo
  • Patent number: 10264823
    Abstract: Cartridges for use with a vaporizer body are provided. In some implementations, a cartridge having a top end and a bottom end comprises a mouthpiece proximate to the top end, a transparent storage compartment configured to store vaporizable material, and a heater assembly attached to the transparent storage compartment at the bottom end. The heater assembly comprises a heating element, a pair of electrical contacts, a wick, and a heater chamber formed at least in part from two metal walls configured to provide a heat shield between the heating element and the storage compartment, coupled to the pair of electrical contacts. The pair of electrical contacts are disposed at the bottom end and are configured to complete an electrical circuit with the vaporizer body when the cartridge is inserted into the vaporizer body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Inventors: James Monsees, Adam Bowen, Steven Christensen, Joshua Morenstein, Christopher Nicholas HibmaCronan
  • Patent number: 10242234
    Abstract: Systems and methods for wireless enabled security in relation to a storage drive are described. In one embodiment, the systems and methods may include receiving, at a storage drive, a request from a host of the storage drive. In some cases, the request may be received via a wired connection between the storage drive and the host. In some embodiments, the systems and methods may include determining whether the request is flagged by the host as a secure connection request, processing the request upon determining the request is not flagged as a secure connection request, and establishing a wireless connection with the host upon determining the request is flagged by the host as a secure connection request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC
    Inventor: Christopher Nicholas Allo
  • Patent number: 10201190
    Abstract: Apparatuses including vaporizer device bodies and cartridges are provided. In some implementations, an apparatus includes a cartridge and a body. The cartridge comprises a storage compartment configured to hold a vaporizable material, a heater chamber including a heating element configured to heat the vaporizable material to generate an aerosol, and an outlet for the aerosol. The body comprises a receptacle configured to insertably receive and couple to the cartridge, and first and second electrical contacts configured to complete an electrical circuit with the heating element. The cartridge and the body are configured to define an airflow path comprising an air inlet passage having a first side formed by an exterior surface of the cartridge and a second side formed by an internal surface of the receptacle. The air inlet passage is configured to deliver air towards the heater chamber, which is in fluid communication with the outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Inventors: James Monsees, Steven Christensen, Joshua Morenstein, Christopher Nicholas HibmaCronan
  • Patent number: 10159282
    Abstract: Vaporizer devices and apparatuses are provided. In some implementations, a cartridge for a vaporizer device comprises an elongate and flattened storage compartment configured to hold a liquid vaporizable material, an opaque mouthpiece that is secured over the proximal end of the storage compartment, an opening through the mouthpiece, a notch in the front side of the mouthpiece, a heater at the distal end of the storage compartment, and a channel within the storage compartment that extends from the heater towards the proximal end of the storage compartment. The liquid vaporizable material is visible through the storage compartment. A first end of the mouthpiece terminates in an edge disposed adjacent to a location between the distal end and the proximal end, the mouthpiece has a front side adjacent a side of the storage compartment, and the notch extends away from the edge toward an end of the mouthpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: JUUL Labs, Inc.
    Inventors: James Monsees, Adam Bowen, Steven Christensen, Joshua Morenstein, Christopher Nicholas HibmaCronan
  • Publication number: 20180360130
    Abstract: Vaporization devices and methods of operating them. In particular, described herein are vaporizer cartridges for controlling the power applied to a resistive heater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2018
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Inventors: Adam Bowen, Steven Christensen, Christopher Nicholas HibmaCronan, James Monsees, Joshua Morenstein
  • Patent number: D842536
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: JUUL Labs, Inc.
    Inventors: Adam Bowen, James Monsees, Steven Christensen, Joshua Morenstein, Christopher Nicholas HibmaCronan
  • Patent number: D856745
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Integrated Roasting Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Zachary Russell Heineman, Christopher Nicholas Hibmacronan, Joshua Morenstein, Florent Olivier Alexandre
  • Patent number: D858868
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: JUUL Labs, Inc.
    Inventors: Adam Bowen, Steven Christensen, Christopher Nicholas HibmaCronan, James Monsees, Joshua Morenstein
  • Patent number: D858869
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: JUUL Labs, Inc.
    Inventors: Adam Bowen, Steven Christensen, Christopher Nicholas HibmaCronan, James Monsees, Joshua Morenstein
  • Patent number: D858870
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: JUUL Labs, Inc.
    Inventors: Adam Bowen, Steven Christensen, Christopher Nicholas HibmaCronan, James Monsees, Joshua Morenstein
  • Patent number: D861975
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: JUUL Labs, Inc.
    Inventors: Adam Bowen, James Monsees, Steven Christensen, Joshua Morenstein, Christopher Nicholas HibmaCronan