Abstract: A crowdfunding setup for directly supplying services/goods to beneficiaries. The actors are: (i) a plurality of funders, who are able to track where and how their funds are put into use, (ii) a plurality of beneficiaries, who have access to funds only for a specific need of a service or good as opposed to money, (iii) a plurality of service/goods providers, who meet a set of criteria to supply the needed service or good to the beneficiaries, and (iv) a campaign controller, who sets up the campaign that ties together all actors and their actions. Selection of the service provider is based on a plurality of criteria for each campaign where such a selection is based on a combination of actors using a consensus mechanism. Upon collection of funds, the beneficiary is provided the service/good, which is also tracked by the campaign and the funders.

Abstract: An intra-corporate tokenized recognition system and method are developed by which the employees can send to their co-workers, tokens to show appreciation. One key aspect of this invention is factoring-in the social behavior during token transactions using a social network graph. Doing so, a weight (or significance) is assigned to each token transaction and used a multiplier of the number of the tokens, while maintaining transaction auditability, immutability, publicity and anonymity. The aforementioned weight is determined by a software component penalizing social anomalies such as cliques and dyads. This invention integrates a weighted social network graph representing employee token transactions with a blockchain.

Abstract: A storage device has a storage medium, a plurality of read-write mechanisms, a quality monitoring and book-keeping unit and a scheduling unit. The plurality of read-write mechanisms is coupled to the storage medium. The quality monitoring and book-keeping unit is coupled to the plurality of read-write mechanisms and is adapted to monitor at least one performance parameter associated with each read-write mechanism during operation. The scheduling unit is coupled to the quality monitoring and book-keeping unit. The scheduling unit is adapted to rank each of the plurality of read-write mechanisms according to the at least one performance parameter and to responsively schedule use of a read-write mechanism according to its rank.

Abstract: A method of reading a data block from a sector of a recording media is described. The data block from the sector of the recording channel is decoded with an ECC decoder (first trial). The data block is re-decoded (second trial) using an adjusted timing recovery block that is adjusted based on the decoded data block, if the number of errors exceeded an error correction capability of the ECC decoder on the first trial. In one embodiment, the data block is reread from the same sector of the recording channel using the adjusted timing recovery block that is adjusted based on the re-decoded data block. The data block is subsequently jointly decoded with the waveforms obtained from the second trial by a possibly modified sequence detector, if the number of errors exceeded the error correction capability of the ECC decoder during the second trial.

Abstract: A system for pattern dependent equalization has an equalizer bank and a detector. The equalizer bank has a plurality of equalizers, which are each tuned to a selected data pattern. The detector may be a standard sequence detector or a modified Viterbi detector, which calculates the branch metric using a pattern dependent equalized output and a pattern-dependent target. A method of decoding data uses a pattern dependent equalizer bank. The pattern dependent equalizer bank processes a segment of a bit sequence to produce an equalized pattern-dependent output for each equalizer in parallel. The detector then detects the bit sequence using the branch metric calculation to select the smallest accumulated path metric.

Abstract: A storage device has a storage medium, a plurality of read-write mechanisms, a quality monitoring and book-keeping unit and a scheduling unit. The plurality of read-write mechanisms is coupled to the storage medium. The quality monitoring and book-keeping unit is coupled to the plurality of read-write mechanisms and is adapted to monitor at least one performance parameter associated with each read-write mechanism during operation. The scheduling unit is coupled to the quality monitoring and book-keeping unit. The scheduling unit is adapted to rank each of the plurality of read-write mechanisms according to the at least one performance parameter and to responsively schedule use of a read-write mechanism according to its rank.

Abstract: A channel detector has an anchor points inserter, a desired signal calculator, a distance calculator and a data detector. The anchor points inserter is adapted to choose values of expected transition locations for transition shifts within a received signal and to insert anchor points corresponding to the chosen values within a bit detection interval. The desired signal calculator is coupled to the anchor points inserter and is adapted to estimate desired signals corresponding to transition location information from the anchor points inserter. The distance calculator is coupled to the desired signal calculator and is adapted to generate a distance calculator output based on distances between the received signal and each of the desired signals. The data detector is coupled to the distance calculator and is adapted to identify a bit sequence corresponding to a desired signal having a minimum distance from the received signal.

Abstract: A channel detector has a belief propagation detector, a causal and anti-causal channel output module, and a noise prediction module. The belief propagation detector is coupled to a channel and is adapted to receive a channel output. The belief propagation detector is adapted to generate tentative bit decisions based in part on the channel output. The causal and anti-causal channel output module is coupled to the belief propagation detector and is adapted to generate causal and anti-causal channel outputs based on the tentative bit decisions. The noise prediction module is coupled to the causal and anti-causal channel output module and is adapted to predict noise samples based on a difference between the channel output and the causal and anti-causal channel outputs. The noise prediction module is adapted to whiten the channel output with the predicted noise samples and to return the whitened channel output to the belief propagation detector to generate new tentative bit decisions.

Abstract: A storage device has a storage medium, a plurality of read-write mechanisms, a quality monitoring and book-keeping unit and a scheduling unit. The plurality of read-write mechanisms is coupled to the storage medium. The quality monitoring and book-keeping unit is coupled to the plurality of read-write mechanisms and is adapted to monitor at least one performance parameter associated with each read-write mechanism during operation. The scheduling unit is coupled to the quality monitoring and book-keeping unit. The scheduling unit is adapted to rank each of the plurality of read-write mechanisms according to the at least one performance parameter and to responsively schedule use of a read-write mechanism according to its rank.

Abstract: A parallel channel timing recovery circuit. The parallel timing recovery circuit comprises multiple prefilters receiving parallel channel outputs and providing prefilter outputs. Multiple sampling filters receive the prefilter outputs and provide multiple discrete time signal samples. A self-timing circuit has multiple inputs receiving the multiple discrete time signal samples. The self-timing circuit provides a sampling control output to the sampling filters. The sampling control output is based on a composite of the multiple discrete time signal samples. Each of the sampling filters generates a discrete time signal sample based on the sampling control output and the prefilter outputs.

Abstract: A method of combining spectral shaping with turbo coding in a channel coding system. The method comprises encoding user data with spectrally shaped encoding to provide a suppressed DC user data sector output. The method also comprises generating turbo coded redundant bits for the suppressed DC user data sector. The turbo coded redundant bits are interleaved with additive coding to provide a suppressed DC parity sector.

Abstract: A method includes the steps of receiving a signal indicative of data bits, and performing per survivor processing-iterative timing recovery (PSP-ITR) on the received signal to generate probabilities of the data bits. To perform PSP-ITR on the received signal, the signal can be processed using a per survivor processing-soft decision algorithm (PSP-SDA) which jointly performs timing recovery and equalization in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. The soft decision algorithm (SDA) can be, for example, a Bahl, Cocke, Jelinek, and Raviv (BCJR) algorithm or a Soft Output Viterbi Algorithm (SOVA) modified in accordance with the concepts of the present invention such that it is configured to implement per survivor processing (PSP) to jointly perform timing recovery and equalization.

Abstract: A method of reading a data block from a sector of a recording media is described. The data block from the sector of the recording channel is decoded with an ECC decoder (first trial). The data block is re-decoded (second trial) using an adjusted timing recovery block that is adjusted based on the decoded data block, if the number of errors exceeded an error correction capability of the ECC decoder on the first trial. In one embodiment, the data block is reread from the same sector of the recording channel using the adjusted timing recovery block that is adjusted based on the re-decoded data block. The data block is subsequently jointly decoded with the waveforms obtained from the second trial by a possibly modified sequence detector, if the number of errors exceeded the error correction capability of the ECC decoder during the second trial.

Abstract: A servo track sensing system receives equalized servo data from a servo demodulator and corrects for radial incoherence in the servo data. The system has a radial incoherence estimator that receives the equalized servo data and provides a radial incoherence estimate. A sequence detector receives the equalized servo data and the radial incoherence estimate, and provides a sequence detector output. A correlator receives the sequence detector output and provides correlator output data. The correlator output data has a reduced level of errors due to radial incoherence.

Abstract: A system and method of forming RLL coded data streams with separator blocks has an RLL encoder and a channel encoder. The input code word is divided into data portions and a separator portion. The data portions are inserted into an output codeword without encoding. Each data portion is separated from a next data portion by a space. The separator portion is encoded into non-zero separator sub-matrices, which are stuffed into the spaces between the data portions. The separator portions and the data portions may be separately permuted without exceeding a maximum number of consecutive zeros.

Abstract: A system for pattern dependent equalization has an equalizer bank and a detector. The equalizer bank has a plurality of equalizers, which are each tuned to a selected data pattern. The detector may be a standard sequence detector or a modified Viterbi detector, which calculates the branch metric using a pattern dependent equalized output and a pattern-dependent target. A method of decoding data uses a pattern dependent equalizer bank. The pattern dependent equalizer bank processes a segment of a bit sequence to produce an equalized pattern-dependent output for each equalizer in parallel. The detector then detects the bit sequence using the branch metric calculation to select the smallest accumulated path metric.

Abstract: A system and method of forming RLL coded data streams with separator blocks has an RLL encoder and a channel encoder. The input code word is divided into data portions and a separator portion. The data portions are inserted into an output codeword without encoding. Each data portion is separated from a next data portion by a space. The separator portion is encoded into non-zero separator sub-matrices, which are stuffed into the spaces between the data portions. The separator portions and the data portions may be separately permuted without exceeding a maximum number of consecutive zeros.