Patents by Inventor Howard H. Rather

Howard H. Rather 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: 7814316
    Abstract: A data encryption system with encryption integrity verification includes an encryption engine configured to receive an unencrypted data packet and generate an encrypted data packet based at least in part on the unencrypted data packet. The system also includes a decryption engine in electronic communication with the encryption engine, the decryption engine configured to receive the encrypted data packet and generate a decrypted data packet based at least in part on the encrypted data packet. The system further includes a comparator in electronic communication with the encryption engine and the decryption engine, the comparator configured to receive the unencrypted and decrypted data packets, determine whether the unencrypted and decrypted data packets are identical, and present the encrypted data packet as an output when the unencrypted and decrypted data packets are identical.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Oracle America, Inc.
    Inventors: James P. Hughes, Alexander Stewart, Dwayne A. Edling, Gregory S. Toles, Bradley E. Whitney, Benjamin J. Baron, Howard H. Rather, Michael E. Foy, Daniel Dauer
  • Patent number: 7810008
    Abstract: A method is disclosed. The method includes performing a first read operation at a tape drive, determining if a minimum number of data bytes have been recovered in the first read operation to perform error correcting codes (ECC), performing a second read operation if the minimum number of data bytes to perform ECC have not been recovered, determining if a minimum number of data bytes have been recovered in the second read operation to perform ECC, combining the recovered data bytes from the first read operation and the second read operation to form combined recovered data bytes, determining if a minimum number of data bytes are included in the combined recovered data bytes to perform ECC and performing ECC if the minimum number of data bytes are included in the combined recovered data bytes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Oracle America, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Allen Gill, Howard H. Rather
  • Patent number: 7706538
    Abstract: A system, method and data storage device for encrypting data to provide at-rest data encryption of data in the data storage device. The system includes a compression engine for receiving a host data stream packet and selectively generating a compressed data packet, and an encryption engine in electronic communication with the compression engine for receiving an unencrypted data packet from the compression engine. The unencrypted data packet comprises the compressed data packet when the compression engine generates the compressed data packet. The unencrypted data packet comprises the host data packet when the compression engine does not generate the compressed data packet. The encryption engine generates an encrypted data packet having an encrypted component corresponding to the unencrypted data packet and a set of meta data indicative of one or more characteristic of the encrypted data packet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Oracle America, Inc.
    Inventors: James P. Hughes, Alexander Stewart, Dwayne A. Edling, Gregory S. Toles, Bradley E. Whitney, Benjamin J. Baron, Howard H. Rather, Michael E. Foy
  • Publication number: 20070300133
    Abstract: A method is disclosed. The method includes performing a first read operation at a tape drive, determining if a minimum number of data bytes have been recovered in the first read operation to perform error correcting codes (ECC), performing a second read operation if the minimum number of data bytes to perform ECC have not been recovered, determining if a minimum number of data bytes have been recovered in the second read operation to perform ECC, combining the recovered data bytes from the first read operation and the second read operation to form combined recovered data bytes, determining if a minimum number of data bytes are included in the combined recovered data bytes to perform ECC and performing ECC if the minimum number of data bytes are included in the combined recovered data bytes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2006
    Publication date: December 27, 2007
    Inventors: Richard Allen Gill, Howard H. Rather
  • Patent number: 4884274
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for correcting the presence of non-zeros in the prefix and completion frames of a high density magnetic storage tape and for issuing a pointer identifying the track and frame that the non-zero error condition arose.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 28, 1989
    Assignee: Aspen Peripherals Corp.
    Inventor: Howard H. Rather
  • Patent number: 4791622
    Abstract: An optical disk drive system with which data may be permanently and correctly stored on removable media. The system includes a drive into which the media, a disk housed in a cartridge, may be removably inserted. The drive interfaces with a host CPU through a storage control unit, which storage control unit may also have other peripheral devices, such as magnetic disk drives, coupled therethrough to the host CPU. A special data format is used for data stored on the disk in order to provide efficient use of and access to the available storage space. The disk is divided into data bands, each data band having a prescribed number of concentric data tracks therein. Each data track is divided into equal length sectors. The data is organized into data blocks, each block being made up of a selected sequence of prescribed data sections. Many of the data sections commence with synchronization bits followed by the data to be stored. The data of each data section is adapted to fit within each data sector on the disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 13, 1988
    Assignee: Storage Technology Partners 11
    Inventors: Donald W. Clay, Michael J. O'Keeffe, S. Robert Perera, Howard H. Rather, John P. Rundell