Patents by Inventor James Lau

James Lau 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: 20050242683
    Abstract: A brush assembly 22 for an electric motor 10 has brush holder 24 supporting a brush 26 and a brush spring. The brush holder 24 has a strip of brass having a central portion and two end portions 28, 40. The central portion has two pins 30 extending in a parallel fashion away from the central portion. A brush 26 has two grooves 64 which mate with and accommodate the pins 30 whereby the pins 30 support the brush 26 and prevent movement of the brush 26 except in the direction along the pins 20. The brush spring is a coil spring mounted on a post 54 formed at one end of the strip by a transverse slot 52 and bears on the back side of the brush 26 to urge it to slide along the pins away from the brush holder 24.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2005
    Publication date: November 3, 2005
    Inventor: James Lau
  • Publication number: 20050202235
    Abstract: The present invention provides for thin sheet wedges that comprise a mica matrix impregnated with a conductive resin. The mica matrix is composed of mica flakes. The thin sheet wedge has a semi-conductive property of 500-500,000 ohms per square. In one embodiment the thin sheet wedge further comprises at least one glass fiber layer. In a particular embodiment the glass fiber layer is a backing for the mica matrix. In another particular embodiment the glass fiber is interwoven with the mica matrix. The glass fiber layer may itself be impregnated with a conductive resin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2004
    Publication date: September 15, 2005
    Inventors: James Lau, Douglas Conley
  • Patent number: 6892211
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for keeping a file system in a consistent state and for creating read-only copies of a file system. Changes to the file system are tightly controlled. The file system progresses from one self-consistent state to another self-consistent state. The set of self-consistent blocks on disk that is rooted by the root inode is referred to as a consistency point. To implement consistency points, new data is written to unallocated blocks on disk. A new consistency point occurs when the fsinfo block is updated by writing a new root inode for the inode file into it. Thus, as long as the root inode is not updated, the state of the file system represented on disk does not change. The present invention also creates snapshots that are read-only copies of the file system. A snapshot uses no disk space when it is initially created. It is designed so that many different snapshots can be created for the same file system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2005
    Assignee: Network Appliance, Inc.
    Inventors: David Hitz, Michael Malcolm, James Lau, Byron Rakitzis
  • Publication number: 20050088271
    Abstract: A blown fuse proximity sensing device 40 is for use with a rectifying wheel 37 of a type including rectifying diodes 38 and associated fuses 42. Each fuse 42 may include a housing 51, a fuse element 52 carried by the housing, and a pop-out indicator 54 movable between a normal position and a popped-out position. In the popped-out position, the indicator 54 extends outwardly from the housing responsive to failure of the fuse element. At least one stationary proximity sensor 44 is mounted adjacent the rectifying wheel 37 for sensing positions of the pop-out indicators 54 without contact therewith during rotation of the rectifying wheel to thereby sense at least one blown fuse. The sensing device 40 may also include a local display 61, and a controller 68 connected to the stationary proximity sensor 44 for generating an indication of a blown fuse on the local display. The controller 68 may also generate at least one remote output, such as to be monitored by other plant control equipment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2003
    Publication date: April 28, 2005
    Inventors: James Lau, Anand Banthia
  • Publication number: 20050029884
    Abstract: A miniature PMDC motor 10 has a permanent magnet stator comprising two arcuate ceramic magnets 20 fitted to a can-like housing 11 and circumferentially separated by interdisposed rubber magnets 21 wedging or nipping the ceramic magnets 20 in place within the housing 11 without the use of circumferential magnet stops formed in the side of the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2004
    Publication date: February 10, 2005
    Inventor: James Lau
  • Publication number: 20040260673
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for keeping a file system in a consistent state and for creating read-only copies of a file system. Changes to the file system are tightly controlled. The file system progresses from one self-consistent state to another self-consistent state. The set of self-consistent blocks on disk that is rooted by the root inode is referred to as a consistency point. To implement consistency points, new data is written to unallocated blocks on disk. A new consistency point occurs when the fsinfo block is updated by writing a new root inode for the inode file into it. Thus, as long as the root inode is not updated, the state of the file system represented on disk does not change. The present invention also creates snapshots that are read-only copies of the file system. A snapshot uses no disk space when it is initially created. It is designed so that many different snapshots can be created for the same file system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2004
    Publication date: December 23, 2004
    Inventors: David Hitz, Michael Malcolm, James Lau, Byron Rakitzis
  • Patent number: 6751637
    Abstract: A is a method is disclosed for integrating a file system with a RAID array that exports precise information about the arrangement of data blocks in the RAID subsystem. The file system examines this information and uses it to optimize the location of blocks as they are written to the RAID system. Thus, the system uses explicit knowledge of the underlying RAID disk layout to schedule disk allocation. The method uses separate current-write location (CWL) pointers for each disk in the disk array where the pointers simply advance through the disks as writes occur. The algorithm used has two primary goals. The first goal is to keep the CWL pointers as close together as possible, thereby improving RAID efficiency by writing to multiple blocks in the stripe simultaneously. The second goal is to allocate adjacent blocks in a file on the same disk, thereby improving read back performance. The method satisfies the first goal by always writing on the disk with the lowest CWL pointer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: Network Appliance, Inc.
    Inventors: David Hitz, Michael Malcolm, James Lau, Byron Rakitzis
  • Patent number: 6721764
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for keeping a file system in a consistent state and for creating read-only copies of a file system. Changes to the file system are tightly controlled. The file system progresses from one self-consistent state to another self-consistent state. The set of self-consistent blocks on disk that is rooted by the root inode is referred to as a consistency point. To implement consistency points, new data is written to unallocated blocks on disk. A new consistency point occurs when the fsinfo block is updated by writing a new root inode for the inode file into it. Thus, as long as the root inode is not updated, the state of the file system represented on disk does not change. The present invention also creates snapshots that are read-only copies of the file system. A snapshot uses no disk space when it is initially created. It is designed so that many different snapshots can be created for the same file system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Network Appliance, Inc.
    Inventors: David Hitz, Michael Malcolm, James Lau, Byron Rakitzis
  • Publication number: 20040064474
    Abstract: The present invention is a method for integrating a file system with a RAID array that exports precise information about the arrangement of data blocks in the RAID subsystem. The file system examines this information and uses it to optimize the location of blocks as they are written to the RAID system. Thus, the system uses explicit knowledge of the underlying RAID disk layout to schedule disk allocation. The present invention uses separate current-write location (CWL) pointers for each disk in the disk array where the pointers simply advance through the disks as writes occur. The algorithm used has two primary goals. The first goal is to keep the CWL pointers as close together as possible, thereby improving RAID efficiency by writing to multiple blocks in the stripe simultaneously. The second goal is to allocate adjacent blocks in a file on the same disk, thereby improving read back performance. The present invention satisfies the first goal by always writing on the disk with the lowest CWL pointer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2003
    Publication date: April 1, 2004
    Inventors: David Hitz, Michael Malcolm, James Lau, Byron Rakitzis
  • Patent number: 6607413
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing low cost electroluminescent (EL) lamps is disclosed. The method of the present invention includes the first step of die cutting, embossing or chemically etching the metal foil surface of a metal foil bonded flexible electrical insulation to simultaneously form one or more rear capacitive electrodes, electrical terminations, optical registration fiducial indicia, and a continuous carrier means that is then coupled to a precisely positioned indexing system. Next, the rear metal foil capacitive electrodes are coated with a capacitive dielectric layer precisely isolating the rear electrode form. In the third step, a layer of electroluminescent phosphor ink is applied to the rear capacitive electrodes to precisely form areas of illumination. In step four, a layer of light transmissive and electrically conductive ink is applied to cover the EL phosphor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: Novatech Electro-Luminescent, Inc.
    Inventors: William C. Stevenson, Philip Chan, James Lau
  • Publication number: 20030037281
    Abstract: The present invention is a method for providing error correction for an array of disks using non-volatile random access memory (NV-RAM). Non-volatile RAM is used to increase the speed of RAID recovery from a disk error(s). This is accomplished by keeping a list of all disk blocks for which the parity is possibly inconsistent. Such a list of disk blocks is much smaller than the total number of parity blocks in the RAID subsystem. The total number of parity blocks in the RAID subsystem is typically in the range of hundreds of thousands of parity blocks. Knowledge of the number of parity blocks that are possibly inconsistent makes it possible to fix only those few blocks, identified in the list, in a significantly smaller amount of time than is possible in the prior art. The technique for safely writing to a RAID array with a broken disk is complicated. In this technique, data that can become corrupted is copied into NV-RAM before the potentially corrupting operation is performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2002
    Publication date: February 20, 2003
    Applicant: Network Appliance, Inc.
    Inventors: David Hitz, Michael Malcolm, James Lau, Byron Rakitzis
  • Publication number: 20030003837
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing low cost electroluminescent (EL) lamps is disclosed. The method of the present invention includes the first step of die cutting, embossing or chemically etching the metal foil surface of a metal foil bonded flexible electrical insulation to simultaneously form one or more rear capacitive electrodes, electrical terminations, optical registration fiducial indicia, and a continuous carrier means that is then coupled to a precisely positioned indexing system. Next, the rear metal foil capacitive electrodes are coated with a capacitive dielectric layer precisely isolating the rear electrode form. In the third step, a layer of electroluminescent phosphor ink is applied to the rear capacitive electrodes to precisely form areas of illumination. In step four, a layer of light transmissive and electrically conductive ink is applied to cover the EL phosphor layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Publication date: January 2, 2003
    Applicant: NOVATECH ELECTROLUMINESCENT, INC.
    Inventors: William C. Stevenson, Philip Chan, James Lau
  • Patent number: 6480969
    Abstract: The present invention is a method for providing error correction for an array of disks using non-volatile random access memory (NV-RAM). Non-volatile RAM is used to increase the speed of RAID recovery from a disk error(s). This is accomplished by keeping a list of all disk blocks for which the parity is possibly inconsistent. Such a list of disk blocks is much smaller than the total number of parity blocks in the RAID subsystem. The total number of parity blocks in the RAID subsystem is typically in the range of hundreds of thousands of parity blocks. Knowledge of the number of parity blocks that are possibly inconsistent makes it possible to fix only those few blocks, identified in the list, in a significantly smaller amount of time than is possible in the prior art. The technique for safely writing to a RAID array with a broken disk is complicated. In this technique, data that can become corrupted is copied into NV-RAM before the potentially corrupting operation is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: Network Appliance, Inc.
    Inventors: David Hitz, Michael Malcolm, James Lau, Byron Rakitzis
  • Publication number: 20020091670
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for keeping a file system in a consistent state and for creating read-only copies of a file system. Changes to the file system are tightly controlled. The file system progresses from one self-consistent state to another self-consistent state. The set of self-consistent blocks on disk that is rooted by the root inode is referred to as a consistency point. To implement consistency points, new data is written to unallocated blocks on disk. A new consistency point occurs when the fsinfo block is updated by writing a new root inode for the inode file into it. Thus, as long as the root inode is not updated, the state of the file system represented on disk does not change. The present invention also creates snapshots that are read-only copies of the file system. A snapshot uses no disk space when it is initially created. It is designed so that many different snapshots can be created for the same file system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2001
    Publication date: July 11, 2002
    Inventors: David Hitz, Michael Malcolm, James Lau, Byron Rakitzis
  • Publication number: 20020049718
    Abstract: The invention provides a method and system for duplicating all or part of a file system while maintaining consistent copies of the file system. The file server maintains a set of snapshots, each indicating a set of storage blocks making up a consistent copy of the file system as it was at a known time. Each snapshot can be used for a purpose other than maintaining the coherency of the file system, such as duplicating or transferring a backup copy of the file system to a destination storage medium. In a preferred embodiment, the snapshots can be manipulated to identify sets of storage blocks in the file system for incremental backup or copying, or to provide a file system backup that is both complete and relatively inexpensive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2001
    Publication date: April 25, 2002
    Inventors: Steven R. Kleiman, David Hitz, Guy Harris, Sean W. O'Malley, Michael Malcolm, James Lau, Byron Rakitzis
  • Patent number: 6289356
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for keeping a file system in a consistent state and for creating read-only copies of a file system. Changes to the file system are tightly controlled. The file system progresses from one self-consistent state to another self-consistent state. The set of self-consistent blocks on disk that is rooted by the root inode is referred to as a consistency point. To implement consistency points, new data is written to unallocated blocks on disk. A new consistency point occurs when the fsinfo block is updated by writing a new root inode for the inode file into it. Thus, as long as the root inode is not updated, the state of the file system represented on disk does not change. The present invention also creates snapshots that are read-only copies of the file system. A snapshot uses no disk space when it is initially created. It is designed so that many different snapshots can be created for the same file system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2001
    Assignee: Network Appliance, Inc.
    Inventors: David Hitz, Michael Malcolm, James Lau, Byron Rakitzis
  • Patent number: 6138126
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for integrating a file system with a RAID array that exports precise information about the arrangement of data blocks in the RAID subsystem. The file system examines this information and uses it to optimize the location of blocks as they are written to the RAID system. Thus, the system uses explicit knowledge of the underlying RAID disk layout to schedule disk allocation. The method uses separate current-write location (CWL) pointers for each disk in the disk array where the pointers simply advance through the disks as writes occur. The algorithm used has two primary goals. The first goal is to keep the CWL pointers as close together as possible, thereby improving RAID efficiency by writing to multiple blocks in the stripe simultaneously. The second goal is to allocate adjacent blocks in a file on the same disk, thereby improving read back performance. The method satisfies the first goal by always writing on the disk with the lowest CWL pointer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Assignee: Network Appliance, Inc.
    Inventors: David Hitz, Michael Malcolm, James Lau, Byron Rakitzis
  • Patent number: 6065037
    Abstract: This is achieved in a computer system employing a multiple facility operating system architecture. The computer system includes a plurality of processor units for implementing a predetermined set of peer-level facilities wherein each peer-level facility includes a plurality of related functions and a communications bus for interconnecting the processor units. Each of the processor units includes a central processor and the stored program that, upon execution, provides for the implementation of a predetermined peer-level facility of the predetermined set of peer-level facilities, and for performing a multi-tasking interface function. The multi-tasking interface function is responsive to control messages for selecting for execution functions of the predetermined peer-level facility and that is responsive to the predetermined peer-level facility for providing control messages to request or to respond to the performance of functions of another peer-level facility of the computer system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2000
    Assignee: Auspex Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: David Hitz, Allan Schwartz, James Lau, Guy Harris
  • Patent number: 6038570
    Abstract: The present invention is a method for integrating a file system with a RAID array that exports precise information about the arrangement of data blocks in the RAID subsystem. The file system examines this information and uses it to optimize the location of blocks as they are written to the RAID system. Thus, the system uses explicit knowledge of the underlying RAID disk layout to schedule disk allocation. The present invention uses separate current-write location (CWL) pointers for each disk in the disk array where the pointers simply advance through the disks as writes occur. The algorithm used has two primary goals. The first goal is to keep the CWL pointers as close together as possible, thereby improving RAID efficiency by writing to multiple blocks in the stripe simultaneously. The second goal is to allocate adjacent blocks in a file on the same disk, thereby improving read back performance. The present invention satisfies the first goal by always writing on the disk with the lowest CWL pointer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2000
    Assignee: Network Appliance, Inc.
    Inventors: David Hitz, Michael Malcolm, James Lau, Byron Rakitzis
  • Patent number: 5963962
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for keeping a file system in a consistent state and for creating read-only copies of a file system. Changes to the file system are tightly controlled. The file system progresses from one self-consistent state to another self-consistent state. The set of self-consistent blocks on disk that is rooted by the root inode is referred to as a consistency point. To implement consistency points, new data is written to unallocated blocks on disk. A new consistency point occurs when the fsinfo block is updated by writing a new root inode for the inode file into it. Thus, as long as the root inode is not updated, the state of the file system represented on disk does not change. The present invention also creates snapshots that are read-only copies of the file system. A snapshot uses no disk space when it is initially created. It is designed so that many different snapshots can be created for the same file system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Assignee: Network Appliance, Inc.
    Inventors: David Hitz, Michael Malcolm, James Lau, Byron Rakitzis