Patents by Inventor John Dickinson

John Dickinson 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: 10061790
    Abstract: A technique is applied to eventually converge on a single data storage strategy for any set of object data which had an inconsistent data storage strategy applied during storage while there was a network partition. This state could occur in instances of a highly available distributed object storage system which can store objects according to multiple data storage strategies. Upon the healing of a network partition, the technique discovers if multiple data storage strategies were applied to the object data stored during a network partition, deterministically identifies which data storage strategy represents the correct strategy, for example based on the log of state transitions requested by the client according to the API contract, and ensures that this strategy is consistently applied to all object data in the collection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: SwiftStack, Inc.
    Inventors: Clay Gerrard, Paul Luse, Samuel N. Merritt, John Dickinson
  • Publication number: 20180226234
    Abstract: Implementations of the present disclosure relate to systems and techniques for abating F-gases present in the effluent of semiconductor manufacturing processes. In one implementation, a water and oxygen delivery system for a plasma abatement system is provided. The water and oxygen delivery system comprises a housing that includes a floor and a plurality of sidewalls that define an enclosed region. The water and oxygen delivery system further comprises a cylindrical water tank positioned on the floor, wherein a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical water tank is parallel to a plane defined by the floor and a length of the water tank is 1.5 times or greater than the diameter of the cylindrical water tank. The water and oxygen delivery system further comprises a flow control system positioned within the housing above the cylindrical water tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Inventor: Colin John DICKINSON
  • Publication number: 20180195390
    Abstract: Mining systems include a continuous miner; a movable roof support; a roof bolter; and a flexible conveyor train positioned with its front end located under the roof support and extending underneath the roof bolter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2018
    Publication date: July 12, 2018
    Inventors: John Dickinson, Timothy J. Myers, Michael Cline
  • Patent number: 9967298
    Abstract: The object storage system divides files into a number of object segments, each segment corresponding to a portion of the object, and stores each segment individually in the cloud storage system. The system also generates and stores a manifest file describing the relationship of the various segments to the original data file. Requests to retrieve the segmented file are fulfilled by consulting the manifest file and using the information from the manifest to reconstitute the original data file from the constituent segments. Modifying, appending to, or truncating the object is accomplished by manipulating individual segments and the manifest file. Manipulation of the individual object segments and/or the manifest is also used to implement copy-on-write, snapshotting, software transactional memory, and peer-to-peer transmission of the large file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Rackspace US, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Barton, Will Reese, John A. Dickinson, Jay B. Payne, Charles B. Thier, Gregory Holt
  • Patent number: 9898521
    Abstract: Several different embodiments of a massively scalable object storage system are described. The object storage system is particularly useful for storage in a cloud computing installation whereby shared servers provide resources, software, and data to computers and other devices on demand. In several embodiments, the object storage system includes a ring implementation used to associate object storage commands with particular physical servers such that certain guarantees of consistency, availability, and performance can be met. In other embodiments, the object storage system includes a synchronization protocol used to order operations across a distributed system. In a third set of embodiments, the object storage system includes a metadata management system. In a fourth set of embodiments, the object storage system uses a structured information synchronization system. Features from each set of embodiments can be used to improve the performance and scalability of a cloud computing object storage system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Rackspace US, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Barton, Will Reese, John A. Dickinson, Jay B. Payne, Charles B. Thier, Gregory Holt
  • Patent number: 9867238
    Abstract: In some embodiments an apparatus for treating an exhaust gas in a foreline of a substrate processing system may include a dielectric tube configured to be coupled to the foreline of the substrate processing system to allow a flow of exhaust gases from the foreline through the dielectric tube; an RF coil wound about an outer surface of the dielectric tube, the RF coil having a first end to provide an RF input to the RF coil, the first end of the RF coil disposed proximate a first end of the dielectric tube and a second end disposed proximate a second end of the dielectric tube; a tap coupled to the RF coil to provide an RF return path, the tap disposed between the first end of the dielectric tube and a central portion of the dielectric tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Michael S. Cox, Colin John Dickinson
  • Publication number: 20180004426
    Abstract: An example method for storing data includes providing a plurality of physical storage pools, each storage pool including a plurality of storage nodes coupled to a network. The method also includes mapping a partition of a plurality of partitions to a set of physical storage pools, where each physical storage pool of the set of physical storage pools is located in a different availability zone, and the storage nodes within an availability zone are subject to a correlated loss of access to stored data. The method further includes receiving a data management request over the network, the data management request being associated with a data object. The method also includes identifying a first partition of the plurality of partitions corresponding to the received data management request and manipulating the data object in the physical storage pools mapped to the first partition in accordance with the data management request.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2017
    Publication date: January 4, 2018
    Inventors: Michael Barton, Will Reese, John A. Dickinson, Jay B. Payne, Charles B. Thier, Gregory Holt
  • Publication number: 20170302589
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a cloud computing system provides user extensibility by providing a plugin interface for major systems. Plugin interfaces for a compute service, object service, network service, authentication and authorization service, message service, and image service are disclosed. One or more of the plugin interfaces can be used to alter the allocation of virtual to physical resources across multiple services. Compound services and smart allocation facilities are possible with user-directed modification.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2017
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Inventors: Edward Leafe, Alexander Walsh, Paul Voccio, Antony Joel Messerli, Charles B. Thier, John A. Dickinson, Gregory Lee Holt, Christopher James Behrens, Trey Eugene Morris, Mathew Dietz, Jason LuVern Kolker, Ziad Sawalha, Yogeshwar Srikrishan, William Randolph Mathews, Vishvananda Ishaya
  • Publication number: 20170297066
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein include a plasma abatement process that takes effluent from a processing chamber and reacts the effluent with water vapor reagent within a plasma source placed in a foreline by injecting the water vapor reagent into the foreline or the plasma source. The materials present in the effluent as well as the water vapor reagent are energized by the plasma source, converting the materials into gas species such as HF that is readily scrubbed by typical water scrubbing abatement technology. An oxygen containing gas is periodically injected into the foreline or the plasma source relative to the water vapor injection to reduce or avoid the generation of solid particles. The abatement process has good destruction removal efficiency (DRE) with minimized solid particle generation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2017
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Inventor: Colin John DICKINSON
  • Publication number: 20170277590
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to dynamically assign and relocate object fragments in distributed storage systems are disclosed. In some examples, the methods and apparatus encode an object with error correction coding to separate the object into fragments, create a first index indicative of storage nodes where the fragments of the object are to be stored, encode a second index into identifiers of the fragments of the object, the second index based on the first index, and store the fragments of the object and the corresponding second index encoded identifiers in the storage nodes based on the first index.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Inventors: Paul E. Luse, John Dickinson, Samuel Merritt, Clay Gerrard
  • Publication number: 20170268335
    Abstract: Methods and equipment have been developed that combine the use of continuous miners, flexible conveyor trains, and longwall mining techniques to provide flexible and efficient removal of resources from subterranean formations. Some systems include: a main gate; and a tailgate connected to the maingate by an active mine face; wherein the active mine face extends at an angle between 95° and 135° relative to the maingate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventors: Timothy J. Myers, Michael Cline, John Dickinson
  • Patent number: 9760289
    Abstract: An example method for storing data includes providing a plurality of physical storage pools, each storage pool including a plurality of storage nodes coupled to a network. The method also includes mapping a partition of a plurality of partitions to a set of physical storage pools, where each physical storage pool of the set of physical storage pools is located in a different availability zone, and the storage nodes within an availability zone are subject to a correlated loss of access to stored data. The method further includes receiving a data management request over the network, the data management request being associated with a data object. The method also includes identifying a first partition of the plurality of partitions corresponding to the received data management request and manipulating the data object in the physical storage pools mapped to the first partition in accordance with the data management request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Rackspace US, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Barton, Will Reese, John A. Dickinson, Jay B. Payne, Charles B. Thier, Gregory Holt
  • Publication number: 20170228285
    Abstract: Techniques are described for achieving durability of a data object stored in a network storage system. In some embodiments, erasure coding is applied to break a data object into fragments wherein the original data object can be recovered with fewer than all of the fragments. These fragments are stored on multiple storage nodes in a distributed storage cluster of a network storage system. So that individual storage nodes have knowledge of the state of the stored data object, a proxy server acing as a central agent can wait for acknowledgments indicating that the fragments have been successfully stored at the storage nodes. If the proxy server receives successful write responses from a sufficient number of the storage nodes, the proxy server can report that the data object is durably stored by placing markers on the storage nodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Inventors: Samuel Merritt, John Dickinson, Clay Gerrard, Tushar Gohad, Paul Luse
  • Publication number: 20170216767
    Abstract: A plasma abatement process for abating effluent containing compounds from a processing chamber is described. A plasma abatement process takes gaseous foreline effluent from a processing chamber, such as a deposition chamber, and reacts the effluent within a plasma chamber placed in the foreline path. The plasma dissociates the compounds within the effluent, converting the effluent into more benign compounds. Abating reagents may assist in the abating of the compounds. The abatement process may be a volatizing or a condensing abatement process. Representative volatilizing abating reagents include, for example, CH4, H2O, H2, NF3, SF6, F2, HCl, HF, Cl2, and HBr. Representative condensing abating reagents include, for example, H2, H2O, O2, N2, O3, CO, CO2, NH3, N2O, CH4, and combinations thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2017
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Inventors: Michael S. COX, Monique MCINTOSH, Colin John DICKINSON, Paul E. FISHER, Yutaka TANAKA, Zheng YUAN
  • Publication number: 20170220662
    Abstract: Several different embodiments of a massively scalable object storage system are described. The object storage system is particularly useful for storage in a cloud computing installation whereby shared servers provide resources, software, and data to computers and other devices on demand. In several embodiments, the object storage system includes a ring implementation used to associate object storage commands with particular physical servers such that certain guarantees of consistency, availability, and performance can be met. In other embodiments, the object storage system includes a synchronization protocol used to order operations across a distributed system. In a third set of embodiments, the object storage system includes a metadata management system. In a fourth set of embodiments, the object storage system uses a structured information synchronization system. Features from each set of embodiments can be used to improve the performance and scalability of a cloud computing object storage system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2017
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Inventors: Michael Barton, Will Reese, John A. Dickinson, Jay B. Payne, Charles B. Thier, Gregory Holt
  • Publication number: 20170209664
    Abstract: A breathing assistance unit for providing pressurized heated humidified air to a user is configured to increase user compliance. The breathing assistance unit comprises means for generating positive emotional and cognitive states of a user about the therapy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2017
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Inventors: Venkata Subbarao Potharaju, Christie Jayne Stanton, Andrew Paul Maxwell Salmon, Yi-Cheng Sun, Hayden Owen Briscoe, Samuel Frew, Steven John Worthington, Philip John Dickinson, Cameron Jon Haxton, Robin Lynn Randolph
  • Publication number: 20170173521
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for treating an exhaust gas in a foreline of a substrate processing system are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method for treating an exhaust gas in an exhaust conduit of a substrate processing system includes: flowing an exhaust gas and a reagent gas into an exhaust conduit of a substrate processing system; injecting a non-reactive gas into the exhaust conduit to maintain a desired pressure in the exhaust conduit for conversion of the exhaust gas; and forming a plasma from the exhaust gas and reagent gas, subsequent to injecting the non-reactive gas, to convert the exhaust gas to abatable byproduct gases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2017
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Inventors: Colin John DICKINSON, Mehran MOALEM, Daniel O. CLARK
  • Patent number: 9649592
    Abstract: A plasma abatement process for abating effluent containing compounds from a processing chamber is described. A plasma abatement process takes gaseous foreline effluent from a processing chamber, such as a deposition chamber, and reacts the effluent within a plasma chamber placed in the foreline path. The plasma dissociates the compounds within the effluent, converting the effluent into more benign compounds. Abating reagents may assist in the abating of the compounds. The abatement process may be a volatizing or a condensing abatement process. Representative volatilizing abating reagents include, for example, CH4, H2O, H2, NF3, SF6, F2, HCl, HF, Cl2, and HBr. Representative condensing abating reagents include, for example, H2, H2O, O2, N2, O3, CO, CO2, NH3, N2O, CH4, and combinations thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Michael S. Cox, Monique McIntosh, Colin John Dickinson, Paul E. Fisher, Yutaka Tanaka, Zheng Yuan
  • Publication number: 20170133208
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein include a method for abating compounds produced in semiconductor processes. The method includes energizing an abating agent, forming a composition by reacting the energized abating agent with gases exiting a vacuum processing chamber, and flowing the composition through a plurality of holes formed in a cooling plate. By cooling the composition with the cooling plate, damages on the downstream pump are avoided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2017
    Publication date: May 11, 2017
    Inventors: Michael S. COX, Rongping WANG, Brian T. WEST, Roger M. JOHNSON, Colin John DICKINSON
  • Patent number: 9626420
    Abstract: Several different embodiments of a massively scalable object storage system are described. The object storage system is particularly useful for storage in a cloud computing installation whereby shared servers provide resources, software, and data to computers and other devices on demand. In several embodiments, the object storage system includes a ring implementation used to associate object storage commands with particular physical servers such that certain guarantees of consistency, availability, and performance can be met. In other embodiments, the object storage system includes a synchronization protocol used to order operations across a distributed system. In a third set of embodiments, the object storage system includes a metadata management system. In a fourth set of embodiments, the object storage system uses a structured information synchronization system. Features from each set of embodiments can be used to improve the performance and scalability of a cloud computing object storage system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Rackspace US, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Barton, Will Reese, John A. Dickinson, Jay B. Payne, Charles B. Thier, Gregory Holt