Abstract: A data storage drive includes a rotatable data storage medium, and a head communicatively couplable to the data storage medium. The head includes a temperature sensor and a heater. The data storage drive also includes a ramp for supporting the head when the head is moved away from the data storage medium, and a controller. The controller is configured to obtain first temperature sensor measurement values for different head heater power settings when the head is positioned on the ramp, and is configured to determine an internal pressure of the data storage drive as a function of the first temperature sensor measurement values.

Abstract: A clearance heater of a write head is engaged with a boosted current that exceeds a steady-state current. The steady-state current causes the write head to maintain a desired clearance over a disk during writing, the boosted current being applied before a start of the writing. The boosted current is monotonically decreased before the start of the writing and the steady-state current is applied to the heater after the start of the writing.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a slider configured for writing data to and reading data from a magnetic recording medium and for heat-assisted magnetic recording. The slider comprises a heater configured to receive an AC signal and to cause oscillation in a spacing between the slider and the medium, and a contact sensor situated on the slider and configured to produce a DC response signal. A detector is coupled to the slider and configured to measure an amplitude of a spike in the DC response signal, calculate a ratio between the spike amplitude and an amplitude of the DC response signal, and detect contact between the slider and the medium in response to the ratio exceeding a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: An embedded processor device, communicating over a broadcast file system (BFS) with a data carousel, stores a file that specifies for one or more applications the application and all resource files required for at least start up of each application. Rather than reading a single application file from the BFS and then reading each of the resource files in a serial fashion, the embedded process or device concurrently reads the application file and any necessary resource files as they are broadcast, enabling all necessary files to be read during a single cycle of the data carousel.

Abstract: A presentation engine collects information concerning the rendering of the frames of an animated graphics application, such the time taken for rendering the frame and the amount of memory used. This information quantifies the amount of certain computing resources being utilized on a per-frame basis, enabling identification by the authors of the animated graphics application, particularly by the designers of the animated graphics, of frames that are problematic, especially on resource-limited devices. The generation of information does not depend on the animated graphics application being instrumented to generate the metrics. The method is adaptable to any resource-limited device, to which the presentation engine is ported or adapted to run. When executing on a resource-limited device, the information is sent to a workstation for analysis. An analysis tool, which may be a stand-alone program or part of an authoring tool or other program, displays the collected metrics graphically in relation to the frame.

Abstract: An embedded processor device, communicating over a broadcast file system (BFS) with a data carousel, stores a file that specifies for one or more applications the application and all resource files required for at least start up of each application. Rather than reading a single application file from the BFS and then reading each of the resource files in a serial fashion, the embedded process or device concurrently reads the application file and any necessary resource files as they are broadcast, enabling all necessary files to be read during a single cycle of the data carousel.

Abstract: A process running on, for example, an embedded device without a floating point unit performs a calculation or series of calculations called for in a program written in an language that specifies floating point representation of all numbers using integer arithmetic, unless or until it must execute the calculation using floating point arithmetic due to presence of a non-integer number. Once this happens, the remaining calculations in the series of calculations are automatically handled using floating point arithmetic. Substantially fewer processor operations are necessary to perform the calculations using integer values than floating point values.

Abstract: A wheel hub assembly is provided including a movable clutch ring for selective engagement between an engaged and disengaged position for providing driving torque from an axle shaft to a wheel hub. The clutch ring is in full-time engagement with external clutch teeth of the axle shaft and is movable to an engaged position with external clutch teeth of a coupler that is secured to the wheel hub. Furthermore, the coupler is provided with a travel limiter for preventing the clutch ring from traveling beyond a predetermined desired position along the coupler.

Abstract: The invention, generally addresses problems associated with, for example, providing on a device having limited graphical, memory or processing capabilities, a “ticker” service, i.e. an automated display of textual information, such as news related items, news stories, stock prices, weather, sports information, etc., especially, for example, one over an interactive television medium. A system and method for providing a ticker service that implements a preferred embodiment of the invention is used to advantage in an interactive television medium. A viewer or subscriber is able to watch information displayed by the ticker service on his or her television, while watching regular television programming. In its preferred embodiment, the system does not degrade the performance of the interactive television network. This preferred embodiment also demonstrates an efficient user navigation mechanism for interacting with the service using, for example, a television remote control.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a system and method for playing a game using video content as the game environment is disclosed. The video content may be provided from a video-on-demand system or using broadcast video signals. Depending on the object of the game, the player may try to hit, shoot or avoid specific objects in the video content environment. Those objects are identified at the time of authoring the game. During the game, a game application knows about the objects and can evaluate the performance of the player. Use of on-demand or live broadcast video source as the context environment for a game is disclosed. The game application is synchronized with the video content.