Patents by Inventor Kevin J. Erickson

Kevin J. Erickson 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: 11932979
    Abstract: A laundry treating appliance for treating laundry items according to an automatic cycle of operation can include a cabinet defining an interior and having an access opening providing access to the interior. A tub can be located within the interior and can at least partially define a liquid chamber. A drum is rotatably mounted within the liquid chamber and at least partially defines a treating chamber. A clothes mover is located within the treating chamber and rotatable about a vertical axis. The clothes mover can include a base and a barrel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jonathan A. Andrejczuk, Adam Gary, Philip J. Czarnecki, Benjamin D. Lowell, Sayer J. Murphy, James Jeffery, Eric W. Merrow, Emmanuel F. Gonzaga, Thomas R. Scott, Donald E. Erickson, Bradley D. Morrow, Jason S. Burnette, Kevin Peralta, Corinne M. Gorenchan, Kenneth L. McConnell
  • Patent number: 8042001
    Abstract: A computer system and storage medium that, in an embodiment, prohibit breakpoints from being set within a protected range. In an embodiment, a protected range may be an atomic operation synchronization code range, either based on instructions generated by a compiler or based on source statements that are compiler directives. When a command, such as an add breakpoint command is received, the address of the breakpoint is compared to the protected range, and if the address is within the protected range, the breakpoint is not set. In another embodiment, if the address is within the protected range, the breakpoint is set before the start or after the end of the protected range. In this way, the problems of endless loops may be obviated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John Charles Brock, Gregory Alan Chaney, Kevin J. Erickson
  • Patent number: 7406625
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, and signal-bearing medium that, in an embodiment, prohibit breakpoints from being set within a protected range. In an embodiment, a protected range may be an atomic operation synchronization code range, either based on instructions generated by a compiler or based on source statements that are compiler directives. When a command, such as an add breakpoint command is received, the address of the breakpoint is compared to the protected range, and if the address is within the protected range, the breakpoint is not set. In another embodiment, if the address is within the protected range, the breakpoint is set before the start or after the end of the protected range. In this way, the problems of endless loops may be obviated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John Charles Brock, Gregory Alan Chaney, Kevin J. Erickson
  • Publication number: 20080178160
    Abstract: A computer system and storage medium that, in an embodiment, prohibit breakpoints from being set within a protected range. In an embodiment, a protected range may be an atomic operation synchronization code range, either based on instructions generated by a compiler or based on source statements that are compiler directives. When a command, such as an add breakpoint command is received, the address of the breakpoint is compared to the protected range, and if the address is within the protected range, the breakpoint is not set. In another embodiment, if the address is within the protected range, the breakpoint is set before the start or after the end of the protected range. In this way, the problems of endless loops may be obviated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Publication date: July 24, 2008
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORTATION
    Inventors: John Charles Brock, Gregory Alan Chaney, Kevin J. Erickson
  • Patent number: 7249285
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, and signal-bearing medium that in an embodiment determine whether an instruction at which an address watch breakpoint occurs is within a hardware synchronization mechanism range in a program. If the determination is true, a special breakpoint is set following the hardware synchronization mechanism range, the address watch breakpoint is temporarily disabled, and the machine state is saved. When the program encounters the special breakpoint following the end of the hardware synchronization mechanism range, the saved machine state is presented. In this way, endless looping in programs protected by hardware synchronization mechanisms may be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John Charles Brock, Gregory Alan Chaney, Kevin J. Erickson
  • Patent number: 7181580
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, and signal-bearing medium that in an embodiment map a pointer to a target indirectly via a pointer map. In an embodiment, the pointer map is stored in a reserved area and an entry for the pointer in the pointer map includes a back-pointer containing an address of the pointer and a target-address containing the address of the target. When the pointer is accessed, the pointer is checked to ensure its contents point at the entry in the pointer map in the reserved area and that the back-pointer in the pointer map entry points back at the pointer. In this way, pointers are protected from being modified illegitimately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin J. Erickson, Richard K. Kirkman, Patrick J. McCarthy, Scott A. Plaetzer
  • Publication number: 20040193814
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, and signal-bearing medium that in an embodiment map a pointer to a target indirectly via a pointer map. In an embodiment, the pointer map is stored in a reserved area and an entry for the pointer in the pointer map includes a back-pointer containing an address of the pointer and a target-address containing the address of the target. When the pointer is accessed, the pointer is checked to ensure its contents point at the entry in the pointer map in the reserved area and that the back-pointer in the pointer map entry points back at the pointer. In this way, pointers are protected from being modified illegitimately.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2003
    Publication date: September 30, 2004
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kevin J. Erickson, Richard K. Kirkman, Patrick J. McCarthy, Scott A. Plaetzer
  • Patent number: 5615064
    Abstract: A digital storage system is disclosed in which a flying read/write head is loaded onto the surface of moving storage media with controlled velocity to avoid contact with the surface of the storage media. Head load velocity is detected by measuring the back EMF generated by the head arm actuator. Improved control and accuracy is obtained by breaking up the head arm actuator drive power into a series of pulses and measuring the back EMF induced into the low impedance voice coil of the head arm actuator in between pulses but only after the actuator current has been reduced to substantially zero in order to avoid interference by actuator current induced voltages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1997
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy J. Blank, Kevin J. Erickson, Richard Greenberg, John C. Purkett
  • Patent number: 5500780
    Abstract: A reduced size brushless DC motor preferably for use as a disk drive spindle motor includes a rotor having two sets of permanent magnets, and a stator having separate portions corresponding to the two sets. An upper set of permanent magnets and the corresponding portion of the stator are located within the upper portion of the hub, which fits within the holes of the disks of a disk drive. A lower set of permanent magnets and corresponding portion of stator are located in the flange of the motor hub which supports the disks from below. In one embodiment, the stator core has all L-shaped cross-sectional area in the plane of the motor axis, one leg of the L driving the upper set of magnets in the rotor and the other leg driving the flange magnets. In a second embodiment, the stator core includes two separate pieces, one corresponding to each set of permanent magnets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 19, 1996
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Zine-Eddine Boutaghou, Kevin J. Erickson
  • Patent number: 5459624
    Abstract: A phase plane trajectory trough method and apparatus for fast settling of a data transducer for positioning a transducer head over a selected track on a disk surface are provided for use in a disk file. The disk file includes at least one disk mounted for rotation about an axis and the disk has at least one disk surface including a plurality of data tracks for storing data. An actuator moves the transducer head from one track location to another track location. A controller is coupled to the actuator for applying a gain control signal to control movement of the actuator. A phase plane trajectory trough function is defined for the disk file. Velocity and position states of the actuator are estimated and compared with the phase plane trajectory trough function for generating a base correction factor. The controller is responsive to both the estimated velocity and position states and the phase plane trajectory trough (PPTT) function for modifying the gain control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 17, 1995
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin J. Erickson, Alexei H. Sacks
  • Patent number: 5392290
    Abstract: A secondary data storage system for a host computer system includes a disk drive system having a device controller, at least a first magnetic disk and a read/write magnetic transducer positionable with respect to a recording surface of each magnetic disk. A write operation exposes data on adjacent tracks to potential damage if an off track condition occurs to the transducer during a write. A method for controlling write operations through the device controller provides backup of data in tracks adjacent to a target track for the write operation prior to the write operation occurring. The method detects occurrence of events resulting in an off track condition of the magnetic transducer relative to a target track. Occurrence of such an event triggers a determination of damage to the contents of tracks adjacent to the target track and restoration of those tracks. Write operations to the target track are blocked until shock events discontinue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1995
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Dana H. Brown, Kevin J. Erickson, Daniel L. Good, Richard Greenberg, Peter M. Herman, Hal H. Ottesen
  • Patent number: 5343340
    Abstract: Apparatus and method are provided for servo signal demodulation using a servo processor and a partial-response maximum-likelihood (PRML) data channel in a disk file. A servo burst timing window is identified. Then a plurality of digital samples are detected with the PRML data channel responsive to identifying the servo burst timing window. Sequential sets of the detected digital samples are accumulated by the PRML data channel and transmitted to the servo processor. The digital samples are processed by the servo processor for providing servo phase information that is used to provide servo position information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 30, 1994
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Zine-Eddine Boutaghou, Dana H. Brown, Kevin J. Erickson, Richard Greenberg
  • Patent number: 5289097
    Abstract: A spindle motor control method and apparatus for spindle motor control are provided for use in a direct access storage device. A plurality of operational modes of the direct access storage device are detected. The operational modes of the direct access storage device include start-up and idle operational modes and predetermined critical operational modes that include reading of data and reading of servo information. A pulse width modulation (PWM) mode control for applying driving current to the spindle motor is provided responsive to detecting a start-up or an idle operational mode. A linear mode control for applying driving current to the spindle motor is provided responsive to detecting one of the predetermined critical operational modes. During operation of the disk file, a small percentage of the overall file power-on time is spent performing critical file operations so that substantial power savings are achieved by the PWM mode control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 22, 1994
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin J. Erickson, Richard Greenberg, Douglas W. Nelson