Patents by Inventor Mark Thayne

Mark Thayne 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).

  • Detecting head/disk contact in a disk drive using a calibration parameter
    Patent number: 7423830
    Abstract: A disk drive having a heater element on the read/write head includes control circuitry to prevent head/disk contact by limiting power to the heater element. As the power to the heater element increases, thermal expansion reduces the fly height until head/disk contact occurs. During drive calibration, a maximum power level allowed to the heater element is determined by detecting heater power at a level where a parameter value such as motor current exceeds a threshold level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: Iomega Corporation
    Inventors: Yiping Ma, Mark Thayne
  • Detecting head/disk contact in a disk drive using a calibration parameter
    Publication number: 20070236821
    Abstract: A disk drive having a heater element on the read/write head includes control circuitry to prevent head/disk contact by limiting power to the heater element. As the power to the heater element increases, thermal expansion reduces the fly height until head/disk contact occurs. During drive calibration, a maximum power level allowed to the heater element is determined by detecting heater power at a level where a parameter value such as motor current exceeds a threshold level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2006
    Publication date: October 11, 2007
    Inventors: Yiping Ma, Mark Thayne