Patents by Inventor Michael Troy Nicholls

Michael Troy Nicholls 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: 9424868
    Abstract: A data storage device is disclosed comprising a spindle motor configured to rotate a disk, wherein the spindle motor comprises a plurality of windings, and a head actuated over the disk. The windings of the spindle motor are commutated based on a commutation sequence while applying a periodic driving voltage to each winding. During a seek operation to seek the head a seek length, an amplitude of the periodic driving voltage is adjusted according to a driving profile corresponding to the seek length, wherein the driving profile compensates for a power disturbance during the seek operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Troy Nicholls, Wei Xi, Jie Wan, Jie Yu, Jun Xu, Danny J. Kastler
  • Patent number: 9355676
    Abstract: A data storage device is disclosed comprising a disk, a spindle motor configured to rotate the disk, wherein the spindle motor comprises a plurality of windings, and a head actuated over the disk. The windings of the spindle motor are commutated based on a commutation sequence while applying a periodic driving voltage to each winding, wherein the periodic driving voltage comprises an operating amplitude during normal operation. When a supply voltage falls below a threshold, the spindle motor is configured into a power generator by at least adjusting the amplitude and a phase of the periodic driving voltage so that a periodic current flowing through each winding is substantially opposite in phase from a sinusoidal back electromotive force (BEMF) voltage generated by each winding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Troy Nicholls, Joseph J. Crowfoot
  • Patent number: 9343102
    Abstract: A data storage device is disclosed comprising a disk, a spindle motor configured to rotate the disk, wherein the spindle motor comprises a plurality of windings, and a head actuated over the disk. The windings are commutated based on a commutation sequence while applying a periodic driving voltage to each winding, wherein the periodic driving voltage comprises an operating amplitude during normal operation. When a supply voltage falls below a threshold, the spindle motor is configured into a power generator by at least adjusting a phase of the periodic driving voltage by a phase offset and adjusting the amplitude of the periodic driving voltage based on the phase offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Troy Nicholls, Joseph J. Crowfoot
  • Patent number: 9214175
    Abstract: A data storage device is disclosed comprising a first disk surface comprising servo data defining servo tracks at a first radial density, a first head, and a voice coil motor (VCM) configured to actuate the first head over the first disk surface using a servo control system. A load operation is executed to load the first head over the first disk surface, and a back electromotive force (BEMF) voltage generated by the VCM during the load operation is evaluated to generate an estimated distance traveled. The servo data on the first disk surface is detected, and an initial servo track during the load operation based on the detected servo data to generate a measured distance traveled. A gain of the servo control system is configured based on the estimated distance traveled and the measured distance traveled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Wei Xi, Yuanyuan Zhao, Michael Troy Nicholls