Patents by Inventor Nhan X. Bui
Nhan X. Bui 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).
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Patent number: 10770102Abstract: A tape drive-implemented method, according to one embodiment, includes: using information read from one or more servo bands on a magnetic tape to position a magnetic tape head relative to the magnetic tape. An array of data transducers is positioned along the magnetic tape head, the array extending perpendicular to a direction of travel of the magnetic tape. Moreover, a group of servo readers is positioned at each end of the array of data transducers. A distance between each of the immediately adjacent servo readers in each of the groups of servo readers is less than or equal to one third of a prespecified width of each of the servo bands. Furthermore, the distance between each of the servo readers in each of the groups and the prespecified width are both measured in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the magnetic tape.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2019Date of Patent: September 8, 2020Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Nhan X. Bui, Giovanni Cherubini, Simeon Furrer, Mark A. Lantz, Kazuhiro Tsuruta
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Patent number: 10679662Abstract: A determination is made whether read/write is enabled within the tape drive storage unit. In response to determining that read/write is enabled, a determination is made whether a temperature within the tape drive storage unit exceeds a threshold value. In response to determining that the temperature within the tape drive storage unit exceeds the threshold value, a determination is made of a direction of travel of a tape media within the tape drive storage unit. In response to determining that the direction of travel is a forward direction, a first cooling device is powered on. The first cooling device lowers the temperature of a first guide roller and the tape media coming off a first tape storage reel prior to the tape media passing by a read/write head within the tape drive storage unit.Type: GrantFiled: October 3, 2019Date of Patent: June 9, 2020Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Nhan X. Bui, Kevin B. Judd, Randy C. Inch, Mark A. Lantz, David H. F. Harper
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Patent number: 10650853Abstract: In one general embodiment, a method includes calculating a differential position value based on readback signals from at least two servo readers of a magnetic head reading servo tracks of a magnetic recording tape. The differential position value is compared to a previously-calculated differential position value. An action is performed in response to determining that the difference between the differential position value and the previously-calculated differential position value is in a predefined range. In another general embodiment, an apparatus includes a magnetic head having at least two servo readers, and a controller in communication with the servo readers. The controller is configured to detect a sudden change in a width of a magnetic recording tape based on a differential position value derived from relatively more current servo readback data and a second differential position value derived from relatively older servo readback data.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2019Date of Patent: May 12, 2020Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Nhan X. Bui, Randy C. Inch, David L. Swanson, Tomoko Taketomi
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Publication number: 20200035269Abstract: A determination is made whether read/write is enabled within the tape drive storage unit. In response to determining that read/write is enabled, a determination is made whether a temperature within the tape drive storage unit exceeds a threshold value. In response to determining that the temperature within the tape drive storage unit exceeds the threshold value, a determination is made of a direction of travel of a tape media within the tape drive storage unit. In response to determining that the direction of travel is a forward direction, a first cooling device is powered on. The first cooling device lowers the temperature of a first guide roller and the tape media coming off a first tape storage reel prior to the tape media passing by a read/write head within the tape drive storage unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 3, 2019Publication date: January 30, 2020Inventors: Nhan X. Bui, Kevin B. Judd, Randy C. Inch, Mark A. Lantz, David H.F. Harper
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Patent number: 10529370Abstract: A product, according to one embodiment, includes: a tape spool having: a first flange, a second flange, and a circular hub sandwiched between the first and second flanges. The tape spool also includes a cylindrical compliance layer which encircles the hub. The compliance layer is configured to dampen radial stress exerted on the hub by a tape wound around the hub. A product, according to another embodiment, includes: a tape cartridge having: an outer housing, and a tape spool positioned within the outer housing. The tape spool further includes: a first flange, a circular hub coupled to the first flange, and a cylindrical compliance layer which encircles the hub. A magnetic tape is also wrapped around the compliance layer and the hub. Moreover, the compliance layer is configured to dampen radial stress exerted on inner wraps of the magnetic tape.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2018Date of Patent: January 7, 2020Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Nhan X. Bui, Ernest S. Gale, Kevin B. Judd, Richard A. West, Richard L. Bradshaw
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Publication number: 20190392864Abstract: A product, according to one embodiment, includes: a tape spool having: a first flange, a second flange, and a circular hub sandwiched between the first and second flanges. The tape spool also includes a cylindrical compliance layer which encircles the hub. The compliance layer is configured to dampen radial stress exerted on the hub by a tape wound around the hub. A product, according to another embodiment, includes: a tape cartridge having: an outer housing, and a tape spool positioned within the outer housing. The tape spool further includes: a first flange, a circular hub coupled to the first flange, and a cylindrical compliance layer which encircles the hub. A magnetic tape is also wrapped around the compliance layer and the hub. Moreover, the compliance layer is configured to dampen radial stress exerted on inner wraps of the magnetic tape.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 25, 2018Publication date: December 26, 2019Inventors: Nhan X. Bui, Ernest S. Gale, Kevin B. Judd, Richard A. West, Richard L. Bradshaw
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Patent number: 10515663Abstract: A determination is made whether read/write is enabled within the tape drive storage unit. In response to determining that read/write is enabled, a determination is made whether a temperature within the tape drive storage unit exceeds a threshold value. In response to determining that the temperature within the tape drive storage unit exceeds the threshold value, a determination is made of a direction of travel of a tape media within the tape drive storage unit. In response to determining that the direction of travel is a forward direction, a first cooling device is powered on. The first cooling device lowers the temperature of a first guide roller and the tape media coming off a first tape storage reel prior to the tape media passing by a read/write head within the tape drive storage unit.Type: GrantFiled: June 17, 2019Date of Patent: December 24, 2019Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Nhan X. Bui, Kevin B. Judd, Randy C. Inch, Mark A. Lantz, David H. F. Harper
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Publication number: 20190304500Abstract: A determination is made whether read/write is enabled within the tape drive storage unit. In response to determining that read/write is enabled, a determination is made whether a temperature within the tape drive storage unit exceeds a threshold value. In response to determining that the temperature within the tape drive storage unit exceeds the threshold value, a determination is made of a direction of travel of a tape media within the tape drive storage unit. In response to determining that the direction of travel is a forward direction, a first cooling device is powered on. The first cooling device lowers the temperature of a first guide roller and the tape media coming off a first tape storage reel prior to the tape media passing by a read/write head within the tape drive storage unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 17, 2019Publication date: October 3, 2019Inventors: Nhan X. Bui, Kevin B. Judd, Randy C. Inch, Mark A. Lantz, David H.F. Harper
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Patent number: 10410670Abstract: A determination is made whether read/write is enabled within the tape drive storage unit. In response to determining that read/write is enabled, a determination is made whether an absolute value of a channel offset exceeds a threshold value. In response to determining that the absolute value of the channel offset exceeds a threshold value, a direction of travel of the tape media is determined. In response to determining that the direction of travel of the tape media is a forward direction, a determination is made whether the channel offset is positive. In response to determining that the channel offset is positive, a left cooling device within the tape drive storage unit is powered on. The left cooling device lowers the temperature of a left guide roller and the tape media coming off a left tape storage reel prior to the media passing by a read/write head.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2019Date of Patent: September 10, 2019Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Nhan X. Bui, Kevin B. Judd, Randy C. Inch, Mark A. Lantz, David H. F. Harper
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Publication number: 20190272851Abstract: A tape drive-implemented method, according to one embodiment, includes: using information read from one or more servo bands on a magnetic tape to position a magnetic tape head relative to the magnetic tape. An array of data transducers is positioned along the magnetic tape head, the array extending perpendicular to a direction of travel of the magnetic tape. Moreover, a group of servo readers is positioned at each end of the array of data transducers. A distance between each of the immediately adjacent servo readers in each of the groups of servo readers is less than or equal to one third of a prespecified width of each of the servo bands. Furthermore, the distance between each of the servo readers in each of the groups and the prespecified width are both measured in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the magnetic tape.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 21, 2019Publication date: September 5, 2019Inventors: Nhan X. Bui, Giovanni Cherubini, Simeon Furrer, Mark A. Lantz, Kazuhiro Tsuruta
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Publication number: 20190267035Abstract: A determination is made whether read/write is enabled within the tape drive storage unit. In response to determining that read/write is enabled, a determination is made whether an absolute value of a channel offset exceeds a threshold value. In response to determining that the absolute value of the channel offset exceeds a threshold value, a direction of travel of the tape media is determined. In response to determining that the direction of travel of the tape media is a forward direction, a determination is made whether the channel offset is positive. In response to determining that the channel offset is positive, a left cooling device within the tape drive storage unit is powered on. The left cooling device lowers the temperature of a left guide roller and the tape media coming off a left tape storage reel prior to the media passing by a read/write head.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 27, 2019Publication date: August 29, 2019Inventors: Nhan X. Bui, Kevin B. Judd, Randy C. Inch, Mark A. Lantz, David H.F. Harper
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Publication number: 20190267034Abstract: A determination is made whether read/write is enabled within the tape drive storage unit. In response to determining that read/write is enabled, a determination is made whether a temperature within the tape drive storage unit exceeds a threshold value. In response to determining that the temperature within the tape drive storage unit exceeds the threshold value, a determination is made of a direction of travel of a tape media within the tape drive storage unit. In response to determining that the direction of travel is a forward direction, a first cooling device is powered on. The first cooling device lowers the temperature of a first guide roller and the tape media coming off a first tape storage reel prior to the tape media passing by a read/write head within the tape drive storage unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 27, 2018Publication date: August 29, 2019Inventors: Nhan X. Bui, Kevin B. Judd, Randy C. Inch, Mark A. Lantz, David H.F. Harper
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Patent number: 10395687Abstract: A determination is made whether read/write is enabled within the tape drive storage unit. In response to determining that read/write is enabled, a determination is made whether a temperature within the tape drive storage unit exceeds a threshold value. In response to determining that the temperature within the tape drive storage unit exceeds the threshold value, a determination is made of a direction of travel of a tape media within the tape drive storage unit. In response to determining that the direction of travel is a forward direction, a first cooling device is powered on. The first cooling device lowers the temperature of a first guide roller and the tape media coming off a first tape storage reel prior to the tape media passing by a read/write head within the tape drive storage unit.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2018Date of Patent: August 27, 2019Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Nhan X. Bui, Kevin B. Judd, Randy C. Inch, Mark A. Lantz, David H. F. Harper
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Patent number: 10388312Abstract: A tape drive-implemented method, according to one embodiment, includes: using information read from one or more servo bands on a magnetic tape to position a magnetic tape head relative to the magnetic tape. An array of data transducers is positioned along the magnetic tape head, the array extending perpendicular to a direction of travel of the magnetic tape. Moreover, a group of servo readers is positioned at each end of the array of data transducers. A distance between each of the immediately adjacent servo readers in each of the groups of servo readers is less than or equal to one third of a prespecified width of each of the servo bands. Furthermore, the distance between each of the servo readers in each of the groups and the prespecified width are both measured in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the magnetic tape.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2018Date of Patent: August 20, 2019Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Nhan X. Bui, Giovanni Cherubini, Simeon Furrer, Mark A. Lantz, Kazuhiro Tsuruta
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Patent number: 10347282Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a tape transport control system with enhanced regulation of tape tension and velocity over the entire length of the tape. The tape transport control system comprises of circuitry adapted to output and circuitry adapted to receive one or more signals representing a tape velocity, at least one radius of either the first tape reel or the second tape reel, and a tape tension, and based on the received signals, generate at least one control signal to control at least one of the first reel motor or the second reel motor so as to reduce a tension disturbance at a minimum, one frequency corresponding to a time-varying reel-rotation frequency, based on controller parameters that depend on the tape velocity and on the at least one radius of either the first tape reel or the second tape reel.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2017Date of Patent: July 9, 2019Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Angeliki Pantazi, Giovanni Cherubini, Tomoko Taketomi, Nhan X. Bui, Mark A. Lantz
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Publication number: 20190198049Abstract: In one general embodiment, a method includes calculating a differential position value based on readback signals from at least two servo readers of a magnetic head reading servo tracks of a magnetic recording tape. The differential position value is compared to a previously-calculated differential position value. An action is performed in response to determining that the difference between the differential position value and the previously-calculated differential position value is in a predefined range. In another general embodiment, an apparatus includes a magnetic head having at least two servo readers, and a controller in communication with the servo readers. The controller is configured to detect a sudden change in a width of a magnetic recording tape based on a differential position value derived from relatively more current servo readback data and a second differential position value derived from relatively older servo readback data.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2019Publication date: June 27, 2019Inventors: Nhan X. Bui, Randy C. Inch, David L. Swanson, Tomoko Taketomi
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Patent number: 10332554Abstract: A determination is made whether read/write is enabled within the tape drive storage unit. In response to determining that read/write is enabled, a determination is made whether an absolute value of a channel offset exceeds a threshold value. In response to determining that the absolute value of the channel offset exceeds a threshold value, a direction of travel of the tape media is determined. In response to determining that the direction of travel of the tape media is a forward direction, a determination is made whether the channel offset is positive. In response to determining that the channel offset is positive, a first cooling device within the tape drive storage unit is powered on. The first cooling device lowers the temperature of a first guide roller and the tape media coming off a first tape storage reel prior to the media passing by a read/write head.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2018Date of Patent: June 25, 2019Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Nhan X. Bui, Kevin B. Judd, Randy C. Inch, Mark A. Lantz, David H. F. Harper
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Publication number: 20190139569Abstract: A tape drive-implemented method, according to one embodiment, includes: using information read from one or more servo bands on a magnetic tape to position a magnetic tape head relative to the magnetic tape. An array of data transducers is positioned along the magnetic tape head, the array extending perpendicular to a direction of travel of the magnetic tape. Moreover, a group of servo readers is positioned at each end of the array of data transducers. A distance between each of the immediately adjacent servo readers in each of the groups of servo readers is less than or equal to one third of a prespecified width of each of the servo bands. Furthermore, the distance between each of the servo readers in each of the groups and the prespecified width are both measured in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the magnetic tape.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 23, 2018Publication date: May 9, 2019Inventors: Nhan X. Bui, Giovanni Cherubini, Simeon Furrer, Mark A. Lantz, Kazuhiro Tsuruta
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Patent number: 10283153Abstract: In one general embodiment, a method includes calculating a differential position value based on readback signals from at least two servo readers of a magnetic head reading servo tracks of a magnetic recording tape. The differential position value is compared to a previously-calculated differential position value. An action is performed in response to determining that the difference between the differential position value and the previously-calculated differential position value is in a predefined range. The differential position value is an average of differential position values for a set of samples, wherein the previously-calculated differential position value is an average of previously-calculated differential position values for a set of previously-obtained samples. In another general embodiment, an apparatus includes a magnetic head having servo readers and a controller in communication with the servo readers. The controller is configured to detect a sudden change in a width of a magnetic recording tape.Type: GrantFiled: July 16, 2018Date of Patent: May 7, 2019Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Nhan X. Bui, Randy C. Inch, David L. Swanson, Tomoko Taketomi
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Patent number: 10262681Abstract: According to one embodiment, a system includes a controller configured to determine whether a position error signal (PES) is invalid while reading data from a magnetic medium using at least one data channel. An invalid PES indicates off-track reading or a defect in the magnetic medium. The controller is also configured to determine whether a PES value is above a first predetermined threshold in response to a determination that the PES is valid. Moreover, the controller is configured to inject error bits into a data stream in place of corresponding bits of decoded data in response to a determination that the PES is invalid, a determination that the PES value is above the first predetermined threshold, or a determination that the PES is invalid and the PES value is above the first predetermined threshold. Other systems and methods are described in accordance with more embodiments.Type: GrantFiled: November 28, 2017Date of Patent: April 16, 2019Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Nhan X. Bui, Setsuko Masuda, Keisuke Tanaka, Kazuhiro Tsuruta