Patents by Inventor Steven J. Alfred

Steven J. Alfred 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: 7570445
    Abstract: A rate of occurrence of off-track write events is determined. A seek function control parameter for a head is adaptively adjusted based on the determined rate of occurrence of the off-track write events. Related circuits and devices are also discussed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Steven J. Alfred, Charles R. Watt, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20070253096
    Abstract: A rate of occurrence of off-track write events is determined. A seek function control parameter for a head is adaptively adjusted based on the determined rate of occurrence of the off-track write events. Related circuits and devices are also discussed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2007
    Publication date: November 1, 2007
    Inventors: Steven J. Alfred, Charles R. Watt
  • Patent number: 7064922
    Abstract: An aspect of the invention can be regarded as a disk drive that includes a disk drive base and a spindle motor hub rotatably coupled to the disk drive base. The disk drive further includes a first disk disposed about the spindle motor hub and having a first disk stiffness. The disk drive further includes a second disk disposed about the spindle motor hub and having a second disk stiffness different than the first disk stiffness. According to another aspect of the present invention, the second disk has a second disk thickness different than a first disk thickness. According to another aspect of the present invention, the second disk is formed of a second material having a second material stiffness different than a first material stiffness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven J. Alfred, Raffi Codilian, Serge Hauert, Lin Yang
  • Patent number: 6791791
    Abstract: An aspect of the invention can be regarded as a disk drive that includes a disk drive base and a spindle motor hub rotatably coupled to the disk drive base. The disk drive further includes a first disk disposed about the spindle motor hub and having a first disk stiffness. The disk drive further includes a second disk disposed about the spindle motor hub and having a second disk stiffness different than the first disk stiffness. According to another aspect of the present invention, the second disk has a second disk thickness different than a first disk thickness. According to another aspect of the present invention, the second disk is formed of a second material having a second material stiffness different than a first material stiffness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven J. Alfred, Raffi Codilian, Serge Hauert, Lin Yang
  • Patent number: 6707637
    Abstract: An aspect of the invention can be regarded as a disk drive that includes a disk drive base and a spindle motor hub rotatably coupled to the disk drive base. The disk drive further includes a first disk disposed about the spindle motor hub. The disk drive further includes a second disk disposed about the spindle motor hub. The disk drive further includes a first disk spacer disposed between and in mechanical communication with the first and second disks. The first disk spacer has a first disk spacer first side disposed adjacent the first disk and an opposing first disk spacer second side disposed adjacent the second disk. The first disk spacer first side is defined by a first disk spacer first surface pattern. The first disk spacer second side is defined by a first disk spacer second surface pattern different than the first disk spacer first surface pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2004
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Raffi Codilian, Serge Hauert, Steven J. Alfred
  • Patent number: 6101065
    Abstract: A method for reducing data access time in a disk drive. The disk drive includes an actuator and a servo controller. The servo controller commands the actuator to perform a seek from a current position to a target position using a profile of command effort to the actuator. The profile comprises an acceleration profile and a deceleration profile. In one aspect, the method includes defining a read profile for a seek used to position the actuator to execute a read command. A write profile is defined for a seek used to position the actuator to execute a write command, the write profile being different from the read profile for a respective seek distance. The read and write seeks are performed using the read profile and the write profile. The average time required for performing a seek command is reduced as a result of the difference between the read profiles and the write profiles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2000
    Assignee: Western Digital Corporation
    Inventors: Steven J. Alfred, Eric Gregory Oettinger