Patents by Inventor Steven N. Pierce

Steven N. Pierce 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).

  • Computer readable medium and method of improving ras characteristics relating to calibration algorithms in an automated robotic system
    Patent number: 8036843
    Abstract: An automated data library system employs a calibration sensor, the fiducial target and a controller in electrical communication with the calibration sensor to create a calibration sensor pixel image of a calibration area surrounding an expected location of the fiducial target within the automated data storage library by executing one or more vertical calibration sensor scans and/or one or more horizontal calibration sensor scans of the calibration area, and monitoring an output of the calibration sensor scans at defined position intervals. The expected location of the fiducial target can be on a data storage drive of the library or a storage shelf of the library. The controller can execute a debugging procedure, a diagnostic test and/or an error recovery procedure based on the calibration sensor pixel image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Steven N. Pierce
  • Method of assigning virtual import/export element addresses
    Patent number: 7647469
    Abstract: A method for assigning element addresses in an automated data storage library includes determining if a data storage device, such as a tape cartridge, belongs to a particular host's cartridge assignment policy. If so, the data storage device is issued a virtual import/export element address taken from a set of non-common virtual import/export element addresses, if available. If no non-common address is available, then a common virtual import/export element address is assigned to the data storage device. If no addresses, either common or non-common, are available, then the data storage device is queued until an address becomes available.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Frank D. Gallo, Theresa M. Lopez, Steven N. Pierce, Timothy K. Pierce
  • COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM AND METHOD OF IMPROVING RAS CHARACTERISTICS RELATING TO CALIBRATION ALGORITHMS IN AN AUTOMATED ROBOTIC SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20090088998
    Abstract: An automated data library system employs a calibration sensor, the fiducial target and a controller in electrical communication with the calibration sensor to create a calibration sensor pixel image of a calibration area surrounding an expected location of the fiducial target within the automated data storage library by executing one or more vertical calibration sensor scans and/or one or more horizontal calibration sensor scans of the calibration area, and monitoring an output of the calibration sensor scans at defined position intervals. The expected location of the fiducial target can be on a data storage drive of the library or a storage shelf of the library. The controller can execute a debugging procedure, a diagnostic test and/or an error recovery procedure based on the calibration sensor pixel image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2008
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Steven N. Pierce
  • System for improving RAS characteristics relating to calibration algorithms in an automated robotic system
    Patent number: 7472029
    Abstract: An automated data library system employs a calibration sensor, the fiducial target and a controller in electrical communication with the calibration sensor to create a calibration sensor pixel image of a calibration area surrounding an expected location of the fiducial target within the automated data storage library by executing one or more vertical calibration sensor scans and/or one or more horizontal calibration sensor scans of the calibration area, and monitoring an output of the calibration sensor scans at defined position intervals. The expected location of the fiducial target can be on a data storage drive of the library or a storage shelf of the library. The controller can execute a debugging procedure, a diagnostic test and/or an error recovery procedure based on the calibration sensor pixel image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Steven N. Pierce