Patents by Inventor Tomoko SEKI

Tomoko SEKI 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).

  • Publication number: 20240088704
    Abstract: A charge support system including: a detection unit configured to detect that a vehicle is scheduled to be parked for a predetermined period or longer; an acquisition unit configured to acquire information about a charging of a storage battery when the detection unit detects that the vehicle is scheduled to be parked for a predetermined period or longer; a determination unit configured to determine, based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit, whether or not it is necessary to keep storing electricity generated by a solar cell panel in the storage battery; and a notification unit configured to, when the determination unit determines that it is not necessary to keep storing the electricity generated by the solar cell panel in the storage battery, send a notification prompting a driver to connect a charging cable to a storage apparatus outside the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Taizo MASUDA, Yasunobu SEKI, Hiroki AWANO, Tomoko NAKAMURA, Tsuyoshi KANEKO, Kosuke YONEKAWA
  • Publication number: 20240078910
    Abstract: A charge support system for a plurality of vehicles capable of traveling autonomously, each of the vehicles including a solar cell panel attached to a vehicle body and a storage battery configured to store electricity generated by the solar cell panel, the charge support system including: an acquisition unit configured to acquire, regarding the plurality of vehicles parked in a predetermined parking area, at least information about charging efficiencies of a plurality of the storage batteries of the respective vehicles by the electricity generated by a plurality of the solar cell panels of the respective vehicles and information about charging rates of the plurality of the storage batteries of the respective vehicles; and a traveling control unit configured to move the plurality of vehicles within a range of the predetermined parking area based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2023
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Taizo MASUDA, Yasunobu SEKI, Hiroki AWANO, Tomoko NAKAMURA, Tsuyoshi KANEKO, Kosuke YONEKAWA
  • Publication number: 20240071152
    Abstract: Primary information relating to generation or use of electrical energy generated by the solar power generation apparatus (23) mounted in the vehicle (5) and secondary information relating to the vehicle (5) mounting the solar power generation apparatus (23) are acquired, and natural energy utilization information tying the acquired secondary information with the acquired primary information is prepared.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2023
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Taizo MASUDA, Yasunobu SEKI, Hiroki AWANO, Tomoko NAKAMURA, Tsuyoshi KANEKO, Kosuke YONEKAWA
  • Publication number: 20240071416
    Abstract: Various apparatuses, systems, methods, and media are disclosed to provide a heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) medium. The HAMR medium includes a substrate, a heat sink layer on the substrate, and a plurality of magnetic recording layers on the heat sink layer. The plurality of magnetic recording layers includes a first magnetic layer and a second magnetic layer disposed on the first magnetic layer. The second magnetic layer includes FePt—Ag—Cu—X, wherein X is a segregant comprising BN. The HAMR medium can use BN-based segregants to improve a thermal gradient of the HAMR medium for better areal density capability (ADC) and enable the use of a MgO underlayer with reduced thickness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2022
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Inventors: Hoan Cong Ho, Tomoko Seki, Paul Christopher Dorsey
  • Publication number: 20240055019
    Abstract: Various apparatuses, systems, methods, and media are disclosed to provide a heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) medium that has a magnetic recording layer on a magnesium oxide-titanium oxide (MTO) underlayer, where the MTO underlayer includes an additive material that chemically bonds with titanium. In some examples, the additive material includes iron-oxide, iron, carbon, or various aluminum oxides. By providing the additive material to the MTO that chemically bonds with the titanium of the MTO, diffusion of titanium from the MTO underlayer into the magnetic recording layer is mitigated to provide an improved recording layer that achieves improved areal densities. In some embodiments, an additional magnesium oxide-nitrogen underlayer is also provided, which may include more of the additive material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2022
    Publication date: February 15, 2024
    Inventors: Hoan Cong Ho, Hua Yuan, Tomoko Seki, Paul Christopher Dorsey
  • Patent number: 11900978
    Abstract: Various apparatuses, systems, methods, and media are disclosed to provide a heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) medium that has a magnetic recording layer on a magnesium oxide-titanium oxide (MTO) underlayer, where the MTO underlayer includes an additive material that chemically bonds with titanium. In some examples, the additive material includes iron-oxide, iron, carbon, or various aluminum oxides. By providing the additive material to the MTO that chemically bonds with the titanium of the MTO, diffusion of titanium from the MTO underlayer into the magnetic recording layer is mitigated to provide an improved recording layer that achieves improved areal densities. In some embodiments, an additional magnesium oxide-nitrogen underlayer is also provided, which may include more of the additive material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hoan Cong Ho, Hua Yuan, Tomoko Seki, Paul Christopher Dorsey
  • Publication number: 20230005503
    Abstract: Various apparatuses, systems, methods, and media are disclosed to provide a heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) medium that has a magnesium (Mg) trapping layer that is configured to mitigate Mg migration in the HAMR medium so as to prevent near field transducer (NFT) damage caused by dissociated Mg reacting with a compound used in the NFT. In one example, the HAMR medium can include a substrate, a seed layer on the substrate and including MgO, a magnetic recording layer on the seed layer, and a Mg trapping layer on the substrate and configured to mitigate Mg migration from the seed layer to a surface of the HAMR medium above the magnetic recording layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2021
    Publication date: January 5, 2023
    Inventors: Takashi Iwanami, Kouji Matsuda, Junguo Xu, Kenji Tasaka, Hoan Cong Ho, Tomoko Seki, Paul Christopher Dorsey, Masayoshi Shimokoshi
  • Patent number: 11521648
    Abstract: A heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) medium has a multilayered underlayer between the heat-sink layer and the recording layer. One embodiment of the underlayer is a multilayer of a thermal barrier layer consisting essentially of MgO and TiO, and a seed layer containing MgO and nitrogen (N) directly on the thermal barrier layer, with the recording layer on and in contact with the seed layer. The interface between the thermal barrier layer and the seed layer contains Ti and N, some of which may be present as TiN to act as a diffusion barrier to prevent diffusion of the Ti into the recording layer. The Ti-containing thermal barrier layer has a higher thermal resistivity than the conventional MgO thermal barrier/seed layer and thus allows for reduced laser power to the recording layer while still achieving a high thermal gradient at the recording layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hoan Cong Ho, Paul Christopher Dorsey, Tomoko Seki
  • Publication number: 20220139422
    Abstract: A heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) medium has a multilayered underlayer between the heat-sink layer and the recording layer. One embodiment of the underlayer is a multilayer of a thermal barrier layer consisting essentially of MgO and TiO, and a seed layer containing MgO and nitrogen (N) directly on the thermal barrier layer, with the recording layer on and in contact with the seed layer. The interface between the thermal barrier layer and the seed layer contains Ti and N, some of which may be present as TiN to act as a diffusion barrier to prevent diffusion of the Ti into the recording layer. The Ti-containing thermal barrier layer has a higher thermal resistivity than the conventional MgO thermal barrier/seed layer and thus allows for reduced laser power to the recording layer while still achieving a high thermal gradient at the recording layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Inventors: Hoan Cong Ho, Paul Christopher Dorsey, Tomoko Seki
  • Patent number: 10276201
    Abstract: Magnetic media having dual phase MgO-X seed layers with both MgO grains and segregants are provided. One such magnetic medium includes a substrate, a heatsink layer on the substrate, a dual phase seed layer on the heatsink layer, where the dual phase seed layer comprises MgO and a segregant, where a concentration of the MgO is greater than 50 percent by volume in the dual phase seed layer, and a magnetic recording layer including FePt on the dual phase seed layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: WD MEDIA, LLC
    Inventors: Kumar Srinivasan, Tomoko Seki, Rui Zhang, Antony Ajan, Paul C. Dorsey
  • Patent number: 10276199
    Abstract: High thermal gradient heatsinks for heat assisted magnetic recording media are provided. One example magnetic recording medium for heat assisted magnetic recording includes a substrate, a first seed layer on the substrate, a heatsink layer on the first seed layer and including Ru having a crystal texture of (11.0), a second seed layer on the heatsink layer, and a magnetic recording layer on the second seed layer. Methods for manufacturing such magnetic recording media are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: WD MEDIA, LLC
    Inventors: Hoan Cong Ho, Tomoko Seki, Paul C. Dorsey, Antony Ajan
  • Patent number: 10236026
    Abstract: Thermal barrier layers and seed layers for control of thermal and structural properties of heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) media are provided. One such HAMR medium includes a substrate, a heat sink layer on the substrate, a thermal barrier layer of SrTiO3 on the heat sink layer, an underlayer of MgO on the thermal barrier layer, and a magnetic recording layer on the underlayer. Another such HAMR medium includes a substrate, a heat sink layer on the substrate, a thermal barrier layer of an ABO3-type oxide on the heat sink layer, and a magnetic recording layer on the thermal barrier layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: WD MEDIA, LLC
    Inventors: Rui Zhang, Tomoko Seki, Antony Ajan, Paul C. Dorsey
  • Patent number: 9824711
    Abstract: A soft underlayer (SUL) and methods for making an SUL are provided, the SUL having characteristics that make it compatible with the high temperature requirements associated with heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) media growth and writing, e.g., temperatures greater than 500° C. The SUL may have a high crystallization temperature of greater than 450° C. and a high Curie temperature greater than 300° C., for example. Additionally, the SUL can maintain a saturation magnetization value greater than, e.g., 9 kGauss, at such high temperatures, thereby having the ability to remain amorphous at temperatures up to, e.g., 650° C., and exhibiting a relatively flat integrated noise profile from approximately 300° C. to 650° C. Further still, a spacer layer material is chosen such that inter-diffusion does not occur at these high temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: WD Media, LLC
    Inventors: Debashish Tripathy, Antony Ajan, Tomoko Seki, Gerardo A. Bertero
  • Patent number: 9822441
    Abstract: A heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) media stack is provided in which Iridium (Ir)-based materials may be utilized as a secondary underlayer instead of a Magnesium Oxide (MgO) underlayer utilized in conventional media stacks. Such Ir-based materials may include, e.g., pure Ir, Ir-based alloys, Ir-based compounds, as well as a granular Ir layer with segregants. The use of Ir or Ir-based materials as an underlayer provide advantages over the use of MgO as an underlayer. For example, DC sputtering can be utilized to deposit the layers of the media stack, where the deposition rate of Ir is considerably higher than that of MgO resulting in higher manufacturing production yields. Further still, less particles are generated during Ir-based layer deposition processes, and Ir-based underlayer can act as a better heat sink. Further still, the morphology and structure of a recording layer deposited on an Ir-based layer can be better controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: WD Media, LLC
    Inventors: Jiaxing Liu, Tomoko Seki, Antony Ajan, Rui Zhang
  • Publication number: 20160293195
    Abstract: A heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) media stack is provided in which Iridium (Ir)-based materials may be utilized as a secondary underlayer instead of a Magnesium Oxide (MgO) underlayer utilized in conventional media stacks. Such Ir-based materials may include, e.g., pure Ir, Ir-based alloys, Ir-based compounds, as well as a granular Ir layer with segregants. The use of Ir or Ir-based materials as an underlayer provide advantages over the use of MgO as an underlayer. For example, DC sputtering can be utilized to deposit the layers of the media stack, where the deposition rate of Ir is considerably higher than that of MgO resulting in higher manufacturing production yields. Further still, less particles are generated during Ir-based layer deposition processes, and Ir-based underlayer can act as a better heat sink. Further still, the morphology and structure of a recording layer deposited on an Ir-based layer can be better controlled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Inventors: JIAXING LIU, TOMOKO SEKI, ANTONY AJAN, RUI ZHANG
  • Patent number: 9449633
    Abstract: A recording medium having improved signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) capabilities and head-disk interface characteristics includes an etched smoothened underlayer, over which the recording layer is grown. One mechanism for increasing the SNR is by growing more columnar magnetic grain structures within the recording layer, which is facilitated by a smoother underlayer template.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: WD Media, LLC
    Inventors: Shahid Pirzada, Tomoko Seki, B. Ramamurthy Acharya, Antony Ajan
  • Patent number: 9406329
    Abstract: Segregants for magnetic recording layers and materials for intermediate layers underlying the magnetic recording layers are provided for improved heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) media. One such HAMR medium includes a substrate, a heat sink layer on the substrate, an underlayer on the heat sink layer, an intermediate layer of TiON, VON, CrON, TiOC, VOC, TiONC, and/or combinations thereof, on the underlayer, and a magnetic recording layer of FePt on the intermediate layer. The magnetic recording layer further includes three sublayers, each having a different segregant. The segregant of the first magnetic recording sublayer on the intermediate layer includes AgBN, AgCN, AgBNC, AgB2O3, AgMoO3, AgV2O5, B2O3, MoO3, V2O5, and/or combinations thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: WD Media, LLC
    Inventors: Hoan Cong Ho, Hua Yuan, Tomoko Seki, Antony Ajan, Paul C. Dorsey
  • Patent number: 9177585
    Abstract: A method and system provide a magnetic recording media usable in a heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) disk drive. The magnetic recording media includes a magnetic recording layer, a crystalline underlayer, and a crystalline heat sink layer. The crystalline underlayer is between the crystalline heat sink layer and the magnetic recording layer. The magnetic recording layer stores magnetic data. The crystalline underlayer has a first crystal structure. The crystalline heat sink layer has a second crystal structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: WD Media, LLC
    Inventors: Tomoko Seki, Antony Ajan, Hua Yuan, Alexander S. Chernyshov, Bincheng Wang, B. Ramamurthy Acharya
  • Patent number: 8947987
    Abstract: Aspects of the present invention are directed to heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) media with a CoCrPtB based capping layer design that is capable of reducing switching field distribution and boosting signal-to-noise ratio of HAMR media. In one embodiment of the invention, a recording medium for heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) includes a substrate, a magnetic recording layer on the substrate, and a capping layer on and directly in contact with the magnetic recording layer. The capping layer includes CoCrPtB.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: WD Media, LLC
    Inventors: Bincheng Wang, Alexander S. Chernyshov, Hua Yuan, Tomoko Seki, Antony Ajan, B. Ramamurthy Acharya
  • Patent number: 8867322
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing thermal barrier bilayers for heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) media are provided. One such HAMR medium includes a substrate, a heat sink layer on the substrate, a thermal barrier bilayer on the heat sink layer, the bilayer comprising a first thermal barrier layer on the heat sink layer and an amorphous underlayer on the first thermal barrier layer, and a magnetic recording layer on the amorphous underlayer, wherein a thermal conductivity of the first thermal barrier layer is less than a thermal conductivity of the amorphous underlayer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: WD Media, LLC
    Inventors: Alexander S. Chernyshov, Hua Yuan, Bincheng Wang, Tomoko Seki, Antony Ajan, B. Ramamurthy Acharya, Gerardo A. Bertero, David Treves