Abstract: Embodiments of a system that includes one or more integrated circuits are described. During operation, the system compensates for gamma correction in a video image to produce a linear relationship between brightness values and an associated brightness of the video image when displayed, where the compensation includes an offset at minimum brightness that is associated with light leakage in a display that is configured to display video images. Then, the system calculates an intensity setting of a light source based on at least a portion of the compensated video image, the light source configured to illuminate the display. Next, the system adjusts the compensated video image so that a product of the intensity setting and a transmittance associated with the adjusted video image approximately equals a product of a previous intensity setting and a transmittance associated with the video image.

Abstract: Embodiments of a system that includes one or more integrated circuits are described. During operation, the system transforms the video image from an initial brightness domain to a linear brightness domain, which includes a range of brightness values corresponding to substantially equidistant adjacent radiant-power values in a displayed video image. In this linear brightness domain, the system may determine an intensity setting of the light source based on at least a portion of the transformed video image, such as the portion of the transformed video image that includes spatially varying visual information in the video image. Moreover, the system may modify the transformed video image so that a product of the intensity setting and a transmittance associated with the modified video image approximately equals a product of a previous intensity setting and a transmittance associated with the video image. For example, the modification may include changing brightness values in the transformed video image.

Abstract: Embodiments of a system that includes one or more integrated circuits are described. During operation, the system reduces power consumption by changing an intensity setting of a light source, which illuminates a display that is configured to display a video image, and scales brightness values for the video image based on a brightness metric associated with the video image. Then, the system calculates the error metric for the video image based on the scaled brightness values and the video image.

Abstract: Embodiments of a system that includes one or more integrated circuits are described. During operation, the system receives a video image. Then, the system jointly modifies brightness values of pixels in at least a portion of the video image and an intensity setting of a light source to maintain light output from a display while reducing power consumption by the light source, where the light source is configured to illuminate the display that is configured to display video images. Next, the system adjusts color content in the video image to correct for a dependence of a spectrum of the light source on the intensity setting.

Abstract: Embodiments of a system that includes one or more integrated circuits are described. During operation, the system receives a video image, that when displayed, includes a picture portion, a non-picture portion, and a subtitle which is superimposed on at least a subset of the non-picture portion, where the non-picture portion has an initial brightness value. Then, the system scales the brightness of pixels corresponding to a remainder of the non-picture portion of the video image to have a new brightness value that is greater than the initial brightness value to reduce user-perceived changes in the video image associated with backlighting of a display that displays the video image, where the remainder of the non-picture portion excludes the subset of the non-picture portion.

Abstract: Embodiments of a system that includes one or more integrated circuits are described. During operation, the system receives a sequence of video images, which include a video image, and predicts an increase in an intensity setting of a light source (which is configured to illuminate a display) when the video image is to be displayed based on the color saturation. Then, the system selectively adjusts pixels in the video image associated with a white color filter based on a color saturation of at least a portion of the video image, where the display configured to display the video image includes pixels associated with one or more additional color filters and pixels associated with the white color filter. Next, the system incrementally applies the increase in the intensity setting across at least a subset of the sequence of video images.

Abstract: Glide heads for the detection of asperities on a storage disc have a thermal transducer oriented along the air bearing surface. The thermal transducer generally is in electrical contact with a circuit to measure the electrical resistance of the thermal transducer. Preferred methods of depositing the thermal transducer involve the deposition of the thermal transducer on the smooth surface of a wafer prior to the slicing of individual sliders.

Abstract: The active vibration suppression of a slider suspension arm is achieved by including as part of the suspension arm two bimorph piezoelectric elements. A first bimorph piezoelectric element is attached to the top of the suspension arm and acts as a sensor. A second bimorph piezoelectric element is attached to the bottom of the suspension arm and acts as an actuator. The actuator is controlled as a function of a voltage measured by the sensor so that the actuator damps periodic vibrations occurring in the suspension arm.

Abstract: A magnetic data recording medium substrate has a contact zone and a data zone. The contact zone is textured by forming multiple texturing features, each having a bell-shaped profile resembling a Gaussian curve. The features preferably are formed by pulsed laser energy applied to a glass substrate, or to an aluminum nickel-phosphorous substrate coated with a glass layer. As compared to previous laser texturing approaches, the laser beam is less narrowly focused to provide a beam impingement area with a diameter of at least three microns, forming texturing features with diameters of at least three microns. The texturing features preferably are uniform in height and diameter, and may be symmetrical or have asymmetrical aspects, so long as bell-shaped profiles are present in the direction of travel of the recording medium, relative to transducing heads.

Abstract: A glide head supporting a glide transducer for glide test operations. The glide head includes a textured glide interface for glide height stability. The textured glide interface provides an anti-collapse protection feature for glide test operations.

Abstract: A magnetic data storage medium includes a dedicated transducing head contact zone for engaging an air bearing slider, primarily when the disk is stationary and also during disk accelerations and decelerations. The contact zone has a dual baseline texture, formed by first creating a recessed region within the transducing head contact zone, and then by forming multiple nodules or other texturing features within the recessed region. The texturing features project upwardly from a recessed surface of the recessed region, and also project above an upper surface of the disk by an amount less than the texturing feature height. Consequently, the texturing features are large enough to counteract stiction due to liquid lubricant meniscus formation, yet also have heights sufficiently low relative to the upper surface to allow reduced transducer flying heights.

Abstract: A disk head fly height adjustment method includes positioning a disk head over a surface of a rotating data storage disk and dynamically altering a load point of the disk head by changing an electrical force applied to an active element mounted to a head-gimbal assembly. A data storage apparatus includes a head assembly having a data transfer head coupled to a gimbal and an active element coupling the head assembly and a suspension. The active element is configured to exert a force between the head assembly and the suspension in response to an electrical force applied to the active element. The active element can dynamically shift a load point of a disk head. Shifting the load point can alter the pitch of the disk head and, consequently, the fly height of the head.

Abstract: A magnetic data storage medium includes a dedicated transducing head contact zone for engaging an air bearing slider, primarily when the disk is stationary. The contact zone is textured with an irregular sequence of spaced apart nodules forming a substantially circumferential, spiral path. The spiral path includes multiple terms that define a uniform radial pitch. The circumferential pitch is irregular, more preferably determined according to pseudo-random function in which the actual spacing intervals vary about a nominal interval, over a range comparable to, but generally less than, the interval. The pseudo-random array can be formed by a texturing process that includes directing a focused laser beam onto the contact zone. The disk is rotated to maintain a constant circumferential speed relative to the laser, and also is translated radially to provide the desired radial pitch.

Abstract: A magnetic data storage medium includes a dedicated transducing head contact zone for engaging an air bearing slider, primarily when the disk is stationary and also during disk accelerations and decelerations. The contact zone has a dual baseline texture, formed by first creating a recessed region within the transducing head contact zone, and then by forming multiple nodules or other texturing features within the recessed region. The texturing features project upwardly from a recessed surface of the recessed region, and also project above an upper surface of the disk by an amount less than the texturing feature height. Consequently, the texturing features are large enough to counteract stiction due to liquid lubricant meniscus formation, yet also have heights sufficiently low relative to the upper surface to allow reduced transducer flying heights.

Abstract: An improved glide head has optical marks on the air bearing surface. The glide heads can be used for detecting defects on disc surfaces following an evaluation of the fly height as a function of disc rotation. The optical marks provide a position for focusing light used in the optical measurement of fly height. The optical marks have measurably different optical properties from the portions of the air bearing surface not covered by an optical mark. The differences in optical properties of the optical marks can be used to adjust the position of the optical system relative to the glide head to ensure that the light is focused on an optical mark.

Abstract: Glide heads for the detection of asperities on a storage disc have a thermal transducer oriented along the air bearing surface. The thermal transducer generally is in electrical contact with a circuit to measure the electrical resistance of the thermal transducer. Preferred methods of depositing the thermal transducer involve the deposition of the thermal transducer on the smooth surface of a wafer prior to the slicing of individual sliders.

Abstract: A magnetic data storage medium includes a dedicated transducing head contact zone for engaging an air bearing slider, primarily when the disk is stationary and also during disk accelerations and decelerations. The contact zone has a dual baseline texture, formed by first creating a recessed region within the transducing head contact zone, and then by forming multiple nodules or other texturing features within the recessed region. The texturing features project upwardly from a recessed surface of the recessed region, and also project above an upper surface of the disk by an amount less than the texturing feature height. Consequently, the texturing features are large enough to counteract stiction due to liquid lubricant meniscus formation, yet also have heights sufficiently low relative to the upper surface to allow reduced transducer flying heights.

Abstract: A glide head apparatus for testing surface characteristics of a disc includes a gimbal, a slider and an actuator including a piezoelectric material disposed between the gimbal and the slider. A voltage applied across the piezoelectric material is controllable to cause the piezoelectric material to expand or contract depending on the applied voltage so as to vary the fly height between the slider and a disc under test. The fly height can be varied without substantially varying the linear velocity of the disc under test. Methods of testing surface characteristics of a disc using the glide head apparatus also are disclosed.

Abstract: A magnetic data storage medium includes a dedicated transducing head contact zone for engaging an air bearing slider, primarily when the disk is stationary. The contact zone is textured with at least one elongate ridge extending in the circumferential direction. When a single ridge is formed, it runs in a spiral path in multiple turns with a predetermined radial pitch at least ten times the nominal ridge width. The ridge protrudes axially outward from a nominal surface plane of the contact zone, and is rounded and free of sharp edges. The ridge, or plurality of ridge sections, can be formed by a texturing process that includes directing a laser beam, focused, onto the contact zone surface. While the disk is rotated to maintain a constant circumferential speed relative to the laser, it also is translated radially to provide the desired radial pitch. The laser is operated in a CW (continuous wave) mode, to create a more uniform ridge.

Abstract: A magnetic data storage medium includes a dedicated transducing head contact zone for engaging an air bearing slider, primarily when the disk is stationary and also during disk accelerations and decelerations. The contact zone has a dual baseline texture, formed by first creating a recessed region within the transducing head contact zone, and then by forming multiple nodules or other texturing features within the recessed region. The texturing features project upwardly from a recessed surface of the recessed region, and also project above an upper surface of the disk by an amount less than the texturing feature height. Consequently, the texturing features are large enough to counteract stiction due to liquid lubricant meniscus formation, yet also have heights sufficiently low relative to the upper surface to allow reduced transducer flying heights.