Patents by Inventor William R. Qualls

William R. Qualls 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: 20100161895
    Abstract: Techniques are described for securing data on data cartridges, such as a Linear Tape-Open (LTO) data cartridge. The techniques include modifying a portion of a cartridge memory (CM) chip of the cartridge in a way that a cartridge drive will be unable to access the data cartridge and to prevent modification of the CM chip by the cartridge drive. In one embodiment, a system includes a data cartridge including a CM chip, a chip reader to read data from and write data to the CM chip, and a computing device to control the chip reader. The computing device causes the chip reader to read data from the cartridge memory chip of the data cartridge and to modify a portion of memory of the chip to prevent unauthorized reads and writes to the data cartridge, without rendering the modification irreversible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Inventors: William R. Qualls, Kevin G. Battles, Jody L. Gregg, Robert S. Jackson, C. Thomas Jennings
  • Patent number: 7597607
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing magnetic recording tape includes applying a front coat including a magnetic component to a substrate to provide a coated substrate. The coated substrate defines a first face and an opposing, second face, the first face extending between a first corner and an opposing, second corner, and the second face extending between a third corner and an opposing, fourth corner. An abrasive surface is moved against the first corner of the coated substrate to abrasively remove a volume of material from the first corner. In particular, the abrasive surface is angularly offset at a substantially non-orthogonal angle from the first face of the coated substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Imation Corp.
    Inventors: Douglas R. Plourde, William R. Qualls, Kerry D. Reimer, Siu-Yue Tam
  • Publication number: 20040268379
    Abstract: A data storage product includes a recordable layer having a recordable area and a characteristic width, and a product container having a container volume containing the recordable layer. The data storage product has a storage media volumetric factor defined as the characteristic width of the recordable layer multiplied by the recordable area of the recordable layer divided by the container volume of the product container, wherein the storage media volumetric factor of the data storage product is greater than approximately 450.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2003
    Publication date: December 30, 2004
    Applicant: Imation Corp.
    Inventor: William R. Qualls
  • Patent number: 6811472
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the invention is directed toward inline lapping of magnetic tape. The lapping process is performed inline with one or more other magnetic tape manufacturing processes. In this manner, the number of times the magnetic tape is un-spooled and then re-spooled can be reduced. Consequently, the amount of handling of the individual tape pancakes can also be reduced, thus avoiding damage to the edge of the tape, or other damage associated with tape pancake handling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Assignee: Imation Corp.
    Inventors: Nang T. Tran, Arne B. Boberg, Douglas R. Plourde, William R. Qualls, Edward L. Schneider
  • Patent number: 6796884
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the invention is directed to techniques for controlling the abrasivity of magnetic tape without modifying the coating formulas used to create the magnetic tape. For example, the invention may involve controlling or adjusting the abrasivity of magnetic tape using one or more burnishing techniques such as lapping, vaming or scraping. In this manner, the abrasivity of magnetic tape can be controlled or adjusted to ensure that the tape meets the necessary tape specifications without modifying the coating formulas applied during the coating process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Imation Corp.
    Inventors: Nang T. Tran, William R. Qualls
  • Patent number: 6644581
    Abstract: A winding flange guide (10) is utilized to provide a better quality wind of a strand media. The guide (10) has a first flange (12) and a second flange (13) which constrain the movement of the outer wraps of the tape pancake formed by the tape media. The winding flange guide (10) is utilized in a servo writer (20), tape cartridge (40, 60) and tape drive (80).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: Imation Corp.
    Inventors: Douglas R. Plourde, Helen J. Yoo, William R. Qualls
  • Publication number: 20030064666
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the invention is directed toward inline lapping of magnetic tape. The lapping process is performed inline with one or more other magnetic tape manufacturing processes. In this manner, the number of times the magnetic tape is un-spooled and then re-spooled can be reduced. Consequently, the amount of handling of the individual tape pancakes can also be reduced, thus avoiding damage to the edge of the tape, or other damage associated with tape pancake handling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2001
    Publication date: April 3, 2003
    Applicant: Imation Corp.
    Inventors: Nang T. Tran, Arne B. Boberg, Douglas R. Plourde, William R. Qualls
  • Publication number: 20030064667
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the invention is directed toward inline lapping of magnetic tape. The lapping process is performed inline with one or more other magnetic tape manufacturing processes. In this manner, the number of times the magnetic tape is un-spooled and then re-spooled can be reduced. Consequently, the amount of handling of the individual tape pancakes can also be reduced, thus avoiding damage to the edge of the tape, or other damage associated with tape pancake handling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2002
    Publication date: April 3, 2003
    Inventors: Nang T. Tran, Arne B. Boberg, Douglas R. Plourde, William R. Qualls, Edward L. Schneider
  • Publication number: 20030001037
    Abstract: A winding flange guide (10) is utilized to provide a better quality wind of a strand media. The guide (10) has a first flange (12) and a second flange (13) which constrain the movement of the outer wraps of the tape pancake formed by the tape media. The winding flange guide (10) is utilized in a servo writer (20), tape cartridge (40, 60) and tape drive (80).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Publication date: January 2, 2003
    Inventors: Douglas R. Plourde, Helen J. Yoo, William R. Qualls