Patents Issued in April 8, 2014
  • Patent number: 8693102
    Abstract: A stack of laminated transparent lenses consists of two alternating optically clear materials in intimate contact. The materials are a plastic lens and clear adhesive. The adhesive is uninterrupted. The lens and the adhesive have refraction mismatch of less than 0.2. A tab portion is part of each lens acts as an aid in peeling away the outermost lens after contamination of the lens layer during racing conditions. The lens stack can be mounted to the posts on the face shield or laminated directly to a windshield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Racing Optics, Inc.
    Inventors: Bart Wilson, Seth Wilson, Stephen S. Wilson
  • Patent number: 8693103
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a display device includes an image projection unit. The image projection unit is configured to project a light flux toward one eye of a human viewer by using a projection plate to reflect the light flux. The light flux includes an image including a display object having a vanishing point. The projection plate is reflective and transmissive. The image projection unit is configured to dispose the vanishing point of the display object at a position different from a position of a vanishing point of a background image viewed by the human viewer through the projection plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takashi Sasaki, Aira Hotta, Akihisa Moriya, Haruhiko Okumura, Miwako Doi
  • Patent number: 8693104
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to an arcuate liquid meniscus lens with a meniscus wall. Some specific embodiments include a liquid meniscus lens with a meniscus wall essentially in the shape of a conical frustum combined with a segment of a torus convex to the optical axis. Embodiments may also include a lens of suitable size and shape for inclusion in a contact lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
    Inventors: Randall B. Pugh, Daniel B. Otts, Adam Toner, Edward R. Kernick, James Daniel Riall, Sharika Snook
  • Patent number: 8693105
    Abstract: A variable magnification optical system for projection includes a first-lens-group having negative refractive power, and which is fixed when magnification of the system is changed, a second-lens-group having negative refractive power, and which is movable when magnification of the system is changed, a third-lens-group having positive refractive power, and which is movable when magnification of the system is changed, and a fourth-lens-group having positive refractive power, and which is fixed when magnification of the system is changed, which are arranged from the magnification side of the system in the order mentioned. The reduction side of the variable magnification optical system is telecentric, and formula 1.5<Bf/fw is satisfied, where Bf: back focus in air of entire system at wide angle end, and fw: focal length of entire system at wide angle end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Yukiko Nagatoshi, Akiko Nagahara
  • Patent number: 8693106
    Abstract: A zoom lens includes sequentially from an object side, a first lens group having a positive refractive power, a second lens group having a negative refractive power, a third lens group having a positive refractive power, a fourth lens group having a positive refractive power, and a fifth lens group having a negative refractive power. The zoom lens satisfies given conditions to implement a compact, large aperture ratio zoom lens having excellent optical performance and compatible with solid state image sensors capable of recording full high vision images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Tamron Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Lai Wei
  • Patent number: 8693107
    Abstract: A zoom lens includes a first lens group having a positive refracting power, a second lens group having a negative refracting power, a third lens group having a positive refracting power, and a fourth lens group having a positive refracting power. When the zoom lens is zoomed from a wide-angle end state to a telephoto end state, the first lens group is moved toward the object side so that a distance between the first and second lens groups increases and the third lens group is moved toward the object side so that a distance between the second and third lens groups decreases. The second lens group includes three lenses: negative, positive, and negative lenses in order from the object side to the image side. The third lens group includes three lenses: positive, negative, and positive lenses in order from the object side to the image side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Fumikazu Kanetaka, Atsuo Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 8693108
    Abstract: This invention provides an image capturing lens system comprising: a positive first lens element having a convex object-side surface; a negative second lens element having a concave object-side surface and a convex image-side surface; a third lens element with refractive power; a positive fourth lens element having a convex image-side surface, both of the object-side and image-side surfaces being aspheric; a fifth lens element with refractive power having a concave image-side surface, both of the object-side and image-side surfaces being aspheric, at least one inflection point is positioned on the image-side surface thereof. When some particular relations are satisfied, the light-focusing spots of various wavelengths can be favorably adjusted for extending the depth of field; therefore, the present image capturing lens system shall be suitable for compact electronic products with Extended Depth of Field (EDOF) function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Largan Precision Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Lin-Yao Liao, Hsin-Hsuan Huang
  • Patent number: 8693109
    Abstract: A projector lens system is provided. The projector lens system comprising, in order from a screen side thereof: a first negative lens that is made of resin and is convex on the screen side; a first positive lens that is made of glass and is biconvex; a stop; a cemented lens that has negative refractive power and is composed, in order from the screen side, of a second negative lens that is made of glass and a second positive lens that is made of glass; and a third positive lens that is made of resin, wherein a refractive index n1 of the first negative lens, a refractive index n2 of the first positive lens, a refractive index n32 of the second positive lens, and a refractive index n4 of the third positive lens satisfy the following conditions: 1.45?n1?1.60; 1.45?n4?1.60; 0.16?n2?n1?0.31; 0.16?n32?n4?0.31; 0.95?n1/n4?1.05; and 0.95?n2/n32?1.05.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Nittoh Kogaku K.K.
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Yanagisawa
  • Patent number: 8693110
    Abstract: There are provided an inner focus lens consisting of a first lens group, an aperture diaphragm, and a second lens group in order from an object side. The first lens group has a positive first lens element, a positive second lens element, and a negative third lens element; or a positive first lens element, a positive second lens element, a positive third lens element, and a negative fourth lens element, in order from the object side. One lens element in the second lens group is moved with respect to an image surface in focusing, some of the lens elements thereof are moved in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis. The inner focus lens satisfies 0.2<|fF/fO|<3.0 (fF: a focal distance of a focus lens, fO: a synthetic focal distance of the lens elements moving in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Kuzuhara, Takuya Imaoka
  • Patent number: 8693111
    Abstract: This invention provides an imaging lens system including, in order from an object side to an image side: a first lens with positive refractive power having a convex object-side surface; a second lens with negative refractive power; a third lens having a concave image-side surface; a fourth lens with positive refractive power; a fifth lens with negative refractive power having a concave image-side surface, at least one surface thereof having at least one inflection point; and an aperture stop disposed between an imaged object and the third lens. The on-axis spacing between the first lens and second lens is T12, the focal length of the imaging lens system is f, and they satisfy the relation: 0.5<(T12/f)×100<15.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Largan Precision Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chun-Shan Chen
  • Patent number: 8693112
    Abstract: A projection lens unit for a pica-projector includes a plurality of plastic lenses and a single glass lens to minimize a change in focal length due to the heat generated inside the pico-projector. The lens array includes: a 1st lens with negative (?) refractive power, a 2nd lens with positive (+) refractive power, a 3rd fens with negative (?) refractive power, a 4th lens with negative (?) refractive power, and a 5th lens with positive (+) refractive power, wherein the 1st to 5th lenses are arranged in order from a screen upon which an image is projected, the 1st to 4th lenses are plastic lenses and the 5th lens is a glass lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Sekonix Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Hee-Joong Lee, Jin-Ho Kim, Sung-Hoon Hwang, Seung-Ki Hong
  • Patent number: 8693113
    Abstract: There are provided an inner focus lens consisting of a first lens group, an aperture diaphragm, and a second lens group in order from an object side. The first lens group has a positive first lens element, a positive second lens element, and a negative third lens element, or has a positive first lens element, a positive second lens element, a positive third lens element, and a negative fourth lens element, in order from the object side. One lens element in the second lens group is moved with respect to an image surface in focusing. The second lens group has five or more lens elements, and has a configuration including a negative lens element, a positive lens element, and a positive lens element in order from the object side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Kuzuhara, Takuya Imaoka
  • Patent number: 8693114
    Abstract: The instant disclosure relates to a lens structure, which includes a mounting seat, a sliding carriage, a lens cover, and at least one elastic member, wherein the mounting seat has a first through-hole formed thereon and defines two operating positions, the sliding carriage slidably coupled to the mounting seat and having a second through-hole formed thereon, wherein the second through-hole corresponds to the first through-hole in one operating position, the lens cover arranged on the sliding carriage and having a plurality of heat-dissipating holes formed thereon in correspondence with the second through-hole, one end of the elastic member fixed to the mounting seat, and the other end of the elastic member fixed to the sliding carriage, wherein the sliding carriage is urged to move a predetermined distance form one operating position, the elastic member provides resilient force to drive the sliding carriage to another operating position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Azurewave Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Ching-Wei Liu
  • Patent number: 8693115
    Abstract: An apparatus for immersion lithography that includes an imaging lens which has a front surface, a fluid-containing wafer stage for supporting a wafer that has a top surface to be exposed positioned spaced-apart and juxtaposed to the front surface of the imaging lens, and a fluid that has a refractive index between about 1.0 and about 2.0 filling a gap formed in-between the front surface of the imaging lens and the top surface of the wafer. A method for immersion lithography can be carried out by flowing a fluid through a gap formed in-between the front surface of an imaging lens and a top surface of a wafer. The flow rate and temperature of the fluid can be controlled while particulate contaminants are filtered out by a filtering device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Burn-Jeng Lin
  • Patent number: 8693116
    Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator includes: a plurality of first piezoelectric elements; a first member that is interposed between opposing faces of the plurality of the first piezoelectric elements and that is driven in a first direction by the plurality of the first piezoelectric elements; a second piezoelectric element that is disposed in the first member; a second member that is disposed in contact with the second piezoelectric element and that is driven in a second direction intersecting the first direction by the second piezoelectric element; and a third member that comes in contact with the second member and that is moved relative to the first member by driving the second member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Kunihiro Kuwano, Hiromoto Kanamitsu
  • Patent number: 8693117
    Abstract: According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a method includes: receiving a plurality of groups of one or more phase signals, each group of phase signals having a different phase relative to other groups of one or more phase signals; generating a plurality of interpolated phase shifted signals based on the plurality of groups of one or more phase signals, wherein the plurality of interpolated phase shifted signals do not have an associated common mode component; receiving data bits and precompensating each data bit in accordance with a given interpolated phase shifted signal; and selecting a precompensated data bit for output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventor: Chi Fung Cheng
  • Patent number: 8693118
    Abstract: A system includes a preamble determination module configured to determine an expected preamble of a target track. The expected preamble includes an associated timing recovery pattern. A filter module is configured to receive a readback signal read from the target track based on the expected preamble, and selectively filter the readback signal to remove inter track interference from the readback signal based on the expected preamble.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventors: Michael Madden, Gregory Burd
  • Patent number: 8693119
    Abstract: Described embodiments cancel inter-track interference (ITI) from one or more sectors read from a desired track of a storage medium. A read channel reads one or more sectors in the desired track and generates one or more groups of sample values corresponding to each of the sectors. An ITI canceller estimates an ITI response and an ITI signal for each sample value corresponding to (i) a next adjacent track and (ii) a previous adjacent track. If the estimated ITI response of the previous adjacent track reaches a predetermined threshold, the ITI canceller subtracts the estimated ITI signal corresponding to the previous adjacent track from each associated sample value of the desired track. If the estimated ITI response of the next adjacent track reaches a predetermined threshold, the ITI canceller subtracts the estimated ITI signal corresponding to the next adjacent track from each associated sample value of the desired track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: LSI Corporation
    Inventors: George Mathew, Erich Franz Haratsch, Jongseung Park, Timothy B. Lund
  • Patent number: 8693120
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for data processing. As an example, a data processing circuit is disclosed that includes a read circuit and a combining circuit. The read circuit is operable to provide a first instance of a user data set, a second instance of the user data set, and a third instance of the user data set. The combining circuit is operable to: combine at least a first segment of the first instance of the user data set with a first segment of the second instance of the user data set to yield a first combined data segment; provide a second combined data set that includes a combination of one or more second segments from the second instance of the user data set and the third instance of the user data set; and provide an aggregate data set including at least the first combined data set and the second combined data set. The second combined data set does not incorporate a second segment of the first instance of the user data set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: LSI Corporation
    Inventors: Shaohua Yang, Changyou Xu, Wu Chang, Ming Jin
  • Patent number: 8693121
    Abstract: A method includes designating a first sampling phase for a signal captured from a magnetic storage medium, where the signal is representative of information stored by the magnetic storage medium. The method further includes capturing a first waveform associated with the signal at the first sampling phase. The method also includes designating a second sampling phase different from the first sampling phase for the signal. The method further includes capturing a second waveform associated with the signal at the second sampling phase. The method also includes interleaving the first waveform and the second waveform to form an oversampled waveform. The first waveform and the second waveform are captured at a rate at least substantially equal to a rate at which the information stored by the magnetic storage medium was written to the magnetic storage medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: LSI Corporation
    Inventors: Bruce W. McNeill, Jason D. Byrne
  • Patent number: 8693122
    Abstract: A storage controller includes a device controller and a read data channel. The read data channel includes a decoder for decoding output of a detector, where the detector is for reading data requested from a storage medium by the device controller, and the storage medium has a plurality of tracks of data thereon. When the device controller requests data from a current track of data on the storage device, the detector reads an adjacent track of data, the decoder decodes data from the adjacent track of data, the detector reads data from the current track, and the decoder decodes the data read from the current track, based on the decoded and stored data from the adjacent track of data. A storage system includes a storage medium having a plurality of tracks of data thereon and a storage controller as described above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventors: Nitin Nangare, Gregory Burd, Zining Wu
  • Patent number: 8693123
    Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk comprising a plurality of tracks defined by a plurality of servo sectors. An estimated track ID is generated representing an estimated radial location of the head. A high order Gray code in a first servo sector is detected, and errors in the high order Gray code are corrected using the estimated track ID to generate a corrected Gray code. The corrected Gray code is decoded into a first part of a detected track ID. A low order track code is detected in the first servo sector, and the low order track code is decoded into a second part of the detected track ID. The first part of the detected track ID is combined with the second part of the detected track ID.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Guoxiao Guo, Jie Yu, Abhishek Dhanda
  • Patent number: 8693124
    Abstract: Techniques are provided for performing bit-locked operations on media. A first control signal is received from a first source, and a second control signal is generated at a second source in response to receiving the first control signal. The media is accessed according to the second control signal. One or more synchronization markers are located during the accessing of the media, and bit-level synchronization between the second source and the media is achieved based, at least partially, on the one or more synchronization markers. A control operation is performed on the media with bit-level synchrony between the second source and the media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventors: Gregory Burd, Qiyue Zou, Michael Madden, Kar Shing Chiu, Vincent Wong
  • Patent number: 8693125
    Abstract: A clock phase measurement circuit comprises a selector circuit operable to inject one of a first analog clock signal or a second analog clock signal into a signal path configured to carry an analog data signal, so that the injected analog clock signal replaces the data signal. An Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) converts the injected analog clock signal to a digital clock signal. A counter selects a time, using the second analog clock signal, to determine at least one of a phase or a magnitude of the digital clock signal. A measurement circuit determines at least one of the phase or the magnitude of the digital clock signal for at least one frequency at the selected time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: LSI Corporation
    Inventor: Jeffrey P. Grundvig
  • Patent number: 8693126
    Abstract: An apparatus comprising a magnetic media and a read/write unit. The magnetic media may be configured to store data. The magnetic media may also be rotated during access of the magnetic media. The read/write unit may comprise a plurality of transducers arranged in a linear array. Each of the transducers may be fabricated on a semiconductor substrate with fixed head positions with respect to the magnetic media. The read/write unit may also be positioned in close proximity to and across the surface of the magnetic media. Each transducer may be configured to read data from the magnetic media and write data to the magnetic media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: LSI Corporation
    Inventors: Wayne L. Buckholdt, Robert W. Warren
  • Patent number: 8693127
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for bipolar writing of servo marks to perpendicular and non-oriented magnetic recording medium. The method includes applying a varying current to a servo write head to alternately AC-erase and write sets of servo marks to regions of a servo track of a magnetic recording medium proximate to first and second write gaps, each servo mark of the sets of servo marks comprising first and second abutting magnetic domains of opposite magnetization directions, the magnetic recording medium moving with respect to the first and second write gaps in a recording direction, the magnetic recording medium being either (i) a perpendicular magnetic storage medium having magnetic particles with their easy axes oriented perpendicular to a top surface of the perpendicular storage medium or (ii) a non-oriented magnetic storage medium having magnetic particles with their easy axes randomly oriented relative to a top surface of the non-orientated storage medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Pierre-Olivier Jubert
  • Patent number: 8693128
    Abstract: In a controller of a tape drive, a command processing unit receives a request to write new data, an offset determination unit determines whether old data is not partially overwritten with new data, and if old data is not partially overwritten with new data, a head position management unit makes a write head offset toward the unoverwritten portion. Then, a channel input/output unit reads pattern data that disables old data from a pattern storage unit and outputs the data to the write head to thereby overwrite the old data with the pattern data. After that, a tape transport management unit rewinds a tape and the head position management unit returns the write head to the original position to overwrite the old data with the new data as usual.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Setsuko Masuda, Kenji Nakamura, Yutaka Oishi
  • Patent number: 8693129
    Abstract: A tape drive capable of switching the transport speed of a tape medium among multilevel speeds calculates a data transfer rate from/to a host device, and selects an adjustment mode of the transport speed of the tape medium from a constant speed mode and a speed switch mode according to the calculated data transfer rate. The tape drive in the speed switch mode, pauses a data write or read operation to switch the transport speed of the tape medium while data is written at a first transport speed and when an available capacity of a buffer memory reaches a data volume to be received from the host device during switching of the transport speed and is read out at the first transport speed and when a data volume of a buffer memory reaches a data volume to be transmitted to the host device during switching of the transport speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Katagiri, Hirokazu Nakayama, Yutaka Oishi
  • Patent number: 8693130
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic disk device is configured to read data from and write data to a magnetic disk using a magnetic head and provided with a control module that controls initial operation of the magnetic disk device according to initial firmware. The magnetic disk device includes a reader, a retainer, a blocker, and a switch. The reader reads control firmware stored in the magnetic disk. The retainer fixes a servo control amount for the magnetic head after the control firmware is read, and retains the magnetic head at a predetermined position above the magnetic disk. The blocker blocks input of an interrupt signal to the control module. The switch switches the initial firmware to the control firmware after the servo control amount is fixed and the input of an interrupt signal is blocked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kazuo Chokki, Yasushi Ishizuka, Satoshi Shibata
  • Patent number: 8693131
    Abstract: A system includes a self-servo-write (SSW) module, a read module, and a write module. The SSW module writes servo spirals on a magnetic medium of a hard disk drive (HDD) via a write head of the HDD. The read module reads the servo spirals via a read head of the HDD and generates read signals. The write module writes non-servo data on the magnetic medium via the write head based on the read signals before the SSW module writes servo wedges on the magnetic medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventors: Jerome F. Richgels, Henri Sutioso, Allen Cheng Wu Hu, Scott A. Hughes
  • Patent number: 8693132
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods are disclosed that relate to movement of actuator arms from a stopped position. In one example, a method may include attempting to unlatch an actuator arm from a stop and measuring an electrical parameter of a driver circuit of the actuator arm. The method may further include detecting an unsafe unlatch event using a controller when the electrical parameter does not exceed a first threshold within a predetermined period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Seagate Technology, LLC
    Inventors: KarWei Koay, LingZhi Yang, SangHoon Lee
  • Patent number: 8693133
    Abstract: A multi-head disk drive is disclosed comprising a plurality of disk surfaces, and a head assembly comprising a plurality of heads, wherein each disk surface comprises a plurality of data zones, and each data zone having a data transfer rate different from the other zones of the respective disk surface. A controller is operable to sequentially write a sequence of data blocks to the plurality of disk surfaces in accordance with a list of head-zone combinations, each head-zone combination corresponding to one of the heads and one of the data zones of the respective disk surface. The head-zone combinations in the list are ordered from highest data transfer rate to lowest data transfer rate, and each disk surface comprises a pivot point defining a direction of writing data in the data zones from one of an outer diameter toward a middle diameter and an inner diameter toward the middle diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Joe C. Lee, Nicholas M. Warner
  • Patent number: 8693134
    Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk, a head actuated over the disk, and a controller. The disk comprises a plurality of data tracks and a plurality of servo wedges, wherein each servo wedge comprises a plurality of wedge repeatable runout (WRRO) fields in a circumferential direction, each of the plurality of WRRO fields including an WRRO compensation value for a different one of the data tracks and having a width that is wider than a width of the respective data track in a radial direction. The controller is configured to read the WRRO compensation value in at least one of the WRRO fields from the disk using the head, and to adjust a position of the head based on the read WRRO compensation value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Wei Xi, Sanghoon Chu
  • Patent number: 8693135
    Abstract: Approaches for desiccant device within an enclosure protecting sensitive electronic equipment. A hard-disk drive (HDD) may comprise a desiccant device that provides a source of a beneficial vapor, such as an antioxidant, a vapor corrosion inhibitor, or a colubricant, within an enclosure of the HDD. The desiccant device absorbs water vapor within the enclosure but does not absorb the beneficial vapor within the enclosure. The desiccant device may comprise a desiccant that has a plurality of micropores within a size range selected so as to allow the absorption of water but exclude the absorption of the beneficial vapor. The desiccant may be, but need not be, within the same physical container as the source of the beneficial vapor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventor: Charles Allan Brown
  • Patent number: 8693136
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a management module for a storage system. The storage system comprises a plurality of hard disk drives and a plurality of fans. The management module comprises a reading unit, for obtaining a plurality of hard disk drive temperature information and a plurality of hard disk drive vibration information of the plurality of hard disk drives, and a controller, coupled to the reading unit, for adjusting rotational speeds of the plurality of fans according to the plurality of hard disk drive temperature information, the plurality of hard disk drive vibration information, and a plurality of fan vibration information of the plurality of fans.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Wistron Corporation
    Inventors: Yao-Hao Yang, Chih-Hung Chen
  • Patent number: 8693137
    Abstract: A rotating device includes a fluid dynamic bearing unit. The fluid dynamic bearing unit includes a shaft encircling member that encircles a shaft, an intermediate encircling member that encircles the shaft encircling member, a shaft holder formed with a shaft hole into which an end of the shaft is fitted to fix the shaft, a base-side encircling member fixed to the shaft holder and encircling the intermediate encircling member, and a ring member fixed to the intermediate encircling member and encircling a rod encircling member. A lubricant is present between a rotating body and a fixed body. A first air-liquid interface is present between the base-side encircling member and the intermediate encircling member, and a second air-liquid interface is present between the ring member and the rod encircling member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Japan Advanced Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuo Kodama, Ryusuke Sugiki, Takuji Yamada, Masafumi Mizuno
  • Patent number: 8693138
    Abstract: A base unit includes a stator, a wiring substrate, and a base portion. The base portion includes a tubular portion, a first recess portion surrounding the tubular portion, and first through-holes arranged within the first recess portion. The wiring substrate includes a connection portion arranged on an upper surface of the base portion and provided with lands, a power feeding portion arranged on a lower surface of the base portion, and an extension portion arranged to interconnect the connection portion and the power feeding portion. A first bonding layer is arranged between the connection portion and a bottom of the first recess portion to bond the connection portion and the bottom of the first recess portion. A second bonding layer is arranged between the power feeding portion and the lower surface of the base portion to bond the power feeding portion and the lower surface of the base portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventor: Shintaro Saeki
  • Patent number: 8693139
    Abstract: A disk drive having a hub comprising a top surface and a non-circular protrusion extending upward from the top surface, a disk clamp comprising a wall portion and a non-circular opening formed through the clamp, the opening configured to receive the non-circular protrusion extending upward from the top surface of the hub; and at least one disk supported by the hub, wherein the non-circular protrusion extending upward from the top surface of the hub is inserted into the opening formed in the clamp, and wherein an outer annular portion of the clamp engages the disk to provide clamping force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jifang Tian, Jian Yang, Qiang Yang
  • Patent number: 8693140
    Abstract: A disk drive assembly having a disk hub having a cylindrical portion; and a disk clamp retaining portion formed on a vertical portion of the cylindrical portion of the disk hub; a disk clamp having: a body portion; and a retained portion which engages the disk clamp retaining portion of the disk hub to secure the disk clamp to the disk hub; and a disk media disposed between the disk clamp and the disk hub, the disk media being secured in place by the disk clamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Joshua P. Weiher, Paul Hughey Henry, Mark S. Seymour
  • Patent number: 8693141
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing stacked writer leads for magnetic transducers used in disk drives are provided. One such system for providing stacked writer leads for a magnetic transducer includes a writer coil for the magnetic transducer, a first pad on the magnetic transducer, a second pad on the magnetic transducer, a first circuit trace coupled to the first pad and a first terminal of the writer coil, and a second circuit trace coupled to the second pad and a second terminal of the writer coil, where a preselected length of the first circuit trace and the second circuit trace is configured in a stacked configuration where each of the preselected lengths of the first circuit trace and the second circuit trace is positioned at about the same location in spaced apart planes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont), LLC
    Inventors: Carl F. Elliott, Zhigang Bai, Tao Pan
  • Patent number: 8693142
    Abstract: A method to tune an oscillation layer frequency in a spin torque oscillator (STO) during a microwave assisted magnetic recording (MAMR) process is described. The STO oscillation layer (OL) has a large angle magnetization oscillation frequency that is locked to a magnetic medium bit resonance frequency f0 when the rf current has a frequency f=f0 and a threshold current density is applied. Alternatively, the OL magnetization oscillation frequency may be adjusted closer to f0 to improve the assist process. A third advantage is lowering the threshold current density when both direct current and rf current are injected into the STO during a write process. The main pole is grounded when direct current and rf current are injected into a write shield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Headway Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Wenyu Chen, Joe Smyth
  • Patent number: 8693143
    Abstract: A suspension is configured to support a magnetic head slider having a recording head element for recording to a magnetic recording medium and a microwave generating element that applies a high-frequency magnetic field to the magnetic recording medium when recording to the magnetic recording medium is conducted by the recording head element. The suspension includes a flexure that supports the magnetic head slider, and a microwave signal transmission line and a recording signal transmission line that are supported by the flexure. The microwave signal transmission line is connected to the microwave generating element and configured to transmit microwave signals for generating the high-frequency magnetic field, the recording signal transmission line being connected to the recording head element and configured to transmit recording signals. The flexure has a main body part, a support part for the magnetic head slider, and a pair of arm parts that links the main body part and the support part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Eriko Ajioka, Yoshikazu Soeno
  • Patent number: 8693144
    Abstract: A head gimbal assembly (HGA) for a disk drive is disclosed. The HGA includes a load beam, a flexure, and a slider attached to the load beam by the flexure. The load beam comprises one or more apertures configured to pass a laser beam at each of at least three non collinear points to measure at least one slider parameter. The method for measuring at least one slider parameter includes positioning the slider over a rotating medium and projecting a laser beam through the one or more apertures in the load beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tzong-Shii Pan, Yi Lu, Yanning Liu
  • Patent number: 8693145
    Abstract: A suspension substrate according to the present invention includes: an insulating layer; a spring material layer provided on one face of the insulating layer and having conductivity; and a plurality of wirings provided on the other face of the insulating layer. One wiring includes a head-side wiring part extending from the head portion, and a plurality of division wiring parts respectively bifurcated from the head-side wiring part. The spring material layer includes a spring material main body, and a wiring spring material part separated from the spring material main body, via a groove. A conductive connecting part extending through the insulating layer is provided in the insulating layer. Each of the division wiring parts of the one wiring is connected with the wiring spring material part, via the conductive connecting part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoichi Miura, Kenro Hirata
  • Patent number: 8693146
    Abstract: A quench detection system for a fault current limiter (1), in particular, a high temperature superconductor fault current limiter, making use of a differential protection relay wherein in fault event the differential protection relay operates a triggering mechanism of a circuit breaker (2), thereby opening the electrical circuit and interrupting power supply to downstream components, and a method for quench detection wherein the magnitude of voltage drop during quench is converted to a current signal being proportional to the voltage and which is monitored by the differential protection relay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Nexans
    Inventor: Robert Dommerque
  • Patent number: 8693147
    Abstract: An electrical component having a core and a first and second coil positioned around the core is controlled in such a manner, that in response to the second coil being switched off, the first coil is short-circuited via a quenching circuit to quench the inductive load of the second coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Harald Schueler, Sven Hartmann, Stefan Tumback
  • Patent number: 8693148
    Abstract: Integrated circuits, memories, protection circuits and methods for protecting against an over-limit electrical condition at a node of an integrated circuit. One such protection circuit includes a snapback circuit having at least a portion formed in an isolated doped well region and configured to switch to a low impedance state in response to an input exceeding a trigger condition and further having a control circuit electrically coupled to a reference voltage and further electrically coupled to the isolated doped well region and the portion of the snapback circuit formed in the doped well region. The control circuit includes an impedance adjustable in response to a control signal and configured to adjust an isolated doped well impedance in which at least a portion of the snapback circuit is formed relative to the reference voltage. A modulated trigger and hold condition for the snapback circuit can be set according to a control signal adjusting an electrical impedance of the control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Chaine, Xiaofeng Fan
  • Patent number: 8693149
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a semiconductor device to provide protection for electronic circuits, the semiconductor device typically includes a vertical MOS transistor, a reference circuit, and an amplifier. The amplifier amplifies the reference voltage to enable the vertical MOS transistor responsively to a transient event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC.
    Inventors: Alan R. Ball, Stephen P. Robb
  • Patent number: 8693150
    Abstract: A semiconductor apparatus includes: first and second power-supply terminals; an internal circuit connected between the first and second power-supply terminals; and a protection circuit connected in parallel with the internal circuit between the first and second power-supply terminals, the protection circuit including: a series circuit that includes a resistor and a first capacitor, and is connected in parallel with the internal circuit between the first and second power-supply terminals; a first MOS transistor that is connected in parallel with the series circuit, and is controlled according to a voltage at a connection point between the resistor and the first capacitor; and a switch circuit that is connected in parallel with the resistor, is turned on in a delayed manner after a power-supply voltage is applied between the first and second power-supply terminals, and changes the voltage at the connection point so that the first MOS transistor is turned off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignees: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC, Sanyo Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazumasa Akai, Masahiro Nakahata
  • Patent number: 8693151
    Abstract: A differential transmission circuit is capable of realizing a high resistance to electrostatic breakdown without deteriorating a transmission signal. The differential transmission circuit includes ESD protection elements connected between transmission lines and a ground, respectively, a common mode filter in which an inductor element is serially connected between transmission lines, and an inductor element serially connected between transmission lines are magnetically coupled to each other, ESD protection diodes of which cathodes are connected to transmission, respectively, and anodes thereof connected to grounds, respectively, and resistors of which one side terminals are connected to transmission lines, respectively, and the other side terminals thereof are connected to transmission lines, respectively. Resistance values of the resistors are set to 10 to 15 ohms, respectively, electrostatic capacitance values of the ESD protection elements are less than 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Masaharu Iwasa, Tomohiro Yamada