Fujitsu America, Inc.

Antek Peripherals, Inc.

Other

Conner Investments, LLC

Storcard, Inc.

Flextor, Inc.

Anil K Nigam

Finis Conner

James W White

An Van Le

Robert Couse

A smart card is disclosed which includes a mass storage memory for storing biometric information of a user and private data. A radio is used as an interface to the card. When the user of the card wishes to invoke an application for the private data, biometric information about the user is provided to a device in communication with the card, enabling the card to authenticate the user as an authorized user of the private data, and in response to that authentication provide the data to the application in a manner that maintains privacy and integrity of data.

Bluetooth enabled credit card with a large data storage volume

A data storage device uses a foil disk platter with significantly reduced inertia and weight as compared to the thick aluminum or glass disk platter in a typical hard disk drive. The reduced rotating inertia of the foil disk enables faster spin-up performance which can be used to reduce decrease the power consumed by the unit. In portable appliances that use disk drive storage devices battery life can be extended significantly and the unit can be made thinner and lighter. Certain parameters of the foil disk substrate may be determined, to provide improved control of disk flutter, from a range parameter defined by 

High capacity disk drive using thin foil disks at elevated rotational speeds

A card and reader system is provided enabling larger storage capacity and faster data transmission. The card is configured in a Smart Card or SIM card format and communicates with either standard Smart Card readers or specially configured readers capable of higher data transmission speeds. Eliminating the processor from the card and including it in the reader allows the cost of the card to be reduced. A software driver installed in existing Smart Card readers enables the additional storage capability of the card to be concealed from the reader, thereby eliminating a need to replace readers already deployed.

High speed smart card with flash memory

Apparatus is described for reading data from or writing data onto a credit card-sized storage media containing a rotating magnetic memory. The reader includes a spindle motor and an arm with a magnetic head position thereon, as well as integrated circuits for controlling its operation. The reader preferably complies with standards for PCMCIA cards, enabling the reader to be inserted into the host system such as a personal computer or a laptop for use.

Apparatus for reading and writing cards having rotating memory

A credit card-sized card having a rotating magnetic memory therein is disclosed. The card is provided using a laminated structure in which a stainless steel, plastic sandwich structure is employed. An opening in the plastic layer provides space for the rotating magnetic disk. Data is written to or read from the disk by positioning heads from an external system into openings in the external surface of the card. When the card is not engaged in a reader, a shutter covers the openings.

Smart card with rotating storage

The invention provides exemplary magnetic recording media, and in particular, flexible metal foil disks, read/write systems having such disks, and methods for making such disks. In one exemplary embodiment, a recording medium is provided which comprises a metallic substrate and at least one sputter deposited film of magnetic material on the substrate. The recording medium has a thickness that is less than about 0.010 inch and the substrate occupies at least 80% of the thickness. Further, the sputter deposited film is adapted to record and reproduce high areal densities of digital data. In one embodiment, such a recording medium is included in a read/write system to provide a unique recording interface that can resist mechanical shock.

Metal foil disk for high areal density recording in environments of high

In one embodiment, the invention provides a thin data storage device comprising a housing that has a top and a bottom cover and a printed circuit board having electronic integrated circuits mounted thereon. A rotatable spindle is formed about a cylindrical shaft and is rotatable by rotation means. A magnet structure is rigidly mounted to a flange attached to the spindle. A stator is attached to the circuit board and comprises plates of soft magnetic material having coils wrapped on legs of the stator. At least one flexible recordable disk is non-removably mounted to the spindle. A top and a bottom recording head is arranged on both sides of the disk. A woven liner is attached to the top of the circuit board over the integrated circuits. A rotor is arranged on a second shaft at a point displaced from the first shaft. The rotor is rotatable by a second rotation means configured to allow the rotor to move relative to the disk. A coil of wire is attached to one side of the rotor and is displaced in a magnetic field developed between a magnet structure mounted to a first soft magnetic plate that is attached to the bottom cover and a second soft magnetic plate that is attached to the top cover. A flexible printed circuit cable is attached to the circuit board and the rotor to provide a path for electrical servo control and recording signals between the rotor coil, recording heads and the circuit board.

Thin data storage device having a flexible recordable disk and recording

The invention provides a high-capacity, high-speed data storage device which is extremely compact, rugged and economical. In a preferred embodiment, the data storage device comprises a housing defining a sealed enclosure, a motor mounted within the housing having a rotatable spindle, a flexible disk non-removably mounted to the spindle, and a read-write head disposed within the housing over a first surface of the disk for reading or writing data thereon. By the use of a flexible disk of a material such as Mylar, the housing has an extremely small height, preferably less than 5.0 mm, and the device is economical and rugged. At the same time, high storage capacity and speed is attained by the use of a flying head which reads or records data without contacting the disk. In preferred embodiments, multiple disks and/or multiple heads may be employed for extremely large data storage capacities in ultra-compact devices.

Ultra slim data storage module utilizing plural flexible disks

The invention provides an improved disk writing system capable of storing larger amounts of information than heretofore possible. The disk mechanism incorporates a dual function servomechanism which includes a voice coil motor for driving the read/write head over long distances relatively quickly, and a stepper motor for precisely positioning the read/write head once it is in the desired region.

Two motor servo system for a removable disk drive

Two-motor servo mechanism system for a magnetic disk drive

A method for writing and reading for a floppy disc drive using a read/write head having a high density read/write gap and a low density read/write gap and a memory buffer. The method includes reading requested data and data ahead of the requested data from the disc and then storing the read data ahead of the requested data in a look-ahead memory buffer. Data stored in the look-ahead memory buffer is then read, instead of from the disc, when the next requested data is the same as the data stored in the memory buffer. There is no movement of the disc until reading of the data stored in the memory buffer is completed or until other data is requested that is needed directly from the disc. The above method reduces power consumption and provided an improved higher rate of read/write operation for a floppy disc drive that is particularly useful in a portable computer.

Method for reading/writing for a floppy disc drive with buffer memory

A method for servo formatting disc media for a disc drive. The method includes (a) establishing a first timing decode pattern of transitions that precedes a first alignment pattern of transitions, that has a centerline substantially colinear with a centerline of the first alignment pattern and located at the boundary of one of a plurality of data tracks; (b) establishing a second timing decode pattern of transitions that precedes the data track and that has a centerline that is substantially colinear with the centerline of the data track; and (c) establishing a third timing decode pattern of transitions that precedes the second alignment pattern of transitions, and that has a centerline substantially colinear with the centerline of the second alignment pattern of transitions. The above method provides servo formatting for precisely detecting a read timing of the first and second alignment patterns.

Method for servo formatting disc media for a floppy disk drive

Opposed magnetic head sliders 22, 24 for dual sided recording on a flexible disk 26 include one or more slots 32 provided longitudinally in one of the opposed rails in order to allow the slotted rail 28 to fly and reduce flying height relative to a flexible disk 26 operating at an elevated rotational speed. The sliders additionally have a diagonally blended contour 96 for urging contaminants away from the film interface between the head sliders 22, 24 and the flexible disk 26.

Non-contact magnetic head assembly for a flexible medium disk drive

A floppy disk drive 32 with closed loop servoed high density read/write gaps 66, 86 and low density read/write gaps 64, 84 for updating of standard open loop formatted media includes a servo format having timing decode transitions Ta, Tb, Tc, and alignment transitions, A, B, and a method for field writing the servo format on blank diskettes in a disc drive.

Floppy disk drive with closed loop servoed high density read/write gap,

A magnetic read/write head for a disc drive capable of both high density and low density read/write operations as measured in tracks per inch and employing a magnetic disc capable of having defined thereon a multiplicity of tracks per inch in the disc radial direction. The disc and head have radial and tangential lines of reference relative to each other. The head includes at least one slider having a magnetic high density read/write core gap and a magnetic low density read/write core gap offset relative to each other radially and tangentially on the slider, and a non-magnetic spacer positioned between the magnetic high denisty core gap and the magnetic low density core gap of the slider. Preferably there is provided a second slider having the same structure as described above, wherein the disc is positionable between the first and second sliders for read/write operations of the disc drive. In this embodiment, the high denisty core gap of the first slider is located opposite the non-magnetic spacer of the second slider, and the low density core gap of the first slider is located opposite the non-magnetic spacer of the second slider. Preferably, the low density core gaps of the first and second sliders are aligned along a common radial line and the high density core gaps of the first and second sliders are aligned in a line skewed a predetermined distance from the common radial line along which the low density core gaps of the first and second sliders are positioned.

Growing community of inventors

Cupertino, CA, United States of America

Anil K Nigam