International Business Machines Corporation

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.v.

Other

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies

Hitachi Global Technologies

Lenovo (singapore) Pte. Ltd.

Hitachi Global Technologies Netherlands B.v.

Echostar Technologies Corporation

Gordon James Smith

Hal Hjalmar Ottesen

George Willard Van Leeuwen

Sri Muthuthamby Sri-Jayantha

George Willard VanLeeuwen

Klaas Berend Klaassen

David A Thompson

Christopher H Bajorek

Thomas W Glaser

Charles R Nielsen

George R Santana

Michael David Blachek

Zine-Eddine Boutaghou

David William Abraham

James Hammond Brannon

Michael L Workman

Karl Gong

Hal Hjallmar Ottesen

Donald R Tobie

George Willard Vanleeuwen

Timothy Joseph Chainer

Richard Leo Galbraith

Moris Musa Dovek

Hemantha Kumar Wickramasinghe

Donald Ray Gillis

Jonathan Darrel Coker

Hien Phu Dang

Vijayeshwar Das Khanna

Arun Sharma

Earl Albert Cunningham

Naoyuki Kagami

Kenji Okada

Richard Greenberg

Anthony Paul Praino

Dana H Brown

Mark E Re

Wing Tsang Tang

Jaquelin K Spong

Kok-Kia Chew

Mirei Hosono

Gerald B Lammers

Wayne J Rothschild

Donald Earl Vosberg

Gregory J Kerwin

Karl-Friedrich Etzold

Donald C Buettner

Hal Hjalmer Ottesen

David Eugene Iverson

Paul P Howard

Hal J Ottesen

Gary T Egbert

Willard K Banks

Hal Hijalmar Ottesen

Peter James Wachowiak

Michael Allan Neumann

Robert Michael Crone

Dana Henry Brown

Russell Allen Billings

An archery equipment holding assembly including an assembly base; an arrow support frame carried by the assembly base, the arrow support frame disposed within an arrow support frame plane; at least one arrow rest assembly carried by the arrow support frame; a bow support frame carried by the assembly base, the bow support frame disposed within a bow support frame plane, the bow support frame plane disposed in generally perpendicular relationship to the arrow support frame plane and bisecting the arrow support frame plane into approximately equal halves; and a bow rest assembly carried by the bow support frame.

Archery equipment holding assembly

Input signals are electronically watermarked using an uneven or non-uniform sampling rate. The uneven or non-uniform sampling may be pseudo-random. The uneven or non-uniform sampling meets the Nyquist criterion so that aliasing and loss of content are avoided. The resulting sampling pattern in the sampled data is detectable by a comparison with the original source data.

Data watermarks created by using an uneven sampling period

Method, apparatus and signal bearing medium for processing multimedia data which improve server performance in rendering multimedia data. In one aspect, a method is provided for processing multimedia data without requiring utilization of the hard disk drive's data recovery procedure when soft or hard errors are encountered in connection with reading of the multimedia data from the hard disk drive. The method for processing multimedia data comprises: indexing the multimedia data to an i by j matrix; storing the i by j matrix in a data storage device utilizing odd/even index sequencing of the i by j matrix; retrieving data from the data storage device; and reconstructing the i by j matrix utilizing odd/even index sequencing of retrieved data.

Location predicative restoration of compressed images stored on a hard disk drive with soft and hard errors

The present invention provides a method, apparatus and program product for improving reliability in RAID/Server systems by monitoring the RAID/Server system at the system level for predictive failure analysis (PFA) triggering events. Examples of PFA triggering events include: rebuild operations, addition of new disk drives, a change in usage patterns, and suspected handling damage. Once a triggering event is detected, the RAID/Server system issues a command to the disk drives in the system to begin performing PFA. If a PFA error is detected on any of the drives, the error is reported to the RAID/Server system.

Server initiated predictive failure analysis for disk drives

An apparatus and method shares predictive failure information between computer system in a computer network. The shared predictive failure information allows dynamically rerouting a network request to avoid a computer system that may fail according to its predictive failure information. According to a first embodiment, if the requested resource on the network has predictive failure information that indicates the resource may soon fail, a message is returned to the requesting computer with information that includes possible alternative sites from which the information may be obtained. If there is an alternative site, the requesting computer system may access the alternative site, thereby avoiding the computer system that may soon fail. If there is no alternative site, the requesting computer system may return an error message, or may simply access the original resource on the chance that is has not yet failed. According to a second embodiment, a router in the network may indicate one or more alternative paths to a resource if the predictive failure information for the router indicates it may soon fail. The requesting computer system may then access the requested resource via the alternative path. In this manner, predictive failure information can be used in rerouting network traffic between computer systems on a network to minimize the effect of a failing computer system.

Apparatus and method for dynamically rerouting a network request based on shared predictive failure information

A method and apparatus for estimating the flyheight of an airbearing slider in a storage device. The slider floats on an airbearing over a rotating storage disk. The storage disk includes a washboard-sequence having washboard-sections each comprising surface profile variations having a different pitch. The pitches are selected from within a range of values likely to excite an airbearing resonance of the slider as the storage disk rotates at a rated storage disk velocity. For each of the washboard-sections, a maximum amplitude of flyheight modulation of the slider resulting from the slider floating over that washboard-section is measured. A determination is made of which washboard-section caused the largest measured flyheight modulation. The washboard-section having a pitch that provides an excitation frequency (when the disk is rotated at the rated storage disk velocity) that is closest to the actual airbearing resonance frequency of the slider will produce the largest flyheight modulation. The result of this determination is used to estimate the flyheight of the slider. For example, the flyheight may be estimated using an empirical formula that relates the flyheight and the resonance frequency. Once the flyheight is estimated, a determination may be made of whether the flyheight is unsatisfactory, e.g., below a minimum flyheight or decreasing. Appropriate action may be taken when the flyheight is unsatisfactory, such as notifying the user and/or scrubbing the slider. Accordingly, catastrophic head-crash may be avoided and the useful life of the storage device extended.

Method of manufacturing an apparatus and a method for estimating the flyheight of an airbearing slider in a storage device

A method and system for providing information to an individual using an electronic sign in which the sign displays information in response to the identity of the tag or an account associated with the tag. The information is displayed when the tag, which may be carried by the individual or in a vehicle, approaches the sign. A user can preselect from among various information types he wishes to receive, such as news, weather, sports and personal messages. The user can also select a priority for each information type.

Virtual signs for improving information communicated to the automotive driver

A system and method for determining the availability of a restricted class of tickets is provided. In one embodiment, an initial number of restricted tickets are made available for purchase. Purchase orders are received and processed by an event server. The event server is configured to assess the volume of sales and determine whether sales meet expectations. If expectations are not met, the server takes steps to change the availability of restricted tickets. Further, embodiments of the invention provide methods and systems for determining the optimal selling price and availability of restricted tickets based on revenue goals, supply/demand, event capacity, and other factors.

Methods and systems for dynamic determination of the number of tickets available for purchase

An apparatus and method reduce the transfer of vibration to and/or from a data a data transfer mechanism in a data storage device by coupling an adaptive mount responsive to an electrical stimulus to the data transfer mechanism. In one embodiment of the invention, a controller reads a signal that relates to the position error of a read/write component in a data transfer mechanism, applies an algorithm, and varies the damping of an adaptive mount coupled to the data transfer mechanism. The controller may be further configured to report an error to a host system that identifies a substandard data transfer mechanism so that such data transfer mechanism can be repaired or replaced.

Adaptive mounting system for data storage devices

A slider having leading and trailing edges is configured to fly on an airbearing above a data storage disk rotating from the leading edge to the trailing edge. Read and write heads are mounted on the slider proximate the trailing edge. An auxiliary thermal sensor is mounted on the slider, but preferably nearer the leading edge. Forward placement of the sensor allows it to sense mechanical defects before they reach the heads, thereby permitting a write inhibit operation, for example. The sensor may also be used to detect airbearing modulation. Appropriate action may be taken when unacceptable airbearing modulation is detected, such as notifying the user and/or scrubbing the slider. The sensor is preferably wider than the heads. This allows, for example, an in-situ glide test to be performed faster using the sensor. An arm electronics module is preferably configured to permit concurrent operation of the sensor and heads.

Apparatus for look-ahead thermal sensing in a data storage device

A slider for a disk drive has an air bearing surface that opposes a rotatable disk of recordable media. The air bearing surface includes one or more interior cavities to reduce van der Waals and electrostatic forces that attract the slider to the disk.

Air bearing designs to reduce external van der waals and electrostatic forces

A business method prompts users of electronic payment cards and automatically adjusts automobile fuel pricing based upon the number of passengers in a vehicle at a refueling station. When the driver stops to refuel the vehicle, the system prompts the driver to insert a payment card to pay for the fuel. If there are other passengers in the vehicle, they too are prompted to insert their cards to indicate that they are riding with the driver. The system is provided with numerous protocols for ensuring that the system is not inappropriately circumvented. For example, the system can verify that the additional cards are not from other patrons at the same service center, or that the additional cards are not from other family members of the purchasing card holder. After all cards have been read and verified, the reduced price of the fuel is displayed and the fuel is dispensed.

System and method for automatically adjusting merchandise pricing at a service-oriented interface terminal based upon the quantity of users present at the terminal

A method of predicting failures of data storage devices in a data storage network. In predicting failures, birth and/or health records of data storage devices in the data storage network are requested. The records are then scaled and thresholded and processed using a probabilistic neural network to classify the data storage devices. Based on the classification, an action is taken to improve the reliability and availability of the data storage network.

Predictive failure analysis for storage networks

Growing community of inventors

Rochester, MN, United States of America

Gordon James Smith