Nanochip, Inc.

Logitech, Inc.

Thomas L Noggle

Robert N Stark

Thomas F Rust

Daniel F Cribbs

A data storage device comprises a media including a memory layer within which are formable domains associated with information, and a conductive layer disposed over the memory layer, the conductive layer having anisotropically increased electrical conductivity in a thickness direction. A conductive tip contactable with the conductive layer is adapted to form domains within the memory layer and one of the conductive tip and the media is movable to access the memory layer.

Memory having a layer with electrical conductivity anisotropy

Methods in accordance with the present invention can be applied, in an embodiment, to a media comprising a phase change material to alter a resolved portion of the phase change material to have a resistance different from a resistance of the bulk material. A tip having a substantially larger radius of curvature than the resolved portion can be employed by applying such methods. A substantially anisotropic columnar material can focus a current applied between the tip and the media so that the portion is narrower in width than the radius of curvature. Such highly resolved portions form bits in the media. Other objects, aspects and advantages of the invention can be obtained from reviewing the figures, specification and claims. This description is not intended to be a complete description of, or limit the scope of, the invention.

Methods for writing and reading highly resolved domains for high density data storage

Methods for erasing bit cells in a high density data storage device

An area imaging device comprises an area image sensor and means to adjust the vertical and horizontal clocking rate used to transfer pixels from an array of photo-sensors to a serial output of the area image sensor. The non-uniform clocking rates of the present invention reduce the amount of memory necessary to implement pan and zoom features by effectively separating image and non-image pixels during scanning. This also allows images collected in one format to be displayed on a display device designed for a second format. For each image scan, the area image sensor is divided into active, recovery, and inactive regions according to whether the pixels within the region are displayed, adjacent to displayed pixels, or neither adjacent to image pixels nor displayed, respectively. Rows of pixels are transferred to a horizontal shift register at a vertical scanning rate which is increased for rows that include no image pixels. The pixels of each row are then clocked out of the horizontal shift register at a rate that is adjusted according to the region of the area image sensor in which the pixels originated. Non-image pixels are shifted out at a high rate, while image pixels are shifted out at a rate that minimizes distortion of the image. Recovery pixels which segregate image and non-image pixels, are shifted out of the horizontal shift register at a slow rate to flush charge transfer cells of any accumulated excess charges.

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Oakland, CA, United States of America

Thomas L Noggle