Qualstar Corporation

Micropolis Corporation

Northridge Associates LLC

Rosstream Research Assoc. Ltd.

William J Gervais

Mark H Helmick

Ericson M Dunstan

Bipin V Gami

S Barry McClelland

Richard A Nelson

William J Lurie, Jr

A touchless input device for a computer replaces a computer mouse and does not require physical contact between the user-operator and any part of the input device. The touchless input device uses multiple, linear near infrared, optical sensors and multiple near infrared light emitters working in a plane in space, all held inside a frame with an opening that defines the detection region. The device images the plane and processes the images to determine the presence, location and velocity of objects in the plane. The operator introduces an object, such as a finger, into the plane and moves the object in the plane to emulate the motion of a computer mouse across a desktop. Mouse buttons and other functions are emulated by unique motions in the plane. The device communicates these motions and events to the computer typically using a Universal Serial Bus.

Touchless pointing device

Simplified tape cartridge rack

A low profile, high-capacity streaming tape drive system primarily for rack-mounted applications has a height of less than six inches, and a weight of less than 60 pounds. The main base plate of the tape drive has downwardly extending short tubes upon which the motors for the supply reel, the take-up reel and for the loading and cooling blower are mounted. The stator of each motor may be mounted on the outside of the associated tube, and the main drive shaft for the motor may be mounted on bearings within the tube and a permanent magnet rotor mounted by a cup-shaped member is arranged to rotate around the stator, thus providing motors which take up very little vertical height. Air ducts for cooling and for automatically threading the tape from the supply reel to the take-up reel are formed by integral ridges on the top and bottom of the main base plate forming U-shaped channels which are closed by sheet metal strips. A read formatter including microprocessor controlled error detection and correction circuity may be used to further reduce the size and weight of the unit.

Low profile, high-capacity streaming tape drive

A mechanism to protect a reel of tape against the risk of inadvertent over-writing or erasure, including an actuator installed in the reel hub and rotatable between two angular positions from the front face of the reel, even when mounted on a tape drive. The axis of rotation of the actuator is offset from that of the reel, and the actuator has a peripheral portion that presents a sloping surface toward the rear of the reel, to engage an axially movable rod disposed along the reel axis. Rotation of the actuator from one angular position to another causes axial movement of the rod, which is conventionally detected and employed to control the write protection status of the tape reel.

Magnetic tape reel write protect mechanism

A 'floppy' disc digital magnetic storage apparatus or subsystem includes a number of interrelated features permitting greatly increased data storage and good access time, while using relatively inexpensive parts. The features contributing to the greatly increased storage capacity include arrangements for providing one hundred tracks per inch, and for holding tolerances so that the position of the magnetic head in the radial direction is maintained within the required value of plus or minus 1.7 thousandths of an inch. Features contributing to the high accuracy of magnetic head positioning, and the resultant high data capacity, include the following: (1) mounting the lead screw which positions the magnetic head with its inner end close to the center of the magnetic disc fixed in position, and with its outer end and the stepping motor secured to it mounted on a leaf spring pushing the motor and the outer end of the lead screw inward toward the inner end of the lead screw: (2) utilizing a simple sheet metal stepper motor having two sets of punched metal teeth which interfit with one another and which are exposed to a central permanently magnetized rotor having north and south poles successively located around its periphery; two coils are provided and each of these coils can be energized in opposite directions, with the four combinations resulting in progressive stepping of the permanent magnetic armature, with every fourth step having a more accurately defined angular position than the three intermediate steps; (3) by a special energization arrangement, the rotor is moved four steps at a time to shift the head from one track to the next, thereby using only the more accurately located angular positions, and reducing the adverse effects of friction on head positioning; (4) the electronic circuitry associated with driving the step motor is configured to offset any time penalty incurred by taking four steps to move one track; (5) the floppy disc is accurately positioned relative to the inner end of the lead screw by forcing the magnetic disc to an interference fit relationship with the driving spindle hub on which it is mounted, and (6) the lead screw is ground to mate with a conical pin secured to the movable head assembly.

High precision floppy disc memory system

A printed circuit motor is constructed with the printed circuit windings stationary, and therefore constituting the stator of the motor. The stator is mounted at the end of a heavy hollow supporting frame member. The rotor is mounted on the end of a shaft which is journaled within the hollow frame member, and the rotor extends outwardly in close proximity to the stator and around the outer periphery of the stator and back toward the hollow supporting member, with a permanent magnet assembly on one side of the printed circuit stator and the magnetic return path on the other side of it. The permanent magnet assembly and the magnetic return path are rigidly coupled so that no relative motion occurs between them. Electrical connections to the winding turns of the stator are brought out from the periphery of the stator close to its surface through an additional printed circuit board, and along the outer surface of the hollow frame member to pass the inner edge of the permanent magnet rotor. Timing for the energization of the coils of the printed circuit stator is controlled by three photosensors which are interrupted by the outer edge of the rotating return path of the rotor, which is provided with a peripheral interruptions to selectively block the light path to the photosensors. Six coils of the printed circuit stator are arranged in a Y-configuration and are selectively energized in accordance with the output from the photosensors.

Low loss brushless DC motor

A compact, high capacity rigid magnetic disk storage system includes three 8-inch disks in an assembly only 45/8 inches high complete with electronics. The system includes two separate sections, a first section containing the electronics, the disk drive motor, and other similar active components, and a second 'clean zone' section, separated by a central cast web or partition. Within the second clean zone area are a stack of three rigid disks, the recording heads, and arrangements for positioning the recording heads; and a special filtering circuit through which air is circulated over the surface of the disks. The air circulation and filtering arrangements within the second clean zone area of the system include a special hollow hub assembly on which the rigid disks are mounted, with the hub assembly having a series of spaced radial apertures opening both to the spaces between the disks and also to the end of the hub facing away from the motor. Air is drawn from the end of the hub through the slots and out across the surfaces of the disks through centrifugal pumping action as the hub assembly and the disks rotate. A filter assembly includes a housing which defines an ultra-clean low pressure zone which is formed as air is drawn through a filter unit located to one side of the disks. The filter housing directs the air from the filter unit and confines it to flow toward the end of the rotating hub; and the housing assembly adjacent the hub and extending over the disks is of very limited extent in the direction parallel to the axis of the hub and the disks, to minimize the additional space which is required.

Growing community of inventors

Northridge, CA, United States of America

William J Gervais