The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 28, 2026
Filed:
Apr. 24, 2025
Stmicroelectronics International N.v., Geneva, CH;
Michele Boscolo Berto, Milan, IT;
Maurizio Ricci, Bergamo, IT;
Marco Ferrari, Voghera, IT;
Diego Tognoli, Tokyo, JP;
Giuseppe Maiocchi, Villa Guardia, IT;
STMicroelectronics International N.V., Geneva, CH;
Abstract
The disclosure relates to a voice coil motor (VCM) in a hard disk drive during a retract phase, wherein read-and-write heads of the hard disk drive are retracted by the VCM from a disk surface towards an end-of-travel parking condition with the heads climbing over a ramp starting from a ramp edge adjacent the disk surface. During the retract phase, the VCM is operated in a discontinuous mode comprising an alternation of on-times of duration TON and off-times of duration TOFF wherein supply of a drive current to the VCM is facilitated and countered, respectively. The duration TOFF of the off-times is varied to have a lower bound value at the ramp edge and to increase towards an upper bound value as the heads climb over the ramp towards the end-of-travel parking condition.