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:
Jun. 09, 1998
Filed:
Sep. 29, 1995
Steven F Liepe, Fort Collins, CO (US);
Kenneth G Richardson, Fort Collins, CO (US);
Hewlett-Packard Co., Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
A system and method for reducing non-repeatable positioning errors. Non-repeatable positioning errors caused by the effects stiction and backlash in the mechanical system are reduced by 'shaking' or vibrating the positioning system in a controlled manner. After the system input is set to the desired value, the positioning system is 'shaken' by inputting a series of offsets that oscillate around the desired location and gradually decrease in amplitude, eventually reaching zero. In a specific embodiment, a lead screw is threaded through a follower nut which is connected to a magnetic tape read/write head. The lead screw is rotated by a mechanical transmission which provides gear reduction from a computer controlled stepper motor. The tape head's non-repeatable positioning error is reduced by alternately stepping the stepper motor in opposite directions a specified number of steps and periodically reducing the specified number of steps until zero is eventually reached.