Imation Assigned Two Patents

Flash memory based storage devices utilizing magnetoresistive random access
memory MRAM to store control information facilitating wear leveling
Imation Corp., St. Paul, MN, has been assigned a patent (8,745,319) developed by Denis J. Langlois, River Falls, WI, and Alan R. Olson, Cottage Grove, MN, for “flash memory based storage devices utilizing magnetoresistive random access memory MRAM to store control information facilitating wear leveling.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A flash memory based storage device may utilize magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) as at least one of a device memory, a buffer, or high write volume storage. In some embodiments, a processor of the storage device may compare a logical block address of a data file to a plurality of logical block addresses stored in a write frequency file buffer table and causes the data file to be written to the high write volume MRAM when the logical block address of the data file matches at least one of the plurality of logical block addresses stored in the write frequency file buffer table. In other embodiments, upon cessation of power to the storage device, the MRAM buffer stores the data until power is restored, after which the processor causes the buffered data to be written to the flash memory under control of the flash memory controller.”

The patent application was filed on Feb. 13, 2012 (13/372,011).

Erasure and servowriting of magnetic storage media having perpendicular anistropy
Imation Corp., Oakdale, MN has been assigned a patent (8,767,342) developed by Larold L. Olson, Lindstrom, MN, Douglas W. Johnson, Stillwater, MN, and Michael P. Sharrock, St. Paul, MN, for the “erasure and servowriting of magnetic storage media having perpendicular anistropy.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “Magnetic storage tape and techniques for erasing and writing to magnetic storage tape having a perpendicular squareness greater than 50 percent and a longitudinal squareness less than 50 percent are described. In general, the magnetic tape may be biased with a remanence magnetization, or magnetic orientation, in any direction. One or two head systems may use various magnetic field patterns to create the desired remanence magnetization. Servo marks may have a remanence magnetization in an opposite magnetic orientation than that of the remaining bias on the servo track, e.g., substantially perpendicular to the magnetic tape. In some examples, a write head may alternate the direction of the magnetic field to continuously bias and write servo patterns to the magnetic tape. In addition, a symmetrical servo mark may be created in the magnetic tape with a write head having a gap width approximately equal to the length of the servo mark.”

The patent application was filed on June 13, 2011 (13/159,297).