IBM Assigned Three Patents

Dual actuator for a read-write data storage device

IBM Corp., Armonk, N.Y., has been assigned a patent (8,310,778) developed by Robert G. Biskeborn, Hollister, CA, Evangelos S. Eleftheriou, Rueschlikon, Switzerland, and Mark A. Lantz, Adliswil, Switzerland, for a "dual actuator for a read-write data storage device."

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: "A data storage device includes a first head module independently moveably mounted relative to the storage device. The first head module includes at least one of a read element and a write element. In addition, the data storage device includes a second head module independently moveably mounted relative to the storage device. The second head module includes at least one of a read element and a write element operatively associated with the at least one of a read element and write element of the first head module. The second head module is selectively shiftable relative to the first head module in order to align the at least one of the read element and the write element of the first head module and the at least one of the read element and the write element of the second head module to one another."

The patent application was filed on Feb. 24, 2009 (12/391,379).

Apparatus and program storage device
for providing triad copy of storage data

IBM Corp., Armonk, N.Y., has been assigned a patent (8,312,236) developed by six co-inventors for an "apparatus and program storage device for providing triad copy of storage data."

The co-inventors are Michael Thomas Benhase, Michael H. Hartung, Yu-Cheng Hsu, Tucson, AZ, Carl E. Jones, Tucson, AZ, William G. Verdoom Jr., Rochester, MN, and Andrew D. Walls, San Jose, CA.

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: "An apparatus and program storage device for maintaining data is provided that includes receiving primary data at a first node, receiving mirrored data from a second and third node at the first node, and mirroring data received at the first node to a second and third node."

The patent application was filed on Nov. 17, 2008 (12/272,645).

Processing data stored in external storage device

IBM Corp., Armonk, N.Y., has been assigned a patent (8,312,293) developed by Sanehiro Furuichi, Yasuhide Niimura, and Masami Tada, Yamato, Japan, for a "processing data stored in external storage device."

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: "An external storage device connectable to an information processing apparatus is provided. The storage device includes: an input/output interface via which data is exchanged with an information processing apparatus; a first storage region where data associated with first and second validity periods is stored; and a second storage region where a control program is stored. While the first validity period is used when the external storage device is connected to one information processing apparatus, the second validity period is used when the external storage device is connected to another information processing apparatus. The control program causes a processor to execute the steps of: establishing connection of the external storage device to an information processing apparatus; identifying any one of the validity periods as a validity period to be used for the data; and executing predetermined security protection processing on the data in accordance with the identified validity period."

The patent application was filed on March 8, 2010 (12/719,072).