WD Assigned Three Patents

Storage device employing high quality metrics when
decoding logical block address appended to data sector

Western Digital Technologies, Inc., Lake Forest, CA, has been assigned a patent (8,413,010) developed by Steven R. Vasquez, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, and Patrick J. Lee, San Jose, CA, for a "storage device employing high quality metrics when decoding logical block address appended to a data sector."

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: "A storage device is disclosed that receives a read command from a host, wherein the read command comprises a read logical block address (LBA_R). A target data sector is read in response to the LBA_R to generate a read signal. The read signal is processed to detect user data and redundancy data using a soft-output detector that outputs quality metrics for the user data and redundancy data. A high quality metric is assigned to the LBA_R, and errors are corrected in the user data using an ECC (ECC) decoder in response to the quality metrics output by the soft-output detector and the quality metrics assigned to the LBA_R."

The patent application was filed on March 12, 2009 (12/403,257).

Storage device comprising host interface state machine
blocking on target logical block address

Western Digital Technologies, Irvine, CA, has been assigned a patent (8,380,922) developed by Marvin R. DeForest, Niwot, CO, and Christopher J. Reed, Boulder, CO, for a "storage device comprising host interface state machine blocking on target logical block address."

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: "A storage device is disclosed wherein a host interface state machine receives an access command from a host, the access command identifying a plurality of logical block addresses (LBAs). A host interface processor generates at least one control structure executed by the host interface state machine in connection with servicing the access command. The host interface processor directs a master processor to execute the access command, and the master processor updates a LBA register in connection with executing the access command. The host interface state machine executes the control structure to compare a target LBA to the LBA register and communicates with the host in response to the comparison."

The patent application was filed on June 25, 2010 (12/823,437).

Information storage device having a conductive shield
with peripheral capacitive flange

Western Digital Technologies, Irvine, CA, has been assigned a patent (8,390,952) developed by Wally Szeremeta, Mission Viejo, CA, for an "information storage device having a conductive shield with a peripheral capacitive flange."

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: "A novel information storage device is disclosed and claimed. The information storage device includes a disk drive having a disk drive top surface, a disk drive bottom surface, a disk drive periphery, and a disk drive printed circuit board. The disk drive defines a Z direction that is normal to the disk drive top surface. The disk drive defines a disk drive height measured in the Z direction from the disk drive bottom surface to the disk drive top surface. The information storage device includes a first conductive shield over the disk drive. The first conductive shield includes a peripheral capacitive flange that at least partially overlaps the disk drive periphery. The peripheral capacitive flange is separated from the disk drive periphery in a direction normal to the Z direction by a clearance. The overlap in the Z-direction is at least 5 times the clearance."

The patent application was filed on Feb. 22, 2008 (12/036,106).