MIT Assigned Patent

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, has been assigned a patent (9,019,643) developed by Medard, Muriel, Belmont, MA, and Ferner, Ulric J., Cambridge, MA, for a “method and apparatus to reduce access time in a data storage device using coded seeking.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”Data blocks to be stored on a disk-based data storage device, (e.g., a hard disk drive, etc.) are coded together to form a plurality of linearly independent network coded blocks. The network coded blocks are then stored on the data storage device. Coded seeking may then be used to retrieve the original data blocks from the data storage device in a time-efficient manner. A read request may be sent to the data storage device requesting an innovative coded packet associated with the original data blocks. In response to the read request, the data storage device may read an innovative coded packet from the disk that is closest to current position of a read element of the device.“

The patent application was filed on August 13, 2013 (13/965,645).