IBM Assigned Nine Patents

Damping lateral tape motion disturbances
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (10,553,245) developed by Harper, David H. F., Vail, AZ, and Reininger, Peter, Rueschlikon, Switzerland, for a “damping lateral tape motion disturbances.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”A system, according to one embodiment, includes: a module having transducers positioned along a tape bearing surface of the module, a roller guide, and a patterned bar positioned relative to the roller guide and module to engage a magnetic tape. The patterned bar has a plurality of recessed regions along a tape bearing surface thereof. Moreover, the patterned bar is not directly coupled to the module. Other systems, methods, and computer program products are described in additional embodiments.”

The patent application was filed on March 21, 2018 (15/927,984).

Shortening average reposition time to beginning of files in magnetic tape
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (10,541,004) developed by Hasegawa, Tohru, Tokyo, Japan, Itagaki, Hiroshi, Yokohama, Japan, Matsui, Sosuke, Tokyo, Japan, Mitsuma, Shinsuke, Machida, Japan, Miyamura, Tsuyoshi, Yokohama, Japan, and Yamamoto, Noriko, Tokyo, Japan, for “shortening the average reposition time to the beginning of files in a magnetic tape.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”A system accesses metadata on a file system of the magnetic tape, where the metadata comprising one or more fields enabling to determine a longitudinal position, (LPOS) of one or more files located on the magnetic tape. The system determines the LPOS of the one or more files located on the magnetic tape. The system determines an optimal location of the head on the magnetic tape based on computing an average value to the determined LPOS of the one or more files located on the magnetic tape and moves the head on the magnetic tape to the optimal location.”

The patent application was filed on January 30, 2019 (16/262,072).

Hub compliance layer for reducing media stress
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (10,529,370) developed by Bui, Nhan X., Gale, Ernest S., Judd, Kevin B., Tucson, AZ, West, Richard A., Corona, AZ, and Bradshaw, Richard L., Tucson, AZ, for a “hub compliance layer for reducing media stress.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”A product, according to one embodiment, includes: a tape spool having: a first flange, a second flange, and a circular hub sandwiched between the first and second flanges. The tape spool also includes a cylindrical compliance layer which encircles the hub. The compliance layer is configured to dampen radial stress exerted on the hub by a tape wound around the hub. A product, according to another embodiment, includes: a tape cartridge having: an outer housing, and a tape spool positioned within the outer housing. The tape spool further includes: a first flange, a circular hub coupled to the first flange, and a cylindrical compliance layer which encircles the hub. A magnetic tape is also wrapped around the compliance layer and the hub. Moreover, the compliance layer is configured to dampen radial stress exerted on inner wraps of the magnetic tape.”

The patent application was filed on June 25, 2018 (16/017,783).

Managing read/write compatibility between storage devices and storage media
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (10,528,271) developed by Hasegawa, Tohru, Tokyo, Japan, Itagaki, Hiroshi, Yokohama, Japan, Mitsuma, Shinsuke, Machida, Japan, Miyamura, Tsuyoshi, Yokohama, Japan, Matsui, Sosuke, and Yamamoto, Noriko, Tokyo, Japan, for “managing read/write compatibility between storage devices and storage media.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”A tape library storage system, keeps track of the identity(ies) of the drive unit(s) that write upon the storage medium of each tape cartridge, and associates the drive unit identity information with the data that each drive writes. The system writes the associated identity information in the tape cartridge memory and/or inserts the information in an index and writes the index on the tape. If a read error occurs when attempting to read data from the tape, the system, by reference to the associated identity information, determines the identity of the original tape drive that had written the data, and transfers the cartridge to the original drive to attempt again to read the data.”

The patent application was filed on March 29, 2018 (15/939,627).

Tape drive with gas jet impinging on tape
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (10,522,182) developed by Rothuizen, Hugo E., Oberrieden, Switzerland, Reininger, Peter, Adliswil, Switzerland, Haeberle, Walter, Waedenswil, Switzerland, and Lantz, Mark A., Adliswil, Switzerland, for a “tape drive with gas jet impinging on tape.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”A method of operating a magnetic tape within a tape drive. The tape drive comprises a tape head, which shows a tape-bearing surface meant to face a front side of a magnetic tape, in operation. The tape-bearing surface comprises a transducer area. This area includes at least one transducer, which is a read or write element configured to read or write to the magnetic tape, respectively. The method may include driving the tape, (along a longitudinal direction of circulation thereof above the tape-bearing surface) and concomitantly ejecting a gas flow toward the transducer area. The gas flow ejected impinges on the back side of the driven tape, (e.g., opposite to the front side of the tape), so as to locally urge the front side of the tape against the transducer area and thereby read or write to the tape via said at least one transducer.”

The patent application was filed on August 20, 2018 (16/105,418).

Tape drive bearing temperature control
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (10,515,663) developed by Bui, Nhan X., Tucson, AZ, Judd, Kevin B., Vail, AZ, Inch, Randy C., Tucson, AZ, Lantz, Mark A., Thalwil, Switzerland, and Harper, David H. F., Vail, AZ, for a “tape drive bearing temperature control.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”A determination is made whether read/write is enabled within the tape drive storage unit. In response to determining that read/write is enabled, a determination is made whether a temperature within the tape drive storage unit exceeds a threshold value. In response to determining that the temperature within the tape drive storage unit exceeds the threshold value, a determination is made of a direction of travel of a tape media within the tape drive storage unit. In response to determining that the direction of travel is a forward direction, a first cooling device is powered on. The first cooling device lowers the temperature of a first guide roller and the tape media coming off a first tape storage reel prior to the tape media passing by a read/write head within the tape drive storage unit.”

The patent application was filed on June 17, 2019 (16/442,833).

Generating cognitive usage models for drive operations
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (10,497,401) developed by Liang, Jason, Campbell, CA, and Lam, Ho-Yiu, Mountain View, CA, for “generating cognitive usage models for drive operations.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”A method includes gathering usage data of a tape drive during usage thereof and creating and/or updating a usage model based on the usage data. The method includes determining that the usage model has reached a predefined confidence level and performing an action in response to determining that the usage model has reached the predefined confidence level. A computer program product for increasing the life of tape drives includes a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith. The computer program product includes program instructions executable by a computer. The program instructions cause the computer to perform the foregoing method.”

The patent application was filed on January 15, 2019 (16/248,660).

Detecting damaged areas on magnetic tape based on measuring number of servo errors
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (10,497,394) developed by Yamamoto, Noriko, Tokyo, Japan, Miyamura, Tsuyoshi, Itagaki, Hiroshi, Yokohama, Japan, Hasegawa, Tohru, Tokyo, Japan, Matsui, Sosuke, Machida, Japan, and Mitsuma, Shinsuke, Higashimurayama, Japan, for “detecting damaged areas on magnetic tape based on measuring number of servo errors.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”A computer-implemented method for determining a damaged area of a magnetic tape loaded in a tape drive, according to one embodiment, includes: determining a first error location on a magnetic tape where a first error occurred in response to experiencing the first error. Moreover, the method includes determining one or more areas on the magnetic tape to be examined. The one or more areas are determined using a predetermined algorithm which incorporates the first error location. Independent of a read and/or write operation, relative motion is induced between a tape head and the magnetic tape such that the tape head is positioned adjacent to each of the respective one or more areas in turn. Furthermore, each of the one or more areas having a respective number of measured servo errors which exceeds a threshold value is identified as a damaged area of the magnetic tape.”

The patent application was filed on February 6, 2019 (16/269,424).

Rewinding tape medium
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (10,497,391) developed by Miyamura, Tsuyoshi, Yokohama, Japan, Masuda, Setsuko, Toshima, Japan, and Ogura, Eiji, Yokohama, Japan, for “rewinding a tape medium.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”Aspects of the present disclosure relate to rewinding a tape medium. Data is written to the tape medium under a first tension. An end data region of the tape medium is identified, where the end data region is not the end of the tape medium. An indication that the tape medium is to be unmounted is received. The position of the tape medium is moved to the end data region. The tape medium is then rewound from the end data region under a second tension, the second tension being lower than the first tension.”

The patent application was filed on August 23, 2018 (16/109,818).