Western Digital Technologies Assigned Twelve Patents

Extended center stiffener plate for improved structural dynamics of actuators in multi-actuator HDD
Western Digital Technologies, Inc., San Jose, CA, has been assigned a patent (12176013) developed by Park; Jung-Seo, San Jose, CA, Sakhalkar; Siddhesh Vivek, Milpitas, CA, Golgolab; Arman V., Los Altos, CA, and Golinveaux; Fred, Danville, CA, for an “extended center stiffener plate for improved structural dynamics of actuators in a multi-actuator hard disk drive.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A multi-actuator hard disk drive includes a lower actuator with a corresponding voice coil motor assembly (VCMA), a coaxial upper actuator with a corresponding VCMA, and a central extended stiffener plate positioned between the upper and lower VCMAs and extending beyond the pivot area at least to an area adjacent to the disk stack. Use of an extended stiffener plate enables some control over the direct and coupled plant transfer functions, while effectively providing a base support structure for the upper VCMA and cover support structure for the lower VCMA.”

The patent application was filed on 2023-07-20 (18/224423).

Data storage device with accelerated post-emergency-power-off recovery process
Western Digital Technologies, Inc., San Jose, CA, has been assigned a patent (12176011) developed by Kumagai; Satoshi, Machida, Japan, and Oue; Takahiro, Kamakura, Japan, for a “data storage device with accelerated post-emergency-power-off recovery process.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “Illustrative aspects are directed to a data storage device, comprising disks, an actuator mechanism configured to position heads proximate to the disks, and processing devices, including a memory. The processing devices are configured to: receive data with an indicated address for writing the data to a selected disk; read, from the selected disk, a data sector from a location that comprises the indicated address; integrate the received data with a subset of the sector read from the selected disk, thereby generating a new sector that comprises the received data positioned in the new sector in accordance with the indicated address; detect, while the new sector is in the memory and not yet written to the selected disk, a loss of nominal electrical power to the data storage device; and write, in response to detecting the loss of nominal electrical power, the new sector from the memory to a non-volatile cache.”

The patent application was filed on 2023-08-09 (18/231891).

Pole tip recession compensation by dual heater ratio optimization in HDD
Western Digital Technologies, Inc., San Jose, CA, has been assigned a patent (12176015) developed by Knigge; Bernhard E., San Jose, CA, Zeng; Qinghua, Fremont, CA, and Kermiche; Noureddine, Dana Point, CA, for a “pole tip recession compensation by dual heater ratio optimization in a hard disk drive.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A data storage device comprises a disk and a head having a read and write elements. A read heater is powered based on a dual heater ratio (DHR) to thermally adjust a spacing of the read element from a disk surface, and a write heater is powered based on the DHR to thermally adjust a spacing of the write element from the disk surface. A read spacing slope profile is determined comprising read touchdowns (TDs) over a range of DHRs, and a write spacing slope profile is determined comprising write TDs over the range of DHRs. An operating DHR of the head is set to be where the read spacing slope profile intersects the write spacing slope profile.”

The patent application was filed on 2023-10-19 (18/490225).

Asynchronous operation completion notification
Western Digital Technologies, Inc., San Jose, CA, has been assigned a patent (12169634) developed by Hamo; Eyal, Naharia, Israel, Spector; Tomer, Kibbutz Ginegar, Israel, and Taragan; Sagi, Ramat Ishay, Israel, for an “asynchronous operation completion notification.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A data storage device comprising a non-volatile storage medium configured to store data, a data port configured to receive and transmit data between a host computer system and the data storage device, and a controller. The controller is configured to receive, via the data port, a notification activation, and receive, via the data port, a command data structure comprising a command for the data storage device to perform an operation. The controller is further configured to in response to receiving the command data structure, perform the operation, the operation being defined by an in-progress state and a completed state, and in response to determining that the operation is in the completed state and in response to determining the notification activation, transmit, via the data port, a response data structure comprising an indication that the operation is in the completed state.”

The patent application was filed on 2022-06-29 (17/852360).

Managing laser diode cavity thermal transients in HAMR disk drives
Western Digital Technologies, Inc., San Jose, CA, has been assigned a patent (12170435) developed by Schreck; Erhard, Rajauria; Sukumar, San Jose, CA, and Smith; Robert, Washington, DC, for “managing laser diode cavity thermal transients in HAMR disk drives.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A data storage device may include one or more disks, an actuator arm assembly comprising one or more magnetic recording heads, a laser diode positioned inside a laser diode cavity, and one or more processing devices configured to initiate a write operation, wherein initiating the write operation comprises activating a magnetic recording head corresponding to the laser diode, and applying a forward bias to the laser diode; apply a first reverse bias to the laser diode during at least one intervening event; and transition from applying the first reverse bias to the at least one laser diode to applying the forward bias to the at least one laser diode.”

The patent application was filed on 2023-08-10 (18/447989).

Data retention (DR) warning system
Western Digital Technologies, Inc., San Jose, CA, has been assigned a patent (12164372) developed by Wang; Lisha, Kim; Jinyoung, Fremont, CA, Wang; Andrew Yu-Jen, Saratoga, CA, Chen; Jinghuan, Irvine, CA, and Stoev; Kroum, Pleasanton, CA, for a “data retention (DR) warning system.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “Aspects of a storage device including a memory and a controller are provided. The controller may determine to perform garbage collection on a superblock. During the garbage collection process, the controller will typically move the superblock into an erase pool for erasing the superblock. However, aspects of the disclosure are directed to a method of measuring a raw bit error rate (RBER) of the superblock prior to erasure. The measured RBER may be used to estimate a data retention time of the storage device and provide the customer with an early warning notification if a health metric of the storage devices reaches a threshold retention time.”

The patent application was filed on 2022-08-24 (17/822119).

Coupling between rotating elements of magnetic storage device
Western Digital Technologies, Inc., San Jose, CA, has been assigned a patent (12165679) developed by Usami; Yoshiya, Setagaya-ku, Japan, Suzuki; Koichi, Fujisawa, Japan, Ueha; Michio, Zama, Japan, and Saito; Takeshi, Hiratsuka, Japan, for “coupling between rotating elements of a magnetic storage device.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “Disclosed herein is a magnetic storage device including a carriage with an opening. The opening defines a central axis and has multiple ridges parallel with the central axis. A cross-sectional shape of the opening, along a plane perpendicular to the central axis, includes multiple lobes, each terminating at two of the multiple ridges. The magnetic storage device also includes a pivot positioned in the opening in contact with the multiple ridges. The pivot has a cross-sectional shape, along the plane perpendicular to the central axis, that is circular. The carriage is rotatable, relative to at least one portion of the pivot, about the central axis.”

The patent application was filed on 2023-07-26 (18/359762).

Touchdown detection and write-spacing setting in magnetic recording heads with protruding features
Western Digital Technologies, Inc., San Jose, CA, has been assigned a patent (12165681) developed by Zeng; Qinghua, Fremont, CA, Zhang; Jimmy, Irvine, CA, Rajauria; Sukumar, San Jose, CA, and Furukawa; Masaru, Fujisawa, Japan, for “touchdown detection and write-spacing setting in magnetic recording heads with protruding features.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “Methods, data storage devices, and computer-readable media for setting the flying height of a recording head are disclosed. A method may set a value of a control parameter of the recording head to force a predetermined location of the recording head to be a touchdown location. The method may involve incrementally moving the recording head toward a surface of a recording media, and, using a temperature sensor of the recording head, detecting an onset of touchdown at the touchdown location as the recording head is incrementally moving toward the surface of the recording media. The method may set the fly-height control power by backing off from an initial fly-height control power value, which may be a sum of a power level at which the onset of touchdown at the touchdown location was detected and a power corresponding to the value of the control parameter.”

The patent application was filed on 2023-09-15 (18/468448).

Verify first write to each storage area of HDD
Western Digital Technologies, Inc., San Jose, CA, has been assigned a patent (12159054) developed by French; Jim, Grand Junction, CO, for “verify first write to each storage area of hard disk drive.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “Identifying recording disk defects in a data storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), for which disk defects are not previously identified, includes responsive to a first user data write request to a particular storage area of a disk medium, writing the user data to the particular storage area, reading the written user data from the particular storage area, and verifying the integrity of the user data read from the particular storage area. Upon passing, a second user data write request to the same particular storage area can be fulfilled without again reading and verifying. Upon failing, the particular storage area is marked as defective and the user data is written to a different storage area. This procedure can be repeated in response to each initial user write request to each storage area of each disk medium, foregoing the need for disk surface scanning during manufacturing.”

The patent application was filed on 2022-06-09 (17/836861).

Local extension of head overcoat with near-field transducer extending toward media-facing surface
Western Digital Technologies, Inc., San Jose, CA, has been assigned a patent (12159654) developed by Habibollahzadeh; Mehdi, Rajauria; Sukumar, Dai; Qing, Narayan; Sudha, San Jose, CA, Siangchaew; Krisda, Bangkok, Thailand, and Khamnualthong; Nattaporn, Pathumthani, Thailand, for a “local extension of head overcoat with a near-field transducer extending toward the media-facing surface.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A HAMR data storage device may include a magnetic media and a slider comprising: a main pole, a waveguide, and a near-field transducer (NFT) situated between the main pole and the waveguide, wherein an air-bearing surface (ABS) of the slider comprises a transparent overcoat layer situated over the main pole, the waveguide, and the NFT, and wherein the transparent overcoat layer has a particular thickness such that, during an operational phase of the HAMR data storage device, a gap between a media-facing surface of the transparent overcoat layer and the magnetic media is less than about 0.5 nm.”

The patent application was filed on 2023-07-31 (18/362852).

Data storage device with laser write bias optimization using disk thermal-magnetic response mapping in HAMR
Western Digital Technologies, Inc., San Jose, CA, has been assigned a patent (12159653) developed by Rajauria; Sukumar, Jubert; Pierre-Olivier, San Jose, CA, Haralson; Phillip S., Huntington Beach, CA, Zhang; Jimmy, Irvine, CA, and Novin; Farzad, Laguna Niguel, CA, for a “data storage device with laser write bias optimization using disk thermal-magnetic response mapping in heat-assisted magnetic recording.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “Various illustrative aspects are directed to a data storage device, comprising one or more disks; an actuator mechanism configured to position a selected head among one or more heads proximate to a corresponding disk surface among the one or more disks, wherein the selected head comprises a magnetic write element and a laser generating component; and one or more processing devices. The one or more processing devices are configured to measure a magnetic saturation responsiveness of the corresponding disk surface to heat-assisted write operations using a range of values of write laser current applied to the laser generating component. The one or more processing devices are further configured to calibrate a nominal write laser current of the selected head for the corresponding disk surface based on the measured magnetic saturation responsiveness of the corresponding disk surface.”

The patent application was filed on 2023-08-10 (18/232458).

Autonomic troubleshooting of system of devices
Western Digital Technologies, Inc., San Jose, CA, has been assigned a patent (12153488) developed by Pinhas; Shir, Beer Sheva, Israel, Mernstein; Tami, Bnei Brak, Israel, Saar; Moriya, Kfar Saba, Israel, Brody Torgeman; Eliana, Karnei Shomron, Israel, and Berler; Danny, Kfar Saba, Israel, for an “autonomic troubleshooting of a system of devices.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A system and method for autonomic troubleshooting in a system of devices including at least a first device and a second device communicating with each other via a system management bus. The first and second device also communicates with a host device via a separate main bus. The method includes the first device sending a first query, via the system management bus, to the second device. The first device determines if the second device in an error state based on: receiving a response from the second device indicating an error; or absence of a response from the second device. Based on the error state, the first device sends a control command to the second device via the system management bus. In some examples the first device or second device is a data storage device.”

The patent application was filed on 2022-06-28 (17/852245).