IBM Assigned Six Patents

Tape drive repositioning
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (12417046) developed by Miyamura; Tsuyoshi, Yokohama, Japan, and Masuda; Setsuko, Toshima-ku, Japan, for a “tape drive repositioning.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “Aspects of the present disclosure relate to improved tape repositioning. Information associated with at least one preceding dataset on a tape medium is stored within a dataset information table (DSIT) of a dataset on the tape medium. A repositioning request specifying a target data position is received. The information associated with the at least one preceding dataset within the DSIT of the dataset is referenced while attempting to complete the repositioning request.”

The patent application was filed on 2023-11-30 (18/524702).

Embedded electromagnetic interference shield
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (12406688) developed by Liang; Jason, Campbell, CA, Iben; Icko E. T., Santa Clara, CA, and Hamidi; Hoodin, San Francisco, CA, for an “embedded electromagnetic interference shield.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “Provided are devices for use in a magnetic tape head, a magnetic tape head, and methods for forming the same. A device includes a chiplet including at least one of a reader and a writer. The device also includes an electromagnetic interference (EMI) shield embedded in the chiplet. The EMI shield is configured to inhibit electromagnetic interference during operation of the at least one of the reader and the writer.”

The patent application was filed on 2023-06-09 (18/332334).

Ordering files in magnetic tape storage
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (12405753) developed by Hasegawa; Tohru, Tokyo, Japan, Tashiro; Takahito, Mitaka, Japan, Goto; Takuya, Kodaira, Japan, Hayashi; Daisuke, Shinjuku-ku, Japan, and Matsumaru; Kazuki, Higashimurayama, Japan, for “ordering files in magnetic tape storage.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “Mechanisms are provided for writing files to tape storage. A set of files to be written to the tape storage are identified and, for each file, metadata associated with the file indicating identifiers of users associated with the file is retrieved. For each file, a predicted frequency metric, specifying a predicted frequency of access of the file, is determined based on the identifiers of users associated with the file specified in the associated metadata. The files are sorted to generate a ranked set of files in which each file is ranked relative to the other files in the set of files based on their corresponding predicted frequency metric. The ranked set of files is written to the tape storage in descending order of predicted frequency metric such that files having relatively larger predicted frequency metrics are written relatively closer to a starting boundary of a partition of the tape storage.”

The patent application was filed on 2024-04-04 (18/626524).

Segmented tape head
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (12367901) developed by Rothuizen; Hugo E., Oberrieden, Switzerland, Lantz; Mark Alfred, Adliswil, Switzerland, Furrer; Simeon, Altdorf, Switzerland, Weiss; Beat Eugen, Edlibach, Switzerland, and Kronig; Luzius, Zürich, Switzerland, for a “segmented tape head.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “Provided are a computer program product, device, system, and method for compensating for a nonlinear deformation field of a tape of a tape storage system. In one embodiment, a head beam of a tape head module of a tape drive employing active skew-based TDS compensation, is segmented into linear segments which are pivotally coupled to each other. Each linear beam segment carries a portion of the transducer array of the tape head module to form a tape head module segment. The pivot angle between a pair of pivotally coupled head module segments of the tape head may be controlled by a controllable pivot actuator to provide an independently adjustable skew angle for each module segment with respect to the direction of travel of tape. As a result, it is believed that registration between the transducers of each module segment and data tracks of the tape may be improved.”

The patent application was filed on 2024-03-20 (18/611330).

Repositioning operation on tape medium based on dataset information
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (12347469) developed by Masuda; Setsuko, Tokyo, Japan, and Miyamura; Tsuyoshi, Yokohama, Japan, for “repositioning operation on a tape medium based on dataset information.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A computer-implemented method, a computer program product, and a computer system for repositioning operation on a tape medium based on dataset information. A computer system obtains dataset information of a dataset on a tape medium in a sync operation, where the dataset information includes positions of data in the dataset. A computer system sends the dataset information of the dataset to a host. In response to starting a repositioning operation, a computer system receives from the host the dataset information of the dataset. A computer system reads the dataset information of the dataset. A computer system repositions to a target on the tape medium, based on the dataset information of the dataset, where a tape drive refers to the dataset information and moves to a position immediately before the target.”

The patent application was filed on 2024-03-12 (18/602085).

Single data band data storage
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (12300284) developed by Iben; Icko E. T., Santa Clara, CA, and Swanson; David Lee, Tucson, AZ, for a “single data band data storage“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “Provided are a computer program product, device, system, and method for single data band data storage. In one embodiment, a tape head module has an array of four servo transducer elements for each servo band of a tape and an array of reader/writer transducer elements extending over most of the width of the tape. In another embodiment, a data storage tape has a top servo band positioned adjacent a top edge guard band of the tape, a bottom servo band positioned adjacent a bottom edge guard band of the tape, and a single data band positioned between the top and bottom servo bands and configured to receive tracks of data written by a tape head wherein the single data band width extends over most of the tape width.”

The patent application was filed on 2023-11-07 (18/503563).