ERIC S CHRISTENSEN, PT, DPT
Physical Therapy at Chandler Blvd, Chandler, AZ

5920438, Jul 6, 1999

Jul 15, 1998

9/116037

Eric Rolf Christensen - Tucson AZ
Robert Allen Hutchins - Tucson AZ
Ara Sarkis Patapoutian - Westboro MA

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

G11B 509

360 46

Disclosed are a programmable digital device and method for generating tracking threshold signals for qualification of input peak signals in response to programmed digital gain signals which control the rate at which the envelope of the qualified input peak signals is followed, and in response to a programmed digital attenuation signal which determines the proportion of the peak envelope at which to generate new tracking threshold signals. The programmable digital device and method also provide a programmed clamp signal to clamp the positive and negative threshold signals to not fall below the programmed values. An anti-hang capability is provided to allow the thresholds to drop after a programmed time period during which no signal is detected. In an alternative arrangement, the centerline of the envelope is followed and used as the threshold.

8132050, Mar 6, 2012

Jan 27, 2011

13/015436

Allen Keith Bates - Tucson AZ, US
Eric Rolf Christensen - Tucson AZ, US
Shinobu Wada - Tokyo, JP
Daniel James Winarski - Tucson AZ, US

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

G06F 11/00

714 27

Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for providing removable storage management services using removable storage error information. Read/write error information is obtained for at least one removable storage by interfacing with the removable storage manager. The obtained read/write error information for the at least one removable storage is processed to determine read/write error rates for the at least one removable storage. A determination is made as to whether the determined read/write error rates for the at least one removable storage exceed at least one read/write error threshold. At least one message is sent to the removable storage manager to replace the at least one removable storage having read/write error rates that exceed the at least one read/write error threshold.

5877644, Mar 2, 1999

Jan 8, 1997

8/780552

Eric Rolf Christensen - Tucson AZ
Robert Allen Hutchins - Tucson AZ
Ara Sarkis Patapoutian - Westboro MA

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

G11B 509

327321

Disclosed are a programmable digital device and method for generating tracking threshold signals for qualification of input peak signals in response to programmed digital gain signals which control the rate at which the envelope of the qualified input peak signals is followed, and in response to a programmed digital attenuation signal which determines the proportion of the peak envelope at which to generate new tracking threshold signals. The programmable digital device and method also provide a programmed clamp signal to clamp the positive and negative threshold signals to not fall below the programmed values. An anti-hang capability is provided to allow the thresholds to drop after a programmed time period during which no signal is detected. In an alternative arrangement, the centerline of the envelope is followed and used as the threshold.

8605380, Dec 10, 2013

Jul 17, 2012

13/550603

Eric Rolf Christensen - Tucson AZ, US
Ernest Stewart Gale - Tucson AZ, US
Robert Allen Hutchins - Tucson AZ, US
Sedat Oelcer - Kilchberg, CH

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

G11B 5/035

360 65

A method for selecting which tap coefficients of a programmable finite-impulse-response (FIR) equalizer to fix includes performing an initial calibration to determine an initial value for each tap coefficient of a FIR equalizer. Using these initial values, a “total” FIR equalizer is determined which sets the tap coefficients to their initial values. The method further determines multiple sets of tap coefficients that may potentially be fixed in the FIR equalizer. For each set of tap coefficients that may potentially be fixed, the method determines a “fixed” FIR equalizer that sets the tap coefficients in the set to their initial values and other tap coefficients to zero. The method then determines a phase-difference energy between the “total” FIR equalizer and the “fixed” FIR equalizer for each set of tap coefficients that may potentially be fixed. The set of tap coefficients associated with the lowest phase-difference energy are then fixed.

7870427, Jan 11, 2011

Aug 10, 2007

11/837475

Allen Keith Bates - Tucson AZ, US
Eric Rolf Christensen - Tucson AZ, US
Shinobu Wada - Tokyo, JP
Daniel James Winarski - Tucson AZ, US

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

G06F 11/00

714 27

Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for accessing removable storage management services to obtain replacement instructions indicating whether to replace removable storage. Replacement information indicating whether to replace at least one of a plurality of managed removable storages is obtained by interfacing with a service computer over a network. Read/write error information for the at least one removable storage is gathered and transmitted to the service computer. Replacement instructions indicating whether to replace the at least one removable storage are received from the service computer.

8625226, Jan 7, 2014

Nov 23, 2011

13/304227

Eric Rolf Christensen - Tucson AZ, US
Ernest Stewart Gale - Tucson AZ, US
Robert Allen Hutchins - Tucson AZ, US
Sedat Oelcer - Kilchberg, CH

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

G11B 5/035, G11B 20/10, H03H 7/30, H03H 7/40, H03K 5/159

360 65, 360 39, 375232

A method for selecting which tap coefficients of a programmable finite-impulse-response (FIR) equalizer to fix is disclosed. In one embodiment, such a method includes performing an initial calibration to determine an initial value for each tap coefficient of a FIR equalizer. These initial values may be used to produce a first waveform. The method then performs an operation on the first waveform to produce a second waveform comprising multiple lobes. The second waveform is then analyzed to determine one or more lobes of the second waveform that have the largest area. The method then fixes coefficients of one or more taps that are closest to the lobe or lobes having the largest area. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also disclosed.

7719782, May 18, 2010

Jan 7, 2009

12/349661

Allen Keith Bates - Tucson AZ, US
Shawn Owen Brume - Tucson AZ, US
Nhan Xuan Bui - Tucson AZ, US
Joel Hsien-Li Chen - Tucson AZ, US
Eric Rolf Christensen - Tucson AZ, US
Roger Javier Justo - Tucson AZ, US
Daniel James Winarski - Tucson AZ, US

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

G11B 15/20

360 69

Handling a magnetic tape cartridge comprises the steps of reading cartridge mount information from the cartridge memory; determining from the cartridge mount information whether the present mount is the first mount of the magnetic tape cartridge; and if so, fast forward and rewind the magnetic tape of the magnetic tape cartridge, e. g. , the fast forward is to end of tape (EOT) and the rewind is to beginning of tape (BOT). Alternatively, if the cartridge mount information indicates the present mount is the first mount of the magnetic tape cartridge; monitoring input/output with respect to the magnetic tape cartridge for write errors during the mount; determining whether the number of monitored write errors meets a predetermined threshold; and if so, fast forward and rewind the magnetic tape of the magnetic tape cartridge.

2014006, Mar 6, 2014

Aug 28, 2012

13/597106

Said Abdullah AHMAD - Tucson AZ, US
Josephine Faith BAYANG - Tucson AZ, US
Eric Rolf CHRISTENSEN - Tucson AZ, US
Ernest Stewart GALE - Tucson AZ, US

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION - Armonk NY

G11B 5/03

360 66, G9B 5031

Magnetoresistive (MR) bias is dynamically controlled in a tape drive using a processor device. Upon determining head amplitude is below a threshold value, the MR bias is adjusted for increasing the head amplitude and extending the useful life span of the tape drive.