Author: claimsbot

1. A method comprising:
formatting a hard disk drive (HDD) with a plurality of data heads and associated data surfaces, including at least one data head optimized for shingled magnetic recording (SMR) to a SMR surface of the HDD, and at least one data head optimized for random block overwrite (RBO) to a RBO surface of the HDD.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the RBO surface of the HDD as a storage tier for staging data to be written to the SMR area prior to committing the data to the SMR area.
3. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving a write request and performing the write with one of the RBO heads to the RBO optimized surface, including locating a free SMR erase unit and copying the RBO optimized data to the free SMR erase unit.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing SMR metadata in the RBO optimized area of the HDD, the metadata including an index to a location of at least one SMR erase unit and data about at least one partially free SMR erase unit.
5. The method of claim 4, further comprising compressing data in the SMR optimized area, including at least one erase unit having free space, and further comprising appending data to a partially free SMR erase unit, wherein free space in the partially free SMR erase unit is utilized for further data storage.
6. The method of claim 4, wherein the metadata includes layout and ordering of two or more SMR erase units.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein data blocks in the RBO optimized surface have a length different from data blocks in the SMR optimized surface.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising a host system specifying a data storage location within the HDD, including designating storage in one of the RBO formatted surface and the SMR formatted surface.
9. A computer program product for leveraging surfaces of a hard disk drive (HDD), the computer program product comprising a compute readable storage device having program code embodied therewith, the program code executable by a processing unit to:
format the hard disk drive (HDD) with a plurality of data heads and associated data surfaces, including at least one data head formatted for shingled magnetic recording (SMR) to a SMR surface of the HDD, and at least one data head formatted for random block overwrite (RBO) to a RBO surface of the HDD; and
read and write data to the SMR and RBO formatted surfaces, including leveraging random write performance with the RBO formatted surface and storage density with the SMR formatted surface.
10. The computer program product of claim 9, program code to stage data for storage on the SMR formatted surface, including servicing a write request with one of the RBO heads to the RBO formatted surface, locating a free SMR erase unit, and copying the RBO formatted data to the free SMR erase unit.
11. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising program code to compress data in the SMR formatted surface, including identification of one or more partially free erase units, wherein the partially free erase unit include stored data and free space, and appending data to at least one of the partially free SMR erase units.
12. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising program code to index a location of at least one SMR erase unit, including storage of SMR metadata in the RBO formatted surface of the HDD.
13. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the RBO surface includes data about at least one partially free SMR erase unit.
14. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein SMR metadata includes layout and ordering of two or more SMR erase units.
15. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising program code to specify a data storage location within the HDD, including designating storage in one of the RBO formatted surface and the SMR formatted surface.
16. A computer system comprising:
a processing unit operatively coupled to memory and a hard disk drive (HDD), the HDD having a dual format;
the HDD having a plurality of data heads and associated data surfaces, including at least one data head formatted for shingled magnetic recording (SMR) to a SMR surface of the HDD, and at least one data head formatted for random block overwrite (RBO) to a RBO surface of the HDD; and
a tool in communication with the processing unit, the tool to read and write data to the SMR and RBO formatted surfaces, including leveraging random write performance with the RBO formatted surface and storage density with the SMR formatted surface.
17. The system of claim 16, further comprising the tool to stage data for storage on the SMR formatted surface, including servicing a write request with one of the RBO heads to the RBO formatted surface, locating a free SMR erase unit, and copying the RBO formatted data to the free SMR erase unit.
18. The system of claim 16, further comprising the tool to compress data in the HDD, including identification of one or more partially free erase units, wherein the partially free erase unit includes stored data and free space, and the tool to append data to at least one of the partially free SMR erase units.
19. The system of claim 16, further comprising an index stored in the RBO formatted surface of the HDD, the tool to leverage to storage a location of at least one SMR erase unit in the index, including storage of SMR metadata in the RBO formatted surface of the HDD.
20. The system of claim 16, further comprising the tool to specify a data storage location within the HDD, including designation of data storage in one of the RBO formatted surface and the SMR formatted surface.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A locomotion interface that provides input signals, indicative of a user’s movement, to a virtual reality system, the locomotion interface comprising:
a pressure-sensing mat including a base layer, a plurality of pressure sensing elements and a heatingrefrigeration layer formed over the base layer, and a top layer formed over the plurality of pressure-sensing elements, wherein the plurality of pressure sensing elements output signals indicative of pressure applied to the top layer.
2. The locomotion interface of claims 1, wherein the heatingrefrigeration layer is made up of a plurality of heatingrefrigeration elements.
3. The locomotion interface of claim 2, wherein the plurality of heatingrefrigeration elements make up a grid.
4. The locomotion interface of claim 2, wherein the heatingrefrigeration elements are thermoelectric devices.
5. The locomotion interface of claim 1, wherein the plurality of pressure-sensing elements make up a grid.
6. The locomotion interface of claim 1, wherein the plurality of pressure-sensing elements comprise force sensitive resistors.
7. The locomotion interface of claim 1, wherein the base layer comprises a semi-rigid material.
8. The locomotion interface of claim 1, wherein the base layer comprises plastic.
9. The locomotion interface of claim 1, wherein the top layer comprises rubber.
10. A virtual reality system comprising the locomotion interface of claim 1.
11. A virtual reality system that transposes a user’s position and movement in real space to virtual space, the virtual reality system comprising:
a locomotion interface that outputs signals indicative of a user’s position in real space, the locomotion interface including a pressure-sensing mat including a base layer, a plurality of pressure sensing elements and a heatingrefrigeration layer formed over the base layer, and a top layer formed over the plurality of pressure-sensing elements, the plurality of pressure sensing elements output signals indicative of pressure applied to the top layer;
a virtual reality processor that uses the signals output by the locomotion interface to produce an output indicative of the user’s position in the virtual space corresponding to the user’s position and movement in the real space; and
a display that uses the output from the virtual reality processor to produce an image of the virtual space.
12. The locomotion interface of claims 11, wherein the heatingrefrigeration layer is made up of a plurality of heatingrefrigeration elements.
13. The locomotion interface of claim 12, wherein the plurality of heatingrefrigeration elements make up a grid.
14. The locomotion interface of claim 12, wherein the heatingrefrigeration elements are thermoelectric devices.
15. The virtual reality system of claim 11, wherein the display is a head mounted display.
16. The virtual reality system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of pressure-sensing elements make up a grid.
17. The virtual reality system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of pressure-sensing elements comprise force sensitive resistors.
18. The virtual reality system of claim 11, wherein the base layer comprises a semi-rigid material.
19. The virtual reality system of claim 11, wherein the base layer comprises plastic.
20. The virtual reality system of claim 11, wherein the top layer comprises rubber.
21. The virtual reality system of claim 11, wherein the virtual reality processor comprises:
a pattern generator that uses the signals output from the locomotion interface to generate a plurality of corresponding patterns;
a motion identifier that uses the plurality of patterns generated by the pattern generator to identify a corresponding plurality of user positions and user movements; and
a virtual environment renderer that uses the identified user positions and movements to generate a virtual space such that the user can effect, and be effected by, the virtual space.
22. The virtual reality system of claim 21, wherein the virtual space generated by the virtual environment renderer includes a virtual ground surface.
23. The virtual reality system of claim 22, wherein the virtual ground surface generated by the virtual environment renderer determines the amount heat andor cold generated by the heatingrefrigeration layer.
24. The virtual reality system of claim 21, wherein the plurality of positions identified by the motion identifier comprise at least one of a prone user position, a crawling user position, and a standing user position.
25. The virtual reality system of claim 21, wherein the plurality of motions identified by the motion identifier comprise at least one of a backward user motion, a sideways user motion, a forward user motion, and a diagonal user motion.
26. A method of providing input signals, indicative of a user’s movement, to a virtual reality system, comprising:
sensing pressure applied to a locomotion interface having a pressure-sensing mat including a base layer, a plurality of pressure sensing elements and a heatingrefrigeration layer formed over the base layer, and a top layer formed over the plurality of pressure-sensing elements.
27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:
processing signals output by the locomotion interface, in response to the sensed pressure, to produce an input signal indicative of the user’s position in virtual space corresponding to the user’s position and movement in real space.
28. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of processing the signals output by the locomotion interface comprises:
generating a plurality of patterns that correspond to the signals output by the locomotion interface; and
identifying a plurality of user positions and user movements that correspond to the plurality of patterns.

1. A rapid activation immobilization system:
a helmet including a cranial attachment point;
a harness including a thorax attachment point;
a pillar connected at a first end to the cranial attachment point of the helmet and at a second end to the thorax attachment point of the harness, the pillar including:
a flexible sleeve,
a plurality of segments each with a cylindrical shape and each including hollow lumens centrally located on a cross section of the segments and running along a longitudinal axis of the segments, a first concave end and a second convex end,
an inelastic wire through the hollow lumen of each of the plurality of segments; and
a rapid locking mechanism connected to the inelastic wire;

wherein the rapid locking mechanism operates to rapidly tighten the inelastic wire, thereby shortening the length of the inelastic wire and compressing the plurality of segments causing the plurality of segments to interlock and the pillar to become rigid.
2. A rapid activation immobilization system as in claim 1, wherein the cranial attachment point is telescoping.
3. A rapid activation immobilization system as in claim 1, further comprising a second pillar.
4. A rapid activation immobilization system as in claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism is operable to use a piston and ratchet mechanism to tighten the wire.
5. A rapid activation immobilization system as in claim 1, further comprising an activation mechanism communicatively coupled to the locking mechanism, operable to activate the locking mechanism when the activation mechanism detects a rapid acceleration or a rapid deceleration.
6. A rapid activation immobilization system as in claim 5, wherein the activation mechanism includes a gyroscope for detecting the rapid acceleration or the rapid deceleration.
7. A rapid activation immobilization system as in claim 1, wherein the segments are made of a single contiguous material.
8. A rapid activation immobilization system:
a helmet including a cranial attachment point;
a harness including a thorax attachment point;
a belt including a waist attachment point;
an upper pillar connected to the cranial attachment point of the helmet and to the thorax attachment point of the harness, the upper pillar including:
an upper flexible sleeve, and
a plurality of upper segments each with a cylindrical shape and each including hollow lumens centrally located on a cross section of the upper segments and running along a longitudinal axis of the upper segments, a first concave end and a second convex end,

a lower pillar connected to the thorax attachment point of the harness and to the waist attachment point of the belt, the lower pillar including:
a lower flexible sleeve, and
a plurality of lower segments each with a cylindrical shape and each including hollow lumens centrally located on a cross section of the lower segments and running along a longitudinal axis of the lower segments, a first concave end and a second convex end,

an inelastic wire threaded through the hollow lumen of each of the upper segments and the hollow lumen of each of the lower segments; and
a locking mechanism connected to the inelastic wire;
wherein the locking mechanism is operable to tighten the inelastic wire, causing the upper segments to interlock and causing the lower segments to interlock and the pillar to become rigid thereby stabilizing the positioning of the helmet relative to the harness.
9. A rapid activation immobilization system as in claim 8, wherein the cranial attachment point is telescoping.
10. A rapid activation immobilization system as in claim 8, further comprising a second upper pillar connected to a second cranial attachment point of the helmet and to a second thorax attachment point of the harness, the second upper pillar including:
a second upper flexible sleeve, and
a second plurality of upper segments with hollow lumens centrally located and running along a longitudinal axis of the upper segments, the upper segments inside the second flexible sleeve, each of the upper segments with a cylindrical shape with a top concave end and a bottom convex end,
11. A rapid activation immobilization system as in claim 8, wherein the locking mechanism is operable to use a piston and ratchet mechanism to tighten the wire.
12. A rapid activation immobilization system as in claim 8, wherein the locking mechanism is operable to use a coiled detonation cord as an activation method.
13. A rapid activation immobilization system as in claim 8, further comprising an activation mechanism communicatively coupled to the locking mechanism, operable to activate the locking mechanism when the activation mechanism detects a rapid acceleration or a rapid deceleration.
14. A rapid activation immobilization system as in claim 13, wherein the activation mechanism includes a gyroscope for detecting the rapid acceleration or rapid deceleration.
15. A rapid activation immobilization system as in claim 8, wherein the upper segments and lower segments are made of a single contiguous material.
16. A rapid activation immobilization system:
a helmet including a cranial attachment point;
a harness including a thorax attachment point;
a pillar connected at a first end to the cranial attachment point of the helmet and at a second end to the thorax attachment point of the harness, the pillar including:
a plurality of segments with hollow lumens centrally located on a cross section of the segments and running along the longitudinal axis of the segments, each of the segments with a cylindrical shape and one end is concave and the other end convex,
an inelastic wire threaded through the hollow lumen of each of the plurality of segments; and
a rapid locking mechanism connected to the inelastic wire and including an electric motor and a gear connected to a coaxial gear

wherein the rapid locking mechanism operates to rapidly tighten the inelastic wire by winding the inelastic wire using an electric motor around the coaxial gear, thereby shortening the length of the inelastic wire and compressing the plurality of segments and causing the plurality of segments to interlock and the pillar to become rigid.
17. A rapid activation immobilization system as in claim 16, wherein the coaxial gear has a differential diameter.
18. A rapid activation immobilization system as in claim 16, wherein the diameter of the coaxial gear decreases as the inelastic wire is wound around the coaxial gear during operation to tighten the inelastic wire.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A semiconductor laser diode device, comprising:
a semiconductor laser diode;
a primary lead having a diode-disposing portion on which a sub-mount is provided for mounting the semiconductor laser diode;
at least one secondary lead electrically insulated from the primary lead;
a first resin member formed of an insulation resin molded onto the primary lead and the secondary lead to integrally fix the primary lead to the secondary lead and insulate the primary lead from the secondary lead; and
a second resin member formed of a thermally conductive resin molded onto the primary lead and the first resin member to surround the primary lead and the first resin member so as to dissipate, in use, heat transferred to the primary lead and the first resin member to an outside of the device, said thermally conductive resin extending around and defining an emitting opening through which laser beams generated by the semiconductor laser diode are emittable to the outside of said device.
2. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the secondary lead comprises at least one connecting portion electrically connected to the semiconductor laser diode or to the sub-mount via a wire, a leg extending a predetermined length downward below the connecting portion, and a latch formed at the middle of the leg.
3. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the primary lead further comprises a leg extending a predetermined length downward from the diode-disposing portion, and a protruded portion formed at the middle of the leg.
4. The device as set forth in claim 2, wherein the first resin member is provided with an aperture exposing the connecting portion of the secondary lead to the outside.
5. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first resin member is provided with flanges on an outer surface of the first resin member corresponding to the second resin member for enhancing an engaging force between the first resin member and the second resin member.
6. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive resin is a resinous material having a thermal conductivity of 1\u02dc40 WmK.
7. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive resin comprises metallic fillers.
8. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive resin comprises graphite fillers.
9. The device as set forth in claim 3, wherein the thermally conductive resin extending around the emitting opening defines a slant surface which extends obliquely from the diode-disposing portion of the primary lead upwardly away from the leg and rearwardly away from the semiconductor laser diode so as to prevent the laser beam emitted by the semiconductor laser diode from returning thereto.
10. The device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:
a light receiving diode for monitoring rear side emitted light.
11. The device as set forth in claim 10, wherein the light receiving diode is integrally provided to the sub-mount.
12. The device as set forth in claim 10, wherein the light receiving diode is provided to the primary lead so as to be separate from the sub-mount.
13. The device as set forth in claim 10, wherein the light receiving diode is provided to an inner wall of the second resin member.
14. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor laser diode device comprising a sub-mount for mounting a semiconductor laser diode; a primary lead having a diode-disposing portion on which the sub-mount is provided; and at least one secondary lead electrically insulated from the primary lead, the method comprising:
forming a first resin member by either injection molding or transfer molding of an insulation resin directly onto the primary lead and the secondary lead, wherein the insulation resin surrounds the primary lead and the secondary lead and insulates the primary lead and the secondary lead from each other while fixing the primary lead to the secondary lead and exposing the diode-disposing portion of the primary lead; and
forming a second thermally conductive resin member by either injection molding or transfer molding of a thermally conductive resin directly onto the primary lead and the first resin member, wherein the thermally conductive resin surrounds the primary lead and the first resin member so as to dissipate, in use, heat transferred to the primary lead and the first resin member to an outside of the device, said thermally conductive resin extending around and defining an emitting opening through which laser beams generated by the semiconductor laser diode are emittable to the outside.
15. The method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the first resin member is formed with an aperture exposing at least one connecting portion formed on an upper end of the secondary lead to the outside.
16. The method as set forth in claim 14, wherein flanges are formed on an outer surface of the first resin member corresponding to the second resin member for enhancing an engaging force with the second resin member.
17. The method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the thermally conductive resin is a resinous material having a thermal conductivity of 1\u02dc40 WmK.
18. The method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the thermally conductive resin comprises metallic fillers.
19. The method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the thermally conductive resin comprises graphite fillers.
20. The method as set forth in claim 14, wherein
the primary lead further comprises a leg extending a predetermined length downward from the diode-disposing portion, and
the thermally conductive resin extending around the emitting opening defines a slant surface which extends obliquely from the diode-disposing portion of the primary lead upwardly away from the leg and rearwardly away from the semiconductor laser diode so as to prevent the laser beam emitted by the semiconductor laser diode from returning thereto.
21. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor laser diode device, said method comprising:
forming at least one primary lead and secondary lead on a lead frame;
forming a first resin member by either injection molding or transfer molding of an insulation resin directly onto the primary lead and the secondary lead, wherein the insulation resin surrounds the primary lead and the secondary lead and insulates the primary lead and the secondary lead from each other while fixing the primary lead to the secondary lead and exposing a diode-disposing portion of the primary lead;
forming a second thermally conductive resin member by either injection molding or transfer molding of a thermally conductive resin directly onto the primary lead and the first resin member, wherein the thermally conductive resin surrounds the primary lead and the first resin member so as to dissipate, in use, heat transferred to the primary lead and the first resin member to an outside of the device, said thermally conductive resin extending around and defining an emitting opening through which laser beams generated by the semiconductor laser diode are emittable to the outside;
mounting a laser diode on the diode-disposing portion of the primary lead;
electrically connecting the laser diode to the secondary lead; and
cutting the primary and secondary leads from the lead frame.
22. The method as set forth in claim 21, wherein
the primary lead is formed with the diode-disposing portion and a leg,
the secondary lead is formed with at least one connecting portion and at least one leg, and
said leads are formed by etching or punching the lead frame.
23. The method as set forth in claim 22, wherein latches are formed to the legs of the primary and secondary leads, respectively.
24. The method as set forth in claim 21, wherein the first resin member is formed with at least one aperture corresponding to an upper end of the secondary lead.
25. The method as set forth in claim 21, wherein the first resin member is formed with flanges for enhancing an engaging force with the second resin member.
26. The method as set forth in claim 21, wherein the thermally conductive resin is a resinous material having a thermal conductivity of 1\u02dc40 WmK.
27. The method as set forth in claim 21, wherein the thermally conductive resin comprises metallic fillers.
28. The method as set forth in claim 21, wherein the thermally conductive resin comprises graphite fillers.
29. The method as set forth in claim 22, wherein the thermally conductive resin extending around the emitting opening defines a slant surface which extends obliquely from the diode-disposing portion of the primary lead upwardly away from the leg and rearwardly away from the semiconductor laser diode for preventing the laser beam emitted from the laser diode from returning thereto.
30. The method as set forth in claim 21, wherein the mounting comprises bonding the laser diode to a sub-mount after mounting the sub-mount on the diode-disposing portion of the primary lead.
31. The method as set forth in claim 21, wherein the mounting comprises mounting a sub-mount on the diode-disposing portion of the primary lead after bonding the laser diode to the sub-mount.
32. The method as set forth in claim 14, wherein said diode and the sub-mount are both exposed from, without being embedded in, both said first and second resin members.
33. The method as set forth in claim 32, wherein the second resin member is formed to be in direct thermal and physical contact with portions of the first resin member and the diode-disposing portion of the primary lead which are surrounded by and embedded within said second resin member.
34. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said diode and the sub-mount are both exposed from, without being embedded in, both said first and second resin members.
35. The device as set forth in claim 34, wherein the second resin member is in direct thermal and physical contact with portions of the first resin member and the diode-disposing portion of the primary lead which are surrounded by and embedded within said second resin member.
36. The device as set forth in claim 35, wherein the second resin member is free of direct contact with wires that electrically connect the secondary lead to the semiconductor laser diode and to the sub-mount, said wire being exposed in said emitting opening of the second resin member.
37. The device as set forth in claim 35, wherein the thermally conductive resin defines
a lower portion that extends for full 360 degrees around the first resin member and has an inner surface in direct thermal and physical contact with an outer surface of the first resin member; and
an upper portion that extends for less than full 360 degrees but more than 180 degrees around the first resin member and the diode-disposing portion of the primary lead to define said emitting opening and has an inner surface in direct thermal and physical contact with an outer surface of the first resin member and the diode-disposing portion of the primary lead.
38. The method as set forth in claim 21, wherein said diode is exposed from, without being embedded in, both said first and second resin members.
39. The method as set forth in claim 38, wherein the second resin member is formed to be in direct thermal and physical contact with portions of the first resin member and the diode-disposing portion of the primary lead which are surrounded by and embedded within said second resin member.
40. The method of claim 39, wherein the steps of mounting the laser diode on the diode-disposing portion of the primary lead and electrically connecting the laser diode to the secondary lead are both performed (i) after the step of forming the second thermally conductive resin member and (ii) through the emitting opening of the second thermally conductive resin member.