All The Claims

1. A charge pump comprising:
a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) to produce a clock signal having a variable frequency in response to an error signal;
a pump stage to produce an output voltage in response to the clock signal;
a differential amplifier to produce the error signal in response to the output voltage and a reference voltage; and
a bias circuit to bias the VCO by modifying a DC voltage component of the error signal, the bias circuit capable of commanding a lower nonzero VCO output frequency during a warm-up mode and a higher nonzero VCO frequency during a loading mode, wherein the bias circuit includes at least one diode-connected transistor to modify the DC voltage component of the error signal, the bias circuit further includes two diode-connected transistors and two switches to conditionally couple the two diode-connected transistors to an output node of the differential amplifier, and wherein the two switches are closed during the warm-up mode, and only one of the switches is closed during the loading mode.
2. The charge pump of claim 1 wherein the differential amplifier comprises an output stage with an NMOS load device.
3. The charge pump of claim 2 wherein the two diode-connected transistors and two switches form a plurality of current paths to modify a DC current through the NMOS load device.
4. A method comprising:
starting a charge pump circuit with a first nonzero internal clock frequency during a warm-up mode by biasing an error signal fed from an output node of an error amplifier to a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) with a first DC voltage by closing two switches coupled to the output node of the error amplifier; and
operating the charge pump circuit with a second nonzero internal clock frequency during a loading mode by biasing the error signal fed to the VCO with a second DC voltage by closing one of the two switches coupled to the output of the error amplifier.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein the first nonzero internal clock frequency is lower than the second nonzero internal clock frequency.
6. The method of claim 4 further comprising supplying a charge pump output voltage to a circuit within a flash memory device.

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 sensing device for enabling joystick control of software or hardware, in at least one rotational direction, the sensing device being configured to interact with a printed surface having text andor graphics and coded data printed thereon, the coded data being indicative of a plurality of reference points of the printed surface, the sensing device including:
a sensor for sensing at least some of the coded data as the sensing device is used to interact with at least some of the text andor graphics on the printed surface;
processing means for processing at least some of the sensed coded data to generate indicating data, the indicating data being indicative of: at least one dimension of rotational orientation of the sensing device relative to the printed surface; and a position of the sensing device relative to the surface;
a transmitter for transmitting the indicating data, the indicating data being useable to enable the control of the software or hardware.
2. The sensing device of claim 1, wherein the rotational orientation includes at least a roll of the sensing device relative to the printed surface.
3. The sensing device of claim 2, configured to determine the dimension of rotational orientation by determining a rotational position of at least some of the sensed coded data in a frame of image data captured by the sensor.
4. The sensing device of claim 1, wherein the rotational orientation includes at least one of yaw and pitch of the sensing device relative to the surface.
5. The sensing device of claim 4, configured to determine the dimension of the at least one of yaw and pitch by determining a perspective distortion of at least some of the sensed coded in a frame of image data captured by the sensor.
6. The sensing device of claim 5, wherein the coded data includes periodic elements, and the sensing device is configured to determine the at least one of yaw and pitch by determining the perspective distortion based on the relative positions of at least some of the periodic elements in the frame of image data.
7. The sensing device according to claim 1, wherein the coded data is substantially invisible.
8. The sensing device according to claim 7, wherein the text andor graphics includes an icon that indicates, to a human, that interacting with the icon with the sensing device will cause the sensing device to be used as a controller.
9. The sensing device of claim 1, further including a memory for storing an identity of the sensing device, the indicating data including the identity, thereby enabling identification of the sensing device from which the indicating data was transmitted.

I claim:

1. In a magnetic read head having an air bearing surface (ABS), a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) sensor for connection to sense circuitry for detecting changes in electrical resistance within the sensor, the sensor comprising:
a MTJ stack with an active region disposed at the ABS and having two opposite sides each disposed generally orthogonally to the ABS, the MTJ stack comprising:
an antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer spanning the active region,
a pinned layer of ferromagnetic (FM) material in contact with the AFM layer,
a free layer of FM material spanning the active region and extending beyond each of the two opposite sides thereof, and
a tunnel junction layer of electrically nonconductive material disposed between the pinned layer and the free layer in the active region; and

a longitudinal bias layer formed on and in contact with the free layer outside of the active region for biasing the magnetic moment of the free layer in substantially a predetermined direction in the absence of an external magnetic field.
2. The sensor of claim 1 further comprising:
an insulating layer of electrically nonconductive material formed on and in contact with the free layer outside of the active region and in abutting contact with the two opposite sides of the active region.
3. The sensor of claim 2 wherein the longitudinal bias layer is disposed without contacting the active region.
4. The sensor of claim 3 wherein the longitudinal bias layer comprises a hard magnetic (HM) material.
5. The sensor of claim 3 wherein the longitudinal bias layer comprises an AFM material.
6. The sensor of claim 1 wherein the longitudinal bias layer is disposed without contacting the active region.
7. The sensor of claim 6 wherein the longitudinal bias layer comprises a HM material.
8. The sensor of claim 6 wherein the longitudinal bias layer comprises an AFM material.
9. The sensor of claim 1 further comprising:
the longitudinal bias layer comprises an electrically nonconductive AFM material disposed outside of the active region and in abutting contact with the two opposite sides of the active region.
10. The sensor of claim 1 wherein the longitudinal bias layer comprises an electrically nonconductive HM material disposed outside of the active region and in abutting contact with the two opposite sides of the active region.
11. A direct access storage device (DASD) comprising:
a magnetic recording disk having at least one surface for storing magnetically recorded data;
a magnetic read head having an air bearing surface (ABS) disposed for reading the data from the magnetic recording disk surface;
in the magnetic read head, a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) sensor comprising:
a MTJ stack with an active region disposed at the ABS and having two opposite sides each disposed generally orthogonally to the ABS, the MTJ stack comprising:
an antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer spanning the active region,
a pinned layer of ferromagnetic (FM) material in contact with the AFM layer,
a free layer of FM material spanning the active region and extending beyond each of the two opposite sides thereof, and
a tunnel junction layer of electrically nonconductive material disposed between the pinned layer and the free layer in the active region; and
a longitudinal bias layer formed on and in contact with the free layer outside of the active region for biasing the magnetic moment of the free layer in substantially a predetermined direction in the absence of an external magnetic field;
an actuator for moving the magnetic read head across the magnetic recording disk surface to access the data stored thereon; and
a data channel having sense circuitry coupled electrically to the MTJ sensor for detecting changes in resistance of the MTJ sensor caused by rotation of the magnetic moment of the free ferromagnetic layer relative to the fixed magnetic moment of the pinned layer responsive to magnetic fields representing the data stored on the magnet recording disk surface.
12. The DASD of claim 11 further comprising:
an insulating layer of electrically nonconductive material formed on and in contact with the free layer outside of the active region and in abutting contact with the two opposite sides of the active region.
13. The DASD of claim 12 wherein the longitudinal bias layer is disposed without contacting the active region.
14. The DASD of claim 13 wherein the longitudinal bias layer comprises a hard magnetic (HM) material.
15. The DASD of claim 13 wherein the longitudinal bias layer comprises an AFM material.
16. The DASD of claim 11 wherein the longitudinal bias layer is disposed without contacting the active region.
17. The DASD of claim 16 wherein the longitudinal bias layer comprises a HM material.
18. The DASD of claim 16 wherein the longitudinal bias layer comprises an AFM material.
19. The DASD of claim 11 further comprising:
the longitudinal bias layer comprises an electrically nonconductive AFM material disposed outside of the active region and in abutting contact with the two opposite sides of the active region.
20. The DASD of claim 11 wherein the longitudinal bias layer comprises an electrically nonconductive AFM material disposed outside of the active region and in abutting contact with the two opposite sides of the active region.
21. In a magnetic read head having an air bearing surface (ABS), a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) sensor for connection to sense circuitry for detecting changes in electrical resistance within the sensor, the sensor comprising:
a MTJ stack with an active region disposed at the ABS and having two opposite sides each disposed generally orthogonally to the ABS, the MTJ stack comprising:
an antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer spanning the active region,
a pinned layer of ferromagnetic (FM) material in contact with the AFM layer,
a free layer of FM material spanning the active region, and
a tunnel junction layer of electrically nonconductive material disposed between the pinned layer and the free layer in the active region; and

a nonconductive longitudinal bias layer formed outside of the active region and in abutting contact with the two opposite sides of the active region for biasing the magnetic moment of the free layer in substantially a predetermined direction in the absence of an external magnetic field.
22. The sensor of claim 21 wherein the nonconductive longitudinal bias layer comprises a hard magnetic (HM) material.
23. A direct access storage device (DASD) comprising:
a magnetic recording disk having at least one surface for storing magnetically recorded data;
a magnetic read head having an air bearing surface (ABS) disposed for reading the data from the magnetic recording disk surface;
in the magnetic read head, a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) sensor comprising:
a MTJ stack with an active region disposed at the ABS and having two opposite sides each disposed generally orthogonally to the ABS, the MTJ stack comprising:
an antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer spanning the active region,
a pinned layer of ferromagnetic (FM) material in contact with the AFM layer,
a free layer of FM material spanning the active region, and
a tunnel junction layer of electrically nonconductive material disposed between the pinned layer and the free layer in the active region; and

a nonconductive longitudinal bias layer formed outside of the active region and in abutting contact with the two opposite sides of the active region for biasing the magnetic moment of the free layer in substantially a predetermined direction in the absence of an external magnetic field;

an actuator for moving the magnetic read head across the magnetic recording disk surface to access the data stored thereon; and
a data channel having sense circuitry coupled electrically to the MTJ sensor for detecting changes in resistance of the MTJ sensor caused by rotation of the magnetic moment of the free ferromagnetic layer relative to the fixed magnetic moment of the pinned layer responsive to magnetic fields representing the data stored on the magnetic recording disk surface.
24. The sensor of claim 23 wherein the nonconductive longitudinal bias layer comprises a hard magnetic (HM) material.
25. A method for fabricating a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) sensor for use in a magnetic read head having an air bearing surface (ABS), the method comprising the unordered steps of:
(a) forming a MTJ stack with an active region disposed at the ABS and having two opposite sides each disposed generally orthogonally to the ABS, including the unordered steps of:
(a.1) forming an antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer,
(a.2) forming a pinned layer of ferromagnetic (FM) material in contact with the AFM layer,
(a.3) forming a free layer of FM material,
(a.4) forming a tunnel junction layer of electrically nonconductive material disposed between the pinned layer and the free layer, and
(a.5) removing all material outside of the active region from the AFM layer, the pinned layer, and the tunnel junction layer to define the two opposite sides of the active region; and

(b) forming a longitudinal bias layer outside of the active region in contact with the free layer for biasing the magnetic moment of the free layer in substantially a predetermined direction in the absence of an external magnetic field.
26. The method of claim 25 further comprising the step of:
(c) forming an insulating layer of electrically nonconductive material on and in contact with the free layer outside of the active region and in abutting contact with the two opposite sides of the active region.
27. The method of claim 26 wherein the longitudinal bias layer is disposed without contacting the active region.
28. The method of claim 27 wherein the longitudinal bias layer comprises a hard magnetic (HM) material.
29. The method of claim 27 wherein the longitudinal bias layer comprises an AFM material.
30. The method of claim 25 wherein the longitudinal bias layer is disposed without contacting the active region.
31. The method of claim 30 wherein the longitudinal bias layer comprises a HM material.
32. The method of claim 30 wherein the longitudinal bias layer comprises an AFM material.
33. The method of claim 25 wherein the forming step (b) further comprises the step of:
(b.1) forming a nonconductive longitudinal bias layer outside of the active region and in abutting contact with the two opposite sides of the active region for biasing the magnetic moment of the free layer in substantially a predetermined direction in the absence of an external magnetic field.
34. The sensor of claim 33 wherein the nonconductive longitudinal bias layer comprises a HM material.
35. The sensor of claim 33 wherein the nonconductive longitudinal bias layer comprises an AFM material.
36. The method of claim 25 wherein the removing step (a.5) further comprises the step of:
(a.5.1) removing all material outside of the active region from the AFM layer, the pinned layer, the tunnel junction layer and the free layer to define the two opposite sides of the active region.
37. The method of claim 36 wherein the forming step (b) further comprises the step of:
(b.1) depositing additional FM material on the free layer in the active region and beyond the two opposite sides of the active region.
38. The method of claim 37 further comprising the step of:
(c) forming an insulating layer of electrically nonconductive material on and in contact with the free layer outside of the active region and in abutting contact with the two opposite sides of the active region.
39. The method of claim 38 wherein the longitudinal bias layer is disposed without contacting the active region.
40. The method of claim 39 wherein the longitudinal bias layer comprises a hard magnetic (HM) material.
41. The method of claim 39 wherein the longitudinal bias layer comprises an AFM material.
42. The method of claim 37 wherein the longitudinal bias layer is disposed without contacting the active region.
43. The method of claim 42 wherein the longitudinal bias layer comprises a HM material.
44. The method of claim 42 wherein the longitudinal bias layer comprises an AFM material.
45. The method of claim 36 wherein the forming step (b) further comprises the step of:
(b.1) forming a nonconductive longitudinal bias layer outside of the active region and in abutting contact with the two opposite sides of the active region for biasing the magnetic moment of the free layer in substantially a predetermined direction in the absence of an external magnetic field.
46. The method of claim 45 wherein the nonconductive longitudinal bias layer comprises a hard magnetic (HM) material.

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 system for performing waveform analysis on coagulation data comprising:
a coagulation analyzer configured to measure at least one of turbidity and optical density of a coagulation assay and to output the measured data; and
a waveform analysis tool coupled to the coagulation analyzer and configured to receive the measured data, the waveform analysis tool configured to analyze the measured data to determine a coagulation status of the coagulation assay not provided by the coagulation analyzer.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein the waveform analysis tool is configured to perform at least one of:
collecting multiple sets of measured coagulation data for multiple plasma samples;
plotting multiple sets of measured coagulation data for multiple plasma samples on one or more graphs; and
identifying slope, minima, maxima and area under curve for measured coagulation data.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein the waveform analysis tool is configured to perform at least one of:
diagnosing bleeding disorders based on measured coagulation data; and
screening for bleeding disorders based on measured coagulation data.
4. The system of claim 1 wherein the waveform analysis tool is configured to perform at least one of:
discriminating between different coagulation factor deficiencies based on measured coagulation data; and
discriminating between discrete levels of coagulation factors based on measured coagulation data.
5. The system of claim 1 wherein the waveform analysis tool is configured to perform diagnosing of treatment methods based on measured coagulation data.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein the waveform analysis tool is configured to perform at least one of:
discriminating between hemophiliac plasma, with and without inhibitors, and with or without therapeutic proteins used to treat hemophilia, based on measured coagulation data; and
discriminating between different activators of coagulation based on measured coagulation data.
7. The system of claim 1 wherein the waveform analysis tool is configured to perform at least one of:
monitoring effects of therapeutic agents based on measured coagulation data;
monitoring tailored or patient specific therapies based on measured coagulation data; and
monitoring therapeutic dosing based measured on coagulation data.
8. The system of claim 1 wherein the waveform analysis tool is configured to perform at least one of:
screening for new therapeutic compounds to treat coagulation blood disorders based on measured coagulation data;
screening for a dosage andor efficacy of new anticoagulants or procoagulants based on measured coagulation data; and
screening for efficacy of new anticoagulants or procoagulants based on measured coagulation data.
9. A method comprising:
obtaining a plasma sample from a patient;
performing a coagulation assay on the plasma sample;
measuring a coagulation property of the plasma sample using a coagulation analyzer so as to generate measured data;
performing waveform analysis on the measured data so as to obtain turbidity characteristics; and
employing the waveform analysis to determine a coagulation status of the coagulation assay not provided by the coagulation analyzer.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the coagulation assay includes one or more of an activated partial thromboplastin time (\u201caPTT\u201d) assay, a prothrombin time (\u201cPT\u201d) assay, a dilute prothrombin (\u201cdPT\u201d) assay, and a factor specific coagulation assay.
11. The method of claim 9, wherein the measured coagulation property includes turbidity.
12. The method of claim 9, wherein the measured coagulation property includes optical density.
13. The method of claim 9, wherein performing waveform analysis includes at least one of:
collecting multiple sets of measured coagulation data for multiple plasma samples;
plotting multiple sets of measured coagulation data for multiple plasma samples on one or more graphs; and
identifying slope, minima, maxima and area under curve for measured coagulation data.
14. The method of claim 9, wherein employing the waveform analysis to determine a coagulation status of the coagulation assay includes at least one of:
diagnosing bleeding disorders based on measured coagulation data; and
screening for bleeding disorders based on measured coagulation data.
15. The method of claim 9, wherein employing the waveform analysis to determine a coagulation status of the coagulation assay includes at least one of:
discriminating between different coagulation factor deficiencies based on measured coagulation data; and
discriminating between discrete levels of coagulation factors based on measured coagulation data,
16. The method of claim 9, wherein employing the waveform analysis to determine a coagulation status of the coagulation assay includes diagnosing treatment methods based on measured coagulation data.
17. The method of claim 9, wherein employing the waveform analysis to determine a coagulation status of the coagulation assay includes at least one of:
discriminating between hemophiliac plasma, with and without inhibitors, and with or without therapeutic proteins used to treat hemophilia, based on measured coagulation data; and
discriminating between different activators of coagulation based on measured coagulation data.
18. The method of claim 9, wherein employing the waveform analysis to determine a coagulation status of the coagulation assay includes at least one of:
monitoring effects of therapeutic agents based on measured coagulation data;
monitoring tailored or patient specific therapies based on measured coagulation data; and
monitoring therapeutic dosing based measured on coagulation data.
19. The method of claim 9, wherein employing the waveform analysis to determine a coagulation status of the coagulation assay includes at least one of:
screening for new therapeutic compounds to treat a coagulation blood disorder based on measured coagulation data;
screening for a dosage andor efficacy of new anticoagulants or procoagulants based on measured coagulation data; and
screening for efficacy of new anticoagulants or procoagulants based on measured coagulation data.
20. The method of claim 9, wherein employing the waveform analysis to determine a coagulation status of the coagulation assay includes comparing the coagulation status of plasma samples from patients with the same condition.