Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

Iomega Patents Storage Technology

By

The United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) recently issued two highly notable patents to Iomega for its work with nano-technology and optical data storage, and external storage media.
 
On April 12, 2005, U.S. Patent No. 6,879,556 titled Method and Apparatus for Optical Data Storage was issued to Iomega. This patent is the first in a series of nano-technology-based subwavelength optical data storage patents sought by Iomega. The patent covers a novel technique of encoding data on the surface of a DVD by using reflective nano-structures to encode data in a highly multi-level format. This technology, termed AO-DVD (Articulated Optical – Digital Versatile Disc), allows more data to be stored on a DVD and could allow future optical discs to potentially hold 40-100 times more information with data transfer rates 5-30 times faster than today’s DVDs, and at similarly low costs. This invention was recently recognized as a winner of the Nanotech Briefs’ Nano 50 awards in its product category. The Nano 50 awards are given to the “best of the best” in the industry — the innovative people and designs that will move nano-technology to key mainstream markets.

Iomega is working to investigate the commercial feasibility of this format and other nano-structural data encoding formats. One possibility being investigated, termed NG-DVD (Nano-Grating – DVD), uses nano-gratings to encode multi-level information via reflectivity, polarization, phase, and reflective orientation multiplexing. Iomega is concurrently evaluating and developing appropriate partners to leverage this intellectual property for producing commercial data storage devices.

Recommended Videos

Thomas will present an overview of subwavelength optical data storage technology at the prestigious Information Storage Industry Consortium (INSIC) symposium in July in Monterey, CA.

Editors' Recommendations

Ian Bell
Ian Bell
Publisher
I work with the best people in the world and get paid to play with gadgets. What's not to like?
SATA vs. PCIe: the important difference you need to know
A woman holding the Samsung 870 Pro NVMe PCIe SSD in her hands.

In the ever-evolving landscape of computer hardware, storage interfaces play a crucial role in determining the speed, efficiency, and overall performance of storage devices. Two primary contenders in this arena are SATA (Serial ATA) and PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express). Understanding the differences, advantages, and limitations of these interfaces is essential for users looking to make informed decisions about their storage solutions.

Here's how to distinguish the two storage options by size, speed, performance, and cost.
Connector and size

Read more
How to send large files for free
Google Drive in Chrome on a MacBook.

Being able to share files with others is one of the many benefits of modern technology. But when those files are too large to share and transfer, things can get a lot more complicated.

We’re here to tell you that there are easy ways to send and upload your large files for free. In this post, we’ve compiled a list of free cloud storage services and provided tips on how to speed up the file transfer process.

Read more
Here’s what to do when you inevitably run out of Gmail storage
The top corner of Gmail on a laptop screen.

Are you on the verge of running out of Gmail storage? Has it already happened? This might feel like a nightmare scenario and that if you don't act fast you're going to miss important emails. Don't fret, this is a really easy fix and there are two primary ways to do it: Increase your storage size by upgrading your Google One account, or cleaning out files and emails you don't need. Fortunately for that second part, you don't have to do it all manually.

Here's what to do if you run out of space in Gmail.

Read more