blank Quick help
blank Maintenance news

Scheduled maintenance

Regular maintenance outages:
between 05.00 and 05.15 hrs CET (Monday to Sunday).

Other outages
Availability

2022.02.11

More...
blank News flashes

Italy joins the Federated Register

Click here for more information on the Federated Register.

2025-06-12

More...
blank Related links

Release notes
European Patent Register Assistant
European Patent Register User Manual
European Patent Register – pocket guide
FAQ - European Patent Register
Federated Register (Flyer)
Global Dossier (Flyer)
Register events
Deep link coverage
Federated Register content
The Patent Information Tour
Fair use charter

Extract from the Register of European Patents

EP About this file: EP0406256

EP0406256 - DISC DRIVE FINE SERVO VELOCITY CONTROL AND METHOD FOR HEAD POSITIONING RELATIVE TO A DISC [Right-click to bookmark this link]
StatusPatent maintained as amended
Status updated on  13.08.1999
Database last updated on 10.03.2026
Most recent event   Tooltip30.11.2007Lapse of the patent in a contracting state
New state(s): FR		published on 02.01.2008  [2008/01]
Applicant(s)For all designated states
SYQUEST TECHNOLOGY, INC
47071 Bayside Parkway
Fremont, CA 94538 / US
[1993/36]
Former [1991/02]For all designated states
SYQUEST TECHNOLOGY
47923 Warm Springs Boulevard
Fremont, CA 94538 / US
Inventor(s)01 / COUSE, Robert, F.
13767 Calle Tacupa
Saratoga, CA 95070 / US
02 / MERCER, Patrick, G.
119 Gilbert Avenue
Santa Clara, CA 95051 / US
[1991/02]
Representative(s)Hackney, Nigel John, et al
Mewburn Ellis LLP
City Tower
40 Basinghall Street
London EC2V 5DE / GB
[N/P]
Former [1996/44]Hackney, Nigel John, et al
Mewburn Ellis, York House, 23 Kingsway
London WC2B 6HP / GB
Former [1993/36]Harrison, David Christopher, et al
MEWBURN ELLIS York House 23 Kingsway
London WC2B 6HP / GB
Former [1991/02]Harrison, David Christopher
MEWBURN ELLIS York House 23 Kingsway
London WC2B 6HP / GB
Application number, filing date89902847.625.01.1989
[1991/02]
WO1989US00313
Priority number, dateUS1988016488107.03.1988         Original published format: US 164881
[1991/02]
Filing languageEN
Procedural languageEN
PublicationType: A1 Application with search report
No.:WO8908917
Date:21.09.1989
Language:EN
[1989/23]
Type: A1 Application with search report 
No.:EP0406256
Date:09.01.1991
Language:EN
The application published by WIPO in one of the EPO official languages on 21.09.1989 takes the place of the publication of the European patent application.
[1991/02]
Type: B1 Patent specification 
No.:EP0406256
Date:28.12.1994
Language:EN
[1994/52]
Type: B2 New European patent specification 
No.:EP0406256
Date:29.09.1999
Language:EN
[1999/39]
Search report(s)International search report - published on:US21.09.1989
(Supplementary) European search report - dispatched on:EP07.03.1991
ClassificationIPC:G11B21/08, G11B21/10
[1991/02]
CPC:
G11B5/5552 (EP,US)
Designated contracting statesAT,   BE,   CH,   DE,   FR,   GB,   IT,   LI,   LU,   NL,   SE [1991/02]
TitleGerman:FEIN-GESCHWINDIGKEITSSERVOSTEUERUNG FÜR PLATTENANTRIEB UND METHODE ZUR POSITIONIERUNG EINES KOPFES RELATIV ZU EINER PLATTE[1991/02]
English:DISC DRIVE FINE SERVO VELOCITY CONTROL AND METHOD FOR HEAD POSITIONING RELATIVE TO A DISC[1991/02]
French:SERVOCOMMANDE PRECISE DE LA VITESSE D'UNITES D'ENTRAINEMENT DE DISQUETTES ET PROCEDE DE POSITIONNEMENT DE LA TETE PAR RAPPORT A LA DISQUETTE[1991/02]
Entry into regional phase27.09.1990National basic fee paid 
27.09.1990Search fee paid 
27.09.1990Designation fee(s) paid 
27.08.1990Examination fee paid 
Examination procedure10.08.1989Request for preliminary examination filed
International Preliminary Examining Authority: DE
27.08.1990Examination requested  [1991/02]
23.12.1992Despatch of a communication from the examining division (Time limit: M06)
07.06.1993Reply to a communication from the examining division
10.12.1993Despatch of a communication from the examining division (Time limit: M04)
25.02.1994Reply to a communication from the examining division
02.05.1994Despatch of communication of intention to grant (Approval: Yes)
04.07.1994Communication of intention to grant the patent
16.09.1994Fee for grant paid
16.09.1994Fee for publishing/printing paid
Opposition(s)Opponent(s)01  26.09.1995  10.10.1995  ADMISSIBLE
NOMAI
188 rue de la Liberté
50301 Avranches / FR
Opponent's representative
von Samson-Himmelstjerna, Friedrich
Samson & Partner Patentanwälte mbB
Widenmayerstrasse 6
80538 München / DE
 [N/P]
Former [1995/47]
Opponent(s)01  26.09.1995  10.10.1995  ADMISSIBLE
NOMAI
188 rue de la Liberté
50301 Avranches / FR
Opponent's representative
von Samson-Himmelstjerna, Friedrich R., Dipl.-Phys.
SAMSON & PARTNER Widenmayerstrasse 5
D-80538 München / DE
10.11.1995Invitation to proprietor to file observations on the notice of opposition
23.07.1996Reply of patent proprietor to notice(s) of opposition
31.07.1997Despatch of a communication from the opposition division (Time limit: M02)
07.10.1997Reply to a communication from the opposition division
14.10.1998Legal effect of interlocutory decision in opposition
14.10.1998Date of oral proceedings
22.12.1998Despatch of interlocutory decision in opposition
22.12.1998Despatch of minutes of oral proceedings
19.04.1999Despatch of communication that the patent will be maintained as amended
26.07.1999Fee for printing new specification paid
Fees paidRenewal fee
24.12.1990Renewal fee patent year 03
23.01.1992Renewal fee patent year 04
22.01.1993Renewal fee patent year 05
21.01.1994Renewal fee patent year 06
Opt-out from the exclusive  Tooltip
competence of the Unified
Patent Court		 See the Register of the Unified Patent Court for opt-out data
Responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or quality of the data displayed under the link provided lies entirely with the Unified Patent Court.
Lapses during opposition  TooltipFR28.12.1994
IT28.12.1994
NL28.12.1994
SE28.03.1995
AT25.01.1998
LU25.01.1998
BE31.01.1998
CH31.01.1998
LI31.01.1998
[2006/32]
Former [2004/38]IT28.12.1994
NL28.12.1994
SE28.03.1995
AT25.01.1998
LU25.01.1998
BE31.01.1998
CH31.01.1998
LI31.01.1998
Former [2000/17]IT28.12.1994
NL28.12.1994
SE28.03.1995
AT25.01.1998
BE31.01.1998
CH31.01.1998
LI31.01.1998
LU31.01.1998
Former [2000/06]IT28.12.1994
NL28.12.1994
SE28.03.1995
AT25.01.1998
BE31.01.1998
LU31.01.1998
Former [1999/42]IT28.12.1994
NL28.12.1994
SE28.03.1995
AT25.01.1998
BE31.01.1998
Former [1999/27]NL28.12.1994
SE28.03.1995
AT25.01.1998
BE31.01.1998
Former [1999/01]NL28.12.1994
SE28.03.1995
AT25.01.1998
Former [1995/49]NL28.12.1994
SE28.03.1995
Former [1995/42]SE28.03.1995
Cited inInternational search[A]   IEEE Transactions on Magnetics Vol. Mag-14, No. 4, July 1978, BOB McKNIGHT, "A Track Locating Servo System Utilizing the Data Heads as Absolute Position Transducers" pages 182-184. [A]
The EPO accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of data originating from other authorities; in particular, it does not guarantee that it is complete, up to date or fit for specific purposes.