Google Assigned Five Patents

Storage device recognizing and controlling multiple types of memory chips
Google, Inc., Mountain View, CA, has been assigned a patent (8,566,507) developed by three co-inventors for a “data storage device capable of recognizing and controlling multiple types of memory chips.”

The co-inventors are Robert S. Sprinkle, Mountain View, CA, Andrew T. Swing, Los Gatos, CA, Albert T. Borchers, Santa Cruz, CA.

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A data storage device may include a first memory board having multiple memory chips and a controller board that is arranged and configured to operably connect to the first memory board. The controller board may include an interface to a host and a controller that is arranged and configured to control command processing for multiple different types of memory chips, automatically recognize a type of the memory chips on the first memory board, receive commands from the host using the interface, and execute the commands using the memory chips.”

The patent application was filed on Aug. 7, 2009 (12/537,704).

Storing data in flash storage device including plurality of chips
Google, Mountain View, CA, has been assigned a patent (8,566,508) developed by three co-inventors for a method of “storing data in a flash memory storage device that includes a plurality of memory chips.”

The co-inventors are Albert T. Borchers, Santa Cruz, CA, Andrew T. Swing, Los Gatos, CA, Robert S. Sprinkle, Mountain View, CA.

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A method of storing data in a flash memory data storage device that includes a plurality of memory chips is disclosed. The method includes determining a number of memory chips in the data storage device, defining, via a host coupled to the data storage device, a first partition of the data storage device, where the first partition includes a first subset of the plurality of memory chips and defining a second partition of the data storage device via a host coupled to the data storage device, where the second partition includes a second subset of the plurality of memory chips. First data is written to the first partition while reading data from the second partition, and first data is written to the second partition while reading data from the first partition.”

The patent application was filed on Aug. 7, 2009 (12/537,748).

Prioritized rate scheduler for storage system
Google, Mountain View, CA, has been assigned a patent (8,612,990) developed by two co-inventors for “prioritized rate scheduler for a storage system.”

The co-inventors are Lawrence E. Greenfield, and Alexander Khesin, New York.

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A storage system may include a set of storage devices; a controller; and a management device. The controller may arbitrate among operations for execution by the set of storage devices, where the operations are received from users that are associated with priority levels. The controller may maintain queues, corresponding to the users, to queue operations from the users. The controller may additionally include a scoring component and a scheduler. The scoring component may maintain a score for each queue. The scheduler may choose, from the queues and based on the score of each queue, one of the operations to service. The management device may receive usage updates, from the controller, reflecting usage of the set of storage devices; calculate a maximum allowed usage levels, based on the received usage updates, for each user; and transmit the calculated maximum usage levels to the controller.”

The patent application was filed on Oct. 25, 2011 (13/280,883).

Storage device with metadata command
Google, Mountain View, CA, has been assigned a patent (8,595,572) developed by four co-inventors for a “storage device with metadata command.”

The co-inventors are Albert T. Borchers, Santa Cruz, Calif, Andrew T. Swing, Los Gatos, CA, Robert S. Sprinkle, San Jose, CA, and Jason W. Klaus, Brooklyn, NY.

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A data storage device may include an interface that is arranged and configured to interface with a host, a command bus, multiple memory devices that are operably coupled to the command bus and a controller that is operably coupled to the interface and to the command bus. The controller may be arranged and configured to receive a read metadata command for a specified one of the memory devices from the host using the interface, read metadata from the specified memory device and communicate the metadata to the host using the interface.”

The patent application was filed on April 7, 2010 (12/756,007).

Storage device having multiple removable memory boards
Google, Mountain View, CA, has been assigned a patent (8,578,084) developed by four co-inventors for a “data storage device having multiple removable memory boards.”

The co-inventors are Albert T. Borchers, Santa Cruz, CA, Robert S. Sprinkle, Mountain View, CA, Andrew T. Swing, Los Gatos, CA, and Jason W. Klaus, Brooklyn, NY.

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A data storage device may include a first memory board and a second memory board, where the first memory board and the second memory board each comprise multiple memory chips. The data storage device may include a controller board that is arranged and configured to operably connect to the first memory board and the second memory board, where the controller board includes a high speed interface and a controller that is arranged and configured to receive commands from a host using the high speed interface and to execute the commands, where the first memory board and the second memory board are each separately removable from the controller board.”

The patent application was filed on Aug. 7, 2009 (12/537,719).