SanDisk Assigned Eight Patents

Storage device with host-accessible indicator
SanDisk Corp., Milpitas, CA, has been assigned a patent (8,700,833) developed by Yoram Cedar, Los Altos Hills, CA, Micky Holtzman, and Yosi Pinto, Kfar-Vradim, Israel, for a “data storage device with host-accessible indicator.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A data storage device includes one or more data paths through electrical contacts of the data storage device. The data paths are operably connected to allow bits to be transferred into and out of the data storage device. The data storage device stores an indication of a number of the one or more data paths in a configuration register. A method includes performing, while the data storage device is operatively coupled to a host device, receiving a command of the host device to read the configuration register and providing the indication via at least one of the one or more data paths. Providing the indication enables indicating to the host device the number of the one or more data paths.”

The patent application was filed on Jan. 16, 2013 (13/743,072).

Controller, storage device, and method
for power throttling memory operations
SanDisk Technologies, Plano, TX, has been assigned a patent (8,694,719) developed by Paul A. Lassa, Cupertino, CA, and Robert D. Selinger, San Jose, CA, for a “controller, storage device, and method for power throttling memory operations.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “The embodiments described herein provide a controller, storage device, and method for power throttling memory operations. In one embodiment, a controller is provided in a storage device with a plurality of flash memory devices. The controller determines how much power will be consumed (or heat will be generated) by each of a plurality of commands and dynamically alters when each of the commands operating on one or more of the flash memory devices is performed based on the determination of how much power would be consumed (or heat will be generated), so that performance of the plurality of commands does not exceed a predetermined average power limit over a period of time (or a predetermined temperature). In some embodiments, the storage device also has a thermal sensor, and a reading from the thermal sensor can be used, instead of or in addition to the power or thermal costs of each command, to dynamically alter when the commands are performed.”

The patent application was filed on June 24, 2011 (13/167,929).

Using CAPTCHA challenge to protect removable mobile flash memory storage device
SanDisk Technologies, Plano, TX, has been assigned a patent (8,688,940) developed by four co-inventors for a “method for using a CAPTCHA challenge to protect a removable mobile flash memory storage device.”

The co-inventors are Steven T. Sprouse, San Jose, CA, Carlos J. Gonzalez, Monte Sereno, CA, Ron Barzilai, Cupertino, CA, and Dhaval Parikh, Santa Clara, CA.

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “The embodiments described herein generally use a challenge to protect a removable mobile flash memory storage device, where the challenge may be in the form of a “Completely Automated Public Turing Test to Tell Computers and Humans Apart” (CAPTCHA). In one embodiment, a method is provided in which a removable mobile flash memory storage device receives a command from a host device, generates a CAPTCHA challenge, provides the CAPTCHA challenge to the host device, receives a response to the CAPTCHA challenge from the host device, determines if the response satisfies the CAPTCHA challenge, and performs the command only if the response satisfies the CAPTCHA challenge. In another embodiment, a removable mobile flash memory storage device is provided for performing these acts.”

The patent application was filed on Dec. 18, 2008 (12/338,696).

Flexible way of specifying storage attributes
in flash memory-based object store
Sandisk Enterprises, Milpitas, CA, has been assigned a patent (8,677,055) developed by three co-inventors for a “flexible way of specifying storage attributes in a flash memory-based object store.”

The co-inventors are Darryl Ouye, Aptos, CA, Darpan Dinker, Union City, CA, and John Busch, Cupertino, CA.

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “Approaches for performing a write operation on a solid state device (SSD). One or more containers are maintained on the solid state device. Each container is a logical grouping of objects independent from where the logical grouping of objects are physically stored on the solid state device. When a write operation is received at the SSD, the manner is which changes requested by the write operation should be stored are determined based on which container is being written. Containers provide a flexible approach for specifying attributes of how data should be stored and accessed which is independent from where the data is physically stored. Containers also have particular utility in performing load balancing and ensuring high availability and recovery.“

The patent application was filed on Jan. 3, 2011 (12/983,758).

Fine-grained memory and less-fine-grained memory
Sandisk Enterprise I.P., Milpitas, CA, has been assigned a patent (8,667,212) developed by four co-inventors for a system “for a fine-grained memory and a less-fine-grained memory.”

The co-inventors are James M. Bodwin, Cupertino, CA, Thomas M. McWilliams, Oakland, CA, Earl T. Cohen, Oakland, CA, and Ulrich Bruening, Neustadt a.d. Weinstrasse, Germany.

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A data processing system includes one or more nodes, each node including a memory sub-system. The sub-system includes a fine-grained, memory, and a less-fine-grained (e.g., page-based) memory. The fine-grained memory optionally serves as a cache and/or as a write buffer for the page-based memory. Software executing on the system uses a node address space which enables access to the page-based memories of all nodes. Each node optionally provides ACID memory properties for at least a portion of the space. In at least a portion of the space, memory elements are mapped to locations in the page-based memory. In various embodiments, some of the elements are compressed, the compressed elements are packed into pages, the pages are written into available locations in the page-based memory, and a map maintains an association between the some of the elements and the locations.“

The patent application was filed on Aug. 13, 2012 (13/584,755).

Electronic library for managing data on removable storage devices
SanDisk Technologies, Plano, TX, has been assigned a patent (8,661,185) developed by Tyler Thorp, Sunnyvale, CA, Brent Haukness, Monte Sereno, CA, and Henry Hutton, Tracy, CA, for an “electronic library for managing data on removable storage devices.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “An electronic library for managing data from removable data storage devices is described. The electronic library may have a stand-alone housing with a plurality of receptacles, at least two of the receptacles sized to connect with at least a first type of removable data storage device. An interface positioned on the housing permits concurrent access to removable data storage devices connected with the plurality of receptacles. A data access module in the housing may be configured to emulate a single removable data storage device containing data folders with corresponding to each removable data storage device. A refresh module in the housing may be configured to refresh each memory address of a removable data storage device in communication with one of the plurality of receptacles so that data integrity may be preserved.”

The patent application was filed on Feb. 21, 2007 (11/677,388).

Non-volatile storage system using opposite polarity programming signals
for metal-insulator-metal memory cell
SanDisk 3D LLC, Milpitas, CA, has been assigned a patent (8,699,259) developed by Jingyan Zhang, Santa Clara, CA, Utthaman Thirunavukkarasu, San Jose, CA, and April D. Schricker, Palo Alto, CA, for a “non-volatile storage system using opposite polarity programming signals for MIM memory cell.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A reversible resistance-switching metal-insulator-metal (MIM) stack is provided which can be set to a low resistance state with a first polarity signal and reset to a higher resistance state with a second polarity signal. The first polarity signal is opposite in polarity than the second polarity signal. In one approach, the MIM stack includes a carbon-based reversible resistivity switching material such as a carbon nanotube material. The MIM stack can further include one or more additional reversible resistivity switching materials such as metal oxide above and/or below the carbon-based reversible resistivity switching material. In another approach, a metal oxide layer is between separate layers of carbon-based reversible resistivity switching material.“

The patent application was filed on March 2, 2012 (13/410,848).

Non-volatile storage system with dual block programming
Sandisk 3D LLC, Milpitas, CA, has been assigned a patent (8,699,293) developed by Tianhong Yan, San Jose, CA, Tz-yi Liu, Palo Alto, CA, and Roy E. Scheuerlein, Cupertino, CA, for a “non-volatile storage system with dual block programming.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A non-volatile storage system is disclosed that includes a plurality of blocks of non-volatile storage elements, a plurality of word lines connected to the blocks of non-volatile storage elements such that each word line is connected to adjacent blocks of non-volatile storage elements, a plurality of bit lines connected to the blocks of non-volatile storage elements, multiple sets of word lines drivers such that each set of word line drivers is positioned between two adjacent blocks for driving word lines connected to the two adjacent blocks, global data lines, local data lines in selective communication with the bit lines, one or more selection circuits that selectively connect the global data lines to selected local data lines and connect unselected local data lines to one or more unselected bit line signals and control circuitry in communication with the one or more selection circuits and the global data lines. The control circuitry concurrently programs non-volatile storage elements of two adjacent blocks by applying programming signals on word lines connected to the two adjacent blocks and applying programming signals on appropriate bit lines via the global data lines and the one or more selection circuits.“

The patent application was filed on April 27, 2011 (13/095,779).