Abstract: Various embodiments of a USB drive pen device are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a USB drive pen device includes a USB plug assembly having a flash controller and a flash memory device, a pusher assembly including a rotator having one or more tabs disposed thereon, and a housing for housing at least a portion of the USB plug assembly and the pusher assembly. The housing includes a tunnel and an inner tube extended from the tunnel disposed within the housing. An intersection between the tunnel and inner tube includes one or more angled corners to lock the USB plug assembly in either a deployed position or a retracted position. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.

Abstract: A flash memory system includes flash memory organized into a plurality of blocks of pages for storage of information, a page including data and spare, the blocks being identifiable, within the flash memory, by a physical address. The system further has a flash controller for communicating with a host and the flash memory and includes volatile memory for storing a source-shadow table of logical addresses identifying blocks addressable by the physical addresses. The source-shadow table has an address mapping table and a property value table. The property value table is used to store property values, each of which is associated with a block of a predetermined group of blocks and is indicative of the number of times a block has been written since the last erase operation performed thereon.

Abstract: A flash memory system includes a multi level cell (MLC) flash memory organized into blocks and having pages of information, which has data and spare. The MLC flash memory includes at least a temporary area to store at least a portion of a page of information during a partial write operation. The MLC flash memory stores a page of information into a block identified by a target physical address. The flash memory system further includes a flash card micro-controller causes communication between a host flash card controller and the MLC flash memory and includes a buffer memory configured to store a portion of a page of information, where the micro-controller writes the at least a portion of a page of information to the temporary area and later copies the written at least a portion of a page of information into the block identified by a target physical address.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, a universal serial bus (USB) flash drive rotary device is disclosed to include a plastic frame including a USB flash drive and a USB plug connector and a rotary tube at least partially enclosing said plastic frame for deploying said USB plug connector, the USB flash drive is coupled to the USB plug connector, the rotary tube is turned to retract said USB plug connector, the USB flash drive rotary device is for deploying the USB plug connector to couple the USB flash drive to a USB port.

Abstract: A flash controller is adapted to communicate with a host and the flash memory and including volatile memory configured to store a page-block table of logical addresses addressable by the physical addresses. The logical addresses are used by the controller to identify the blocks. The table has an address mapping table and a property value table, the property value table includes property values, each of the property values being increased in value every time a block is written up to a maximum value and being associated with a block of a predetermined group of blocks and indicative of the number of times a block has been written, the property values corresponding to the logical addresses of the address mapping table, wherein the maximum number the property values of the predetermined group of blocks take on is adjustably different than the maximum number the property values of another group of blocks.

Abstract: A Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash drive includes a slim USB device having an end used to couple the USB flash drive to a host and an opposite end, and a swivel “strap shaped” metal cap having a circle cut out disposed on both cap legs. The snap coupling circle attachment allows the swivel cap to rotate substantially into a first and a second locking position and to rotate substantially 360 degrees about the z-axis of the USB device. The metal cap is generally in a locked position when the snap slot is aligned atop the snap lock tabs such that the protrusion snap ring is descended downward until the positioned flush against the snap lock groove. When unlocked the protrusion snap ring is raised up and rested upon the two snap lock tabs.

Abstract: Briefly, an embodiment of the present invention includes a portable flash memory drive with a simplified mechanism, based upon the resilient properties of the material used to create the parts, for reliable extension and retraction of the device's interface plug. The portable flash memory drive is comprised of a metal housing (or case), a printed circuit board (PCB) assembly, PCB support, PCB assembly end cap, an upper, and lower housing, and in some embodiments a fingerprint sensor and/or key ring assembly. The press/push switch mechanism is located on either the side of the portable flash memory device, or the top; and relies upon the resilient properties of the material used to create the metal housing or end cap, to create a smooth, locking mechanism for the extension or retraction of the interface (i.e., USB or firewire) plug.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention includes an electronic data flash memory card (memory card) comprising a top cover (TC), a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) and a bottom cover (BC). The TC includes a plurality of ultrasonic bonders, a plurality of breakaway tabs (tabs) and a connection device. The PCBA includes at least one memory integrated circuit (IC) and at least one controller IC. The BC includes a plurality of tabs. The TC and BC are ultrasonically bonded together, at least partially encasing the PCBA. The controller IC enables the memory card to communicate with an external host device (host) through the connection device to retrieve data files (files) from and transfer files to the host, and to store files on and retrieve files from the memory IC. The tabs are removable by the user by exerting pressure. Removal of the tabs locks or unlocks the memory card.

Abstract: An electronic data storage device having a Reed Solomon (RS) decoder including a syndrome calculator block responsive to information including data and overhead and operative to generate a syndrome, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The electronic data storage device further includes a root finder block coupled to receive said syndrome and operative to generate at least two roots, said RS decoder for processing said two roots to generate at least one error address identifying a location in said data wherein said error lies; and an erasure syndrome calculator block responsive to said information and operative to generate an erasure syndrome, said RS decoder responsive to said information identifying a disk crash, said RS decoder for processing said erasure syndrome to generate an erasure error to recover the data in said disk crash.

Abstract: A Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash drive includes a slim USB device having an end used to couple the USB flash drive to a host and an opposite end, and a swivel “strap shaped” metal cap having a circle cut out disposed on both cap legs. The snap coupling circle attachment allows the swivel cap to rotate substantially into a first and a second locking position and to rotate substantially 360 degrees about the z-axis of the USB device. The metal cap is generally in a locked position when the snap slot is aligned atop the snap lock tabs such that the protrusion snap ring is descended downward until the positioned flush against the snap lock groove. When unlocked the protrusion snap ring is raised up and rested upon the two snap lock tabs.

Abstract: Briefly, an embodiment of the present invention includes a portable flash memory drive with a simplified mechanism, based upon the resilient properties of the material used to create the parts, for reliable extension and retraction of the device's interface plug. The portable flash memory drive is comprised of a metal housing (or case), a printed circuit board (PCB) assembly, PCB support, PCB assembly end cap, an upper, and lower housing, and in some embodiments a fingerprint sensor and/or key ring assembly. The press/push switch mechanism is located on either the side of the portable flash memory device, or the top; and relies upon the resilient properties of the material used to create the metal housing or end cap, to create a smooth, locking mechanism for the extension or retraction of the interface (i.e., USB or firewire) plug.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention a portable and retractable flash drive with optional rotary deploying and retracting and fingerprint verification capability is disclosed to include a cylinder assembly. The cylinder assembly has a connector situated on one end, and a fingerprint sensor situated the surface. The portable and retractable flash drive with optional rotary deploying and retracting and fingerprint verification capability further includes a rotary tube at least partially enclosing the cylinder assembly for deploying the connector. An end tube is rotatably attached to one of the two ends of the rotary tube, and an end cap is attached to the other of the two ends of the rotary tube. The rotary tube is rotated relative to the end tube to slide the cylinder assembly back and forth inside the rotary tube to extend and retract the connector.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, a universal serial bus (USB) flash drive rotary device is disclosed to include a plastic frame including a USB flash drive and a USB plug connector and a rotary tube at least partially enclosing said plastic frame for deploying said USB plug connector, the USB flash drive is coupled to the USB plug connector, the rotary tube is turned to retract said USB plug connector, the USB flash drive rotary device is for deploying the USB plug connector to couple the USB flash drive to a USB port.