Patents Examined by Eric Loonan
  • Patent number: 8838896
    Abstract: The present patent application discloses a method and apparatus for using external and internal memory for cancelling traffic interference comprising storing data in an external memory; and processing the data samples on an internal memory, wherein the external memory is low bandwidth memory; and the internal memory is high bandwidth on board cache. The present method and apparatus also comprises caching portions of the data on the internal memory, filling the internal memory by reading the newest data from the external memory and updating the internal memory; and writing the older data back to the external memory from the internal memory, wherein the data is incoming data samples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Senthil Govindaswamy, Jeffrey A. Levin, Raghu Sagar Madala, Sharad Deepak Sambhwani
  • Patent number: 8838903
    Abstract: A hierarchical data-storage system has a volatile storage medium, a first non-volatile storage medium, and a controller including a ranking engine tracking data writes to each of the memory mediums. Each medium is associated with a pre-set capacity threshold, and the controller, upon the volatile medium reaching its pre-set threshold, identifies one or more blocks of data as least-frequently written to the volatile medium, copies the data in those blocks to the non-volatile medium, and marks those blocks as available for new data writes, and the controller, upon the non-volatile medium reaching its pre-set threshold, identifies one or more blocks of data as least-frequently written to the non-volatile medium, and marks those blocks as available for new data writes from the volatile medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Dataram, Inc.
    Inventor: Jason Caulkins
  • Patent number: 8806153
    Abstract: A cache within a computer system receives a partial write request and identifies a cache hit of a cache line. The cache line corresponds to the partial write request and includes existing data. In turn, the cache receives partial write data and merges the partial write data with the existing data into the cache line. In one embodiment, the existing data is “modified” or “dirty.” In another embodiment, the existing data is “shared.” In this embodiment, the cache changes the state of the cache line to indicate the storing of the partial write data into the cache line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert H. Bell, Jr., Herman Dietrich Dierks, Hong Lam Hua, Mysore Sathyanarayana Srinivas
  • Patent number: 8782357
    Abstract: Reversing a communication path between a first volume on a first storage device and a second volume on a second storage device includes suspending communication between the first and second volumes while maintaining operations for other volumes of the storage devices, causing the first volume to change from a source volume to a destination volume without destroying the first volume, causing the second volume to change from a destination volume to a source volume without destroying the second volume, and resuming communication between the first and second volumes. Causing the first volume to change from a source volume to a destination volume may include modifying a table of the first storage device. Causing the second volume to change from a source volume to a destination volume may include modifying a table of the second storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: EMC Corporation
    Inventors: Mark J. Halstead, Dan Arnon, David Meiri
  • Patent number: 8775758
    Abstract: A memory device and method for performing a write-abort-safe firmware update are disclosed. In one embodiment, a location in a memory of a memory device for a firmware update is allocated. The firmware update is written into the allocated location in the memory. A pointer is written to the firmware update in a directory, and a pointer is written to the directory in a location in the memory that is read during boot-up. In another embodiment, a block in a memory of a memory device is allocated for updated file system data comprising a firmware update and a directory. The updated file system data is written into the allocated location in the memory. A pointer is written to the firmware update in the directory, and a pointer is written to the updated file system data in a boot block in the memory, wherein the boot block is read during boot-up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: SanDisk Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Tomlin, Dennis S. Ea, Daniel E. Tuers
  • Patent number: 8738845
    Abstract: Concepts for enhancing operation of transaction-safe file allocation table systems are described. The concepts include writing a file to non-volatile memory media and rendering an update of file size to the TFAT storage medium; and receiving a request to locate data in a non-volatile memory having a TFAT file management system, selecting a sector of the memory to parse to locate the data, determining when the selected sector is a first sector of a directory or subdirectory of the memory and when determining reveals that the selected sector is a first sector, skipping reading data from the selected sector. The concepts also include flushing a cache and synchronizing FATs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Sachin Patel, Yadhu N. Gopalan
  • Patent number: 8656123
    Abstract: A method and device for cloning snapshots is provided. A new snapshot can be created by cloning an existing snapshot. The clone snapshot may use the preserved data of the existing snapshot, thereby obviating the need to copy the preserved data. Additionally, the clone snapshot may be created with a data structure for storing write data. Since the clone snapshot initially has no write data to store, the creation of the entire clone snapshot can be accomplished without copying any preserved data or write data from the existing snapshot, thereby increasing the efficiency with which a clone snapshot can be created.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Dot Hill Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Kent Lee
  • Patent number: 8656084
    Abstract: A user device includes a flash memory configured to store an index including a plurality of index nodes and a controller configured to control the flash memory. The controller is configured to detect a pointer ID corresponding to a selected key of a first index node, translate the detected pointer ID to an index address by using a pointer table, and access a second index node corresponding to the selected key by using the index address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jeong-Eun Kim, Namyoon Woo
  • Patent number: 8645625
    Abstract: Embodiments of archival storage system are disclosed. The archival storage system includes one or more removable disk drives that provide random access and are readily expandable. In embodiments, some or all of the data within the removable disk drive(s) is immutable. The archiving system creates a designation for the data representing the data as having Write Once Read Many (WORM) protection. Actions associated with the data may be received and determined to be read accesses. If the actions are something other than a read access, the archiving system, in embodiments, prevents the action on the data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Imation Corp.
    Inventors: Matthew D. Bondurant, Payman Dadashpour
  • Patent number: 8645613
    Abstract: A data writing method for a flash memory and a control circuit and a storage system using the same are provided. The data writing method includes determining whether the size of data to be stored by a host system is smaller than a predetermined value according to a write command received from the host system, when the size of the data is smaller than the predetermined value, the data is written into a corresponding buffer physical block or a corresponding spare buffer physical block. The data writing method further includes combining valid data belonging to the same logical block during the executions of several write commands. Accordingly, the response time during the execution of each write command is shortened, and the problem of timeout is avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Phison Electronics Corp.
    Inventor: Kheng-Chong Tan
  • Patent number: 8639873
    Abstract: A detachable storage device can comprise a ram cache, a device controller, and a storage system. The ram cache may be configured to receive data from a digital device. The device controller may be configured to transfer the data from the ram cache to the storage system. The storage system may be configured to store the data at a predetermined event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Imation Corp.
    Inventors: David Alexander Jevans, Gil Spencer
  • Patent number: 8627008
    Abstract: An apparatus for memory access prediction which includes a plurality of processors, a plurality of memory caches associated with the processors, a plurality of saturation counters associated with the processors, each of the saturation counters having an indicator bit, and a physical memory shared with the processors, saturation counters and memory caches. Upon a cache miss for a data item, a cache snoop and access to physical memory are initiated in parallel for the data item if the indicator bit is a first predetermined bit (one (1) or zero (0)) whereas a cache snoop is initiated if the most significant bit is a second predetermined bit (zero (0) or one (1)).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Moinuddin Khalil Ahmed Qureshi
  • Patent number: 8601213
    Abstract: A system, method, and computer-readable medium that facilitate efficient use of cache memory in a massively parallel processing system are provided. A residency time of a data block to be stored in cache memory or a disk drive is estimated. A metric is calculated for the data block as a function of the residency time. The metric may further be calculated as a function of the data block size. One or more data blocks stored in cache memory are evaluated by comparing a respective metric of the one or more data blocks with the metric of the data block to be stored. A determination is then made to either store the data block on the disk drive or flush the one or more data blocks from the cache memory and store the data block in the cache memory. In this manner, the cache memory may be more efficiently utilized by storing smaller data blocks with lesser residency times by flushing larger data blocks with significant residency times from the cache memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Teradata US, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas Brown, John Mark Morris
  • Patent number: 8578118
    Abstract: An implantable medical device and associated method store physiological data in response to detecting a physiological event. The medical device includes multiple first memory locations allocated to each of a number of physiological event types and a second single memory location allocated for storing entries of physiological signal data corresponding to each of the plurality of physiological event types.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Karen J. Kleckner, Paul G. Krause, Traci K. Washburn, Melinda A. Kolstad
  • Patent number: 8555006
    Abstract: A memory hub and method for transmitting a read response on a data path of a memory hub interposed between a transmitting memory hub and a receiving memory hub. An arbitration packet including data indicative of a data path configuration for an associated read response is received at the memory hub. The arbitration packet is decoded, and the data path is configured in accordance with the data of the arbitration packet. The associated read response is received at the memory hub and the associated read response is coupled to the configured data path for transmitting the same to the receiving memory hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph M. Jeddeloh, Ralph James
  • Patent number: 8543764
    Abstract: A detachable storage device can comprise a memory, circuitry, and a user interface. The memory may comprise a storage partition. The circuitry may be configured to authorize access to the storage partition to a digital device when the detachable storage device is coupled to the digital device based, at least in part, on a user code. The user interface may be configured to receive the user code while the detachable storage device is within a detached state and provide the user code to the circuitry to allow access to the storage partition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Imation Corp.
    Inventors: David Alexander Jevans, Gil Spencer
  • Patent number: 8521983
    Abstract: In a computer for executing processing based on a storage management program, a management information storing unit designates, from the data blocks having the same content, main-data used as an access destination and sub-data used as a backup, and stores management information that registers storage nodes as allocation destinations of the respective main-data and sub-data; a load information collecting unit continuously collects load information on the storage nodes; a replacement object detecting unit detects a pair of the main-data and the sub-data having the same content and having a predetermined condition such that a load difference between the allocation destination of the main-data and that of the sub-data exceeds a predetermined allowable value; and a management information updating unit replaces roles of the main-data and the sub-data between the detected pair of data blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Kazutaka Ogihara, Yasuo Noguchi, Yoshihiro Tsuchiya, Masahisa Tamura, Tetsutaro Maruyama, Kazuichi Oe, Takashi Watanabe, Tatsuo Kumano
  • Patent number: 8516182
    Abstract: A controller includes a storage for a translation table showing logical and physical addresses in a flash memory in correspondence with one another; another storage storing FAT information indicating the state of data stored in each of pages contained in each of blocks and FAT information identifiers each identifying a block to which pages each storing therein the data in the state indicated by the FAT information belong, while keeping them in correspondence with one another; yet another storage for a block management table showing block identifiers, use-state judging information indicating whether the corresponding block is used/unused, and the FAT information identifiers corresponding to all the blocks indicated as being used by the use-state judging information, while keeping them in correspondence with one another; and a controller controlling unit managing data stored in the flash memory by using the translation table, the FAT information, and the block management table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kenichiro Yoshii, Shinichi Kanno, Shigehiro Asano
  • Patent number: 8478947
    Abstract: A method of controlling a memory and a memory controller are disclosed. The memory controller is operable to control a memory, the memory being operable in a plurality of modes, the memory controller comprising: memory interface logic configurable to interact with the memory in each of the plurality of modes; and memory mode change logic operable, in response to a memory mode change request instruction specifying a predetermined one the plurality of modes being issued by the memory interface logic to the memory, to request the memory interface logic to be configured to interact with the memory in the predetermined one of the plurality of modes and to prevent interaction between the memory interface logic and the memory until the memory interface logic confirms that it is configured to interact with the memory in the predetermined one of the plurality of modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: ARM Limited
    Inventors: Graeme Leslie Ingram, Ian James Quinn
  • Patent number: 8458407
    Abstract: A method for generating cache user initiated pre-fetch requests, the method comprises initiating a sequence of user initiated pre-fetch requests; the method being characterized by: determining the timing of user initiated pre-fetch requests of the sequence of user initiated pre-fetch requests in response to: the timing of an occurrence of a last triggering event, a user initiated pre-fetch sequence delay period and a user initiated pre-fetch sequence rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Rotem Porat, Moshe Anschel, Shai Koren, Itay Peled, Erez Steinberg