Patents by Inventor Alan Sinclair

Alan Sinclair has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20140242332
    Abstract: A cover for a body, including at least one layer having a low emissivity coefficient for radiation associated with radiative heat loss from the body with wavelengths in a first frequency band.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2012
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: SUNBUBBLE LIMITED
    Inventors: Alan Sinclair Tucker, Campbell James Whyte, Charlie Michael Borrell, Edward Frederick Burger, George Ross Arana Bell, John Rombulow Pearse
  • Publication number: 20110138100
    Abstract: A method and system for permitting host write operations in one part of a flash memory concurrently with another operation in a second part of the flash memory is disclosed. The method includes receiving data at a front end of a memory system, selecting at least one of a plurality of subarrays in the memory system for executing a host write operation, and selecting at least one other subarray in which to execute a second operation. The write operation and second operation are then executed substantially concurrently. The memory system includes a plurality of subarrays, each associated with a separate subarray controller, and a front end controller adapted to select and initiate concurrent operations in the subarrays.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2009
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Inventor: Alan Sinclair
  • Publication number: 20090164745
    Abstract: Systems and methods for allocating blocks at a reprogrammable non-volatile mass storage system are disclosed. Generally, a controller identifies a group of data to be written to a block at the mass storage system, and allocates one of a new block or a partial block to the identified group of data based on whether a total unprogrammed capacity in partial blocks of the mass storage system exceeds an amount of valid data in obsolete blocks of the mass storage system. In one implementation, the identifier group of data may be associated with a single file.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Inventors: Alan Sinclair, Barry Wright
  • Publication number: 20070186032
    Abstract: Host system data files are written directly to a large erase block flash memory system with a unique identification of each file and offsets of data within the file but without the use of any intermediate logical addresses or a virtual address space for the memory. Directory information of where the files are stored in the memory is maintained within the memory system by its controller, rather than by the host.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2006
    Publication date: August 9, 2007
    Inventors: Alan Sinclair, Barry Wright
  • Publication number: 20070143532
    Abstract: A mass storage memory system is provided. The memory system includes, re-programmable non-volatile memory cells arranged in a plurality of blocks of memory cells; and a controller that is adapted to receive data via a first interface, and/or a second interface, and data received via the first interface and the second interface is accessible via the first interface and the second interface even if a file name for the data is not provided by a host system or before a write operation is complete. The first interface is a file based interface and the second interface is a logical interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2005
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Inventors: Sergey Gorobets, Alan Sinclair
  • Publication number: 20070143570
    Abstract: Method for transferring data between a host system and a re-programmable non-volatile mass storage system having memory cells organized into blocks of memory cells is provided. The method includes receiving data via a first interface and/or a second interface; and making data accessible via the first interface and the second interface, even if a file name is not provided by a host system or before a write operation is complete.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2005
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Inventors: Sergey Gorobets, Alan Sinclair
  • Publication number: 20070143571
    Abstract: Method and mass storage memory system is provided. The system includes, re-programmable non-volatile memory cells, the memory cells being arranged in a plurality of blocks that are erasable together; and a controller including a microprocessor that is adapted to receive files of data identified by unique identifiers via a first interface and the controller causes a received data file to be stored in one or more memory blocks; and the controller receives data identified by logical addresses via a second interface and stores the received data in one or more memory blocks, wherein data written via the first interface is indexed using the unique identifiers so that data is accessible via the second interface or the first interface; and data received via the second interface is indexed so that data can be accessed via the first interface or the second interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2005
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Inventors: Alan Sinclair, Sergey Gorobets
  • Publication number: 20070136553
    Abstract: Files that are mapped to a logical address range by a host become logically fragmented prior to being sent to a memory system. Subsequently, the logically fragmented portions are reassembled when they are stored in blocks in the memory system. The host supplies information to the memory system regarding file-to-logical mapping of data prior to sending the data. The memory selects storage locations for the data based on the files to which the data belong.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2005
    Publication date: June 14, 2007
    Inventor: Alan Sinclair
  • Publication number: 20070136555
    Abstract: Files that are mapped to a logical address range by a host become logically fragmented prior to being sent to a memory system. Subsequently, the logically fragmented portions are reassembled when they are stored in blocks in the memory system. The host supplies information to the memory system regarding file-to-logical mapping of data prior to sending the data. The memory selects storage locations for the data based on the files to which the data belong.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2005
    Publication date: June 14, 2007
    Inventor: Alan Sinclair
  • Publication number: 20070088904
    Abstract: A change in the amount of data to be stored that results from various encoding, compression, encryption or other data transformation algorithms, is handled by individually identifying distinct units of the transformed data and storing such units in physical succession within storage blocks of a memory system such as flash memory. The data being stored may come from a host system external to the memory system or from an application running on a processor within the memory system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2005
    Publication date: April 19, 2007
    Inventor: Alan Sinclair
  • Publication number: 20070086260
    Abstract: A change in the amount of data to be stored that results from various encoding, compression, encryption or other data transformation algorithms, is handled by individually identifying distinct units of the transformed data and storing such units in physical succession within storage blocks of a memory system such as flash memory. The data being stored may come from a host system external to the memory system or from an application running on a processor within the memory system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2005
    Publication date: April 19, 2007
    Inventor: Alan Sinclair
  • Publication number: 20070033330
    Abstract: Host system data files are written directly to a large erase block flash memory system with a unique identification of each file and offsets of data within the file but without the use of any intermediate logical addresses or a virtual address space for the memory. Directory information of where the files are stored in the memory is maintained within the memory system by its controller, rather than by the host. A type of memory block is selected to receive additional data of a file that depends upon the types of blocks into which data of the file have already been written. Blocks containing data are selected for reclaiming any unused capacity therefrom by a process that selects blocks in order starting with those containing the least amount of valid data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2006
    Publication date: February 8, 2007
    Inventors: Alan Sinclair, Barry Wright
  • Publication number: 20070033374
    Abstract: Host system data files are written directly to a large erase block flash memory system with a unique identification of each file and offsets of data within the file but without the use of any intermediate logical addresses or a virtual address space for the memory. Directory information of where the files are stored in the memory is maintained within the memory system by its controller, rather than by the host. Each data file is uniquely identified in a file directory, which points to entries in a file index table (FIT) of data groups that make up the file and their physical storage locations in the memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2006
    Publication date: February 8, 2007
    Inventors: Alan Sinclair, Barry Wright
  • Publication number: 20070033373
    Abstract: A method and system for reading data from a non-volatile mass storage device is provided. The method includes, performing logical configuration for the non-volatile mass storage device, wherein file data is allocated addresses in a virtual logical address space; and data identified by virtual logical addresses is read by a host system. The system includes a file storage segment that reads and writes data on a file-by-file basis, allowing a host system to access data from the non-volatile mass storage device using a file interface format; and a logical interface segment that allows the host system to access data using logical addressing, wherein the host system is unaware of a storage format under which data is stored on a file-by-file basis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2005
    Publication date: February 8, 2007
    Inventor: Alan Sinclair
  • Publication number: 20070033325
    Abstract: In a non-volatile memory array, scheduling of reclaim operations to occur before a shortage of erased blocks arises avoids extended periods of reclaim that could exceed a time limit. A memory controller uses information regarding the data stored in the memory array to estimate the additional host data that may be programmed and the reclaim operations to be performed and schedules the reclaim operations to be evenly distributed between write operations until the memory is full.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2005
    Publication date: February 8, 2007
    Inventor: Alan Sinclair
  • Publication number: 20070033376
    Abstract: Host system data files are written directly to a large erase block flash memory system with a unique identification of each file and offsets of data within the file but without the use of any intermediate logical addresses or a virtual address space for the memory. Directory information of where the files are stored in the memory is maintained within the memory system by its controller, rather than by the host.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2006
    Publication date: February 8, 2007
    Inventors: Alan Sinclair, Barry Wright
  • Publication number: 20070030734
    Abstract: Host system data files are written directly to a large erase block flash memory system with a unique identification of each file and offsets of data within the file but without the use of any intermediate logical addresses or a virtual address space for the memory. Directory information of where the files are stored in the memory is maintained within the memory system by its controller, rather than by the host. A type of memory block is selected to receive additional data of a file that depends upon the types of blocks into which data of the file have already been written. Blocks containing data are selected for reclaiming any unused capacity therefrom by a process that selects blocks in order starting with those containing the least amount of valid data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2006
    Publication date: February 8, 2007
    Inventors: Alan Sinclair, Barry Wright
  • Publication number: 20070033375
    Abstract: Host system data files are written directly to a large erase block flash memory system with a unique identification of each file and offsets of data within the file but without the use of any intermediate logical addresses or a virtual address space for the memory. Directory information of where the files are stored in the memory is maintained within the memory system by its controller, rather than by the host. Each data file is uniquely identified in a file directory, which points to entries in a file index table (FIT) of data groups that make up the file and their physical storage locations in the memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2006
    Publication date: February 8, 2007
    Inventors: Alan Sinclair, Barry Wright
  • Publication number: 20070033377
    Abstract: Host system data files are written directly to a large erase block flash memory system with a unique identification of each file and offsets of data within the file but without the use of any intermediate logical addresses or a virtual address space for the memory. Directory information of where the files are stored in the memory is maintained within the memory system by its controller, rather than by the host.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2006
    Publication date: February 8, 2007
    Inventors: Alan Sinclair, Barry Wright
  • Publication number: 20070033331
    Abstract: In a nonvolatile memory system that includes a block-erasable memory array, records are individually maintained for certain classifications of blocks. One or more lists may be maintained for the blocks, an individual list ordered according to a descriptor value. Such ordered lists allow rapid identification of a block by descriptor value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2006
    Publication date: February 8, 2007
    Inventors: Alan Sinclair, Barry Wright