Patents by Inventor James M Higgins

James M Higgins 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).

  • Patent number: 10872638
    Abstract: The subject technology performs the following in a storage system including memory dies, where each memory die includes its own temperature sensor. The subject technology determines a temperature of each of the memory dies based on a temperature reading from each memory die's temperature sensor. The subject technology determines whether data is hot data or cold data, where hot data is more likely to be changed after it is written than cold data. In response to determining that the data is hot data, the subject technology stores the data in a memory die with a relatively higher temperature than another one of the memory dies. Further, in response to determining that the data is cold data, the subject technology stores the data in a memory die with a relatively cooler temperature than another one of the memory dies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jingfeng Yuan, James M. Higgins, Jeff Whaley
  • Patent number: 10684794
    Abstract: In a memory system having a storage controller and a plurality of distinct sets of non-volatile memory devices, each respective channel controller of a plurality of channel controllers, each channel controller corresponding to a distinct set of the plurality of distinct sets of non-volatile memory devices, determines a backlog of the respective channel controller in accordance with pending commands in one or more command queues, receives power credits allocated by the storage controller, based at least in part on the backlog of the respective channel controller, and while executing commands in the one or more command queues, limits execution of said commands in accordance with the received power credits. For example, limiting execution includes deferring execution of a respective command in accordance with a determination that executing the respective command would require power credits in excess of power credits available in the respective channel controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Reed P. Tidwell, Steven T. Sprouse, Satish B. Vasudeva, James M. Higgins, Jonathan Q. Tu
  • Publication number: 20200143847
    Abstract: The subject technology performs the following in a storage system including memory dies, where each memory die includes its own temperature sensor. The subject technology determines a temperature of each of the memory dies based on a temperature reading from each memory die's temperature sensor. The subject technology determines whether data is hot data or cold data, where hot data is more likely to be changed after it is written than cold data. In response to determining that the data is hot data, the subject technology stores the data in a memory die with a relatively higher temperature than another one of the memory dies. Further, in response to determining that the data is cold data, the subject technology stores the data in a memory die with a relatively cooler temperature than another one of the memory dies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Inventors: Jingfeng YUAN, James M. HIGGINS, Jeff WHALEY
  • Patent number: 10559329
    Abstract: The subject technology performs the following in a storage system including memory dies, where each memory die includes its own temperature sensor. The subject technology determines a temperature of each of the memory dies based on a temperature reading from each memory die's temperature sensor. The subject technology determines whether data is hot data or cold data, where hot data is more likely to be changed after it is written than cold data. In response to determining that the data is hot data, the subject technology stores the data in a memory die with a relatively higher temperature than another one of the memory dies. Further, in response to determining that the data is cold data, the subject technology stores the data in a memory die with a relatively cooler temperature than another one of the memory dies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jingfeng Yuan, James M. Higgins, Jeff Whaley
  • Patent number: 10546648
    Abstract: A storage control system, and a method of operation thereof, including: a recycle write queue for providing a recycle write; a host write queue for providing a host write; and a scheduler, coupled to the recycle write queue and the host write queue, for scheduling the recycle write and the host write for writing to a memory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: James M. Higgins, James M. Kresse, Ryan Jones, Mark Dancho
  • Patent number: 10509591
    Abstract: In a memory system having a storage controller and a plurality of distinct sets of non-volatile memory devices, each respective channel controller of a plurality of channel controllers, each channel controller corresponding to a distinct set of the plurality of distinct sets of non-volatile memory devices, receives power credits allocated by the storage controller, including an average power credit and a peak power credit; and while executing commands in the one or more command queues, limits execution of said commands in accordance with the received average power credit and the received peak power credit. In some embodiments, a total number of average power credits allocated by the storage controller is variable and a total number of peak power credits allocated by the storage controller is fixed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Reed P. Tidwell, Steven T. Sprouse, Satish B. Vasudeva, James M. Higgins, Jonathan Q. Tu
  • Patent number: 10481830
    Abstract: The various implementations described herein include systems, methods, and/or devices used to selectively throttle host reads in memory devices. The method includes: (1) identifying a storage location in the non-volatile memory system with high read disturbs vulnerable to reliability issues, (2) determining if the identified storage location is being throttled for host reads, (3) in accordance with a determination that the identified storage location does not satisfy the predefined read throttling criteria, initiate execution of a read operation, otherwise, enqueue read commands for deferred execution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC
    Inventors: James M. Higgins, Ryan R. Jones
  • Patent number: 10459786
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to solid state storage device and techniques for conserving storage capacity associated therewith. Several embodiments are presented, including a data storage device, data storage controller, and methods for using the same are provided in the subject disclosure. A data storage device includes: a plurality of memory devices, a controller coupled to the plurality of memory devices and configured to program data to and read data from the plurality of memory devices, a memory including a logical-to-physical address translation map configured to enable the controller to determine a physical location of stored data in the plurality of memory devices, where the logical-to-physical address translation map contains at least one entry that merges at least two addresses that map, respectively, to at least two physical locations in the plurality of memory devices, where the controller is configured to encode each merged entry with an error-correcting code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: James M. Higgins, Rodney Brittner, Steven Sprouse, David George Dreyer, Mark D. Myran
  • Patent number: 10339044
    Abstract: The various implementations described herein include systems, methods and/or devices used for garbage collection in memory system. The method includes: (1) determining occurrences of triggering events including data reclamation events, urgent data integrity recycling events, and scheduled data integrity recycling events, and (2) recycling, in response to each of a plurality of triggering events, data in a predefined quantity of memory units from a source memory portion to a target memory portion of the memory system. A respective data reclamation event corresponds to the occurrence of host data write operations in accordance with a target reclamation to host write ratio. A respective urgent data integrity recycling event occurs when a memory portion satisfies predefined urgent read disturb criteria. A respective scheduled data integrity recycling event occurs at a rate corresponding to a projected quantity of memory units to be recycled by the memory system over a period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC
    Inventors: James M. Higgins, Ryan R. Jones
  • Publication number: 20190027193
    Abstract: The subject technology performs the following in a storage system including memory dies, where each memory die includes its own temperature sensor. The subject technology determines a temperature of each of the memory dies based on a temperature reading from each memory die's temperature sensor. The subject technology determines whether data is hot data or cold data, where hot data is more likely to be changed after it is written than cold data. In response to determining that the data is hot data, the subject technology stores the data in a memory die with a relatively higher temperature than another one of the memory dies. Further, in response to determining that the data is cold data, the subject technology stores the data in a memory die with a relatively cooler temperature than another one of the memory dies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2018
    Publication date: January 24, 2019
    Inventors: Jingfeng YUAN, James M. HIGGINS, Jeff WHALEY
  • Publication number: 20180373590
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to solid state storage device and techniques for conserving storage capacity associated therewith. Several embodiments are presented, including a data storage device, data storage controller, and methods for using the same are provided in the subject disclosure. A data storage device includes: a plurality of memory devices, a controller coupled to the plurality of memory devices and configured to program data to and read data from the plurality of memory devices, a memory including a logical-to-physical address translation map configured to enable the controller to determine a physical location of stored data in the plurality of memory devices, where the logical-to-physical address translation map contains at least one entry that merges at least two addresses that map, respectively, to at least two physical locations in the plurality of memory devices, where the controller is configured to encode each merged entry with an error-correcting code.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2017
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Inventors: James M. HIGGINS, Rodney BRITTNER, Steven SPROUSE, David George DREYER, Mark D. MYRAN
  • Publication number: 20180335978
    Abstract: In a memory system having a storage controller and a plurality of distinct sets of non-volatile memory devices, each respective channel controller of a plurality of channel controllers, each channel controller corresponding to a distinct set of the plurality of distinct sets of non-volatile memory devices, receives power credits allocated by the storage controller, including an average power credit and a peak power credit; and while executing commands in the one or more command queues, limits execution of said commands in accordance with the received average power credit and the received peak power credit. In some embodiments, a total number of average power credits allocated by the storage controller is variable and a total number of peak power credits allocated by the storage controller is fixed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Publication date: November 22, 2018
    Inventors: Reed P. Tidwell, Steven T. Sprouse, Satish B. Vasudeva, James M. Higgins, Jonathan Q. Tu
  • Publication number: 20180335977
    Abstract: In a memory system having a storage controller and a plurality of distinct sets of non-volatile memory devices, each respective channel controller of a plurality of channel controllers, each channel controller corresponding to a distinct set of the plurality of distinct sets of non-volatile memory devices, determines a backlog of the respective channel controller in accordance with pending commands in one or more command queues, receives power credits allocated by the storage controller, based at least in part on the backlog of the respective channel controller, and while executing commands in the one or more command queues, limits execution of said commands in accordance with the received power credits. For example, limiting execution includes deferring execution of a respective command in accordance with a determination that executing the respective command would require power credits in excess of power credits available in the respective channel controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Publication date: November 22, 2018
    Inventors: Reed P. Tidwell, Steven T. Sprouse, Satish B. Vasudeva, James M. Higgins, Jonathan Q. Tu
  • Patent number: 10115437
    Abstract: A storage system and method for die-based data retention recycling are provided. In one embodiment, a storage system comprises a controller and a plurality of memory dies. Each of the plurality of memory dies comprises its own temperature sensor, wherein at least one of the memory dies is characterized by a relatively lower endurance than at least one other of the memory dies, and wherein the at least one of the memory dies with the relatively lower endurance is positioned farther away from the controller than the at least one other of the memory dies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jingfeng Yuan, James M. Higgins, Jeff Whaley
  • Patent number: 9904621
    Abstract: The embodiments described herein are used to allocate memory in a storage system. The method includes, at a memory controller in the storage system, determining a current memory allocation for a set of memory devices, wherein the set of memory devices is formatted with a ratio of first storage density designated portions to second storage density designated portions in accordance with the current memory allocation. The method further includes detecting satisfaction of one or more memory reallocation trigger conditions. The method further includes, in response to detecting satisfaction of one or more memory reallocation trigger conditions, modifying the ratio of the first storage density designated portions to the second storage density designated portions in the set of memory devices to generate a second memory allocation for the set of memory devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Robert W. Ellis, James M. Higgins
  • Patent number: 9898364
    Abstract: A memory controller configures a plurality of word lines associated with a respective block of a 3D memory device in a first configuration, where the first configuration includes a set of configuration parameters for each word line of the plurality of word lines determined at least in part on the vertical positions of each word line relative to a substrate of the 3D memory device and, while the plurality of word lines are configured in the first configuration, writes data to and reads data from the respective block. For the respective block, the memory controller: adjusts a first parameter in the respective set of configuration parameters corresponding to a respective word line of the plurality of word lines in response to detecting a first trigger condition as to the respective word line and, after adjusting the first parameter, writes data to and reads data from the respective word line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: James M. Higgins, Robert W. Ellis, Neil R. Darragh, Aaron K. Olbrich, Navneeth Kankani, Steven Sprouse
  • Publication number: 20180024777
    Abstract: The various implementations described herein include systems, methods, and/or devices used to selectively throttle host reads in memory devices. The method includes: (1) identifying a storage location in the non-volatile memory system with high read disturbs vulnerable to reliability issues, (2) determining if the identified storage location is being throttled for host reads, (3) in accordance with a determination that the identified storage location does not satisfy the predefined read throttling criteria, initiate execution of a read operation, otherwise, enqueue read commands for deferred execution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2017
    Publication date: January 25, 2018
    Inventors: James M. Higgins, Ryan R. Jones
  • Publication number: 20170371559
    Abstract: The various embodiments described herein include methods, systems, and devices for optimizing media read times. In one aspect, a method is performed at a device at a storage device with one or more processors and memory coupled to the one or more processors. The method includes: (i) predicting a read frequency for particular data; (ii) based on the predicted read frequency, determining one or more preferred storage locations within the memory; and (iii) storing the particular data in a preferred storage location of the one or more preferred storage locations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2016
    Publication date: December 28, 2017
    Inventors: James M. Higgins, James Fitzpatrick
  • Publication number: 20170286288
    Abstract: The various implementations described herein include systems, methods and/or devices used for garbage collection in memory system. The method includes: (1) determining occurrences of triggering events including data reclamation events, urgent data integrity recycling events, and scheduled data integrity recycling events, and (2) recycling, in response to each of a plurality of triggering events, data in a predefined quantity of memory units from a source memory portion to a target memory portion of the memory system. A respective data reclamation event corresponds to the occurrence of host data write operations in accordance with a target reclamation to host write ratio. A respective urgent data integrity recycling event occurs when a memory portion satisfies predefined urgent read disturb criteria. A respective scheduled data integrity recycling event occurs at a rate corresponding to a projected quantity of memory units to be recycled by the memory system over a period of time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2017
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Inventors: James M. Higgins, Ryan R. Jones
  • Patent number: 9778878
    Abstract: Methods, systems and/or devices are used for limiting write command execution in a storage device comprising a set of non-volatile memory devices. In one aspect, the method includes (1) accessing in a holding queue host-specified write commands specified by a host system, each of the host-specified write commands specifying a number of pages to be written to the set of non-volatile memory devices; (2) in accordance with a determination that throttling is enabled: (3) determining a limit number of pages for a current throttle period in accordance with a throttle rate, the throttle rate being a maximum write rate for executing host-specified write commands; and (4) during the current throttle period, moving from the holding queue to a pending queue, for execution by the set of non-volatile memory devices, host-specified write commands whose total specified number of pages does not exceed the limit number of pages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC
    Inventors: John G. Hodgdon, Ryan R. Jones, James M. Higgins