Patents by Inventor Lace J. Herman

Lace J. Herman 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: 9323637
    Abstract: The various implementations described herein include systems, methods and/or devices used to enable power sequencing and a data hardening module in a storage device. In one aspect, the method includes determining whether a power supply voltage provided to the storage device is lower than an under-voltage threshold. The method further includes, in accordance with a determination that the power supply voltage is lower than the under-voltage threshold, performing a power fail operation, the power fail operation including: (1) signaling a power fail condition to a plurality of controllers on the storage device, (2) transferring data held in volatile memory to non-volatile memory, and (3) removing power from the plurality of controllers on the storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: SANDISK ENTERPRISE IP LLC
    Inventors: Gregg S. Lucas, Kenneth B. Delpapa, Lace J. Herman, Robert W. Ellis
  • Patent number: 9170941
    Abstract: A storage system, and a method of data hardening in the storage system, including: a de-glitch module configured for a detection of a power failure event; a write page module, coupled to the de-glitch module, the write page module configured for an execution of a cache write command based on the power failure event to send a cache page from a cache memory to a storage channel controller, wherein the cache memory is a volatile memory; and a signal empty module, coupled to the write page module, the signal empty module configured for a generation of a sleep signal to shut down a host bus adapter, wherein the host bus adapter interfaces with the storage channel controller to write the cache page back to the cache memory upon a power up of the host bus adapter and the storage channel controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: SANDISK ENTERPRISES IP LLC
    Inventors: Robert W. Ellis, Lace J. Herman, Bobby Ray Southerland
  • Patent number: 9122636
    Abstract: The various implementations described herein include systems, methods and/or devices used to enable power sequencing and data hardening in a storage device. In one aspect, the method includes determining whether a power supply voltage provided to the storage device is higher than an over-voltage threshold. The method further includes, in accordance with a determination that the power supply voltage is higher than the over-voltage threshold, performing a power fail operation, the power fail operation including: (1) signaling a power fail condition to a plurality of controllers on the storage device, (2) transferring data held in volatile memory to non-volatile memory, and (3) removing power from the plurality of controllers on the storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: SANDISK ENTERPRISE IP LLC
    Inventors: Gregg S. Lucas, Kenneth B. Delpapa, Lace J. Herman, Robert W. Ellis
  • Publication number: 20150149806
    Abstract: The various implementations described herein include systems, methods and/or devices used to enable power sequencing and data hardening in a storage device. In one aspect, the method includes determining whether a power supply voltage provided to the storage device is higher than an over-voltage threshold. The method further includes, in accordance with a determination that the power supply voltage is higher than the over-voltage threshold, performing a power fail operation, the power fail operation including: (1) signaling a power fail condition to a plurality of controllers on the storage device, (2) transferring data held in volatile memory to non-volatile memory, and (3) removing power from the plurality of controllers on the storage device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Applicant: SanDisk Enterprise IP LLC
    Inventors: Gregg S. Lucas, Kenneth B. Delpapa, Lace J. Herman, Robert W. Ellis
  • Patent number: 9043780
    Abstract: An electronic system and method of operation thereof includes: a control unit for receiving a patterned signal; a recognizer module, coupled to the control unit, for recognizing an unique trigger from the patterned signal; an operation module, coupled to the recognizer module, for detecting an operational mode from the unique trigger; and a change module, coupled to the operation module, for configuring a system state change of a memory sub-system based on the operational mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: SMART STORAGE SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Robert W. Ellis, Lace J. Herman
  • Publication number: 20150100824
    Abstract: The various implementations described herein include systems, methods and/or devices used to enable power sequencing and a data hardening module in a storage device. In one aspect, the method includes determining whether a power supply voltage provided to the storage device is lower than an under-voltage threshold. The method further includes, in accordance with a determination that the power supply voltage is lower than the under-voltage threshold, performing a power fail operation, the power fail operation including: (1) signaling a power fail condition to a plurality of controllers on the storage device, (2) transferring data held in volatile memory to non-volatile memory, and (3) removing power from the plurality of controllers on the storage device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Applicant: SanDisk Enterprise IP LLC
    Inventors: Gregg S. Lucas, Kenneth B. Delpapa, Lace J. Herman, Robert W. Ellis
  • Publication number: 20140304454
    Abstract: A storage system, and a method of data hardening in the storage system, including: a de-glitch module configured for a detection of a power failure event; a write page module, coupled to the de-glitch module, the write page module configured for an execution of a cache write command based on the power failure event to send a cache page from a cache memory to a storage channel controller, wherein the cache memory is a volatile memory; and a signal empty module, coupled to the write page module, the signal empty module configured for a generation of a sleep signal to shut down a host bus adapter, wherein the host bus adapter interfaces with the storage channel controller to write the cache page back to the cache memory upon a power up of the host bus adapter and the storage channel controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: SanDisk Enterprise IP LLC
    Inventors: Robert W. Ellis, Lace J. Herman, Bobby Ray Southerland
  • Publication number: 20140298004
    Abstract: An electronic system and method of operation thereof includes: a control unit for receiving a patterned signal; a recognizer module, coupled to the control unit, for recognizing an unique trigger from the patterned signal; an operation module, coupled to the recognizer module, for detecting an operational mode from the unique trigger; and a change module, coupled to the operation module, for configuring a system state change of a memory sub-system based on the operational mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: SMART Storage Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert W. Ellis, Lace J. Herman
  • Patent number: 8417839
    Abstract: The disclosure is related to systems and methods of concurrent actions for data storage. A controller may be configured to initialize a first data storage medium and a second data storage medium. The controller may receive a command when the first data storage medium is initialized but before the second data storage medium is initialized. The controller may service the command when the command utilizes the first data storage medium and the initialization for the second data storage medium is not complete. A controller may also be configured to send an indicator to a host that the system is ready to receive commands when a first data storage device is initialized, but a second data storage device is still in an initialization process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Keow Seng Ng, Vincent Michael McGarry, Abhay Tejmal Kataria, Lace J. Herman, Dennis A. Rubsam, Steven Scott Williams
  • Publication number: 20110283044
    Abstract: A data storage device comprising at least one non-volatile storage medium having a plurality of data blocks, and a controller configured to allocate at least one of the data blocks for a writing operation based at least in part on data integrities of the data blocks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2010
    Publication date: November 17, 2011
    Applicant: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC
    Inventors: Edwin S. Olds, Timothy R. Feldman, Joshua B. Tinker, Lace J. Herman
  • Publication number: 20080244327
    Abstract: A trace device for monitoring and storing trace data of a device under test (DUT) is provided. The trace device is coupled in situ with the DUT when the DUT is in its operating environment (e.g., when the DUT is located within a rack, housing, or enclosure including the DUT). The trace device comprises a trace data buffer for storing trace data received from the DUT during operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2007
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Applicant: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC
    Inventors: Robert J. Coombes, Daniel G. Nylander, Robert Metz, Lace J. Herman
  • Patent number: 6995943
    Abstract: An off-track error recovery method and apparatus for a disk drive are disclosed herein. Off-track errors are either due to vibration of the disk drive or due to defective servo data stored on a disk surface of the disk drive. In order to tailor error recovery operations associated with each of the two types of off-track errors, the present invention distinguishes between the two types of errors, when possible. Accordingly, the overall time for performing off-track error recovery operations is reduced and/or off-track error recovery operations are made more efficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Maxtor Corporation
    Inventors: Rajita Shrestha, Chris Aumann, Lace J. Herman, Glen Rewerts, Dave Rewerts
  • Patent number: 6883126
    Abstract: An adaptive error recovery routine allows for the recovery from errors in read data of a disk drive. In one embodiment, a disk drive is provided which has an error memory having error memory elements used to record an error type and recovery step for each error recovered from the disk drive. If another error is detected that is of the same type and which is in a location close to a recorded error, the error recovery step used for the previous error is performed for the new error. If the previous error recovery step is not successful, the disk drive performs error recovery using an existing error recovery table, and omits the previous error recovery step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Assignee: Maxtor Corporation
    Inventors: Lace J. Herman, Jerry Moline
  • Patent number: 6332207
    Abstract: An apparatus for correcting read errors in a disk drive is disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes circuitry for determining that an undesired distortion exists in a data signal read from a surface of a data storage disk; circuitry for finding an approximate starting location of said distortion within said data signal; and, circuitry for correcting errors in said data signal caused by said undesired distortion using said approximate starting location of said distortion. A method for correcting read errors in a disk drive is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2001
    Assignee: Maxtor Corporation
    Inventors: Bobby Ray Southerland, Jin-Hong Hsueh, Lace J. Herman, John C. Purkett
  • Patent number: 6147827
    Abstract: An apparatus for correcting read errors in a disk drive is disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes circuitry for determining that an undesired distortion exists in a data signal read from a surface of a data storage disk; circuitry for finding an approximate starting location of said distortion within said data signal; and, circuitry for correcting errors in said data signal caused by said undesired distortion using said approximate starting location of said distortion. A method for correcting read errors in a disk drive is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2000
    Assignee: Maxtor Corporation
    Inventors: Bobby Ray Southerland, Jin-Hong Hsueh, Lace J. Herman, John C. Purkett
  • Patent number: 6084734
    Abstract: An apparatus for correcting read errors in a disk drive is disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes circuitry for determining that an undesired distortion exists in a data signal read from a surface of a data storage disk; circuitry for finding an approximate starting location of said distortion within said data signal; and, circuitry for correcting errors in said data signal caused by said undesired distortion using said approximate starting location of said distortion. A method for correcting read errors in a disk drive is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2000
    Assignee: Maxtor Corporation
    Inventors: Bobby Ray Southerland, Jin-Hong Hsueh, Lace J. Herman, John C. Purkett