Patents by Inventor Rodney Brittner

Rodney Brittner 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: 11928342
    Abstract: To provide more uniform performance levels for solid state drive (SSDs), the static power level used by an SSD in an idle state is measured and used to determine a static power offset for each of the drives. The static power offset is set as a parameter for the SSD and used to offset a received power supply level for use on the drive. For a data storage system of multiple SSDs, a common scaling factor can be used to set the degree to which the static power offset is implemented, allowing for a choice between uniformity of power and uniformity of performance for the SSDs of a data storage system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Rodney Brittner, Reed Tidwell
  • Publication number: 20220391109
    Abstract: To provide more uniform performance levels for solid state drive (SSDs), the static power level used by an SSD in an idle state is measured and used to determine a static power offset for each of the drives. The static power offset is set as a parameter for the SSD and used to offset a received power supply level for use on the drive. For a data storage system of multiple SSDs, a common scaling factor can be used to set the degree to which the static power offset is implemented, allowing for a choice between uniformity of power and uniformity of performance for the SSDs of a data storage system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2022
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Applicant: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Rodney Brittner, Reed Tidwell
  • Patent number: 11449245
    Abstract: To provide more uniform performance levels for solid state drive (SSDs), the static power level used by an SSD in an idle state is measured and used to determine a static power offset for each of the drives. The static power offset is set as a parameter for the SSD and used to offset a received power supply level for use on the drive. For a data storage system of multiple SSDs, a common scaling factor can be used to set the degree to which the static power offset is implemented, allowing for a choice between uniformity of power and uniformity of performance for the SSDs of a data storage system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Rodney Brittner, Reed Tidwell
  • Patent number: 11200003
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally presents a method and apparatus to provide a bounded latency, where a device would report “non-service” of a command at the defined system level timeout or earlier if the device was unable to successfully return the data to the host.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Neil Hutchison, Peter Grayson, Xinde Hu, Daniel L. Helmick, Rodney Brittner
  • Patent number: 10990304
    Abstract: The present disclosure, in various aspects, describes technologies and techniques for use by a data storage device that includes a controller of a non-volatile memory (NVM). In one example, the controller applies a default storage format to a storage region of the NVM, the default storage format configuring the storage region as a number of distinct storage regions logically arranged along a horizontal dimension and a vertical dimension. The controller modifies the default storage format using a combination of horizontal dimension scaling and vertical dimension scaling based on a performance capability of the storage region to obtain a modified storage format. The controller applies the modified storage format to the storage region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Rodney Brittner, Xiaoheng Chen, Mark Joseph Dancho
  • Publication number: 20200409578
    Abstract: The present disclosure, in various aspects, describes technologies and techniques for use by a data storage device that includes a controller of a non-volatile memory (NVM). In one example, the controller applies a default storage format to a storage region of the NVM, the default storage format configuring the storage region as a number of distinct storage regions logically arranged along a horizontal dimension and a vertical dimension. The controller modifies the default storage format using a combination of horizontal dimension scaling and vertical dimension scaling based on a performance capability of the storage region to obtain a modified storage format. The controller applies the modified storage format to the storage region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Publication date: December 31, 2020
    Inventors: Rodney Brittner, Xiaoheng Chen, Mark Joseph Dancho
  • Publication number: 20200393978
    Abstract: To provide more uniform performance levels for solid state drive (SSDs), the static power level used by an SSD in an idle state is measured and used to determine a static power offset for each of the drives. The static power offset is set as a parameter for the SSD and used to offset a received power supply level for use on the drive. For a data storage system of multiple SSDs, a common scaling factor can be used to set the degree to which the static power offset is implemented, allowing for a choice between uniformity of power and uniformity of performance for the SSDs of a data storage system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Publication date: December 17, 2020
    Applicant: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Rodney Brittner, Reed Tidwell
  • Publication number: 20200341688
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally presents a method and apparatus to provide a bounded latency, where a device would report “non-service” of a command at the defined system level timeout or earlier if the device was unable to successfully return the data to the host.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2020
    Publication date: October 29, 2020
    Inventors: Neil HUTCHISON, Peter GRAYSON, Xinde HU, Daniel L. HELMICK, Rodney BRITTNER
  • Patent number: 10732900
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally presents a method and apparatus to provide a bounded latency, where a device would report “non-service” of a command at the defined system level timeout or earlier if the device was unable to successfully return the data to the host.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Neil Hutchison, Peter Grayson, Xinde Hu, Daniel Helmick, Rodney Brittner
  • Publication number: 20200133567
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally presents a method and apparatus to provide a bounded latency, where a device would report “non-service” of a command at the defined system level timeout or earlier if the device was unable to successfully return the data to the host.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2018
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Inventors: Neil HUTCHISON, Peter GRAYSON, Xinde HU, Daniel HELMICK, Rodney BRITTNER
  • 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
  • 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
  • Patent number: 9952978
    Abstract: Systems, methods and or devices are used to enable improving mixed random performance in low queue depth workloads in a storage device (e.g., comprising a plurality of non-volatile memory units, such as one or more flash memory devices). In one aspect, the method includes (1) maintaining a write cache corresponding to write commands from a host, (2) determining a workload in accordance with commands from the host, (3) in accordance with a determination that the workload is a non-qualifying workload, scheduling a regular flush of the write cache, and (4) in accordance with a determination that the workload is a qualifying workload, scheduling an optimized flush of the write cache.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Steven Sprouse, Satish B. Vasudeva, Rodney Brittner
  • Patent number: 9916087
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and/or devices are used to manage a storage system. In one aspect, the method includes, during a first time period: maintaining a credit pool for the first time period; limiting bandwidth used for transmitting data between a storage device of the storage system and a host operatively coupled with the storage device according to a status of the credit pool, where the storage device includes one or more memory devices; monitoring a temperature of the storage device; and, in accordance with a determination that a current temperature of the storage device exceeds a predetermined threshold temperature and the current temperature of the storage device satisfies one or more temperature criteria, reducing an initial value of the credit pool for a second time period according to a first adjustment factor corresponding to the predetermined temperature threshold, where the second time period is subsequent to the first time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Senthil M. Thangaraj, Divya Reddy, Satish Babu Vasudeva, Jimmy Sy, Rodney Brittner, Venkatesh K. Paulsamy
  • Patent number: 9880605
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and/or devices are used to manage a storage system. In one aspect, the method includes receiving, from a host to which a storage device of the storage system is operatively coupled, a request to perform a first memory operation on one or more memory devices of the storage device. The method includes determining a count of credits corresponding to the first memory operation. If a current count of credits in the first credit pool is greater than or equal to the count of credits corresponding to the first memory operation and a current count of credits in the second credit pool is greater than or equal to the count of credits corresponding to the first memory operation, the method includes: performing the first memory operation; and decrementing the first and second credit pools according to the count of credits corresponding to the first memory operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Senthil M. Thangaraj, Divya Reddy, Satish Babu Vasudeva, Rakesh Chandra, Rodney Brittner
  • Publication number: 20160117105
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and/or devices are used to manage a storage system. In one aspect, the method includes, during a first time period: maintaining a credit pool for the first time period; limiting bandwidth used for transmitting data between a storage device of the storage system and a host operatively coupled with the storage device according to a status of the credit pool, where the storage device includes one or more memory devices; monitoring a temperature of the storage device; and, in accordance with a determination that a current temperature of the storage device exceeds a predetermined threshold temperature and the current temperature of the storage device satisfies one or more temperature criteria, reducing an initial value of the credit pool for a second time period according to a first adjustment factor corresponding to the predetermined temperature threshold, where the second time period is subsequent to the first time period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Inventors: Senthil M. Thangaraj, Divya Reddy, Satish Babu Vasudeva, Jimmy Sy, Rodney Brittner, Venkatesh K. Paulsamy
  • Publication number: 20160117253
    Abstract: Systems, methods and/or devices are used to enable improving mixed random performance in low queue depth workloads in a storage device (e.g., comprising a plurality of non-volatile memory units, such as one or more flash memory devices). In one aspect, the method includes (1) maintaining a write cache corresponding to write commands from a host, (2) determining a workload in accordance with commands from the host, (3) in accordance with a determination that the workload is a non-qualifying workload, scheduling a regular flush of the write cache, and (4) in accordance with a determination that the workload is a qualifying workload, scheduling an optimized flush of the write cache.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2015
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Inventors: Steven Sprouse, Satish B. Vasudeva, Rodney Brittner
  • Publication number: 20160116968
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and/or devices are used to manage a storage system. In one aspect, the method includes receiving, from a host to which a storage device of the storage system is operatively coupled, a request to perform a first memory operation on one or more memory devices of the storage device. The method includes determining a count of credits corresponding to the first memory operation. If a current count of credits in the first credit pool is greater than or equal to the count of credits corresponding to the first memory operation and a current count of credits in the second credit pool is greater than or equal to the count of credits corresponding to the first memory operation, the method includes: performing the first memory operation; and decrementing the first and second credit pools according to the count of credits corresponding to the first memory operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Inventors: Senthil M. Thangaraj, Divya Reddy, Satish Babu Vasudeva, Rakesh Chandra, Rodney Brittner
  • Patent number: 7177112
    Abstract: The present invention reduces the time required for coefficient convergence and thus improves time-to-ready. To that end, the present invention provides an initial learn—preferably non-zero—coefficient. The initial learn coefficient is based on a translation of timing information to position information. One aspect of the present invention uses address marks of a disc then translates them to phase position information. The present invention measures the times between address marks of adjacent servo sectors. Variations between those times is related is related to disc runout, particularly disc eccentricity. Also, the servo sectors are used to identify at which phase the maximum amplitude (or magnitude) of the timing variations occur. This phase information and maximum amplitude are used as variables in determining the initial learn coefficient. The present invention also utilizes a plant model to predetermine a variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Thomas Settje, Khalil B. Dizaji, Michael Edward Baum, Rodney Brittner
  • Patent number: 6859340
    Abstract: An actuator retract system and method for moving read/write heads from data regions on discs to non-data locations in a disc drive is disclosed. The non-data locations may be on or in close proximity to the discs. The non-data locations may be a landing zone or a load/unload ramp. At disc drive power-down, power generated from the rotational inertia in rotating discs is used to supply a current to a coil of a voice coil motor operably coupled to the actuator. During such power-down operation, a desired velocity is maintained using acceleration or deceleration, when necessary. The current generates an electric field around the coil that interacts with a magnetic field in the voice coil motor to move the actuator such that the read/write heads are retracted to the non-data location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2005
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Rodney Brittner, Paul J. Throckmorton