Patents by Inventor STEC, Inc.

STEC, Inc. 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: 20130227362
    Abstract: Methods and systems for wear-leveling in flash storage devices are provided. A flash storage system performs wear-leveling by tracking data errors that occur when dynamic data is read from a first storage block in a first flash storage device and moving the dynamic data to a second storage block in a second flash storage device. Additionally, wear-leveling is achieved by identifying a third storage block containing static data and moves the static data to the storage block previously containing the dynamic data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2013
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: STEC, Inc.
    Inventor: STEC, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130227200
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus and method for providing memory cell bias information for use in memory operations. One or more memory die are selected from a group of memory die, and one or more memory blocks selected from the selected one or more memory die. A group of cells are programmed within the selected memory blocks, and one or more distributions of cell program levels associated with a group of wordlines are determined. A bias value for each wordline is then generated based on comparing one or more program levels in a distribution of program levels associated with the respective wordline with predetermined programming levels. The bias values are stored lookup table that is configured to be accessible at runtime by a memory controller for retrieval of the bias value during a program or read operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2013
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: STEC, Inc.
    Inventor: STEC, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130212451
    Abstract: A custom decoding algorithm is introduced, in connection with a corresponding decoding structure, to resolve many complexity and large memory requirements of known decoders. A system. A variable node forms a confidence vector of four components, one component for each state of a memory cell, and passes the current primary component (e.g., the largest) to one or more check nodes. The check nodes calculate a temporary component and corresponding index based on all components received from the variable nodes, which they pass back to the respective variable nodes. The variable node updates the confidence vector based on the temporary nodes received from respective check nodes, and determines the correct state for corresponding memory cell based on which component in the confidence vector is currently the primary component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2013
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Applicant: STEC, Inc.
    Inventor: STEC, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130194873
    Abstract: Systems and methods for auto-calibrating a storage memory controller are disclosed. In some embodiments, the systems and methods may be realized as a method for auto-calibrating a storage memory controller including instructing a controllable delay circuit to delay a read strobe signal at one of a plurality of delay settings, receiving data captured at a data latch using the delayed read strobe signal, selecting an adjustment factor from the plurality of delay settings using a multi-scale approach, based on an accuracy of the data captured at the data latch, and instructing the controllable delay circuit to delay the read strobe signal by the adjustment factor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2013
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: STEC, INC.
    Inventor: STEC, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130191581
    Abstract: Some embodiments of the disclosed subject matter include an integrated circuit. The integrated circuit includes a solid state device controller configured to control a plurality of flash memory devices, a first set of input output IO pads, coupled to the solid state device controller, arranged as a first pad ring around a perimeter of the integrated circuit, and a second set of IO pads arranged adjacent to at least one side of the first pad ring, wherein one of the second set of IO pads includes a power source node configured to receive a power supply voltage for the solid state device controller, a ground node, and a bond pad configured to receive an external signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: STEC, INC.
    Inventor: STEC, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130182506
    Abstract: A method for programming a flash cell using a series of programming pulses, the method comprising providing a plurality of first successive programming pulses, wherein each of the first successive programming pulse is incremented by a first incremental amount and providing a plurality of second successive programming pulses, wherein each of the second successive programming pulses is incremented by a second incremental amount and wherein the second increment amount is smaller than the first incremental amount. A system and machine-readable media are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2013
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Applicant: STEC, INC.
    Inventor: STEC, INC.
  • Publication number: 20130179480
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for operating a clustered file system using an operation log for a file system intended for standalone computers. A method for updating a file stored in a clustered file system using a file system intended for standalone computers includes receiving a command to update a file, writing the command to update the file to an operation log on a file system on a primary node, where the operation log tracks changes to one or more files, transmitting the updated operation log to a secondary node to initiate performance of the received command by the secondary node, and applying the requested changes to the file on the primary node.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicant: STEC, INC.
    Inventor: STEC, INC.
  • Publication number: 20130176784
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus and method for adjusting operating parameters in a storage device. A controller in a solid state drive monitors current operating conditions for blocks of memory used to store data in the drive. When a block has been subjected to a predetermined number of program/erase cycles one or more stored bias values are retrieved from a storage location based on the wordline(s) associated with a current memory operation. The one or more parameters of the memory operation are then adjusted based on the one or more stored bias values, and the memory operation performed on the block of memory cells using the adjusted parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicant: STEC, Inc.
    Inventor: STEC, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130163327
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology encompass a method for retrieving information stored in flash memory. In certain implementations, the method can include operations for reading a plurality of memory cells in a word line, generating a plurality of read signals based on the reading of the plurality of memory cells and identifying, from among the plurality of read signals, a first read signal associated with a first memory cell and a second read signal associated with a second memory cell, wherein the first memory cell is adjacent to the second memory cell in the word line. In certain aspects, the method can further include operations for generating an output for the first memory cell, wherein the output is based on the first and second read signals. A data storage system and article of manufacture are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicant: STEC, Inc.
    Inventor: STEC, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130166795
    Abstract: Systems and methods for streaming data are disclosed. In various implementations, the system comprises a hardware device and input streaming interface operably connected to the hardware device. The input streaming interface is configured to inform a data source, based on a determination that a receiving device will accept data transmitted by the hardware device, that the input streaming interface is ready to receive data, and then receive, in response to the detecting the activation of a source signal and a data initiation signal associated with the data source, source data transmitted by the data source over a data bus, and forward the source data to the hardware device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicant: STEC, Inc.
    Inventor: Stec, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130163328
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to a method for reading information stored in a flash memory device. In some implementations, the method can include steps including, obtaining a first read signal of a first cell, wherein the first cell is located in a first word line and a first bit line in the flash memory device, obtaining a programming level of a second cell, wherein the second cell is located in a second word line and the first bit line, and wherein the second word line is adjacent to the first word line. In certain aspects, the method may further comprise steps for obtaining decoding information for the first cell based on the programming level of the second cell. A data storage system and article of manufacture are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicant: STEC, Inc.
    Inventor: STEC, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130159611
    Abstract: Systems for automatically calibrating a storage memory controller are disclosed. In some embodiments, the systems may be realized as a solid state device system with an electro-static discharge (ESD) protection capability. The system can include a memory controller electrically coupled to a channel, where the memory controller is configured to select at least one of a plurality of flash memory devices. The system can also include at least one isolation device including an ESD protection circuit, configured to electrically couple the channel to the at least one of the plurality of flash memory devices and to decouple the channel from the remaining of the plurality of flash memory devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: STEC, INC.
    Inventor: STEC, INC.
  • Publication number: 20130159629
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for storing data in a hash table. The method includes receiving data, determining a location identifier for the data wherein the location identifier identifies a location in the hash table for storing the data and the location identifier is derived from the data, compressing the data by extracting the location identifier; and storing the compressed data in the identified location of the hash table.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2012
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: STEC, INC.
    Inventor: STEC, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130145059
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to a data storage system controller including a host interface configured to be coupled to a host device, to receive data from the host device, and to send data to the host device. In certain aspects, the data storage system includes a primary compression engine configured to compress data received from the host device via the host interface, and a secondary compression engine configured to decompress and compress data associated with operations internal to the data storage system. In some implementations, the data storage systems can further include a processor configured to transfer data between the host interface and the primary compression engine, between the primary compression engine and a non-volatile storage medium, between a memory and the secondary compression engine, and between the secondary compression engine and the memory. A data storage system is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2013
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Applicant: STEC, INC.
    Inventor: STEC, INC.
  • Publication number: 20130132647
    Abstract: A method for managing memory operations in a storage device having a plurality of data blocks, the method including steps for determining a number of invalid pages, in each of the plurality of data blocks, determining a number of page reads for each of the plurality of data blocks and determining a dwell time for each of the plurality of data blocks. In certain aspects, the method further comprises steps for selecting a data block, from among the plurality of data blocks, for memory reclamation based on the number of invalid pages, the number of page reads, and the dwell time of the selected data block. A flash storage system and computer-readable media are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2012
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: STEC, Inc.
    Inventor: STEC, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130124945
    Abstract: The subject technology includes adjusting an error correcting code rate in a solid-state drive. A first plurality of memory operations are performed on a flash memory device of the solid-state drive using a first code rate. During operation of the drive, a controller monitors an operating condition associated with one or more memory units of the flash memory device for a trigger event. On the trigger event, the first code rate is adjusted in accordance with the operating condition to produce a second code rate, and a second plurality of memory operations is performed on the flash memory device using the second code rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2012
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: STEC, Inc.
    Inventor: STEC, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130124792
    Abstract: A method for suspending an erase operation performed on a group of memory cells in a flash memory circuit is disclosed. One example method includes initiating an erase operation on one or more memory cells, the erase operation including a plurality of erase pulses, checking for receipt of a memory command after a predetermined number of erase pulses, suspending, after the predetermined number of erase pulses, the erase operation if the memory command was received, and performing a memory operation associated with the memory command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2013
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: STEC, Inc.
    Inventor: STEC, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130117625
    Abstract: A memory includes matrix data stored thereon for use by the plurality of encoders. An arbiter unit determines, for the plurality of encoders, respective times for the encoders to receive a portion of the matrix data stored in the shared memory, and facilitates providing a portion of the matrix data to the plurality of encoders according to the determined times for use in respective encoding operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2012
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Applicant: STEC, INC.
    Inventor: STEC, INC.
  • Publication number: 20130107468
    Abstract: A multi-chip stack module provides increased circuit density for a given surface chip footprint. Support structures are alternated with standard surface mount type chips to form a stack wherein the support structures electrically interconnect the chips. One aspect is a structure and method for interconnecting a plurality of generally planar chips in a vertical stack such that signals, which are common to the chips, are connected in the stack and signals, which are accessed individually, are separated within the stack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Applicant: STEC, INC.
    Inventor: STEC, INC.
  • Publication number: 20130111474
    Abstract: Systems and methods for caching data from a plurality of virtual machines are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the systems and methods may be realized as a method for caching data from a plurality of virtual machines. The method may comprise detecting, using a computer processor executing cache management software, initiation of migration of a cached virtual machine from a first virtualization platform to a second virtualization platform, disabling caching for the virtual machine on the first virtualization platform, detecting completion of the migration of the virtual machine to the second virtualization platform, and enabling caching for the virtual machine on the second virtualization platform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2012
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Applicant: STEC, INC.
    Inventor: STEC, INC.