Patents by Inventor Steven Theodore Sprouse

Steven Theodore Sprouse 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: 10901892
    Abstract: Systems, methods and/or devices are used to enable locality grouping during garbage collection of a storage device. In one aspect, the method includes, at a storage controller for the storage device: performing one or more operations for a garbage collection read, including: identifying one or more sequences of valid data in a source unit, wherein each identified sequence of valid data has a length selected from a set of predefined lengths; and for each respective sequence, transferring the respective sequence to a respective queue of a plurality of queues, in accordance with the length of the respective sequence; and setting a global flag to flush all open queues; and performing one or more operations for a garbage collection write, including: identifying open respective queues for writing to a destination unit; and writing from the open respective queues to the destination unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Neil D. Hutchison, Steven Theodore Sprouse, Shakeel I. Bukhari
  • Patent number: 10740228
    Abstract: Systems, methods and/or devices are used to enable locality grouping during garbage collection of a storage device. In one aspect, the method includes, at a storage controller for the storage device: performing one or more operations for a garbage collection read, including: identifying one or more sequences of valid data in a source unit, wherein each identified sequence of valid data has a length selected from a set of predefined lengths; and for each respective sequence of the one or more sequences of valid data in the source unit, transferring the respective sequence to a respective queue of a plurality of queues, in accordance with the length of the respective sequence; and performing one or more operations for a garbage collection write, including: identifying full respective queues for writing to a destination unit; and writing from the full respective queues to the destination unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Sandisk Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Neil D. Hutchison, Steven Theodore Sprouse, Shakeel I. Bukhari
  • Publication number: 20180336127
    Abstract: Systems, methods and/or devices are used to enable locality grouping during garbage collection of a storage device. In one aspect, the method includes, at a storage controller for the storage device: performing one or more operations for a garbage collection read, including: identifying one or more sequences of valid data in a source unit, wherein each identified sequence of valid data has a length selected from a set of predefined lengths; and for each respective sequence of the one or more sequences of valid data in the source unit, transferring the respective sequence to a respective queue of a plurality of queues, in accordance with the length of the respective sequence; and performing one or more operations for a garbage collection write, including: identifying full respective queues for writing to a destination unit; and writing from the full respective queues to the destination unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2018
    Publication date: November 22, 2018
    Inventors: Neil D. Hutchison, Steven Theodore Sprouse, Shakeel I. Bukhari
  • Publication number: 20180336129
    Abstract: Systems, methods and/or devices are used to enable locality grouping during garbage collection of a storage device. In one aspect, the method includes, at a storage controller for the storage device: performing one or more operations for a garbage collection read, including: identifying one or more sequences of valid data in a source unit, wherein each identified sequence of valid data has a length selected from a set of predefined lengths; and for each respective sequence, transferring the respective sequence to a respective queue of a plurality of queues, in accordance with the length of the respective sequence; and setting a global flag to flush all open queues; and performing one or more operations for a garbage collection write, including: identifying open respective queues for writing to a destination unit; and writing from the open respective queues to the destination unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2018
    Publication date: November 22, 2018
    Inventors: Neil D. Hutchison, Steven Theodore Sprouse, Shakeel I. Bukhari
  • Patent number: 8335123
    Abstract: A memory system that includes a memory array and a memory controller manages power consumption by maintaining a variable credit value that reflects the amount of power available to the memory system. The variable credit value may be increased periodically up to a limit. When a power-consuming operation is performed, the variable credit value is reduced to reflect the power used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: SanDisk Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Steven Theodore Sprouse
  • Publication number: 20110122691
    Abstract: A memory system that includes a memory array and a memory controller manages power consumption by maintaining a variable credit value that reflects the amount of power available to the memory system. The variable credit value may be increased periodically up to a limit. When a power-consuming operation is performed, the variable credit value is reduced to reflect the power used.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2009
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Applicant: SANDISK CORPORATION
    Inventor: Steven Theodore Sprouse
  • Patent number: 7921255
    Abstract: A memory controller for a memory card such as an SD card with an additional host interface such as a USB interface comprises a duplicate SD interface. Embodiments with two SD interfaces may also comprise a card reader controller chip that can be turned off by the memory controller when the USB interface is not needed. Incorporation of the additional SD interface in the controller allows for an economical or off the shelf card reader controller to be employed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: SanDisk Corporation
    Inventors: Steven Theodore Sprouse, Ka Ian Yung
  • Publication number: 20090164686
    Abstract: A memory controller for a memory card such as an SD card with an additional host interface such as a USB interface comprises a duplicate SD interface. Embodiments with two SD interfaces may also comprise a card reader controller chip that can be turned off by the memory controller when the USB interface is not needed. Incorporation of the additional SD interface in the controller allows for an economical or off the shelf card reader controller to be employed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Inventors: Steven Theodore Sprouse, Ka Ian Yung