Patents by Inventor Tomokazu Yokoyama

Tomokazu Yokoyama 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: 8312325
    Abstract: One or more switches are interposed between a controller portion and a storage device. When transmission of a command to a certain storage device fails, a command is transmitted starting from an upstream side to a downstream side of a path between the controller portion and the switch to which the certain storage device is connected, and when command transmission fails while transmitting a command from a kth switch (k is an integer of 0 or more) which is connected to a (k+1)th switch and is one level upstream of the (k+1)th switch or from any port of the controller portion, it is determined that a failure has occurred in a power source that supplies power to the (k+1)th switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Suzuki, Tsutomu Koga, Tetsuya Inoue, Tomokazu Yokoyama, Kenji Jin
  • Publication number: 20120236699
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit is equipped with a reproduction ECC circuit, a recording ECC circuit, a host interface circuit, and a memory control circuit. The memory control circuit includes an arbitration circuit and a count circuit. The arbitration circuit arbitrates ECC access with a priority order higher than the access of a host interface with a host apparatus. The count circuit counts the number of output times of the ECC request, and, when the count reaches a prescribed number, the count circuit generates a count termination signal. The arbitration circuit performs switching of priority orders to arbitrate the host with a priority order higher than that of ECC. The prescribed number corresponds to number of output times of the ECC access request necessary for accessing a semiconductor memory in relation to data of one ECC block or of an integral multiple of the one ECC block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2012
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Inventors: Tomokazu Yokoyama, Misuzu Mochizuki
  • Publication number: 20110320886
    Abstract: One or more switches are interposed between a controller portion and a storage device. When transmission of a command to a certain storage device fails, a command is transmitted starting from an upstream side to a downstream side of a path between the controller portion and the switch to which the certain storage device is connected, and when command transmission fails while transmitting a command from a kth switch (k is an integer of 0 or more) which is connected to a (k+1)th switch and is one level upstream of the (k+1)th switch or from any port of the controller portion, it is determined that a failure has occurred in a power source that supplies power to the (k+1)th switch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2011
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi SUZUKI, Tsutomu KOGA, Tetsuya INOUE, Tomokazu YOKOYAMA, Kenji JIN
  • Patent number: 8049365
    Abstract: A power device of the present invention makes a plurality of DC/DC converters redundant, and supplies power individually to a plurality of disk drives. Each first DC/DC converter is respectively made correspondent to a subgroup. One first DC/DC converter is connected to the disk drives respectively inside one subgroup, and the other first DC/DC converter is connected to the disk drives inside the other subgroup. A second DC/DC converter is made correspondent to all of the subgroups. Second DC/DC converters respectively supply direct-current power to any one disk drive of the disk drives in the subgroups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Suzuki, Hiromi Matsushige, Tetsuya Inoue, Masato Ogawa, Tomokazu Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 8037362
    Abstract: One or more switches are interposed between a controller portion and a storage device. When transmission of a command to a certain storage device fails, a command is transmitted starting from an upstream side to a downstream side of a path between the controller portion and the switch to which the certain storage device is connected, and when command transmission fails while transmitting a command from a kth switch (k is an integer of 0 or more) which is connected to a (k+1)th switch and is one level upstream of the (k+1)th switch or from any port of the controller portion, it is determined that a failure has occurred in a power source that supplies power to the (k+1)th switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Suzuki, Tsutomu Koga, Tetsuya Inoue, Tomokazu Yokoyama, Kenji Jin
  • Patent number: 7925930
    Abstract: A storage control system of the present invention can carry out settings for a storage device using redundantly configured access channels. A controller of the storage control system can access a storage device using a plurality of access channels of system A and system B. Respective I/F control units each comprise a plurality of normally open-type switches. The switches of system A and the switches of system B are respectively wired-OR connected. A disk control unit outputs a control signal to an I/F control unit on the basis of a setting table. When a failure occurs in an I/F control unit of system A, the output signals of the respective switches transfer to a high-impedance state. Therefore, a storage device can be set by outputting, from an I/F control unit of system B, a signal corresponding to a desired operational mode and identification information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Suzuki, Hiromi Matsushige, Tetsuya Inoue, Masato Ogawa, Tomokazu Yokoyama
  • Publication number: 20100325484
    Abstract: One or more switches are interposed between a controller portion and a storage device. When transmission of a command to a certain storage device fails, a command is transmitted starting from an upstream side to a downstream side of a path between the controller portion and the switch to which the certain storage device is connected, and when command transmission fails while transmitting a command from a kth switch (k is an integer of 0 or more) which is connected to a (k+1)th switch and is one level upstream of the (k+1)th switch or from any port of the controller portion, it is determined that a failure has occurred in a power source that supplies power to the (k+1)th switch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2010
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi SUZUKI, Tsutomu KOGA, Tetsuya INOUE, Tomokazu YOKOYAMA, Kenji JIN
  • Patent number: 7809983
    Abstract: One or more switches are interposed between a controller portion and a storage device. When transmission of a command to a certain storage device fails, a command is transmitted starting from an upstream side to a downstream side of a path between the controller portion and the switch to which the certain storage device is connected, and when command transmission fails while transmitting a command from a kth switch (k is an integer of 0 or more) which is connected to a (k+1)th switch and is one level upstream of the (k+1)th switch or from any port of the controller portion, it is determined that a failure has occurred in a power source that supplies power to the (k+1)th switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Suzuki, Tsutomu Koga, Tetsuya Inoue, Tomokazu Yokoyama, Kenji Jin
  • Patent number: 7685362
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a storage unit comprising: a channel control portion for receiving a data input/output request; a cache memory for storing data; a disk control portion for performing input/output processing on data in accordance with the data input/output request; and a plurality of disk drives for storing data, wherein at least two of the disk drives input data to and output it from the disk control portion at different communication speeds. Further, the storage unit has a plurality of communication paths provided to connect at least one of the disk drives in such a manner as to constitute a loop defined by the FC-AL fiber channel standards, so that the communication speeds can be set differently for these different communication paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromi Matsushige, Hiroshi Suzuki, Masato Ogawa, Tomokazu Yokoyama, Yasuhiro Sakakibara
  • Patent number: 7681061
    Abstract: A disk array device and a method of supplying power to a disk array device to which power is supplied by at least two AC inputs are provided. Where at least two AC/DC power-supply groups are provided in correspondence with each of the AC inputs and each AC/DC power-supply group includes at least two AC/DC power supplies that are connected to the AC input corresponding to that group, outputs from the AC/DC power supplies are summed separately for each group to obtain group total outputs for each group, and the group total outputs are input to each of a plurality of loads in the disk array device to provide power to each of the loads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Suzuki, Hiromi Matsushige, Masato Ogawa, Tomokazu Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 7671485
    Abstract: In a RAID system, the power supplied to hard disks (HDDs) can be increased, and a plurality of types of HDDs can be installed. A plurality of HDD packs 33 are supplied with a single high voltage from a motherboard 28. The HDD packs 33 each accommodate, in a canister, an HDD 107, 181, 185 or 187 with different power supply specifications or communication interface specifications, as well as a DC/DC converter 109 to convert the power supply. Part of the HDD packs 33 have a data transfer interface conversion circuit 195 as well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Suzuki, Hiromi Matsushige, Masato Ogawa, Tomokazu Yokoyama, Masateru Kurokawa
  • Patent number: 7667918
    Abstract: Provided is a highly reliable disk array device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsunori Hayashi, Hiroshi Suzuki, Tomokazu Yokoyama, Toshiyuki Nagamori
  • Publication number: 20100033020
    Abstract: A power device of the present invention makes a plurality of DC/DC converters redundant, and supplies power individually to a plurality of disk drives. Each first DC/DC converter is respectively made correspondent to a subgroup. One first DC/DC converter is connected to the disk drives respectively inside one subgroup, and the other first DC/DC converter is connected to the disk drives inside the other subgroup. A second DC/DC converter is made correspondent to all of the subgroups. Second DC/DC converters respectively supply direct-current power to any one disk drive of the disk drives in the subgroups.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2009
    Publication date: February 11, 2010
    Inventors: Hiroshi SUZUKI, Hiromi Matsushige, Tetsuya Inoue, Masato Ogawa, Tomokazu Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 7612467
    Abstract: A power device of the present invention makes a plurality of DC/DC converters redundant, and supplies power individually to a plurality of disk drives. Each first DC/DC converter is respectively made correspondent to a subgroup. One first DC/DC converter is connected to the disk drives respectively inside one subgroup, and the other first DC/DC converter is connected to the disk drives inside the other subgroup. A second DC/DC converter is made correspondent to all of the subgroups. Second DC/DC converters respectively supply direct-current power to any one disk drive of the disk drives in the subgroups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Suzuki, Hiromi Matsushige, Tetsuya Inoue, Masato Ogawa, Tomokazu Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 7577775
    Abstract: A storage system includes a plurality of disk drives, one or more controller boards for controlling data read and write from/to the plurality of the disk drives, and a Fibre Channel switching board for controlling path switching between the controller boards and the plurality of the disk drives. The Fibre Channel switching board has a control logical circuit for adjusting a control signal system between the controller boards and the disk drives according to a connection confirmation signal indicating whether or not the control signal cable is connected to the Fibre Channel switching board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Suzuki, Tomokazu Yokoyama, Masato Ogawa, Tetsuya Inoue, Hiromi Matsushige, Masateru Kurokawa
  • Patent number: 7571356
    Abstract: The storage control device of the present invention detects faults on the disk drives at an early stage, thus enhancing convenience of use. The disk drives are switchingly connected to a subordinate communication control unit via a switching circuit. An error information collection unit of an error monitoring unit detects errors which have occurred at each port of the switching circuit. The errors which have been detected are stored in an intermediate storage unit, and are input via an error information notification unit to a fault recovery control unit of the subordinate communication control unit. By doing this, it is possible to immediately specify whether or not a fault has occurred on any of the disk drives, and to start a fault recovery procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Inoue, Hiroshi Suzuki, Hiromi Matsuhige, Masato Ogawa, Tomokazu Yokoyama, Masateru Kurokawa
  • Publication number: 20090063901
    Abstract: One or more switches are interposed between a controller portion and a storage device. When transmission of a command to a certain storage device fails, a command is transmitted starting from an upstream side to a downstream side of a path between the controller portion and the switch to which the certain storage device is connected, and when command transmission fails while transmitting a command from a kth switch (k is an integer of 0 or more) which is connected to a (k+1)th switch and is one level upstream of the (k+1)th switch or from any port of the controller portion, it is determined that a failure has occurred in a power source that supplies power to the (k+1)th switch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2008
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Inventors: Hiroshi Suzuki, Tsutomu Koga, Tetsuya Inoue, Tomokazu Yokoyama, Kenji Jin
  • Patent number: 7480765
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a storage unit comprising: a channel control portion for receiving a data input/output request; a cache memory for storing data; a disk control portion for performing input/output processing on data in accordance with the data input/output request; and a plurality of disk drives for storing data, wherein at least two of the disk drives input data to and output it from the disk control portion at different communication speeds. Further, the storage unit has a plurality of communication paths provided to connect at least one of the disk drives in such a manner as to constitute a loop defined by the FC-AL fiber channel standards, so that the communication speeds can be set differently for these different communication paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromi Matsushige, Hiroshi Suzuki, Masato Ogawa, Tomokazu Yokoyama, Yasuhiro Sakakibara
  • Publication number: 20080301365
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a storage unit comprising: a channel control portion for receiving a data input/output request; a cache memory for storing data; a disk control portion for performing input/output processing on data in accordance with the data input/output request; and a plurality of disk drives for storing data, wherein at least two of the disk drives input data to and output it from the disk control portion at different communication speeds. Further, the storage unit has a plurality of communication paths provided to connect at least one of the disk drives in such a manner as to constitute a loop defined by the FC-AL fiber channel standards, so that the communication speeds can be set differently for these different communication paths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2008
    Publication date: December 4, 2008
    Inventors: Hiromi MATSUSHIGE, Hiroshi SUZUKI, Masato OGAWA, Tomokazu YOKOYAMA, Yasuhiro SAKAKIBARA
  • Patent number: 7423354
    Abstract: In a RAID system, the power supplied to hard disks (HDDs) can be increased, and a plurality of types of HDDs can be installed. A plurality of HDD packs 33 are supplied with a single high voltage from a motherboard 28. The HDD packs 33 each accommodate, in a canister, an HDD 107, 181, 185 or 187 with different power supply specifications or communication interface specifications, as well as a DC/DC converter 109 to convert the power supply. Part of the HDD packs 33 have a data transfer interface conversion circuit 195 as well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Suzuki, Hiromi Matsushige, Masato Ogawa, Tomokazu Yokoyama, Masateru Kurokawa