SCALEABLE AND MAINTAINABLE SOLID STATE DRIVE
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A scaleable drive device, comprising:
- a master controller for managing operation of the drive device; and
a plurality of coupling locations for removably coupling memory modules to the master controller.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for maintaining a solid state disk drive facilitate expansion of storage capacity and maintenance of internal memory storage media, for example, are disclosed. Memory modules are adapted for removable installation in a solid state drive allowing for expansion of drive storage capacity and servicing of failed or worn out memory storage media. Data can be managed to mitigate loss during expansion, maintenance and servicing of the solid state drive.
121 Citations
71 Claims
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1. A scaleable drive device, comprising:
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a master controller for managing operation of the drive device; and a plurality of coupling locations for removably coupling memory modules to the master controller. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 14, 16, 21, 22)
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2. (canceled)
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11-13. -13. (canceled)
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17-20. -20. (canceled)
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23. A scaleable drive device, comprising:
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a master controller for interpreting received signals and managing operation of the drive in response to the interpreted received signals; one or more memory modules, the memory modules comprising; a module interface; control circuitry; and one or more non-volatile memory devices; and a plurality of coupling locations for removably coupling memory modules to the master controller. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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27. A scaleable drive device, comprising:
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a plurality of memory modules, the memory modules comprising a module interface, control circuitry and one or more memory storage devices; a first subset of the plurality of memory modules; a second subset of the plurality of memory modules; a first master controller for managing the operation of the first subset of the plurality of memory modules in response to received signals; a second master controller for managing the operation of the second subset of the plurality of memory modules in response to the received signals; a first plurality of coupling locations for removably coupling the first subset of the plurality of memory modules to the first master controller; and a second plurality of coupling locations for removably coupling the second subset of the plurality of memory modules to the second master controller. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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29. A method of modifying a drive, comprising:
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removing a memory module from a mechanical coupling location of the drive; and inserting a memory module into a mechanical coupling location of the drive; wherein each of the mechanical coupling locations is adapted to mate with an electrical interface of the memory modules. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. An electronic system, the system comprising:
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An external controller for generating data storage signals; at least one scaleable drive, in communication with the external controller, the drive comprising; a master controller for managing the operation of the drive in response to received signals; and a plurality of independently removable memory modules coupled to the master controller. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40)
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41. A scaleable drive device, comprising:
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a master controller for managing operation of the drive device; and a plurality of coupling locations for removably coupling memory modules to the master controller; and one or more memory modules, wherein each of the memory modules is removably coupled to one of the coupling locations; wherein the master controller is adapted to monitor coupled memory modules for indications that the memory modules should be replaced, and to automatically perform a data transfer from a memory module indicating that it should be replaced to another memory module of the drive device. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A method of modifying a solid state drive, comprising:
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detecting a failure of a memory module of the drive; removing the failed memory module from a mechanical coupling location of the drive; and inserting a replacement memory module into a mechanical coupling location of the drive; wherein each of the mechanical coupling locations is adapted to mate with an electrical interface of the memory modules. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A method of modifying a solid state drive, comprising:
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detecting that a memory module of the drive has indicated that it has neared the end of its useful life; removing the memory module indicating that it has neared the end of its useful life from a mechanical coupling location of the drive; and inserting a replacement memory module into a mechanical coupling location of the drive; wherein each of the mechanical coupling locations is adapted to mate with an electrical interface of the memory modules. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54)
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55. A method of modifying a solid state drive, comprising:
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detecting a failure of a memory module of the drive; removing the failed memory module from a mechanical coupling location of the drive while the drive is powered up; and inserting a replacement memory module into a mechanical coupling location of the drive while the drive is powered up; wherein each of the mechanical coupling locations is adapted to mate with an electrical interface of the memory modules; and wherein the replacement memory module has a memory storage capacity that is equal to or greater than a memory storage capacity of the failed memory module. - View Dependent Claims (56)
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57. A method of modifying a solid state drive, comprising:
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detecting that a memory module of the drive has indicated that it has neared the end of its useful life; removing the memory module indicating that it has neared the end of its useful life from a mechanical coupling location of the drive while the drive is powered up; and inserting a replacement memory module into a mechanical coupling location of the drive while the drive is powered up; wherein each of the mechanical coupling locations is adapted to mate with an electrical interface of the memory modules; and wherein the replacement memory module has a memory storage capacity that is equal to or greater than a memory storage capacity of the memory module indicating that it has neared the end of its useful life. - View Dependent Claims (58)
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59. A method of operating a solid state drive, comprising:
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performing maintenance and servicing tasks for non-volatile memory devices of one or more memory modules of the drive to determine whether failure or excessive wear has occurred; providing an indication if a failure or excessive wear is detected for any of the memory modules; monitoring the one or more memory modules for the indications of failure or excessive wear; and transferring data from a memory module indicating failure or excessive wear of its non-volatile memory devices to another memory module of the drive. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65)
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66. A method of operating a solid state drive, comprising:
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performing maintenance and servicing tasks for non-volatile memory devices of one or more memory modules of the drive to determine whether failure or excessive wear has occurred; providing an indication if a failure or excessive wear is detected for any of the memory modules; monitoring the one or more memory modules for the indications of failure or excessive wear; and transferring data from a memory module to another memory module of the drive in response to either an indication of failure or excessive wear of that memory module or in response to a signal received from an external device indicative of a desire to transfer data from that memory module. - View Dependent Claims (67, 68, 69, 70, 71)
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Specification