DATA ACCESS AT A STORAGE DEVICE USING CLUSTER INFORMATION

• US 20100153673A1
• Filed: 12/16/2008
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Digital Israel Limited (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SanDisk IL Ltd. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: DOLGUNOV, BORIS, SHEN, ERAN
• Granted Patent: US 8,880,776 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/165
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/023 Free address space management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0246 in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1433 for a module or a part of a module
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/80 in storage media based on magnetic or optical technology, e.g. disks with sectors preventing unauthorised reproduction or copying of disc-type recordable media G11B20/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/85 interconnection devices, e.g. bus-connected or in-line devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

Systems and methods for accessing data at a data storage device are disclosed. In a particular embodiment, a method includes receiving cluster information at a controller of a data storage device, the data storage device further including a memory, the cluster information being associated with a data file that is stored at the memory. The method also includes accessing the cluster information to locate at least one region of the memory corresponding to the data file. The method further includes accessing data from the data file at the at least one region of the memory that is identified by the cluster information. Accessing of data from the data file includes the controller executing an internal application.

Claims

1. A method for accessing data at a data storage device, the method comprising:

receiving cluster information at a controller of a data storage device, the data storage device further including a memory, the cluster information being associated with a data file that is stored at the memory;

accessing the cluster information to locate at least one region of the memory corresponding to the data file; and

accessing data from the data file at the at least one region of the memory that is identified by the cluster information, wherein accessing of data from the data file includes the controller executing an internal application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data file is received from a host device and organized at the memory according to a file system managed at the host device, and further comprising:

processing the accessed data at the internal application to generate processed data; and

providing the processed data to an application at an external device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the data file received from the host device includes encrypted data, and wherein processing the accessed data at the internal application includes decrypting the accessed data

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the internal application authenticates the application that is at the external device prior to providing decrypted data to the application.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving a request that includes a data identifier, and wherein processing the accessed data at the internal application includes searching the accessed data for the data identifier.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the cluster information such that the cluster information is accessible to the controller but is inaccessible to an external device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the cluster information includes at least one of a cluster map, a cluster table, and a linked list.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the cluster information includes a portion but not all content of a file allocation table.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the cluster information includes multiple addresses and file access sequencing information related to the multiple addresses.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessed data includes at least one of audio content, video content, and navigation content.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the internal application at the data storage device is executable by the controller to access the data at the memory, to process the accessed data, and to send the processed data to a host device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein processing the accessed data comprises determining if the cluster information incorrectly maps to the data file.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising identifying a data request pattern corresponding to at least one data request from a host device, the data request pattern indicating an error condition.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising, when the incorrect mapping is detected, performing an action selected from the group consisting of terminating access to the data storage device, disabling the data storage device, and sending spurious data to the host device.

15. A data storage device comprising:

an interface;

a memory; and

a memory controller coupled to the memory and coupled to the interface, wherein the memory controller is configured to receive, via the interface, cluster information associated with a data file stored at the memory, and wherein the memory controller is further configured to execute an internal application to access data from the data file at a region of the memory identified by the received cluster information.

16. The data storage device of claim 15, wherein the memory controller is further configured to process the accessed data and to send the processed data to an external device in response to receiving a memory request from the external device.

17. The data storage device of claim 16, wherein the memory request identifies a data object but not an address of the data object, wherein the memory controller is configured to access the cluster information to locate the region of the memory, and wherein the memory controller is configured to search the region of the memory to locate the data object.

18. The data storage device of claim 16, wherein the memory controller includes a data processor configured to process the accessed data and to send the processed data to the external device.

19. The data storage device of claim 18, wherein the processed data comprises one of decrypted data and decoded data.

20. The data storage device of claim 15, wherein the memory includes a file area that is accessible to an external device and a hidden area that is inaccessible to the external device, and wherein the memory controller is configured to store the cluster information at the hidden area.

21. A system comprising:

a memory controller that is configured to receive cluster information associated with a data file stored at a memory and to access data from the data file at a region of the memory that is identified by the received cluster information, wherein an internal application is executed by the controller to access the data from the data file.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the memory controller is configured to process the accessed data and to send the processed data to an external device.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the memory controller is configured to decrypt the accessed data.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the memory controller is configured to store the cluster information at a hidden portion of the memory and to access the cluster information to locate the region of the memory in response to a memory request from an external device.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the memory controller is configured to identify a data request pattern corresponding to at least one data request from a host device that indicates an error condition.