SYSTEMS, METHODS AND DEVICES FOR REGULATION OR ISOLATION OF BACKUP POWER IN MEMORY DEVICES
First Claim
1. A data-storage device comprising:
- a memory control circuit;
a solid-state non-volatile memory circuit for providing, under control of the memory control circuit, storage of data;
a volatile memory circuit having a primary-operating power and for storing, under control of the memory control circuit, write data destined for the solid-state nonvolatile memory circuit;
power circuitry for receiving electrical power from an external host-system power source and for providing the received electrical power for use as the primary-operating power; and
a backup power circuit includingan energy-storage circuit with one or more energy storage components designed to hold sufficient energy to provide substantially all of the primary-operating power during a minimum time period sufficient to permit data transfer, of at least dirty write data, from the volatile memory circuit to the nonvolatile memory circuit, andan isolation-regulation circuit for providing voltage regulation of the electrical power received from the host-system power source, for providing the regulated voltage for charging of the energy storage circuit, and for isolating the received host-system power source from the energy storage components in response to the power received from host-system power source dropping below a voltage threshold level.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Power-backup capabilities are provided by implementing a variety of different methods, systems and devices. According to one such implementation, a data-storage device is implemented having a memory control circuit controlling non-volatile and volatile memory. An operating power circuit carries primary-operating power from the host-system to the memories and control circuitry. A backup power circuit includes energy-storage circuitry with one or more energy storage devices. An isolation-regulation circuit provides voltage regulation of power from the host-system and also isolates the host-system provided power from the energy storage devices. A regulation power circuit carries the regulated power from the isolation-regulation circuit to the energy storage devices.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A data-storage device comprising:
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a memory control circuit; a solid-state non-volatile memory circuit for providing, under control of the memory control circuit, storage of data; a volatile memory circuit having a primary-operating power and for storing, under control of the memory control circuit, write data destined for the solid-state nonvolatile memory circuit; power circuitry for receiving electrical power from an external host-system power source and for providing the received electrical power for use as the primary-operating power; and a backup power circuit including an energy-storage circuit with one or more energy storage components designed to hold sufficient energy to provide substantially all of the primary-operating power during a minimum time period sufficient to permit data transfer, of at least dirty write data, from the volatile memory circuit to the nonvolatile memory circuit, and an isolation-regulation circuit for providing voltage regulation of the electrical power received from the host-system power source, for providing the regulated voltage for charging of the energy storage circuit, and for isolating the received host-system power source from the energy storage components in response to the power received from host-system power source dropping below a voltage threshold level. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A data storage device comprising:
a hard-disc housing structure containing, a power supply input for providing operating power; a memory control circuit; a nonvolatile, solid-state memory circuit for providing memory access, under control of the memory control circuit, to data; a caching memory circuit having a primary-operating power input and for storing a cached version of the data, the caching memory circuit subject to loss of the cached version of the data in response to a voltage at a primary-operating power input dropping below a voltage threshold level; an operating power circuit for carrying power the power supply input to the primary-operating power input of the caching memory circuit; and a backup power circuit including a power-reservoir circuit, including a capacitor, designed to hold a peak charge sufficient to provide substantially all power the primary-operating power input during a minimum time period sufficient to permit transfer of at least dirty data from the caching memory circuit to the nonvolatile memory circuit, and a buck-boost regulator circuit for providing voltage regulation of power from the power supply input, for blocking power from flowing to the power supply input from the capacitor when the primary-operating power drops below the voltage threshold level and for dedicating use of the regulated power to the power-reservoir circuit. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method comprising:
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providing access to data stored within a solid-state memory circuit under control of a memory control circuit; caching data within a volatile memory circuit to facilitate the operation of the data storage device including access to the solid-state memory circuit; delivering power received from a host-system power supply to the volatile memory circuit for use as primary-operating power; storing, in one or more energy-storage components within an energy-storage circuit, an amount of energy sufficient to provide substantially all of the primary-operating power to the volatile memory circuit during a minimum time period sufficient to permit transfer of at least dirty data from the volatile memory circuit to the nonvolatile memory circuit; regulating, using an isolation-regulation circuit, the power received from the host-system power source; isolating, using an isolation-regulation circuit, the power received from the host-system power source relative to the energy-storage circuitry in response to the host-system provided power dropping below a voltage threshold level; and charging the energy-storage component using the regulated and isolated power from the isolation-regulation circuit. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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Specification