SYSTEMS, METHODS AND DEVICES FOR CONFIGURABLE POWER CONTROL WITH STORAGE DEVICES

• US 20100332860A1
• Filed: 06/26/2009
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Cole, Christopher Thomas, Trantham, Jon David
• Granted Patent: US 8,504,860 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence

Abstract

Power is routed from one or more power supplies. As consistent with one or more example embodiments, a data storage device senses and/or is informed of the availability and voltage level of one or more power supplies. Based upon the availability and voltage level of power supplies, circuits in the memory device are powered using one or more of the sensed power supplies. In some applications, the power is drawn in a manner that emulates the behavior of one or more circuits that are respectively powered.

Claims

1. A removable data storage device that stores and retrieves data in response to external control comprising:

a data memory;

control circuitry for the data memory;

at least one electrical connector configured to connect at least one power supply to power the device; and

a power control circuit configured and arranged to

identify available power supplies operating at different voltages,

control the device operation based upon identified power supplies, and

route power from the identified power supplies to circuits within the device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the data memory is solid state memory.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the data memory is rotating magnetic media.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising additional solid-state memory configured and arranged to provide the memory control circuit with access to a set of data representing a cached portion of memory that is mapped to the data memory.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the data memory is non-volatile memory, further comprising

volatile solid-state memory configured and arranged to provide the memory control circuit with access to a set of data representing a cached portion of memory that is mapped to the data memory, and

energy storage circuitry configured and arranged to supply power to the device in the event of power loss to retain data that is in the volatile memory.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein

a portion of the data memory stores a plurality of algorithms that, when executed, control power-routing functions of the power control circuit based upon the identified power supplies and circuits to power in the memory device, and

the power control circuit is configured and arranged to read, select and execute one the algorithms, based upon the identified power supplies and circuits, to route power from the identified power supplies to the identified circuit.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the power control circuit is configured and arranged to select one of the circuits within the device to power with each identified power supply based upon each respective circuit'"'"'s ability to operate under one or more different voltages and the respective voltage levels of the identified power supplies.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the power control circuit is programmed with an algorithm to identify the available power supplies and their respective voltages, identify at least one of the circuits within the memory device that can operate at one of the identified voltages, and route power from an identified power supply operating at the one of the identified voltages to the identified circuit.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the power control circuit is configured and arranged to identify available power supplies operating at different voltages by, after initially identifying the voltage of an available power supply, delaying for a delay time period and, after the delay, detect the voltage of the available power supply.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the power control circuit is configured to read power configuration data from the data memory and route power from the identified power supplies to circuits in the memory device based upon the configuration data and the voltages of the respectively-identified power supplies.

11. The device of claim 1,

further including a power supply regulator circuit configured to alter the voltage of supply power, and

wherein the power control circuit is configured and arranged to selectively route power from one of the identified power supplies through the power supply regulator to regulate the voltage from the power supply to a voltage level that is set based upon operating characteristics of at least one of the circuits in the device to which the power is being routed.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the power control circuit is configured and arranged to, in response to a loss in power from one of the power supplies, route power from another one of the power supplies to a circuit that had previously been powered with the power supply from which power was lost.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the power control circuit is configured and arranged to route power to one of the circuits within the device from one of the identified power supplies by limiting the current drawn from the one of the identified power supplies to a threshold current.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the power control circuit is configured and arranged to route power to one of the circuits in the device from two different power supplies by

regulating the voltage of at least one of the two different power supplies to match the voltages, and

limiting the current drawn from at least one of the two power supplies to a threshold current.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the power control circuit is configured and arranged to route power by selectively routing power from one of the identified power supplies in order to limit the current drawn from another one of the identified power supplies to a threshold current.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the power control circuit is configured and arranged to selectively route power from the identified power supplies to the circuits to emulate power draw in a predefined manner that is different than a natural power draw from the circuits in the memory device.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the data memory is solid state memory and wherein the power control circuit is configured and arranged to selectively route power from the identified power supplies to the circuits to emulate the power draw of a rotating magnetic media hard disc drive.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the power control circuit is configured and arranged to selectively route power from the identified power supplies to the circuits based on timing characteristics relative to a datum to emulate power draw in a predefined manner.

19. A power controller circuit for a solid-state memory device that stores data in response to data accesses under the control of a memory control circuit, the power controller circuit comprising:

a power supply sensing circuit configured to sense the presence and voltage level of available power supplies;

a configuration circuit that stores configuration data that specifies power draw and switching operations for a plurality of different combinations of power supplies and that is programmed to retrieve configuration data based upon the power supplies and their respective voltage levels as sensed by the sensing circuit; and

a power router configured and arranged to switch power from at least two different power supplies to power different circuits in the solid-state memory device according to the retrieved configuration data.

20. The circuit of claim 19, wherein the configuration circuit is programmed to

store sets of the configuration data in a non-volatile memory circuit, each set pertaining to a particular combination of available power supplies,

select a set of the configuration data based upon the power supplies and their respective voltage levels as sensed by the sensing circuit, and

execute the configuration data with an algorithm to control the power router for switching power.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the configuration circuit is programmed to select one or more circuits to power with each sensed power supply based upon each respective circuit'"'"'s ability to operate under one or more different voltages and the respectively sensed voltage levels of the sensed power supplies.

22. A method for controlling power distribution in a solid-state memory device that stores data in response to data accesses under the control of a memory control circuit, the method comprising:

sensing the presence and voltage level of available power supplies;

storing configuration data that specifies power draw and switching operations for a plurality of different combinations of power supplies;

retrieving configuration data based upon the power supplies and their respective voltage levels as sensed by the sensing circuit; and

switching power from at least two different power supplies to power different circuits in the solid-state memory device according to the retrieved configuration data.

23. The method of claim 22, further including

storing sets of the configuration data in a non-volatile memory circuit, each set pertaining to a particular combination of available power supplies,

selecting a set of the configuration data based upon the power supplies and their respective voltage levels as sensed by the sensing circuit, and

executing the configuration data with an algorithm to control the power router for switching power.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein switching power includes selecting one or more circuits to power with each sensed power supply based upon each respective circuit'"'"'s ability to operate under one or more different voltages and the respectively sensed voltage levels of the sensed power supplies, and powering each of the selected circuits with the sensed power supply for which the circuit is selected.