Portable RAM drive

• US 6,920,527 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2003
• Issued: 07/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nera Innovations Limited (Atlantic IP Services Limited)
• Original Assignee: Standard Microsystems Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cloutier, Jon W., Wurzburg, Henry, Counts, Richard C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elmore, Reba I.
• Application Number:
  US10/364,583
• Publication Number:
  US 20040158674A1
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 711/115, 711/101
• US Class Current: 711/115
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0656 Data buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/068 Hybrid storage device

Abstract

A portable RAM drive comprising data stored on a non-volatile memory and transferable to a volatile memory when the portable RAM drive is coupled to a computer system. When the portable RAM drive is plugged into the computer system, the data from the non-volatile memory may be transferred to the volatile memory for faster access by the computer. If the portable RAM drive is unplugged from the computer, an internal power source may power the portable RAM drive long enough to transfer the data from the volatile memory to the non-volatile memory. In one embodiment, the portable RAM drive may use a restraining device or an indicator light to indicate to the user that the portable RAM drive should not be unplugged from the computer because the data has not yet been transferred from the volatile memory to the non-volatile memory.

Claims

1. A portable memory apparatus, comprising:

a housing;

a memory controller comprised in the housing;

a volatile memory coupled to said memory controller comprised in the housing;

a non-volatile memory coupled to said memory controller comprised in the housing;

a connector positioned on the housing, wherein said connector couples said portable memory apparatus to a computer system when said connector is plugged into said computer system; and

wherein, when said connector couples said portable memory apparatus to said computer system, said memory controller chip copies data from said non-volatile memory to said volatile memory, and said computer system accesses said data in said volatile memory through said connector.

2. The portable memory apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an internal power source coupled to said portable memory apparatus.

3. The portable memory apparatus of claim 2, wherein said internal power source powers said portable memory apparatus when said portable memory apparatus is unplugged from said computer system, said portable memory apparatus copies data from said volatile memory to said non-volatile memory when said portable memory apparatus is unplugged from said computer system.

4. The portable memory apparatus of claim 2, wherein said internal power source is rechargeable through said connector.

5. The portable memory apparatus of claim 4, wherein said internal power source comprises a battery or a capacitor.

6. The portable memory apparatus of claim 1, wherein said memory controller chip transfers said non-volatile memory with data written to said volatile memory from said computer system while said portable memory apparatus is coupled to said computer system.

7. The portable memory apparatus of claim 6, further comprising an indicator coupled to said portable memory apparatus, wherein said indicator indicates when data stored in said volatile memory is being transferred to said non-volatile memory.

8. The portable memory apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a restraint device coupled to said portable memory apparatus, wherein said restraint device restrains said portable memory apparatus from being removed from said computer system until data stored in said volatile memory has been transferred to said non-volatile memory.

9. The portable memory apparatus of claim 1, wherein said volatile memory is selected from a group consisting of FPM DRAM, EDO DRAM, SDRAM, RDRAM, and SRAM.

10. The portable memory apparatus of claim 1, wherein said connection is selected from a group consisting of USB connector, firewire connector, and ATA serial connector.

11. The portable memory apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an outer impact resistant shell.

12. The portable memory apparatus of claim 1, wherein said portable memory apparatus does not have any moving parts.

13. The portable memory apparatus of claim 1, wherein said memory controller chip copies data from said non-volatile memory to said volatile memory after an internal power source has been recharged through said connection, that said internal power source has sufficient power to transfer data from said volatile memory to said non-volatile memory if said portable memory apparatus is unplugged from said computer system before said volatile memory is transferred to said non-volatile memory, wherein, until said internal power source recharges to said sufficient power, said computer system accesses said data on said non-volatile memory through said connector.

14. The portable memory apparatus of claim 1,

wherein said housing comprises a material selected from ABS plastic and polycarbonate.

15. A method, comprising:

coupling a portable memory apparatus to a computer system, wherein said portable memory apparatus comprises a memory controller chip, a non-volatile memory, and a volatile memory;

copying data from said non-volatile memory to said volatile memory using said memory controller chip;

accessing said data in said volatile memory using said computer system through a connector coupled to said portable memory apparatus and said memory controller chip; and

updating said non-volatile memory with data from said volatile memory.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

powering said portable memory apparatus with an internal power source coupled to said portable memory apparatus, when said portable memory apparatus is unplugged from said computer system, to transfer said non-volatile memory with data from said volatile memory.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

recharging an internal power source coupled to said portable memory apparatus.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

indicating when data stored in said volatile memory has been transferred to said non-volatile memory.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

restraining said portable memory apparatus in said computer system until said data stored in said volatile memory has been transferred to said non-volatile memory.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

copying said data from said non-volatile memory to said volatile memory after an internal power source has been recharged through said connection, such that said internal power source has sufficient power to transfer data from said volatile memory to said non-volatile memory if said portable memory apparatus is unplugged from said computer system before said volatile memory is transferred to said non-volatile memory, wherein, until said internal power source recharges to said sufficient power, said computer system accesses said data on said non-volatile memory through said connector.