Apple Assigned Eight Patents

Cache memory for hybrid disk drives
Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA, has been assigned a patent (9,372,804) developed by Meir, Avraham, Rishon Le-Zion, Israel, for a “cache memory for hybrid disk drives.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”A method for data storage in a data storage system, which includes a main storage device and a non-volatile memory, includes assessing quality levels of respective memory blocks of the non-volatile memory. One or more of the memory blocks whose assessed quality levels are lower than a predefined quality threshold are identified. The identified memory blocks are assigned to serve as read cache memory. Data is read from the main storage device via the read cache memory, including the assigned memory blocks.“

The patent application was filed on July 13, 2015 (14/797,292).

Programmable peak-current control in non-volatile memory devices
Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA, has been assigned a patent (9,368,214) developed by Kasorla, Yoav, Kfar Netar, Israel, and Meir, Avraham Poza, Rishon Le-Zion, Israel, for a “programmable peak-current control in non-volatile memory devices.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”A method includes, in a memory device, receiving a command that specifies a peak power consumption that is not to be exceeded by the memory device. A memory of the memory device is configured in accordance with the peak power consumption specified in the command. A data storage operation in the configured memory is performed, while complying with the specified peak power consumption.“

The patent application was filed on July 2, 2014 (14/322,102).

Statistical peak-current management in non-volatile memory devices
Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA, has been assigned a patent (9,361,951) developed by Sommer, Naftali, Rishon le-Zion, Israel, Mouler, Stas, Kfar Saba, Israel, Gurgi, Eyal, Petah-Tikva, Israel, Kasorla, Yoav, Kfar Netar, Israel, and Erez, Liran, Petah-Tikwa, Israel, for a “statistical peak-current management in non-volatile memory devices.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”A method includes, in a storage system that includes multiple memory devices, holding a definition of a given type of storage command. Multiple storage commands of the given type are executed in the memory devices, such that an actual current consumption of each storage command deviates from a nominal current waveform defined for the given type by no more than a predefined deviation, and such that each storage command is preceded by a random delay.“

The patent application was filed on August 26, 2014 (14/468,661).

Nonvolatile memory performance throttling
Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA, has been assigned a patent (9,355,024) developed by Nguyen, Kevin M., San Jose, CA, Yeh, David J., San Jose, CA, Tan, Cheng P., Fremont, CA, and Fai, Anthony, Palo Alto, CA, for a “systems and methods for nonvolatile memory performance throttling.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”Systems and methods for nonvolatile memory, (NVM) performance throttling are disclosed. Performance of an NVM system may be throttled to achieve particular data retention requirements. In particular, because higher storage temperatures tend to reduce the amount of time that data may be reliably stored in an NVM system, performance of the NVM system may be throttled to reduce system temperatures and increase data retention time.“

The patent application was filed on October 10, 2012 (13/648,375).

Securely recovering computing device
Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA, has been assigned a patent (9,336,394) developed by de Atley, Dallas Blake, San Francisco, CA, de Cesare, Joshua, Campbell, CA, Smith, Michael, Sunnyvale, CA, Reda, Matthew, San Jose, CA, Sen, Shantonu, Mountain View, CA, and Wright, John Andrew, San Francisco, CA, for a “securely recovering a computing device.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”A method and an apparatus for establishing an operating environment by certifying a code image received from a host over a communication link are described. The code image may be digitally signed through a central authority server. Certification of the code image may be determined by a fingerprint embedded within a secure storage area such as a read only memory, (ROM) of the portable device based on a public key certification process. A certified code image may be assigned a hash signature to be stored in a storage of the portable device. An operating environment of the portable device may be established after executing the certified code.“

The patent application was filed on August 5, 2014 (14/452,397).

Host system resources by memory controller
Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA, has been assigned a patent (9,317,461) developed by Sokolov, Dotan, Ra’anana, Israel, and Rotbard, Barak, Tel Aviv, Israel, for a “use of host system resources by memory controller.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”A method for data storage includes, in a system that includes a host having a host memory and a memory controller that is separate from the host and stores data for the host in a non-volatile memory including multiple analog memory cells, storing in the host memory information items relating to respective groups of the analog memory cells of the non-volatile memory. A command that causes the memory controller to access a given group of the analog memory cells is received from the host. In response to the command, a respective information item relating to the given group of the analog memory cells is retrieved from the host memory by the memory controller, and the given group of the analog memory cells is accessed using the retrieved information item.“

The patent application was filed on August 6, 2014 (14/452,743).

Media storage structures for storing content
Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA, has been assigned a patent (9,311,492) developed by Farrugia, Augustin J., Cupertino, CA, Fasoli, Gianpaolo, Palo Alto, CA, Toublet, Bertrand Mollinier, Los Gatos, CA, and Ciet, Mathieu, Paris, France, for a “media storage structures for storing content, devices for using such structures, systems for distributing such structures.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”Some embodiments of the invention provide a content-distribution system. In some embodiments, the content-distribution system distributes device-restricted content and device-unrestricted content. Device-restricted content is content that can only be played on devices that the system associates with the particular user. Device-unrestricted content is content that can be played on any device without any restrictions. However, for at least one operation or service other than playback, device-unrestricted content has to be authenticated before this operation or service can be performed on the content. In some embodiments, the system facilitates this authentication by specifying a verification parameter for a piece of device-unrestricted content. The content-distribution system of some embodiments has a set of servers that supply, (1) media storage structures that store content,, (2) cryptographic keys that are needed to decrypt device-restricted content, and, (3) verification parameters that are needed to verify device-unrestricted content.“

The patent application was filed on September 13, 2012 (13/615,492).

Latency reduction in read operations from data storage in host device
Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA, has been assigned a patent (9,304,711) developed by Stern, Ori Moshe, Modi’in, Israel, for a “latency reduction in read operations from data storage in a host device.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”An apparatus includes a memory and a processor. The processor is configured to send to a storage device a request from an application to retrieve data from the storage device, so as to cause the data to be transferred from the storage device to the memory, to send to the application an acknowledgement that the requested data is available in the memory before the data has been fully transferred from the storage device to the memory, and, when the fetched data is ready in the memory, to provide the data to the application.“

The patent application was filed on October 10, 2012 (13/648,536).