HGST/WD Assigned Seven Patents

Multiple ECC codeword sizes in SSD
HGST Netherlands B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, has been assigned a patent (9,430,326) developed by Barndt, Richard David, San Diego, CA, for a “multiple ECC codeword sizes in an SSD.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “Methods for writing multiple codewords having multiple sizes to a solid-state device are provided. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a plurality of host data units for storage in a solid-state non-volatile memory. The method includes dividing the plurality of host data units among a plurality of data payloads, wherein a first data payload comprises a first host data unit and a second data payload comprises a portion of a second host data unit. The method includes encoding the first data payload into a first codeword having a first codeword size. The method includes encoding the second data payload into a second codeword having a second codeword size, the second codeword size being different from the first codeword size. The method includes writing the first codeword and the second codeword to a first page in the solid-state non-volatile memory. Systems and machine-readable media are also provided.“

The patent application was filed on July 22, 2014 (14/338,264).

Tempered pacing of shingled magnetic storage devices
HGST Netherlands B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, has been assigned a patent (9,417,814) developed by Hall, David, Rochester, MN, for a “tempered pacing of shingled magnetic storage devices.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “To provide enhanced operation of data storage devices and systems, various systems, apparatuses, methods, and software are provided herein. In a first example, a data storage device is provided that includes storage media comprising a shingled magnetic recording, (SMR) storage region. The data storage device also includes a storage control system configured to receive write operations and responsively store write data in a first storage region prior to transferring into the SMR storage region. The storage control system is configured to determine a reporting pace for transferring the write operations from the first storage region into the SMR storage region, the reporting pace establishing a target performance that is tempered from storage of the write data into the first storage region. The storage control system is configured to report completion of the write operations over a host interface at the reporting pace.“

The patent application was filed on February 12, 2015 (14/620,397).

Onset layer for perpendicular magnetic recording media
HGST Netherlands B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, has been assigned a patent (9,412,404) developed by Bian, Xiaoping, Saratoga, CA, Chang, Jack Jyh-Kau, Fremont, CA, Mercado, Mark F., Morgan Hill, CA, Mirzamaani, Mohammad T., and Tang, Kai, San Jose, CA, for a “onset layer for perpendicular magnetic recording media.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A magnetic storage medium according to one embodiment includes a substrate, an onset layer formed above the substrate, the onset layer comprising ruthenium and titanium oxide, and a magnetic oxide layer formed directly on the onset layer. A method according to one embodiment includes sputtering using a target of ruthenium and titanium oxide for forming an onset layer above a substrate, the onset layer comprising ruthenium and titanium oxide, and forming a magnetic oxide layer directly on the onset layer. Additional systems and methods are also presented.“

The patent application was filed on December 15, 2009 (12/638,894).

High speed input/output performance in solid state devices
HGST Technologies Santa Ana, Inc., Santa Ana, CA, has been assigned a patent (9,411,522) developed by Calvert, William, Cranleigh, Great Britain, Boorman, Stephen Russell, Bookham, Great Britain, and Haynes, Simon Mark, Send, Great Britain, for a “high speed input/output performance in solid state devices.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A method of transferring data in a flash storage device is provided. A plurality of data segments for transfer between a memory buffer and a plurality of flash memory devices via a plurality of flash memory interfaces is associated with a plurality of respective memory commands. The plurality of memory commands are allocated among the plurality of flash memory interfaces, with each respective memory command being queued at a respective memory interface for transfer of a respective data segment associated with the respective memory command. The plurality of data segments are transferred between the memory buffer and the plurality of flash memory devices based on the plurality of memory commands, with each respective data segment being transferred via the memory interface to which the memory command associated with the respective data segment is queued. The data segments are transferred sequentially in an order corresponding to the queued memory commands.“

The patent application was filed on May 22, 2015 (14/720,697).

Content data management
HGST Netherlands B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, has been assigned a patent (9,400,876) developed by Hirai, Tatsuya, and Inagaki, Yukihide, Kanagawa, Japan, for a “content data management system and method.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “Embodiments of the present invention provide a simplified authentication transaction for reconnecting a storage device to a host apparatus that has completed authentication in the past. According to one embodiment, an authentication log is recorded in the host. Plural units of this log information are recorded in the storage device. At the time of transferring a content decryption key and usage rules between the host and the storage device, the decryption key and usage rules are recorded into the host as a log for the transfer. The used authentication log is recorded into the storage device as RAPDI. If RAPDI indicates the authentication log in the simplified authentication transaction, recovery transaction is permitted. The host device deletes/invalidates or holds the log for the transfer in accordance with non-permission/permission. In the case of permission, the key and usage rules are recovered by using a log for the transfer prior to the simplified authentication transaction.“

The patent application was filed on October 24, 2008 (12/288,954).

Reducing overcounting of track-level damage
caused by adjacent-track and far-track interference
HGST Netherlands B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, has been assigned a patent (9,390,751) developed by Hall, David Robison, Rochester, MN, for a “reducing overcounting of track-level damage caused by adjacent-track and far-track interference.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A technique implemented by a processor may include controlling a write head to write data to at least one partition of a data track of a magnetic data storage medium. The data track may include a plurality of partitions. The technique also may include determining, for each partition of the at least one partition, whether the partition has been previously written to by inspecting a partition overlap register associated with the data track. The partition overlap register stores a respective entry for each partition indicating whether the partition has been previously written to. The technique also may include, in response to determining that at least one respective partition of the at least one partition has been previously written to, incrementing a damage counter of at least one adjacent track and resetting each entry of the partition overlap register to indicate that each respective partition has not been previously written to.“

The patent application was filed on October 7, 2015 (14/877,290).

Information storage device with multiple-use fields in servo pattern
HGST Netherlands B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, has been assigned a patent (9,384,779) developed by Coker, Jonathan Darrel, Rochester, MN, and Flynn, David Timothy, Mantorville, MN, for a “information storage device with multiple-use fields in servo pattern.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “An embodiment of the present invention implements some or all major servo subfunctions for a storage device in integrated servo fields comprising sequences of encoded bits having selected mathematical properties. The integrated servo field is composed of a number of encoded sequences, which are members of a selected sequence set that is constrained to preferably provide some or all of the following functions: the Servo Track Mark, (STM), the Position Error Signal, (PES) and location information such as the track-ID. The juxtaposition of sequences in the servo wedges is additionally constrained to increase the detectability of the contribution of adjacent sequences in the read signal. The integrated servo fields can provide a Position Error Signal, (PES) in relation to the center of a data track through the amplitude of the signal read for adjacent sequences.“

The patent application was filed on December 18, 2009 (12/653,862).