OCZ Assigned Three Patents

Modular mass storage system

OCZ Technology Group, Inc., San Jose, CA, has been assigned a patent (8,446,729) developed by Franz Michael Schuette, Colorado Springs, CO, for a "modular mass storage system and method therefore."

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: "A modular mass storage system and method that enables cableless mounting of ATA and/or similar high speed interface-based mass storage devices in a computer system. The system includes a printed circuit board, a system expansion slot interface on the printed circuit board and comprising power and data pins, a host bus controller on the printed circuit board and electrically connected to the system expansion slot interface, docking connectors connected with the host bus controller to receive power and exchange data therewith and adapted to electrically couple with industry-standard non-volatile memory devices without cabling therebetween, and features on the printed circuit board for securing the memory devices thereto once coupled to the docking connectors."

The patent application was filed on Feb. 26, 2010 (12/713,349).

Computer system with backup function
OCZ Technology Group, Inc., San Jose, CA, has been assigned a patent (8,464,106) developed by Lutz Filor, San Jose, CA, and Franz Michael Schuette, Colorado Springs, CO, for a "computer system with backup function and method therefor."

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: "A solid-state mass storage device and method of anticipating a failure of the mass storage device resulting from a memory device of the mass storage device reaching a write endurance limit. A procedure is then initiated to backup data to a second mass storage device prior to failure. The method includes assigning at least a first memory block of the memory device as a wear indicator, using other memory blocks of the memory device as data blocks for storage, performing program/erase (P/E) cycles and wear leveling on the data blocks, subjecting the wear indicator to more P/E cycles than the data blocks, performing integrity checks and monitoring the bit error rate of the wear indicator, and taking corrective action if the bit error rate increases, including the initiation of the backup procedure and generating a request to replace the device."

The patent application was filed on Feb. 15, 2011 (13/027,597).

Non-volatile storage devices
OCZ Technology Group, Inc., San Jose, CA, has been assigned a patent (8,463,979) developed by Franz Michael Schuette, Colorado Springs, CO, for a "non-volatile storage devices, methods of addressing, and control logic therefor."

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: "Non-volatile storage devices and methods capable of achieving large capacity solid state drives containing multiple banks of memory devices. The storage devices include a printed circuit board, at least two banks of non-volatile solid-state memory devices, bank switching circuitry, a connector, and a memory controller. The bank switching circuitry is integrated onto the memory controller and functionally interposed between the banks of memory devices and the front end of the memory controller. The bank switching circuitry operates to switch accesses by the memory controller among the at least two banks."

The patent application was filed on July 13, 2011 (13/181,589).