IP Library Granted Patent US 9,792,048
Granted Patent B2
US 9,792,048 · App. 14/746,598 · Granted Oct 17, 2017

Identifying disk drives and processing data access requests

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,792,048
App. No.
14/746,598
Granted
Oct 17, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for identifying disk drives and processing data access requests. A disk drive may be identified as an Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI) drive, a Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVME) drive, and/or an ATA packet interface (ATAPI) drive. Data access requests for the disk drive may be translated to NVME commands, AHCI commands, or ATAPI commands, based on whether the drive is identified as a NVME drive, an AHCI drive, and/or an ATAPI drive.

Claims (49)

1. A data storage device, comprising:

a direct access interface configured to couple to a computing device;

a set of serial bus connectors configured to couple to a set of disk drives; and

a controller configured to couple to the set of disk drives via the set of serial bus connectors, the controller configured to:

determine whether a first disk drive supports Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVME) commands or Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI) commands;

identify the first disk drive as a NVME drive to the computing device in response to determining that the first disk drive supports NVME commands;

identify the first disk drive as an AHCI drive to the computing device in response to determining that the first disk drive supports AHCI commands; and

identify the first disk drive as an ATA packet interface (ATAPI) drive to the computing device in response to determining that the first disk drive does not support NVME commands and does not support AHCI commands.

2. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the first disk drive supports NVME commands or AHCI commands by:

determining whether the first disk drive comprises a NVME controller or an AHCI controller.

3. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive one or more data access requests from the computing device via the direct access interface.

4. The data storage device of claim 3 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

translate the one or more data access requests to one or more NVME commands in response to determining that the first disk drive supports NVME commands.

5. The data storage device of claim 3 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

translate the one or more data access requests to one or more AHCI commands in response to determining that the first disk drive supports AHCI commands.

6. The data storage device of claim 3 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

translate the one or more data access requests to one or more ATAPI commands in response to determining that the first disk drive supports ATAPI commands.

7. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the set of disk drives comprises one or more of a magnetic disk drive, a solid state disk (SSD) drive, or a hybrid disk drive.

8. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the set of serial bus connectors comprises serial ATA (SATA) connectors.

9. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the set of serial bus connectors comprises peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) connectors.

10. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine whether a second disk drive supports NVME commands or AHCI commands;

identify the second disk drive as a NVME drive to the computing device in response to determining that the second disk drive supports NVME commands;

identify the second disk drive as an AHCI drive to the computing device in response to determining that the second disk drive supports AHCI commands; and

identify the second disk drive as an ATAPI drive to the computing device in response to determining that the second disk drive does not support NVME commands and does not support AHCI commands.

11. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the direct access interface comprises a universal serial bus (USB) interface.

12. The data storage device of claim 3 , wherein the one or more data access requests comprise universal serial bus (USB) attached small computer system interface (SCSI) commands.

13. The data storage device of claim 3 , wherein the one or more data access requests comprise universal serial bus (USB) bulk only transport (BOT) commands.

14. A method, comprising:

determining whether a first disk drive of a set of disk drives supports Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVME) commands or Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI) commands;

identifying the first disk drive as a NVME drive to a computing device in response to determining that the first disk drive supports NVME commands;

identifying the first disk drive as an AHCI drive to the computing device in response to determining that the first disk drive supports AHCI commands; and

identifying the first disk drive as an ATA packet interface (ATAPI) drive to the computing device in response to determining that the first disk drive does not support NVME commands and does not support AHCI commands.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein determining whether the first disk drive supports NVME commands or AHCI comprises:

determining whether the first disk drive comprises a NVME controller or an AHCI controller.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

receiving one or more data access requests from the computing device via a direct access interface.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

translating the one or more data access requests to one or more NVME commands in response to determining that the first disk drive supports NVME commands.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

translating the one or more data access requests to one or more AHCI commands in response to determining that the first disk drive supports AHCI commands.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

translating the one or more data access requests to one or more ATAPI commands in response to determining that the first disk drive supports ATAPI commands.

20. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

determining whether a second disk drive supports NVME commands or AHCI commands;

identifying the second disk drive as a NVME drive to the computing device in response to determining that the second disk drive supports NVME commands;

identifying the second disk drive as an AHCI drive to the computing device in response to determining that the second disk drive supports AHCI commands; and

identifying the second disk drive as an ATAPI drive to the computing device in response to determining that the second disk drive does not support NVME commands and does not support AHCI commands.

Assignments (11)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 8, 2025
From: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 070778/0160 →
PATENT COLLATERAL AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 23, 2024
From: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS THE AGENT
Reel/Frame 068762/0494 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 27, 2024
From: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 067982/0032 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 29, 2024
From: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 067567/0682 →
PATENT COLLATERAL AGREEMENT - A&R LOAN AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 21, 2023
From: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 064715/0001 →
PATENT COLLATERAL AGREEMENT - DDTL LOAN AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 21, 2023
From: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 067045/0156 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL 038744 FRAME 0481 Recorded Feb 8, 2022
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 058982/0556 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 5, 2018
From: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 045501/0714 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 17, 2016
From: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 038722/0229 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 17, 2016
From: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 038744/0281 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 17, 2016
From: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 038744/0481 →