IP Library Granted Patent US 11,010,326
Granted Patent B2
US 11,010,326 · App. 16/137,277 · Granted May 18, 2021

Universal serial bus voltage reducing adaptor

Inventors: Charles Neumann (Lake Forest, CA); Robert P. Ryan (Mission Viejo, CA)
Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
G06F13/4282G06F1/28G06F1/3225G06F1/3296H01R31/065G06F2213/0042H01R24/62H01R2107/00H01R2201/06
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,010,326
App. No.
16/137,277
Granted
May 18, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided to receive a voltage at a first value at a voltage reducing adaptor, ascertain a voltage supply requirement for the memory arrangement to obtain and ascertained voltage supply requirement, reduce the voltage from the first value to the ascertained voltage supply requirement within the adaptor and supply the voltage at the ascertained voltage supply requirement to the memory arrangement.

Claims (57)

1. An arrangement, comprising:

a first connector;

a second connector;

a voltage reducing adaptor coupled between the first connector and the second connector, wherein the first connector is configured to be coupled to a host, and the second connector is configured to be coupled to a solid state drive;

voltage conversion circuitry disposed within the voltage reducing adaptor configured to:

accept a first voltage provided by the host at the first connector;

ascertain a voltage supply requirement for the arrangement to obtain an ascertained voltage supply requirement;

reduce the first voltage to a second voltage meeting the ascertained voltage supply requirement; and

transmit the second voltage to the second connector, wherein the voltage conversion circuitry is configured to conserve power and reduce an amount of heat produced by the solid state drive; and

two USB buses extending from the first connector to the second connector, each of the USB buses configured to send and receive signals to and from the computer host and the solid state drive.

2. The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein a first of the two USB buses operates under USB2 protocol.

3. The arrangement according to claim 2 , wherein a second of the two USB buses operates under USB3 protocol.

4. The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the voltage conversion circuitry allows for a variable voltage output.

5. The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the first connector is at least one of a type A and type C connector.

6. The arrangement according to claim 5 , wherein the second connector is at least one of a type A and type C connector.

7. The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the voltage conversion circuitry comprises a microprocessor configured to control the voltage output to the second connector.

8. A method of providing an electrical voltage to a memory arrangement, comprising:

receiving a voltage provided by a host at a first value through a first connector of a voltage reducing adaptor coupled to the host;

ascertaining a voltage supply requirement of the memory arrangement, the memory arrangement being coupled to a second connector of the voltage reducing adaptor;

reducing the voltage from the first value to a second value meeting the ascertained voltage supply requirement of the memory arrangement;

transmitting the voltage through the voltage reducing adaptor to the memory arrangement at the second value, wherein the voltage reducing adaptor is configured to conserve power and reduce an amount of heat produced by the memory arrangement; and

sending and receiving signals to and from the host and the memory arrangement through two USB buses, the two USB buses extending from the first connector through the voltage reducing adaptor to the second connector.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the memory arrangement is a solid state drive.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the voltage reducing adaptor is compliant with a universal serial bus protocol in transmitting data.

11. A method of providing an electrical voltage to a memory arrangement, comprising:

receiving a voltage at a first value at a voltage reducing adaptor through a first connector;

ascertaining a voltage supply requirement for the memory arrangement to obtain an ascertained voltage supply requirement;

reducing the voltage from the first value to the ascertained voltage supply requirement within the adaptor;

supplying the voltage at the ascertained voltage supply requirement to the memory arrangement through a second connector of the voltage reducing adaptor, wherein the voltage reducing adaptor is configured to conserve power and reduce an amount of heat produced by the memory arrangement; and

sending and receiving signals to and from a host and the memory arrangement through two USB buses.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the memory arrangement is a solid state drive.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the voltage reducing adaptor is compliant with a universal serial bus protocol.

14. An arrangement for providing an electrical voltage to a memory arrangement, comprising:

a voltage reducing adaptor comprising a first connector configured to be coupled to a host and a second connector configured to be coupled to the memory arrangement;

means for receiving a voltage at a first value at the first connector of the voltage reducing adaptor;

means for ascertaining a voltage supply requirement for the memory arrangement to obtain an ascertained voltage supply requirement;

means for reducing the voltage from the first value to the ascertained voltage supply requirement within the voltage reducing adaptor;

means for transporting data from a first end of the arrangement to a second end of the arrangement, wherein the means for transporting data is two USB buses configured to send and receive signals to and from a host and the memory arrangement; and

means for supplying the voltage at the ascertained voltage supply requirement to the memory arrangement through the second connector of the voltage reducing adaptor, wherein the voltage reducing adaptor is configured to conserve power and reduce an amount of heat produced by the memory arrangement.

15. The arrangement according to claim 14 , wherein the memory arrangement is a solid state drive.

16. The arrangement according to claim 14 , wherein the voltage reducing adaptor is compliant with a universal serial bus protocol.

17. An arrangement for providing an electrical voltage to a memory arrangement, comprising:

means for transmitting data from a first end of the arrangement to a second end of the arrangement, wherein the means for transmitting data is two USB buses configured to send and receive signals to and from a host and the memory arrangement;

means for receiving a voltage at a first value at a first connector of a voltage reducing adaptor;

means for ascertaining a voltage supply requirement for the memory arrangement to obtain an ascertained voltage supply requirement;

means for reducing the voltage from the first value to a second value, the second value being equal to the ascertained voltage supply requirement;

means for transmitting the voltage through a second connector of the voltage reducing adaptor to the memory arrangement at the second value;

means configured to couple the arrangement to the host to accept the voltage at the first value; and

means configured to couple the arrangement to the memory arrangement, wherein the voltage reducing adaptor is configured to conserve power and reduce an amount of heat produced by the memory arrangement.

18. The arrangement according to claim 17 , wherein the means configured to couple the arrangement to the host to accept the voltage at the first value is compliant with a universal serial bus protocol.

19. The arrangement according to claim 17 , wherein the means configured to connect the arrangement to the memory arrangement is compliant with a universal serial bus protocol.

20. The arrangement according to claim 17 , wherein the memory arrangement is a solid state drive.

21. The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the voltage conversion circuitry comprises a voltage divider circuit.

22. The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the voltage conversion circuitry comprises a zener diode or a simple series transistor.

23. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the voltage reducing adaptor comprises a voltage divide circuit, a zener diode, or a simple series transistor.

24. The arrangement according to claim 14 , wherein the voltage reducing adaptor comprises a voltage divide circuit, a zener diode, or a simple series transistor.

25. The arrangement according to claim 17 , wherein the voltage reducing adaptor comprises a voltage divide circuit, a zener diode, or a simple series transistor.

Assignments (10)
PARTIAL RELEASE OF SECURITY INTERESTS Recorded Apr 25, 2025
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS AGENT
To: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 071382/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 25, 2025
From: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 071050/0001 →
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 052915 FRAME 0566 Recorded Feb 8, 2022
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 059127/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 6, 2020
From: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 052915/0566 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 21, 2018
From: NEUMANN, CHARLES; RYAN, ROBERT P.
To: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 046933/0533 →