IP Library Granted Patent US 11,392,436
Granted Patent B2
US 11,392,436 · App. 16/837,889 · Granted Jul 19, 2022

Advanced file recovery method for flash memory

Inventors: Ankit Gupta (Karnataka, IN); Narendhiran Chinnaanangur Ravimohan (Karnataka, IN); Abhinand Amarnath (Karnataka, IN)
Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
G06F11/073G06F11/1446
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,392,436
App. No.
16/837,889
Granted
Jul 19, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Aspects of a storage device including a memory and a controller are provided which allow for data associated with a deleted file to be recovered from the memory when the data is overwritten by a new file at the same logical address. To locate the data, the controller may identify a logical address associated with the data based on a directory entry associated with a FAT. The controller may determine a physical location of the data associated with the logical address based on one or more control entries in a L2P mapping table, such as a previous control entry in the table. The controller may also determine the physical location based on a hot count associated with the previous control entry. After the physical location is determined, the controller may associate a new logical address with the physical location of the data to recover the deleted file.

Claims (27)

1. A storage device, comprising:

a memory storing data associated with a deleted file; and

a controller configured to identify a logical address associated with the data, to determine a physical location of the data associated with the logical address based on one or more control entries in a logical-to-physical (L2P) mapping table, and to associate a new logical address with the physical location of the data to recover the deleted file, and to modify the L2P mapping table to reflect the association of the new logical address with the physical location of the data.

2. The storage device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to identify the logical address based on a directory entry associated with a File Allocation Table (FAT) and based on a filename of the deleted file.

3. The storage device of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine the physical location of the data when a data length provided in the directory entry is different than a length of currently stored data associated with a range of logical addresses including the identified logical address.

4. The storage device of claim 2 , wherein the directory entry is an invalidated directory entry stored in the memory, and the controller is further configured to determine a physical address of the invalidated directory entry based on the one or more control entries prior to identifying the logical address associated with the data for the deleted file.

5. The storage device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more control entries in the L2P mapping table include a current control entry associated with the logical address and a previous control entry, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the physical location of the data based on the previous control entry.

6. The storage device of claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine the physical location of the data based on a hot count associated with the previous control entry.

7. The storage device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the data or the one or more control entries are stored in a memory location of the memory that is overprovisioned for invalidated information.

8. The storage device of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to overwrite previous information in the memory location with the at least one of the data or the one or more control entries based on a priority of the previous information.

9. A storage device, comprising:

a memory storing data associated with a deleted file; and

a controller configured to identify a logical address associated with the data based on a directory entry associated with a File Allocation Table (FAT), to determine a physical location of the data associated with the logical address based on one or more control entries in a logical-to-physical (L2P) mapping table, and to associate a new logical address with the physical location of the data to recover the deleted file;

wherein the one or more control entries in the L2P mapping table include a current control entry associated with the logical address and a previous control entry, and wherein the controller is further configured to determine the physical location of the data based on the previous control entry.

10. The storage device of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to identify the logical address based on a filename of the deleted file.

11. The storage device of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine the physical location of the data when a data length provided in the directory entry is different than a length of currently stored data associated with a range of logical addresses including the identified logical address.

12. The storage device of claim 9 , wherein the directory entry is an invalidated directory entry stored in the memory, and the controller is further configured to determine a physical address of the invalidated directory entry based on the one or more control entries prior to identifying the logical address associated with the data for the deleted file.

13. The storage device of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the data or the one or more control entries are stored in a memory location of the memory that is overprovisioned for invalidated information.

14. The storage device of claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to overwrite previous information in the memory location with the at least one of the data or the one or more control entries based on a priority of the previous information.

15. A storage device, comprising:

a memory storing data associated with a deleted file; and

a controller configured to identify a logical address associated with the data based on a directory entry associated with a File Allocation Table (FAT), to determine a physical location of the data associated with the logical address based on one or more control entries in a logical-to-physical (L2P) mapping table, and to associate a new logical address with the physical location of the data to recover the deleted file;

wherein the one or more control entries in the L2P mapping table include a current control entry associated with the logical address and a previous control entry, and wherein the controller is further configured to determine the physical location of the data based on the previous control entry and based on a hot count associated with the previous control entry.

16. The storage device of claim 15 , wherein the controller is further configured to identify the logical address based on a filename of the deleted file.

17. The storage device of claim 15 , wherein the directory entry is an invalidated directory entry stored in the memory, and the controller is further configured to determine a physical address of the invalidated directory entry based on the one or more control entries prior to identifying the logical address associated with the data for the deleted file.

18. The storage device of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the data or the one or more control entries are stored in a memory location of the memory that is overprovisioned for invalidated information.

19. The storage device of claim 18 , wherein the controller is configured to overwrite previous information in the memory location with the at least one of the data or the one or more control entries based on a priority of the previous information.

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 053482 FRAME 0453 Recorded Feb 8, 2022
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 058966/0279 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 19, 2020
From: GUPTA, ANKIT; CHINNAANANGUR RAVIMOHAN, NARENDHIRAN; AMARNATH, ABHINAND
To: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 052988/0140 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 14, 2020
From: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 053482/0453 →