Portable storage device with charge reservoir for higher current operations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017192476-A1
Application number	US-201715399641-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 5, 2017
Priority date	Jan 5, 2016
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus includes a communication interface, a controller, and a power section. The communication interface is configured to receive power from an external host to the apparatus. The controller is configured to limit a current drawn by the communication interface to a predetermined value when the apparatus is powered through the external host. The power section is configured to generate a first voltage from a portion of the limited current drawn by the communication interface. The first voltage powers a data storage circuitry. The power section is further configured to store electrical charges received from another portion of the limited current drawn by the communication interface. The power section is further configured to generate a second voltage from the stored electrical charges in response to a signal from the controller. The second voltage supplements the first voltage during high power events by the data storage circuitry.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus comprising:
a communication interface configured to receive power from an external host to the apparatus; a controller configured to limit a current drawn by the communication interface to a predetermined value when the apparatus is powered through the external host; a primary boost circuit configured to generate a first boost voltage from a portion of the limited current drawn by the communication interface, the first boost voltage powering a data storage circuitry; a charge reservoir configured to store electrical charges received from another portion of the limited current drawn by the communication interface; and a secondary boost circuit configured to generate a second boost voltage from the stored electrical charges of the charge reservoir in response to a signal from the controller, the second boost voltage supplements the first boost voltage during a high power event by the data storage circuitry.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , power needs of the data storage during the high power event exceeds the power received from the external host.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , the first boost voltage is greater than a voltage associated with the received power from the external host.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
the data storage circuitry comprising storage media configured to store data.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , the storage media is selected from a group consisting of a solid state drive and a hard disk drive.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a bridge section configured to provide a control and a data path between the communication interface and the data storage circuit.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , the bridge section is further configured to translate between different communications protocols associated with the data storage circuit and the external host.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , a communication protocol for the external host is a universal serial bus (USB) protocol and a communication protocol for the data storage circuit is serial AT attachment (SATA) protocol.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , the communication interface is a type C universal serial bus (USB) interface.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , the charge reservoir is selected from a group consisting of a battery and a capacitor.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , the external host is a sole external power provider to the apparatus.

12 . An apparatus comprising:
a communication interface configured to receive power from an external host to the apparatus; a controller configured to limit a current drawn by the communication interface to a predetermined value when the apparatus is powered through the external host; and a power section configured to generate a first voltage from a portion of the limited current drawn by the communication interface, the first voltage powering a data storage circuitry, the power section further configured to store electrical charges received from another portion of the limited current drawn by the communication interface, the power section further configured to generate a second voltage from the stored electrical charges in response to a signal from the controller, the second voltage supplements the first voltage during high power events by the data storage circuitry.

13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , power needs of the data storage during the high power events exceeds the power received from the external host.

14 . The apparatus of claim 12 , the controller configured to generate a busy signal in response to determining that electrical charges stored has fallen to a threshold value.

15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , the controller configured to replenish electrical charges by diverting power received from the communication interface away from the data storage circuitry during the time that busy signal is in effect.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , the controller configured to resume with operations of the storage circuitry by removing the busy signal, in response to the electrical charges stored reaching a certain limit.

17 . The apparatus of claim 12 , the controller configured to buffering requests response to determining that electrical charges stored has fallen to a threshold value.

18 . An apparatus comprising:
a communication interface configured to receive power from an external host to the apparatus; a controller configured to limit a current drawn by the communication interface to a predetermined value when the apparatus is powered through the external host; a data storage circuitry comprising storage media configured to store data; and a power section comprising:
a power boost section configured to generate a first voltage from a portion of the limited current drawn by the communication interface, the first voltage powering the data storage circuitry, and the first voltage is greater than a voltage associated with the power received from the external host; and
a charge reservoir configured to store electrical charges received from another portion of the limited current drawn by the communication interface,
the power boost section is further configured to generate a second voltage from the stored electrical charges of the charge reservoir in response to a signal from the controller, the second voltage supplements the first voltage during high power events by the data storage circuitry, the controller is configured to halt charging the charge reservoir during high power events and during a time which the second voltage is generated,
power needs of the data storage circuitry exceeds the power received from the external host the high power events.

19 . The apparatus of claim 18 , the controller is configured to generate a busy signal or buffer requests in response to determining that electrical charges stored in the charge reservoir has fallen to a threshold value, the controller is further configured to replenish electrical charges of the charge reservoir when the charges stored in the charge reservoir has fallen to the threshold value by diverting power received from the communication interface away from the data storage circuitry, and the controller is further configured to resume with operations of the storage circuitry by in response to the electrical charges stored reaching a certain limit.

20 . The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising:
a bridge section configured to provide a control and a data path between the communication interface and the data storage circuit, the bridge section is further configured to translate between different communications protocols associated with the data storage circuit and the external host.

Assignees

• Seagate Technology Llc

Inventors

• Shaw John Wayne
• Dore Robert John
• Massarotti Christopher A
• Jurey Philip
• Razdan Ashutosh
• Yin Philip
• Morgan Michael Gene

Classifications

• G06F13/4022

  using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network (G06F13/4009 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F1/263

  Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC (G06F1/30 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F13/382

  using universal interface adapter · CPC title

• G06F2213/0042

  Universal serial bus [USB] · CPC title

• G06F3/0602

  specifically adapted to achieve a particular effect · CPC title