# US 10,503,436 B2 · Storage device and method of operating the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,503,436 B2 - Document ID: US10503436B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/919,704 - Filed: 2018-03-13 - Published: 2019-02-28 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2017-08-22 - Assignees: SK hynix Inc. - Applicants: SK hynix Inc. - Inventors: Jin Soo Kim; Soong Sun Shin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10503436B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/0659: {Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling} - G01C 17/02: Magnetic compasses - G01C 19/00: Gyroscopes; Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses; Turn-sensitive devices without moving masses; Measuring angular rate using gyroscopic effects - G01P 15/00: Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration - G01V 7/00: Measuring gravitational fields or waves; Gravimetric prospecting or detecting - G06F 3/0622: {in relation to access} - G06F 3/0679: {Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]} - G11C 16/22: Safety or protection circuits preventing unauthorised or accidental access to memory cells - G11C 16/0483: {comprising cells having several storage transistors connected in series} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) - G01P: MEASURING LINEAR OR ANGULAR SPEED, ACCELERATION, DECELERATION, OR SHOCK; INDICATING PRESENCE, ABSENCE, OR DIRECTION, OF MOVEMENT (measuring or recording blood flow A61B5/02, A61B8/06; monitoring speed or deceleration of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L3/00; vehicle lighting systems adapted to indicate speed B60Q1/54; determining position or course in navigation, measuring ground distance in geodesy or surveying G01C; combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement G01C23/00; measuring velocity of sound G01H; measuring velocity of light G01J7/00; measuring direction or velocity of solid objects by reception or emission of radiowaves or other waves and based on propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effect, propagation time, direction of propagation, G01S; measuring speed of nuclear radiation G01T; measuring acceleration of gravity G01V; {measuring or recording the speed of trains B61L23/00; speed indicators incorporated in motor vehicles B60K35/00; measuring frequency or phase G01R; traffic control G08G}) - G01V: GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS (means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons A63B29/02) - G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B) ## Abstract Provided herein may be a storage device and a method of operating the same. A storage device for protecting the storage device from physical movement may include a nonvolatile memory device, a sensor unit configured to collect information about physical movement of the storage device, and a memory controller configured to perform a device lock operation of protecting data in the nonvolatile memory device, based on a sensor value acquired from the sensor unit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A storage device, comprising: a nonvolatile memory device; a sensor unit configured to collect information about physical movement of the storage device; and a memory controller configured to perform a device lock operation of protecting data in the nonvolatile memory device based on a sensor value acquired from the sensor unit; wherein the memory controller performs a flush operation to store data temporarily stored in a write cache buffer included in the memory controller to the nonvolatile memory device when the device lock operation is performed, and wherein the memory controller includes a register having a value changed according to an enabled status of the device lock operation indicating whether the device lock operation is activated. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The storage device according to claim 1, wherein the memory controller is configured to perform the device lock operation depending on the enabled status or a disabled status of a device lock mode indicating whether the device lock operation has been activated. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The storage device according to claim 2, wherein the memory controller is configured to: change the device lock mode to enabled status or disabled status in response to a command for instructing the device lock mode to be enabled or disabled, the command being provided from an external host. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The storage device according to claim 3, wherein the memory controller is configured to, when the device lock mode is in enabled status and the sensor value exceeds a threshold, lock the storage device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The storage device according to claim 4, wherein the memory controller is configured to receive, from the external host, a password to be used to unlock the storage device, which is in a locked status, either simultaneously or sequentially with the command for instructing the device lock mode to be enabled, and to store the received password in the nonvolatile memory device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The storage device according to claim 4, wherein the memory controller is configured to abort execution of a command related to access to the nonvolatile memory device, among commands provided from the external host, while the storage device is in a locked status. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The storage device according to claim 6, wherein the command related to the access is any one of a read command and a write command. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The storage device according to claim 4, wherein the memory controller is configured to perform operations corresponding to commands received before the storage device is in a locked status. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The storage device according to claim 5, wherein the memory controller is configured to, when a command for instructing the storage device, which is in the locked status, to be unlocked is provided from the external host, compare a password, received simultaneously or sequentially with the command for instructing the storage device, which is in the locked status, to be unlocked, with a password stored in the nonvolatile memory device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The storage device according to claim 9, wherein the memory controller is configured to, when the password, received simultaneously or sequentially with the command for instructing the storage device, which is in the locked status, to be unlocked, matches the password stored in the nonvolatile memory device, unlock the storage device in the locked status. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The storage device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit comprises one or more sensors configured to collect the information about movement. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The storage device according to claim 11, wherein the one or more sensors comprise at least one of an acceleration sensor, a gravitational sensor, a terrestrial magnetism sensor, and a gyroscope sensor. ### Claim 13 A memory controller for controlling a memory device, comprising: a device lock detection unit configured to output a detection signal when a sensor value related to a physical movement of a storage device, acquired from an external sensor unit, exceeds a threshold; a device lock mode setting unit configured to lock the storage device and output an enable signal indicating that the storage device is in locked status when a device lock mode, indicating whether a device lock operation of protecting data in the memory device is activated, is in enabled status, and the detection signal is inputted; and a device lock processing unit configured to output an abort signal to an external host without executing a command provided from the external host, in response to the enable signal and to perform a flush operation to store data temporarily stored in a write cache buffer included in the memory controller to the memory device in response to the enable signal, wherein the device lock mode setting unit includes a register having a value changed according to an enabled status of the device lock operation indicating whether the device lock operation is activated. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The memory controller according to claim 13, wherein the device lock mode setting unit is configured to change the device lock mode to the enabled status or a disabled status in response to a command for instructing the device lock mode to be enabled or disabled, the command being provided from the external host. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The memory controller according to claim 14, wherein the device lock mode setting unit is configured to receive a password to be used to unlock the storage device in a locked status from the external host, either simultaneously or sequentially with a command for instructing the device lock mode to be enabled. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The memory controller according to claim 15, further comprising a device lock information storage unit configured to store the password and device lock information including locked status of the storage device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The memory controller according to claim 16, wherein the device lock mode setting unit is configured to, when a command for instructing the storage device in the locked status to be unlocked and a password are provided from the external host, unlock the storage device in the locked status based on a result of a comparison between the received password with a password included in the device lock information. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The memory controller according to claim 16, wherein the device lock information storage unit is a nonvolatile memory included in the memory controller or is included in the memory device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The memory controller according to claim 13, wherein the external sensor unit comprises one or more sensors configured to collect the sensor value related to the physical movement. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The memory controller according to claim 19, wherein the one or more sensors comprise at least one of an acceleration sensor, a gravitational sensor, a terrestrial magnetism sensor, and a gyroscope sensor.