# US 11,442,665 B2 · Storage system and method for dynamic selection of a host interface > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,442,665 B2 - Document ID: US11442665B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/178,447 - Filed: 2021-02-18 - Published: 2022-06-09 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2020-12-04 - Assignees: Western Digital Technologies, Inc. - Applicants: Western Digital Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: Rakesh Balakrishnan; Eldhose Peter; Shiva K - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11442665B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/0659: {Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling} - G06F 3/0604: {Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management} - G06F 3/0607: {by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device} - G06F 3/064: {Management of blocks} - G06F 3/0658: {Controller construction arrangements} - G06F 3/0661: {Format or protocol conversion arrangements} - G06F 3/0683: {Plurality of storage devices} - G06F 13/1684: {using multiple buses} - G06F 13/38: Information transfer, e.g. on bus (G06F13/14 takes precedence) - G06F 13/4282: {on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus (on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247)} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A storage system and method for dynamic selection of a host interface are provided. In one embodiment, a storage system is provided comprising a memory and a controller. The controller is configured to receive, from a host, a selection of a first host interface; in response to receiving the selection of the first host interface, implement the first host interface; after the first host interface has been implemented, receive, from the host, a selection of a second host interface; and in response to receiving the selection of the second host interface, implement the second host interface even though the first host interface was previously implemented. Other embodiments are provided. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A storage system comprising: a memory; and a controller configured to: implement a first host interface upon establishing communication with a host; after the first host interface has been implemented, receive, from the host via the first host interface, a command to prepare for a switch from the first host interface to a second host interface; in response to receiving the command to prepare for the switch load firmware to execute on the controller to implement the second host interface; send an acknowledgement to the host that the storage system is prepared for the switch; receive, from the host via the first host interface, a command to switch from the first host interface to the second host interface; and in response to receiving the command to switch, implement the second host interface. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The storage system of claim 1, further comprising a host interface module configured to receive, from the host, the commands to prepare and switch. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The storage system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to partition the memory into a first set of blocks allocated for the first host interface. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The storage system of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to partition the memory into a second set of blocks allocated for the second host interface. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The storage system of claim 1, wherein the memory comprises a three-dimensional memory. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The storage system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to complete an in-progress memory operation using the first host interface before implementing the second host interface. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The storage system of claim 1, wherein: one of the first and second host interfaces comprises a Secure Digital (SD) interface; and the other of the first and second host interfaces comprises a peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) interface. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The storage system of claim 1, further comprising a connector compatible with the first and second host interfaces. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The storage system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to switch between the first and second host interfaces a plurality of times. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The storage system of claim 1, wherein the command to prepare comprises a vendor-specific command. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The storage system of claim 1, wherein the host comprises an application layer, a driver layer, and a physical layer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The storage system of claim 11, wherein the storage system comprises a physical layer, a command layer, and a controller back-end layer. ### Claim 13 A method comprising: performing the following in a host: establishing communication with a storage system comprising a memory, wherein a first host interface is implemented by the storage system upon establishing communication; sending, to the storage system via the first host interface, a command to prepare for a switch from the first host interface to a second host interface, wherein the storage system loads firmware to implement the second host interface in response to receiving the command to prepare for the switch; receiving an acknowledgement from the storage system that the storage system is prepared for the switch; sending, to the storage system via the first host interface, a command to switch from the first host interface to the second host interface; and receiving an acknowledgement from the storage system that the storage system has implemented the second host interface. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein: one of the first and second host interfaces comprises a Secure Digital (SD) interface; and the other comprises a peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) interface. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the command to prepare comprises a vendor-specific command. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the host determines to send the command to prepare based on power usage. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the host determines to send the command to prepare based on bandwidth. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising sending commands to switch between the first and second host interfaces a plurality of times. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein: the host comprises an application layer, a driver layer, and a physical layer; and the storage system comprises a physical layer, a command layer, and a controller back-end layer. ### Claim 20 A storage system comprising: a memory; means for implementing a first host interface upon establishing communication with a host; means for loading firmware to implement a second host interface in response to receiving, from the host, a command to prepare for a switch from the first host interface to the second host interface; means for sending an acknowledgement to the host that the storage system is prepared for the switch; and means for implementing the second host interface in response to receiving, from the host, a command to switch from the first host interface to the second host interface.