# US 11,442,880 B2 · Storage drive adapter

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- Number: US 11,442,880 B2
- Document ID: US11442880B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/226,251
- Filed: 2021-04-09
- Published: 2021-07-22
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2019-06-06
- Assignees: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
- Applicants: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
- Inventors: Andrew Potter; Michael S. Bunker; Timothy A. McCree; Troy Anthony Della Fiora
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11442880B2

## CPC

- G06F 13/385: {for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices}
- G06F 13/387: {for adaptation of different data processing systems to different peripheral devices, e.g. protocol converters for incompatible systems, open system}
- G06F 13/4072: {Drivers or receivers (G06F13/4086 takes precedence; for multistate logic circuits H03K19/0002)}
- G06F 13/4282: {on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus (on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247)}
- G11B 33/126: {Arrangements for providing electrical connections, e.g. connectors, cables, switches}
- G06F 3/0607: {by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device}
- G06F 3/0658: {Controller construction arrangements}
- G06F 3/0679: {Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]}
- G06F 2213/0028: Serial attached SCSI [SAS]
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R)

## Abstract

A storage drive adapter may comprise an adapter board, which may include a first and second carrier module interface to removably engage with a first and a second storage drive carrier module, respectively. The adapter board may further include a dual ported storage drive connector to engage with a complementary storage drive bay interface. The dual ported storage drive connector may include a first port to provide a first signal path from the complementary storage drive bay interface to the first carrier module interface. Similarly, the dual ported storage drive connector may also include a second port to provide a second signal path from the complementary storage drive bay interface to the second carrier module interface.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for a storage drive adapter, the method comprising:
engaging an adapter housing of the storage drive adapter with a storage drive bay containing a complementary storage drive bay interface;
aligning a first storage drive carrier module into an opening of the adapter housing such that the first storage drive carrier module electrically engages with a first carrier module interface of the storage drive adapter;
aligning a second storage drive carrier module into the opening of the adapter housing such that the second storage drive carrier module electrically engages with a second carrier module interface of the storage drive adapter, wherein the storage drive adapter comprises:
an adapter board enclosed in the adapter housing;
the first carrier module interface on the adapter board;
a second carrier module interface on the adapter board;
a dual ported storage driver connector on the adapter board to engage with the complementary storage drive bay interface, the dual ported storage drive connector to receive a power input from the complementary storage drive bay interface and to provide the power input to each of the first and second carrier module interfaces, the dual ported storage drive connector including:
a first port to provide a signal path from the complementary storage drive bay interface to the first carrier module interface;
a second port to provide a signal path from the complementary storage drive bay interface to the second carrier module interface; and
removing the first storage drive carrier module from the adapter housing while keeping the adapter housing engaged with the storage drive bay and the second storage drive carrier module electrically engaged with the second carrier module interface.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the second drive module is aligned into the opening laterally adjacent to the first carrier drive module.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the storage drive bay is a Small Form Factor (SFF) storage drive bay.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second storage drive carrier modules each include a solid state storage drive disposed within the carrier modules.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the dual ported storage drive connector is a dual ported Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) connector.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the storage drive adapter comprises a carrier module retention mechanism to engage each of the first and second storage driver carrier modules within the adapter housing.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the storage drive adapter comprises a carrier module ejection mechanism to remove the first storage driver carrier module from the adapter housing.