# US 12,761,822 B2 · Control method, storage apparatus, and electronic device

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- Number: US 12,761,822 B2
- Document ID: US12761822B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/821,821
- Filed: 2024-08-30
- Published: 2025-03-06
- Granted: 2026-10-13
- Earliest claimed: 2023-08-31
- Assignees: Lenovo (Beijing) Limited
- Applicants: Lenovo (Beijing) Limited
- Inventors: Xuhui Zhang; Jingyao Zhang; Wenjing Zhang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12761822B2

## CPC

- G06F 3/0634: {by changing the state or mode of one or more devices}
- G06F 3/0619: {in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors}
- G06F 3/0659: {Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling}
- G06F 3/0689: {Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD}
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

A control method includes obtaining a trigger signal that changes an operation status of an electronic device and controlling a target storage member of the electronic device to switch to an application mode corresponding to the trigger signal to cause the target storage member to respond to different data read/write operations from the electronic device through different data read/write paths. Configuration parameters of the target storage member are different in different application modes.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A control method comprising:
obtaining a trigger signal that changes an operation status of an electronic device; and
controlling a target storage member of the electronic device to switch to an application mode corresponding to the trigger signal, the application mode comprising a first application mode or a second application mode, the target storage member comprising a first data interface, a second data interface, a controller core, and a storage area, wherein the first data interface and the second data interface are each configured to communicate data between the target storage member and a member of the electronic device external to the target storage member, the first data interface is configured to transmit data according to a first data transmission protocol, and the second data interface is configured to transmit data according to a second data transmission protocol different from the first data transmission protocol, wherein, when the target storage member is in the first application mode, the target storage member responds to first data read/write operations through a first data read/write path formed by the first data interface, the controller core, and the storage area, wherein, when the target storage member is in the second application mode, the target storage member responds to second data read/write operations through a second data read/write path formed by the second data interface, the controller core, and the storage area, and the first data read/write path and the second data read/write path are different from one another;
wherein the target storage member is associated with first configuration parameters when the target storage member is in the first application mode, the target storage member is associated with second configuration parameters when the target storage member is in the second application mode, and the first configuration parameters are different from the second configuration parameters.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein controlling the target storage member of the electronic device to switch to the application mode corresponding to the trigger signal includes:
in response to the trigger signal comprising a first trigger signal for the electronic device to switch from a first operation status to a second operation status, loading a boot system of the electronic device from the target storage member in the first application mode; and
after the boot system completes a target task, controlling the target storage member to switch from the first application mode to the second application mode to allow the target storage member to respond to a data read/write operation of a member of the electronic device;
wherein power consumption of the target storage member in the first application mode is lower than power consumption of the target storage member in the second application mode.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein controlling the target storage member of the electronic device to switch to the application mode corresponding to the trigger signal includes at least one of:
in response to the trigger signal comprising a second trigger signal of the electronic device switching from a second operation status to a first operation status, controlling the target storage member to switch from the second application mode to the first application mode;
in response to the trigger signal comprising a third trigger signal of the electronic device switching from a third operation status to the first operation status, controlling the target storage member to switch from the second application mode to the first application mode; or
in response to the trigger signal comprising a fourth trigger signal of the electronic device switching from the second or third operation status to a fourth operation status, controlling the target storage member to switch from the second application mode to a third application mode;
wherein the power consumption of the target storage member in the second application mode is greater than power consumption of the target storage member in the first application mode.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method according to claim 3, wherein controlling the target storage member of the electronic device to switch to the application mode corresponding to the trigger signal includes:
controlling the target storage member to switch to a corresponding data interface and/or a power parameter to respond to the first or second data read/write operations from the electronic device.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method according to claim 4, wherein:
controlling the target storage member to switch from the first application mode to the second application mode includes:
controlling the target storage member to switch from the first data interface to the second data interface, and controlling the target storage member to switch from a first power parameter to a second power parameter, to respond to the second data read/write operations of a member of the electronic device through the second data interface; and/or
controlling the target storage member to switch from the second application mode to the first application mode includes:
controlling the target storage member to switch from the second data interface to the first data interface, and controlling the target storage member to switch from the second power parameter to the first power parameter, to respond to the first data read/write operations from the electronic device through the first data interface;
wherein a data read/write rate of the target storage member performed through the first data interface is less than a data read/write rate performed through the second data interface, and the power consumption of the target storage member in the first power parameter is less than the power consumption of the target storage member in the second power parameter.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The method according to claim 4, wherein controlling the target storage member to switch to the corresponding data interface and/or power parameter to respond to the first or second data read/write operations from the electronic device includes:
in response to the trigger signal comprising a first trigger signal of the electronic device switching from the first operation status to the second operation status, loading a boot system of the electronic device from the target storage member through the first data interface; and
after the boot system completes a target task, controlling the target storage member to switch from the first data interface to the second data interface, and controlling the target storage member to switch from a first power parameter to a second power parameter, to respond to the second data read/write operations of a member of the electronic device through the second data interface;
wherein a data read/write rate of the target storage member performed through the first data interface is less than a data read/write rate of the target storage member performed through the second data interface, and power consumption of the target storage member in the first power parameter is less than power consumption of the target storage member in the second power parameter.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6, wherein:
loading the boot system of the electronic device through the first data interface includes:
loading the boot system of the electronic device through the first data read/write path, the first data read/write path further comprising a physical layer of the second data interface; and
responding to the second data read/write operations of the member of the electronic device through the second data interface includes:
responding to the second data read/write operations through the second data read/write path.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of:
in response to obtaining data read/write operations from a first member and a second member of the electronic device, responding to the data read/write operations from the first member and the second member through an only data read/write channel between the controller core and the storage area of the target storage member, the first member performing the data read/write operation on a first block in the storage area, and the second member performing the data/write operation on a second block in the storage area through the second data interface; or
in response to obtaining the data read/write operations from the first member and the second member of the electronic device, responding to the data read/write operation from the first member through a first data read/write channel between the controller core and the storage area of the target storage member, and responding to the data read/write operation from the second member through a second data read/write channel between the controller core and the storage area of the target storage member, wherein the first member performs the data read/write operation on the first block of the storage area through the first data interface, and the second member performs the data read/write operation on the second block in the storage area through the second data interface.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of:
in response to a failure in loading data from a first block of the storage area of the target storage member, performing address search, by the controller core of the target storage member, on a backup block of a target data file in the first block to load the target data file from the backup block.

### Claim 10

A storage apparatus comprising:
a main control chip configured to control configuration parameters of the storage apparatus in one of a plurality of application modes including a first application mode and a second application mode;
a storage area having a data read and write channel with the main control chip and configured to store data content; and
a first data interface and a second data interface connected to the main control chip, wherein, when the storage apparatus is in the first application mode, the storage apparatus responds to first data read and write operations through a first data read and write path formed by the second data interface, a controller core of the main control chip, the data read and write channel, and the storage area, wherein the first data interface and the second data interface are each configured to communicate data between the storage apparatus and a member of an electronic device external to the storage apparatus, the first data interface is configured to transmit data according to a first data transmission protocol, and the second data interface is configured to transmit data according to a second data transmission protocol different from the first data transmission protocol, wherein, when the storage apparatus is in the second application mode, the storage apparatus responds to second data read and write operations through a second data read and write path formed by the first data interface, the controller core, the data read and write channel, and the storage area, and the first data read and write path and the second data read and write path are different from one another, and
wherein the storage apparatus is associated with first configuration parameters when the storage apparatus is in the first application mode, the storage apparatus is associated with second configuration parameters when the storage apparatus is in the second application mode, and the first configuration parameters are different from the second configuration parameters.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The storage apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the controller core stores configuration information of the storage apparatus in the plurality of application modes to cause the storage apparatus to operate in one of the plurality of application modes;
the main control chip includes a first interface physical layer connected to the controller core through a first bus to cause the storage apparatus to provide the first data interface;
the main control chip includes a second interface physical layer connected to the controller core through a second bus to cause the storage apparatus to provide the second data interface; and
the first data read and write path further comprises the second interface physical layer, and the second data read and write path further comprises the first interface physical layer.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The storage apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the controller core stores configuration information of the storage apparatus in the plurality of application modes to cause the storage apparatus to operate in one of the plurality of application modes;
the main control chip includes a first interface physical layer connected to the controller core through a bus to cause the storage apparatus to provide the first data interface;
the main control chip includes a first bridge chip connected to the first interface physical layer through a switch to cause the storage apparatus to use the same bus between the first interface physical layer and the controller core to provide the second data interface; and
the first data read and write path further comprises the first interface physical layer, the switch, and the first bridge chip, and the second data read and write path further comprises the first interface physical layer.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The storage apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:
a first power supply circuit configured to supply power to the main control chip and the storage area through the first data interface; and
a second power supply circuit configured to supply power to the main control chip and the storage area through the second data interface;
wherein:
for each application mode, the storage apparatus is powered selectively via the first power supply circuit or via the second power supply circuit; and
a power supply voltage provided by the first power supply circuit is greater than a power supply voltage provided by the second power supply circuit.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The storage apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the storage area includes:
at least a first area block configured for a first type data read and write operation; and
at least a second area block configured for a second type data read and write operation, the second type being different from the first type;
wherein data read and write operations supported by the storage apparatus have different types when the storage apparatus is in different ones of the plurality of application modes.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The storage apparatus according to claim 14, wherein:
the controller core of the main control chip has a first data read and write channel to the first area block and a second data read and write channel to the second area block to respond to the different types of data read and write operations through the first data read and write channel or the second data read and write channel; or
the first area block and the second area block share a third data read and write channel between the storage area and the controller core of the main control chip, the third data read and write channel responding to data read and write operations for the first area block and the second area block at different times.

### Claim 16

An electronic device comprising:
a motherboard; and
a storage apparatus including:
a main control chip configured to control configuration parameters of the storage apparatus in a plurality of application modes including a first application mode and a second application mode;
a storage area having a data read and write channel with the main control chip and configured to store data content; and
a first data interface and a second data interface connected to the main control chip, wherein the first data interface and the second data interface are each configured to communicate data between the storage apparatus and a member of the electronic device external to the storage apparatus, the first data interface is configured to transmit data according to a first data transmission protocol, and the second data interface is configured to transmit data according to a second data transmission protocol different from the first data transmission protocol, wherein, when the storage apparatus is in the first application mode, the storage apparatus responds to first data read and write operations through a first data read and write path formed by the second data interface, a controller core of the main control chip, the data read and write channel, and the storage area, wherein, when the storage apparatus is in the second application mode, the storage apparatus responds to second data read and write operations through a second data read and write path formed by the first data interface, the controller core, the data read and write channel, and the storage area, and the first data read and write path and the second data read and write path are different from one another, and
wherein the storage apparatus is associated with first configuration parameters when the storage apparatus is in the first application mode, the storage apparatus is associated with second configuration parameters when the storage apparatus is in the second application mode, and the first configuration parameters are different from the second configuration parameters.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The device according to claim 16, further comprising:
a power supply management controller configured to control power parameters of the storage apparatus through a first power supply circuit connected to the first data interface and/or a second power supply circuit connected to the second data interface, wherein for each application mode, the storage apparatus is powered selectively via the first power supply circuit or via the second power supply circuit; or
the motherboard includes a first interface pin matching the first data interface and a second interface pin matching the second data interface of the storage apparatus, the first interface pin being welded with a metal pin of the first data interface, and the second interface pin being welded with a metal pin of the second data interface.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The device according to claim 16, wherein the controller core stores configuration information of the storage apparatus in the plurality of application modes to cause the storage apparatus to operate in one of the plurality of application modes;
the main control chip includes a first interface physical layer connected to the controller core through a first bus to cause the storage apparatus to provide the first data interface;
the main control chip includes a second interface physical layer connected to the controller core through a second bus to cause the storage apparatus to provide the second data interface; and
the first data read and write path further comprises the second interface physical layer, and the second data read and write path further comprises the first interface physical layer.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The device according to claim 16, wherein the controller core stores configuration information of the storage apparatus in the plurality of application modes to cause the storage apparatus to operate in one of the plurality of application modes;
the main control chip further includes a first interface physical layer connected to the controller core through a bus to cause the storage apparatus to provide the first data interface;
the main control chip further includes a first bridge chip connected to the first interface physical layer through a switch to cause the storage apparatus to use the same bus between the first interface physical layer and the controller core to provide the second data interface; and
the first data read and write path further comprises the first interface physical layer, the switch, and the first bridge chip, and the second data read and write path further comprising the first interface physical layer.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The device according to claim 16, further comprising:
a first power supply circuit configured to supply power to the main control chip and the storage area through the first data interface; and
a second power supply circuit configured to supply power to the main control chip and the storage area through the second data interface;
wherein:
for each application mode, the storage apparatus is powered selectively via the first power supply circuit or via the second power supply circuit; and
a power supply voltage provided by the first power supply circuit is greater than a power supply voltage provided by the second power supply circuit.