US 8,411,526 B2Granted

Storage device, electronic device, and storage device control method

AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba

InventorShinichiro Nakazumi

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Abstract

A storage device includes a volatile memory, an auxiliary power source, a nonvolatile memory, a write module, and an inhibition module. The volatile memory stores user data. The auxiliary power source supplies power to the volatile memory when power from a main power source is cut off. The nonvolatile memory is written with the user data, write incomplete information indicating the user data, and power off information indicating that power from the main power source is cut off. While supplied with power from the auxiliary power source when power from the main power source is cut off, the write module writes the write incomplete information, the user data, and the power off information to the nonvolatile memory. The inhibition module inhibits reading of the user data if the power off information is not written in the nonvolatile memory when the volatile memory is supplied with power.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A storage device comprising:

a volatile memory configured to store user data;
an auxiliary power source configured to supply power to the volatile memory when power from a main power source to the volatile memory is cut off;
a nonvolatile memory configured to be written with the user data stored in the volatile memory, write incomplete information indicating the user data stored in the volatile memory, and power off information indicating that power from the main power source is cut off;
a write module configured to be supplied with power from the auxiliary power source when power from the main power source is cut off, to write the write incomplete information to the nonvolatile memory, to write the user data stored in the volatile memory to the nonvolatile memory after writing the write incomplete information, and to write the power off information to the nonvolatile memory after writing the user data;
and
an inhibition module configured to, if the power off information is not written in the nonvolatile memory when the volatile memory is supplied with power from the main power source, inhibit the user data indicated by the write incomplete information from being read from the nonvolatile memory.

3 more elements

An electronic device comprising:

a host device configured to transmit user data;
a volatile memory configured to store the user data received from the host device;
an auxiliary power source configured to supply power to the volatile memory when power from a main power source to the volatile memory is cut off;
a nonvolatile memory configured to be written with the user data stored in the volatile memory, write incomplete information indicating the user data stored in the volatile memory, and power off information indicating that power from the main power source is cut off;
a write module configured to be supplied with power from the auxiliary power source when power from the main power source is cut off, to write the write incomplete information to the nonvolatile memory, to write the user data stored in the volatile memory to the nonvolatile memory after writing the write incomplete information, and to write the power off information to the nonvolatile memory after writing the user data;
and
an inhibition module configured to, if the power off information is not written in the nonvolatile memory when the volatile memory is supplied with power from the main power source, inhibit the user data indicated by the write incomplete information from being read from the nonvolatile memory.

4 more elements

A method of controlling a storage device comprising a volatile memory configured to store user data, an auxiliary power source configured to supply power to the volatile memory when power from a main power source to the volatile memory is cut off, a nonvolatile memory configured to be written with the user data stored in the volatile memory, write incomplete information indicating the user data stored in the volatile memory, and power off information indicating that power from the main power source is cut off, and a controller, the method comprising:

writing the write incomplete information to the nonvolatile memory, writing the user data stored in the volatile memory to the nonvolatile memory after writing the write incomplete information, and writing the power off information to the nonvolatile memory after writing the user data by the controller that is supplied with power from the auxiliary power source when power from the main power source is cut off;
and
inhibiting the user data indicated by the write incomplete information from being read from the nonvolatile memory by the controller if the power off information is not written in the nonvolatile memory when the volatile memory is supplied with power from the main power source.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/187,365Filed 20 Jul 2011
Priority: JP 2010-20611914 Sep 2010
Published: US 2012/0063255 A115 Mar 2012
Granted: 2 Apr 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

G06F 11/1441
At system level: resetting or repowering
G06F 11/2015
Using active fault-masking, e.g. by switching out faulty elements or by switching in spare elements: redundant power supplies
G11C 5/141
Power supply arrangements , e.g. power down, chip selection or deselection, layout of wirings or power grids, or multiple supply levels: battery…
G06F
Computing and data processing