Systems, methods and devices for regulation or isolation of backup power in memory devices

A data storage device comprising:

• a hard-disc housing structure containing,
• a power supply input for providing operating power;
• a memory control circuit;
• a nonvolatile, solid-state memory circuit for providing memory access, under control of the memory control circuit, to data;
• a caching memory circuit having a primary-operating power input and for storing a cached version of the data, the caching memory circuit subject to loss of the cached version of the data in response to a voltage at a primary-operating power input dropping below a voltage threshold level;
• an operating power circuit for carrying power the power supply input to the primary-operating power input of the caching memory circuit;
• and
• a backup power circuit including
• a power-reservoir circuit, including a capacitor, designed to hold a peak charge sufficient to provide substantially all power the primary-operating power input during a minimum time period sufficient to permit transfer of at least dirty data from the caching memory circuit to the nonvolatile memory circuit, and
• a buck-boost regulator circuit for providing voltage regulation of power from the power supply input, for blocking power from flowing to the power supply input from the capacitor when the primary-operating power drops below the voltage threshold level and for dedicating use of the regulated power to the power-reservoir circuit.

A method of using a data storage device, the method comprising:

• providing access to data stored within a nonvolatile solid-state memory circuit under control of a memory control circuit;
• caching data within a volatile memory circuit to facilitate the operation of the data storage device including access to the solid-state memory circuit;
• delivering power received from a host-system power supply to the volatile memory circuit for use as primary-operating power;
• storing, in one or more energy-storage components within an energy-storage circuit, an amount of energy sufficient to provide substantially all of the primary-operating power to the volatile memory circuit during a minimum time period sufficient to permit transfer of at least dirty data from the volatile memory circuit to the nonvolatile memory circuit;
• regulating, using an isolation-regulation circuit, the power received from the host-system power supply;
• isolating, using an isolation-regulation circuit, the power received from the host-system power source relative to the energy-storage circuitry in response to the host-system provided power dropping below a voltage threshold level;
• and
• charging the energy-storage component using the regulated and isolated power from the isolation-regulation circuit.