US 11,656,984 B2
Keeping zones open with intermediate padding
Alan D. Bennett, Edinburgh (GB); Liam Parker, Edinburgh (GB); and Daniel L. Helmick, Broomfield, CO (US)
Assigned to Western Digital Technologies, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by Western Digital Technologies, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Nov. 19, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/455,887.
Application 17/455,887 is a continuation of application No. 16/853,408, filed on Apr. 20, 2020, granted, now 11,200,161.
Prior Publication US 2022/0075718 A1, Mar. 10, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G06F 3/06 (2006.01); G06F 12/02 (2006.01)
CPC G06F 12/0246 (2013.01) [G06F 3/0604 (2013.01); G06F 3/0626 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A storage device, comprising:
a memory device, wherein a capacity of the memory device is divided into a plurality of zones; and
a controller coupled to the memory device, the controller configured to:
write dummy data to a partially filled first zone of the plurality of zones to fill the first zone to a zone capacity;
upon receiving one or more commands to write data to the first zone, open a second zone of the plurality of zones and write the data associated with the one or more commands to a first portion of the second zone; and
re-write the data associated with the partially filled first zone to a second portion of the second zone.