US 12,067,265 B2
Idle power mode for external storage device
Pavan D, Bangalore (IN)
Assigned to Western Digital Technologies, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by Western Digital Technologies, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Jul. 30, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/390,643.
Prior Publication US 2023/0035137 A1, Feb. 2, 2023
Int. Cl. G06F 3/06 (2006.01)
CPC G06F 3/0625 (2013.01) [G06F 3/0656 (2013.01); G06F 3/0659 (2013.01); G06F 3/0679 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
12. A method for reducing idle power usage of a storage device, the storage device comprising a media controller, a data interface configured to connect to a host device, storage media, and a bridge controller, the method comprising:
in response to receiving, at the bridge controller, an idle status message from the media controller during a time period in which the media controller is in an unlocked status and no further communications are received from the host device:
saving state data including the unlocked status of the media controller;
sending a shutdown command to the media controller; and
shutting down power to the media controller; and
in response to receiving, at the bridge controller, a read operation or a write operation from the host device:
starting power to the media controller;
providing the media controller with the saved state data to enable the media controller to be restored to the unlocked status;
receiving first data responsive to the read operation or the write operation from the media controller; and
transmitting the first data to the host device;
wherein, in the unlocked status, a user password does not need to be re-provided to access the storage media.