Multi-gear solid-state storage self-heating method and system

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of solid state disks, in particular to a multi-gear solid state storage self-heating method and system.The system comprises a host and a solid state storage device, the host obtains self-heating capacity parameters of the solid state storage device and system multi-point temperature information, and the self-heating capacity parameters of the solid state storage device and system multi-point temperature information are obtained by combining a power supply type and a preset temperature control strategy; and a heating instruction containing a target temperature gear and a self-heating power gear is generated, the solid-state storage device responds to the instruction to execute step-by-step self-heating until the target gear is reached, and the host continuously monitors the working state of the device at the same time and dynamically adjusts or terminates the heating instruction. Heating of the solid-state storage device can be accurately controlled according to the actual situation, unnecessary electric energy consumption is reduced, the normal working temperature requirement of the device is met, meanwhile, energy waste is reduced, and the energy utilization efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of solid-state drive technology, and in particular to a multi-level solid-state storage self-heating method and system. Background Technology

[0002] With the widespread adoption of solid-state storage (SSD) technology, the application areas of SSD devices are constantly expanding, including enterprise storage devices, mobile storage devices, embedded systems, industrial storage devices, and automotive storage devices. However, SSD devices are prone to data uncorrectability issues in low-temperature environments. To address this problem, existing self-heating technologies monitor the device temperature using internal temperature sensors and, when necessary, utilize the device's own heating mechanism to raise the operating temperature of the NandFlash, thereby ensuring the stability of stored data and guaranteeing normal operation of the storage device in various environments. However, this self-heating solution may rapidly deplete power in scenarios with low battery levels, especially in power-intensive devices such as mobile phones and tablets, where chip self-heating may accelerate battery consumption.

[0003] Furthermore, solid-state storage devices require aging tests during production to weed out unreliable storage cells, and these tests necessitate significant resources for temperature chambers. More importantly, the substantial electrical energy consumed by these chambers increases production costs and leads to considerable energy waste. In current production practices, improving storage device performance often requires prolonged testing under various environmental conditions, including high and low temperatures and high humidity, which undoubtedly increases the demand for temperature chambers and energy consumption. Therefore, finding a method that meets production needs while reducing energy consumption is a crucial problem that needs to be addressed. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a multi-level solid-state storage self-heating method and system, which precisely controls the heating of solid-state storage devices according to actual conditions, reduces unnecessary power consumption, and reduces energy waste and improves energy utilization efficiency while meeting the normal operating temperature requirements of the devices.

[0005] The first aspect of this application provides a multi-level solid-state storage self-heating method, applied to a multi-level solid-state storage self-heating system, the multi-level solid-state storage self-heating system including a host and a solid-state storage device, the method comprising: The host acquires the self-heating capability parameters of the solid-state storage device and the system multi-point temperature information; The host generates a heating command that includes the target temperature level and the self-heating power level based on the multi-point temperature information of the system, the power supply type and the preset temperature control strategy. In response to the heating command, the solid-state storage device performs a self-heating operation to achieve graded self-heating until the target temperature level is reached. The host continuously monitors the working status of the solid-state storage device and dynamically adjusts or terminates the heating command.

[0006] In an optional implementation, the method further includes: When the host determines that the power supply type is solar power, it acquires day and night time information or solar panel charging and discharging information. The host dynamically adjusts the heating power level and the target temperature level of the solid-state storage device based on the day / night time information or the solar panel charging / discharging information.

[0007] In an optional implementation, the method further includes: The host determines the device type and supported power level of the solid-state storage device; The host matches a corresponding self-heating control strategy from the preset temperature control strategy according to the device type, the power level, and the power supply type; The host sends a heating command carrying the self-heating control strategy to the solid-state storage device.

[0008] In an optional implementation, the method further includes: When the host determines that the device type is a mobile terminal, it determines whether the solid-state storage device is in a hibernation state, a screen-off state, or a low battery state. When the host determines that the mobile terminal is in a sleep state, a screen-off state, or a low battery state, it limits the heating power of the solid-state storage device.

[0009] In an optional implementation, the method further includes: The solid-state storage device continuously monitors the real-time temperature of the medium. When the real-time temperature of the medium reaches the target temperature level, it sends a temperature compliance signal to the host. If the host does not issue a stop heating command within a preset time threshold after receiving the temperature target status signal, the solid-state storage device automatically determines that the termination state is allowed and stops the self-heating operation on its own.

[0010] In an optional implementation, the method further includes: The solid-state storage device calculates the estimated power consumption required for this heating based on the target temperature level, and uploads the estimated power consumption value to the host. After receiving the estimated power consumption value, the host performs one or a combination of the following operations: dynamically adjusting the heating power level of other solid-state storage devices based on the current total power supply capacity of the system and the heating needs of multiple devices; modifying the timing of the heating command issuance to prioritize the allocation of heating resources to solid-state storage devices with lower estimated power consumption; and issuing commands to delay heating or reduce the target temperature level to some solid-state storage devices with the lowest temperature when the total estimated power consumption exceeds the threshold of the system's power supply capacity.

[0011] In an optional implementation, the method further includes: The host monitors the environmental parameters and the working status of the storage medium. When any one of the forced heating conditions is met, a forced heating command is generated and sent to the solid-state storage device. The forced heating conditions include ambient temperature triggering conditions, user-initiated triggering conditions, and storage medium reliability protection conditions. In response to the forced heating command, the solid-state storage device immediately starts to perform self-heating operation at a power level matching the forced heating command until the host issues a termination command, and continues to respond to other data access commands from the host during the self-heating process.

[0012] A second aspect of this application provides a multi-level solid-state storage self-heating system, the system comprising: A host computer and a solid-state storage device, wherein the host computer and the solid-state storage device are communicatively connected; The host is used to acquire the self-heating capability parameters of the solid-state storage device and the system multi-point temperature information; and to generate a heating command including the target temperature level and the self-heating power level based on the system multi-point temperature information, power supply type and preset temperature control strategy. The solid-state storage device is used to respond to the heating command and perform a self-heating operation to achieve graded self-heating until the target temperature grade is reached; The host is also used to continuously monitor the working status of the solid-state storage device and dynamically adjust or terminate the heating command.

[0013] In summary, the multi-level solid-state storage self-heating method and system provided in this application have at least one of the following beneficial effects: 1. By using graded self-heating and dynamically adjusting heating commands according to actual conditions, it can more accurately control the degree of heating compared to traditional self-heating solutions, avoiding unnecessary overheating, thereby reducing power consumption to a certain extent and alleviating the problem of rapid power consumption in low temperature and low power scenarios. 2. Utilizing the self-heating function of the solid-state storage device, the host generates heating commands based on multi-point temperature information of the system, enabling the solid-state storage device to self-heat in stages. In the production and testing phase, some tests may not rely entirely on the temperature chamber to create a specific temperature environment. The solid-state storage device can achieve the corresponding temperature conditions through its own staged self-heating, thereby reducing the demand for temperature chamber resources and reducing the large amount of electricity consumed by the operation of the temperature chamber. This achieves the goal of reducing production costs and energy waste, and solves the problem of high energy consumption in aging tests during the production process. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a logic block diagram of a multi-level solid-state storage self-heating system shown in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating a multi-level solid-state storage self-heating method according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0015] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0016] The following will clearly and completely describe the concept, specific structure, and technical effects of the present invention in conjunction with embodiments and accompanying drawings, so as to fully understand the purpose, features, and effects of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. Other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are all within the scope of protection of the present invention. Furthermore, all connections / linkages involved in the patent do not simply refer to direct contact between components, but rather to the ability to form a better connection structure by adding or reducing connecting accessories according to specific implementation conditions. The various technical features in this invention can be combined interactively without contradicting each other.

[0017] Reference Figure 1 The diagram shown is a logic block diagram of a multi-level solid-state storage self-heating system according to an embodiment of this application. The multi-level solid-state storage self-heating system includes a host and a solid-state storage device, and the host and the solid-state storage device are communicatively connected.

[0018] In some embodiments, the host may include, but is not limited to, a server CPU, BMC, mobile AP, or main control CPU in other embedded boards. The host obtains the self-heating capability parameters of any solid-state storage device and multi-point temperature information of the system through in-band (PCIe / SATA / SAS) or out-of-band (SMBUS) communication interfaces. The self-heating capability parameters include identification information on whether the solid-state storage device supports self-heating function; a list of supported power levels and corresponding temperature ranges.

[0019] To facilitate understanding of the inventive concept of this application, a server as a solid-state storage device will be used as an example. The system's multi-point temperature information includes BMC temperature, SSD board temperature, and Nand Flash temperature.

[0020] Next, the host computer, combining the currently acquired information such as temperature and power supply type, arbitrates and sends heating commands (carrying information such as power level / target temperature level) to each SSD. SSDs in different locations can carry different power level / target temperature level parameters, and some SSDs may not need to send heating commands. For example, if the host computer is a server, it can communicate with each component via the SMBUS bus and obtain information such as temperature / device type (in addition, in mobile phone application scenarios, the mobile phone AP chip can generally know whether it is charging or the current battery capacity, etc.), thereby issuing heating commands with different parameters to SSDs in different locations.

[0021] Each SSD activates its self-heating function according to the received power / temperature level information. While the SSDs are performing self-heating, the host continuously monitors the temperature at each point and determines whether each SSD needs to stop self-heating based on the preset temperature control strategy, and issues a stop-heating command to the SSDs that need to stop temperature rise.

[0022] Reference Figure 2 The diagram shown is a flowchart illustrating a multi-level solid-state storage self-heating method according to an embodiment of this application. The multi-level solid-state storage self-heating method is applied to a multi-level solid-state storage self-heating system and includes the following steps.

[0023] S21, the host obtains the self-heating capability parameters of the solid-state storage device and the temperature information of multiple points in the system.

[0024] In some embodiments, the host sends a custom command, GET_HEATING_CAPABILITY, to the target solid-state storage device via an in-band communication interface (such as a PCIe bus). This command uses the NVMe protocol vendor extended command format, with the command code defined as 0xXX (example value), and the data payload includes the device address identifier. Alternatively, it sends a Vendor-Defined type message to the SSD's dedicated management address via an out-of-band interface (such as SMBUS), with the message identifier matching a predefined "self-heating capability query" instruction. After receiving the command, the solid-state storage device controller reads the self-heating capability parameters from the configuration table pre-stored in the firmware, including: a self-heating function support identifier (1 bit, 0 / 1 indicating not supported / supported); a list of supported power levels (e.g., 2W / 10W / 25W, represented by enumerated values); and an effective temperature control range (e.g., minimum heating temperature -20℃, maximum controllable temperature 85℃). Solid-state storage devices return response messages through the original communication channel. The data fields are encapsulated with parameters according to a preset structure (such as TLV format). Example response data: [Support:1][Power Levels:0x03(2W|10W)][Temp Range:-20℃~70℃].

[0025] Simultaneously, the host synchronously obtains the SSD's internal temperature sensor value via the GET_TEMP command extension field, or polls the device's internal temperature using the independent READ_TEMP command to obtain multi-point temperature information for the system. Additionally, the host reads real-time values ​​from the temperature sensor integrated within the CPU package via the PECI protocol to obtain the CPU's internal temperature, the BMC reports temperature data from key locations within the chassis (such as air inlets / outlets) via the IPMB interface to obtain the chassis ambient temperature, and acquires additional sensor data via the system management bus (such as I2C) to obtain the temperatures of other peripherals.

[0026] After obtaining the system's multi-point temperature information, the host can store the system's multi-point temperature information (including timestamps) in shared memory or a dedicated temperature management table, for example, {SSD_Slot0:22℃, CPU_Die:45℃, Chassis_Inlet:18℃, BMC_Timestamp:0xXXXX}.

[0027] Furthermore, the host performs time-series alignment of the collected self-heating capacity parameters with the system's multi-point temperature information, filters invalid data (such as default parameters of devices that have not responded to timeouts), and verifies the validity of the data according to preset verification rules (such as whether the temperature value is within the sensor's range, whether the power level matches the device specifications, etc.). Finally, the verified parameters are combined into a Heating_Context data structure for subsequent calls.

[0028] In some embodiments, after obtaining the temperature information of each SSD in each slot, for devices that do not meet the temperature requirements, the self-heating power level information supported by the device is obtained from the SSD configuration information, such as 2W, 10W, 25W, and 40W as shown in Table 1, and the validity of the level is verified based on the device model or firmware version.

[0029] Table 1:

[0030] S22, the host generates a heating command that includes the target temperature level and the self-heating power level based on the multi-point temperature information of the system, the power supply type and the preset temperature control strategy.

[0031] Based on the device's current temperature and supported heating power levels, and combined with the current power supply type, a pre-configured truth table (i.e., a preset temperature control strategy, such as Table 2) is prepared. The corresponding power level is selected as a parameter to send a heating command carrying the target temperature and heating power level to the designated slot. Different SSDs in different locations can carry different power level / target temperature level parameter information; some SSDs may not send heating commands. Alternatively, in mobile terminal application scenarios, the preset temperature control strategy can be set as follows: after the phone's temperature is collected, if the current battery level is low and the temperature is between -10°C and 50°C, no heating command is sent; if the phone is charging and the battery level is greater than 20%, low-power heating can be used; if the battery level is greater than 50%, high-power heating can be used; if the battery level is less than 10% and not charging, no heating command is actively sent, and low-power heating to -10°C is performed after the user presses a button, unlocks the phone, or forces a restart.

[0032] Table 2:

[0033] The target temperature setting, target power setting, and duration parameters are encapsulated as a storage protocol extension command (OpCode=0xD5).

[0034] S23, the solid-state storage device responds to the heating command and performs a self-heating operation to achieve graded self-heating until the target temperature level is reached.

[0035] The self-heating operation can be understood as operating the chip in a high-power state and raising its temperature through high-power self-heating. This can include any one or more of the following combinations of heating methods: 1) Operating the NAND Flash storage medium chip in the solid-state storage chip (UFS / eMMC / BGA SSD) or solid-state hard drive (SSD) in a high-power read / write erase state, such as performing an empty read operation on the NAND Flash, which causes the NAND Flash to heat up; 2) Operating high-power IP peripherals such as LDPC on the main control chip inside the solid-state storage chip or solid-state hard drive in a high-power state, such as putting it into a high-iteration error correction algorithm mode, which increases the power consumption of the IP; 3) Adding new storage media, such as PCM, to solid-state storage and operating this high-power storage medium in a high-power state, which can easily and quickly raise the temperature of the entire solid-state storage device.

[0036] When a solid-state storage device (SSD) receives a heating command carrying a target temperature level, it parses the target temperature level and heating power level information from the command. The SSD can then select any one or more of the aforementioned self-heating operations to perform tiered self-heating until the target temperature level is reached. For example, at a low power level (e.g., 2W), read operations are performed only on some of the chips with the lowest temperatures; at a high power level (e.g., 40W), read operations are performed on all chips simultaneously. The SSD continuously monitors its internal temperature until the target temperature level is reached.

[0037] In some embodiments, the solid-state storage device can perform a self-heating operation upon receiving a heating command carrying a target power level. For example, the self-heating operation can be configured as follows: assuming the solid-state storage contains 8 Nand Flash chips (8 chips), at low power, only the two chips with the lowest temperature can be read; at medium power, four chips can be read; and at high power, all 8 storage chips can be read simultaneously.

[0038] It should be noted that the self-heating operation described above is merely an example; other methods, such as incorporating high-power IPs within the chip, can also be included in the preset temperature control strategy. Furthermore, while self-heating, solid-state storage devices can still respond to other commands issued by the host, such as reading and writing data.

[0039] S24, the host continuously monitors the working status of the solid-state storage device and dynamically adjusts or terminates the heating command.

[0040] During the self-heating operation of the solid-state storage device, the host can continuously monitor the operating status of the solid-state storage device via in-band or out-of-band bus, including but not limited to the current temperature and heating power consumption.

[0041] Based on monitoring results and preset temperature control strategies, the host can dynamically adjust the parameters of the heating command (such as the target temperature level and heating power level) or terminate the heating command. For example, when the internal temperature of the solid-state storage device reaches or exceeds the target temperature level, the host can issue a stop heating command; or when the system power supply type changes (such as switching from battery power to AC power), the host can adjust the heating power to adapt to the new power supply conditions.

[0042] For example, during the aging process of solid-state drives (SSDs), the host sends commands to the SSDs in multiple slots, requiring them to heat up to 50°C or higher. When some SSDs have already heated up to 50°C or higher, a power outage and reset occur. After restarting, the server sends commands to these drives again, requiring them to heat up to 50°C. At this point, SSDs that have already exceeded 50°C do not need to take self-heating measures.

[0043] In an optional implementation, the method further includes: When the host determines that the power supply type is solar power, it acquires day and night time information or solar panel charging and discharging information. The host dynamically adjusts the heating power level and the target temperature level of the solid-state storage device based on the day / night time information or the solar panel charging / discharging information.

[0044] The power supply type can include battery power, AC power, and solar power.

[0045] Different power supply types have different characteristics and limitations. Solar power is greatly affected by sunlight conditions, resulting in unstable energy supply and potential energy limitations. Accurately identifying the power supply type is fundamental for subsequent targeted adjustments based on its characteristics, ensuring stable and efficient operation of the solid-state storage device under various power supply conditions. In some embodiments, after the solid-state storage device starts up, its power management module begins operation, monitoring the power input in real time. By detecting the voltage and current characteristics of the power supply, as well as specific identification signals, the current power supply type is determined. If the detected input power supply matches the typical characteristics of solar power, such as voltage fluctuations within a certain range and consistency with the output characteristics of the solar panel, and a specific identification signal is received from the solar panel, then the power supply type is determined to be solar power. The power supply type is then sent to the host, allowing the host to know the power supply type of the solid-state storage device and adjust the heating command accordingly.

[0046] Once the power supply type is determined to be solar-powered, the host can obtain the geographical location information of the solid-state storage device and determine its corresponding day / night time information, including sunrise and sunset times, and whether it is currently daytime or nighttime. Based on the obtained day / night time information, the host determines that it is currently daytime. Considering that solar power is relatively abundant during the day, but to ensure that the solid-state storage device maintains good performance under various ambient temperatures, the host can issue a self-heating command to the solid-state storage device to maintain it at an appropriate temperature. Simultaneously, based on the current ambient temperature (obtained through a temperature sensor installed on the solid-state storage device) and the device's historical operating data, the target temperature level is dynamically adjusted. For example, if the ambient temperature is low, but historical data shows that the device's performance is not significantly affected at similar temperatures, the target temperature level is set to a lower level to save energy; conversely, if the ambient temperature is close to the lower limit of the solid-state storage device's optimal operating temperature, and historical data indicates that performance degrades at this temperature, the target temperature level is appropriately increased to ensure stable device performance. Alternatively, when the host determines that it is currently nighttime, due to the interruption of solar power, electrical energy mainly relies on battery storage, which is limited. Therefore, the host sets the target heating temperature of the solid-state storage device to a low level. The target temperature setting is dynamically adjusted by the host based on the remaining battery power and the host's operating status. If the battery power is sufficient and the host is in an active operating period, and the solid-state storage device needs to operate within a certain temperature range, the target temperature setting is set to a lower level that ensures safe data storage. If the battery power is low and the host is idle or in hibernation mode, the solid-state storage device is allowed to hibernate at a lower temperature to extend the overall battery life of the device.

[0047] In some embodiments, the host can monitor the power generation current of the solar panel and the charging and discharging current of the battery in real time. When it detects that the power generation of the solar panel is greater than the current total power consumption of the system (including the power consumption of the solid-state storage device, the host, and other peripheral devices), it determines that the power generation is sufficient. The host can then appropriately increase the heating power level and target temperature level according to the actual needs of the solid-state storage device. For example, if the solid-state storage device is idle but the ambient temperature is extremely low (e.g., below -10°C), to prevent damage to the storage medium due to low temperature, the host adjusts the heating power level to a medium-high level (e.g., 70% of the maximum power) and sets the target temperature level to 35°C. Alternatively, when the power generation of the solar panel is less than the total power consumption of the system, or the battery percentage is lower than a preset threshold (e.g., 30%), the host determines that the power generation is insufficient or the battery level is low. The host prioritizes ensuring the basic operating functions of the solid-state storage device and significantly reduces the heating power level and target temperature level. For example, the heating power level is adjusted to the lowest level (e.g., 10% of the maximum power) and the target temperature level is set to 0°C to reduce power consumption and ensure that the system can continue to operate for a period of time, waiting for the power supply to be restored or the user to take appropriate measures.

[0048] The above-described optional implementation methods, which dynamically adjust the heating power level and target temperature level of the solid-state storage device, are optimization strategies based on the characteristics of solar power supply and the impact of day-night variations on power supply. During the day when power is relatively abundant, appropriately increasing the heating power level and setting the target temperature level ensures that the solid-state storage device operates in a suitable temperature environment. Conversely, at night when power is limited, reducing the heating power level and adjusting the target temperature level effectively saves energy, extends the device's battery life, and ensures that the device can still operate normally under limited energy conditions, meeting the basic needs of data storage and retrieval.

[0049] In an optional implementation, the method further includes: The host determines the device type and supported power level of the solid-state storage device; The host matches a corresponding self-heating control strategy from the preset temperature control strategy according to the device type, the power level, and the power supply type; The host sends a heating command carrying the self-heating control strategy to the solid-state storage device.

[0050] In some embodiments, in addition to the power supply type, the device type may also be considered. The device type may include servers, outdoor solar-powered embedded devices, or mobile terminal devices (such as mobile phones). Different device types and different power supply types require different heating measures and temperature control strategies; for example, the strategies for solar-powered devices differ between day and night.

[0051] The self-heating control strategy can be set such that if the SSD temperature in slot 0 has reached the required ambient temperature for aging (50°C), no heating command will be sent to the SSD in that slot; if the SSD in slot 8 has good ventilation and the temperature is only 45°C, a command will be sent to heat it to 50°C.

[0052] In an optional implementation, the method further includes: When the host determines that the device type is a mobile terminal, it determines whether the solid-state storage device is in a hibernation state, a screen-off state, or a low battery state. When the host determines that the mobile terminal is in a sleep state, a screen-off state, or a low battery state, it limits the heating power of the solid-state storage device.

[0053] In some embodiments, when the device type is determined to be a mobile terminal, taking a solid-state storage device (such as UFS or eMMC) in a smartphone as an example, the specific implementation of limiting heating power in its hibernation / screen-off / low battery states is determined, considering whether the device is in a hibernation / screen-off / low battery state. Specifically, the host can confirm that the device is a mobile terminal storage module through the device identifier (such as "Mobile-UFS") in the storage device firmware or the communication protocol (such as the Device Descriptor field of the UFS protocol). The host obtains screen status signals through the system power management interface (such as Android's PowerManager API or iOS's IOKit). If the screen off time exceeds a threshold (such as 30 seconds) or the system enters a low-power mode (such as Doze mode), it is determined to be in a "screen-off state"; if the system does not respond to any user input and the CPU frequency drops to the minimum, it is determined to be in a "hibernation state". Simultaneously, the battery capacity can be obtained to determine whether the battery is in a low battery state (e.g., below 20%).

[0054] When the host detects that the device has entered a sleep or screen-off state, or that the battery is low, it immediately executes a power limiting procedure. That is, the host can set power limiting rules, for example, when it is determined that the screen is off, the heating power is limited to 0.5W to maintain only the basic heat preservation function (target temperature -0°C); when it is determined that the device is in a sleep state, the power is reduced to 0.2W to prevent the storage medium temperature from dropping below a dangerous threshold (such as -10°C).

[0055] Based on the status detection results, the host embeds the power limit field corresponding to the power limit rule (e.g., Power_Limit=2W) into the custom command of the NVMe / UFS protocol and sends it to the smartphone as a heating limit instruction. After parsing the command, the smartphone controller achieves power control by scheduling low-power IP cores (such as idle channels of the NAND interface) or reducing the frequency of read and write tasks; for example, in 0.2W mode, only the read and write operations of one NAND chip are activated, instead of all chips working in parallel.

[0056] The host polls the screen status and system power signal every 5 seconds. If the device resumes from sleep mode to screen-off mode, the host automatically increases the heating power from 0.2W to 0.5W. If the battery temperature is detected to be too low (e.g., <0°C) or the charging status changes, the power adjustment is triggered first to avoid battery damage.

[0057] Secondly, if the smartphone temperature rises back to a safe range (e.g., above 0°C), the limited heating will be terminated; or if the limited heating duration exceeds a preset threshold (e.g., 1 hour), the limited heating will also be automatically triggered; or the user can force wake up the device through a physical button (e.g., long press the power button), and the host will temporarily remove the power limit and restore the default 2W heating until the temperature reaches the target.

[0058] In other embodiments, when the smartphone is in normal working condition (screen on / user active), the smartphone is allowed to use a default heating power (e.g., 3W) for low temperature compensation.

[0059] For example, in an environment of -10°C, the host sends a heating command (power level / temperature level) to the smartphone, requesting it to heat to zero degrees with maximum power. However, -20°C may only be the temperature of the phone's outer casing, while the internal temperature of the storage device may be higher than zero due to continuous operation. In this case, the storage device may not take any action in response to the command. Alternatively, the phone may have been outdoors with the screen off for a long time, causing the storage chip to go into hibernation and drop in temperature. In this case, the storage chip in the phone will take heating measures according to the command until it reaches zero degrees and maintains that temperature.

[0060] Through the above optional implementation methods, by strongly linking the mobile terminal status with the heating power, the power consumption is reduced by 80% in sleep / screen-off mode, significantly extending battery life. Simultaneously, it avoids overheating from affecting the phone's battery life; and it maintains basic heat preservation when the device is idle, allowing users to use the device immediately after waking it up without waiting for the storage medium to heat up. In an optional implementation, the method further includes: The solid-state storage device continuously monitors the real-time temperature of the medium. When the real-time temperature of the medium reaches the target temperature level, it sends a temperature compliance signal to the host. If the host does not issue a stop heating command within a preset time threshold after receiving the temperature target status signal, the solid-state storage device automatically determines that the termination state is allowed and stops the self-heating operation on its own.

[0061] Since communication delays or host malfunctions may cause heating commands to time out, this embodiment uses an autonomous temperature determination and timeout self-termination mechanism on the storage device side to ensure the safety and energy efficiency of the heating process, avoiding overheating or energy waste caused by the host's failure to respond in time. This embodiment uses a solid-state drive (SSD) in a server cluster as an example to illustrate the specific implementation of the SSD autonomously terminating heating after reaching the target temperature. Specifically, each SSD has a built-in high-precision temperature sensor (such as an NTC thermistor) to collect the NAND Flash medium temperature in real time, and a sampling period is set (e.g., 1 second). The SSD controller continuously compares the real-time temperature with the target temperature level (e.g., 50°C) issued by the host; when the medium temperature is detected to be ≥50°C for 3 seconds, a temperature compliance status signal (Temp_Reach=True) is generated and reported to the host through the in-band notification mechanism of the PCIe bus (e.g., Vendor-Defined Message).

[0062] When the host issues a heating command, it simultaneously sets a timeout termination parameter (e.g., Timeout=30 seconds) and embeds a custom command field. After sending a temperature reachability signal, the SSD controller starts an internal timer. If it does not receive a stop heating command (Stop_Heating) from the host within 30 seconds, it automatically determines that termination is allowed. The SSD stops self-heating by disabling internal high-power IP cores (such as NAND read / write channels and ECC engines) or reducing the clock frequency. Upon receiving the temperature reachability signal, the host immediately issues a stop heating command, and the SSD disables its self-heating function upon receiving the command. If the host fails to respond due to system crash or bus failure, the SSD forcibly terminates heating after a timeout and records an event log (including timestamp, temperature profile, and termination reason). Simultaneously, the log is periodically reported to the server BMC via the SMBus protocol for maintenance personnel to troubleshoot problems.

[0063] It should be noted that the preset time threshold can be dynamically set. For example, if the ambient temperature in the server room is high (e.g., 35°C), the host can dynamically shorten the timeout threshold (e.g., from 30 seconds to 15 seconds) to accelerate the termination of heating and prevent overheating; if the ambient temperature is low (e.g., 10°C), the threshold can be extended to 60 seconds to ensure temperature stability.

[0064] Through the above optional implementation methods, the storage device's autonomous termination mechanism avoids continuous heating due to host communication failures, preventing SSD media from being damaged by overheating. Simultaneously, heating automatically stops after a timeout, reducing unnecessary energy consumption; and the logging and anomaly handling mechanisms support rapid fault location, improving the operational efficiency of large-scale storage clusters.

[0065] In an optional implementation, the method further includes: The solid-state storage device calculates the estimated power consumption required for this heating based on the target temperature level, and uploads the estimated power consumption value to the host. After receiving the estimated power consumption value, the host performs one or a combination of the following operations: dynamically adjusting the heating power level of other solid-state storage devices based on the current total power supply capacity of the system and the heating needs of multiple devices; modifying the timing of the heating command issuance to prioritize the allocation of heating resources to solid-state storage devices with lower estimated power consumption; and issuing commands to delay heating or reduce the target temperature level to some solid-state storage devices when the total estimated power consumption exceeds the threshold of the system's power supply capacity.

[0066] The heating needs of different devices may conflict with the system's power supply capacity, especially in battery-powered or high-density deployment environments, where insufficient power margin may prevent some devices from achieving their heating goals. Therefore, it is necessary to achieve globally optimized allocation of power supply capacity through solid-state storage device power consumption prediction reporting and host dynamic resource scheduling mechanisms to avoid system crashes or heating failures caused by localized overloads. In this embodiment, taking multiple eMMC storage devices in an outdoor embedded solar power system as an example, the specific implementation of solid-state storage device power consumption prediction reporting and host dynamic resource allocation is illustrated. Specifically, it includes the following steps: Step 1: Calculate and report estimated power consumption.

[0067] Solid-state storage devices establish a dynamic power consumption model based on the target temperature range (e.g., 40℃), current medium temperature (e.g., -15℃), number of storage chips (e.g., 8 NAND chips) and historical power consumption data sent by the host. For example, the estimated power consumption (W) = base power (2W) + temperature difference (ΔT=55℃) × coefficient (0.1W / ℃) + number of chips (8) × power per chip (0.3W), then 2W + 55×0.1 + 8×0.3 = 10.9W (rounded to 11W).

[0068] And upload the estimated power consumption value to the host in one of the following ways: (1) The HEATING_POWER_REPORT field in the NVMe protocol vendor extension command is used to encapsulate the estimated power consumption value (unit: watt, accuracy 0.1W) and the device's unique identifier; (2) Write the estimated power consumption data at the specified offset in the data segment through the Vendor-Defined message of the SMBUS protocol, and the message header is identified as "Power Estimation Response".

[0069] Step 2: Assess and allocate power supply capacity on the host side.

[0070] After receiving the estimated power consumption values ​​of each solid-state storage device, the host performs the following operations: (1) Calculate the current total available power supply capacity of the system (i.e., the current total power supply capacity, also known as the total available power): If the power supply type is battery powered, then the total available power = current battery capacity percentage × battery rated power × dynamic load factor (preset based on battery health status). If powered by AC or solar, the total available power = rated power of the power adapter - system base load power; (2) Generate a multi-device heating priority queue: Solid-state storage devices are sorted from low to high based on estimated power consumption to form an initial priority list; the list order is then adjusted based on the heat conduction efficiency of the device's location within the system (e.g., devices closer to the heat dissipation duct have lower priority).

[0071] (3) Dynamic allocation of heating resources: Iterate through the priority list and assign heating power levels to the devices in order, ensuring that the total estimated power consumption of the assigned devices does not exceed 90% of the total available power supply capacity of the system (with a 10% margin to cope with transient fluctuations). If a device is unable to be assigned a target temperature setting due to insufficient power supply, an alternative instruction will be generated for it: reduce the target temperature setting to the highest value that meets the power supply constraints; or delay the heating start time until the power supply resources are released after other devices have finished heating.

[0072] Step 3: Dynamic resource scheduling strategy.

[0073] Strategy 1: Adjust the heating power settings of other devices: The host prioritizes the heating needs of critical SSDs (such as 11W devices storing log data); power limiting instructions are issued to non-critical SSDs (such as 8W devices) to reduce their target temperature from 40℃ to 30℃ and the estimated power consumption to 6W; the total power consumption after adjustment is: 11W + 6W + 6W + 4W = 27W (meeting the 35W limit).

[0074] In some embodiments, after receiving the estimated power consumption value, the host may allocate heating resources to solid-state storage devices with lower estimated power consumption, in addition to prioritizing the allocation of heating resources to solid-state storage devices that will be used soon.

[0075] In an optional implementation, the method further includes: The host monitors the environmental parameters and the working status of the storage medium. When any one of the forced heating conditions is met, a forced heating command is generated and sent to the solid-state storage device. The forced heating conditions include ambient temperature triggering conditions, user-initiated triggering conditions, and storage medium reliability protection conditions. In response to the forced heating command, the solid-state storage device immediately activates the power setting corresponding to the forced heating command to perform self-heating operation until the host issues a termination command, and continues to respond to other data access commands from the host during the self-heating process.

[0076] Among them, the ambient temperature trigger condition refers to the host determining, through the temperature sensor, that the ambient temperature of the whole machine is lower than the preset extreme low temperature threshold (such as -20℃); the user-initiated trigger condition refers to the host receiving a forced heating request input by the user through the human-machine interface; the storage medium reliability protection condition refers to the host determining that the storage medium is in a high reliability mode (such as SLC mode) and the real-time temperature is close to the preset failure temperature threshold.

[0077] In special circumstances such as extremely low ambient temperatures, urgent user needs, or storage media reliability risks, conventional gradual heating strategies may not be able to quickly meet the demands and could even lead to data loss or equipment damage. For example, low temperatures may cause storage media to malfunction, urgent user data access needs may be hindered by heating delays, or low temperatures may pose reliability risks to the storage media.

[0078] Upon receiving a forced heating command from the host, the solid-state storage device (SSD) immediately initiates self-heating at the corresponding power level (e.g., maximum power). Once self-heating is initiated, the SSD maintains this power level until the host issues a termination command. During the heating process, the SSD monitors its own temperature in real time using a temperature sensor and feeds the temperature data back to the host, allowing the host to decide whether to issue a termination command based on the actual situation.

[0079] During the self-heating process, the core control unit of the solid-state storage device (such as the solid-state drive controller) remains in normal working order, capable of responding promptly to other data access commands sent by the host, such as data read commands and data write commands. This ensures that the host's normal operation of the stored data is not affected during heating, guaranteeing the real-time performance and integrity of the data. The host incorporates a mechanism for delayed rereading after heating to address uncorrectable data errors that occur when reading data at low temperatures. That is, in a low-temperature environment, when the host sends a data read command to the solid-state storage device, the device performs the read operation. Since low temperatures may degrade the performance of the storage medium, uncorrectable errors may occur during the read process. The solid-state storage device's error detection and correction module (ECC module) detects the read data. When the number of uncorrectable errors exceeds a preset threshold (e.g., uncorrectable errors appear in every 4KB of data), it is determined that the read operation is affected by low temperatures. Once the read operation is determined to be affected by low temperatures, the solid-state storage device immediately sends relevant information back to the host, which then determines whether to initiate a forced heating operation based on the aforementioned forced heating conditions. If the forced heating conditions are met, forced heating is initiated according to the above procedure. If the forced heating conditions are not met, the host can also minimize further impact on the storage medium through other methods (such as reducing workload, reducing data access frequency, etc.) and wait for the ambient temperature to rise naturally or take other auxiliary heating measures (such as using external heating equipment to locally heat the environment where the device is located). Simultaneously, after initiating the heating operation, the host sets a delay time (e.g., 5 minutes), which is reasonably set according to the characteristics of the storage medium and the heating rate. After the delay time expires, the host sends the same data read command to the solid-state storage device again. At this time, because the storage medium temperature has risen and performance has recovered, the probability of encountering uncorrectable errors when rereading data is significantly reduced, thereby improving the success rate and accuracy of data reading.

[0080] Through the above optional implementation methods, by introducing a forced heating mechanism, the host is allowed to immediately trigger maximum power heating when specific conditions are detected, ensuring that the storage medium quickly reaches a safe operating temperature while ensuring the continuity of data access.

[0081] Compared to existing technologies, this application allows the host to precisely issue commands to activate the self-heating function when the solid-state storage device temperature is lower than the specifications of the storage medium. This effectively ensures that the medium temperature quickly rises to meet the specifications, guaranteeing stable operation of the storage medium at a suitable temperature. During the aging process of solid-state drives (SSDs), the host can issue commands based on specific needs to ensure that the SSD operates strictly within a specified temperature range, which helps improve the accuracy of aging tests and product quality stability. When the entire system faces special requirements, even if the internal temperature of the SSD is higher than the minimum temperature required by the medium specifications (usually zero degrees Celsius), the heating function can still be forcibly activated to meet the operating requirements of the entire system under extreme conditions. Furthermore, this application implements temperature-level control based on different operating modes of the storage medium. For example, in SLC mode, when the temperature is -10°C, there is no need to activate heating, achieving refined and intelligent temperature control. In addition, through power-level design, it can better adapt to the power management strategy of the entire system. Whether in diverse application scenarios such as battery power or outdoor solar power, power resources can be rationally allocated, energy utilization efficiency can be optimized, and the stability and reliability of the entire system can be improved.

[0082] It should be noted that, for the sake of simplicity, the foregoing method embodiments are all described as a series of actions. However, those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the described order of actions, because according to the present invention, some steps can be performed in other orders or simultaneously. Furthermore, those skilled in the art should also understand that the embodiments described in the specification are preferred embodiments, and the actions and modules involved are not necessarily essential to the present invention.

[0083] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0084] The above is a detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described. Those skilled in the art can make various equivalent modifications or substitutions without departing from the spirit of the present invention. All such equivalent modifications or substitutions are included within the scope defined by the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A multi-position solid state storage self-heating method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a multi-gear solid-state storage self-heating system, and the multi-gear solid-state storage self-heating system comprises a host and a solid-state storage device, and the method comprises the following steps: The host obtains self-heating capability parameters and system multi-point temperature information of the solid-state storage device; The host generates a heating instruction containing a target temperature gear and a self-heating power gear according to the system multi-point temperature information, a power supply type and a preset temperature control strategy; The solid-state storage device responds to the heating instruction, performs a self-heating operation to realize gear-by-gear self-heating, and stops until the target temperature gear is reached; The host continuously monitors the working state of the solid-state storage device and dynamically adjusts or terminates the heating instruction.

2. The multi-position solid state storage self-heating method of claim 1, wherein, The method further comprises the following steps: When the host determines that the power supply type is solar power supply, the host obtains day and night time information or solar panel charging and discharging information; The host dynamically adjusts the heating power gear and the target temperature gear of the solid-state storage device according to the day and night time information or the solar panel charging and discharging information.

3. The multi-position solid state storage self-heating method of claim 1, wherein, The method further comprises the following steps: The host determines the device type and the supported power gear of the solid-state storage device; The host matches a corresponding self-heating control strategy from the preset temperature control strategy according to the device type, the power gear and the power supply type; The host sends a heating instruction carrying the self-heating control strategy to the solid-state storage device.

4. The multi-position solid state storage self-heating method of claim 3, wherein, The method further comprises the following steps: When the host determines that the device type is a mobile terminal, the host determines whether the solid-state storage device is in a hibernation state, a screen-off state or a low battery state; When the host determines that the mobile terminal is in a hibernation state, a screen-off state or a low battery state, the host limits the heating power of the solid-state storage device.

5. The multi-position solid state storage self-heating method of claim 1, wherein, The method further comprises the following steps: The solid-state storage device continuously monitors the real-time temperature of the medium, and sends a temperature meeting state signal to the host when detecting that the real-time temperature of the medium reaches the target temperature gear; When the host does not issue a stop heating command within a preset time threshold after receiving the temperature meeting state signal, the solid-state storage device automatically determines that it is in an allowed termination state and stops the self-heating operation.

6. The multi-position solid state storage self-heating method of claim 1, wherein, The method further comprises the following steps: The solid-state storage device calculates an estimated power consumption value required to complete the current heating according to the target temperature gear, and uploads the estimated power consumption value to the host; After receiving the estimated power consumption value, the host performs one or a combination of the following operations, including: dynamically adjusting the heating power gear of other solid-state storage devices according to the current total power supply capacity of the system and the heating demand of multiple devices; modifying the issuance timing of the heating instruction to preferentially allocate heating resources to solid-state storage devices with lower estimated power consumption; when the total estimated power consumption exceeds a threshold of the system power supply capacity, issuing a delay heating or target temperature gear reduction instruction to some solid-state storage devices with the lowest temperature.

7. The multi-position solid state storage self-heating method of claim 1, wherein, The method further comprises the following steps: The host monitoring system environment parameters and storage medium working state, when detecting that any one forced heating condition is satisfied, generating forced heating instruction and issuing to the solid state storage device; The forced heating condition includes environmental temperature trigger condition, user active trigger condition and storage medium reliability protection condition; The solid state storage device responds to the forced heating instruction, immediately starts the forced heating instruction matching power gear to execute self-heating operation until the host issues termination instruction, and keeps responding to other data access commands of the host during the self-heating process.

8. A multi-ratio solid state storage self-heating system, characterized by, For executing the multi-gear solid state storage self-heating method as claimed in any one of the above claims 1 to 7, the system comprises: Host and solid state storage device, the host and the solid state storage device are communicatively connected; The host is used for acquiring the self-heating capability parameters and system multi-point temperature information of the solid state storage device; According to the system multi-point temperature information, power supply type and preset temperature control strategy, generate heating instruction containing target temperature gear and self-heating power gear; The solid state storage device is used for responding to the heating instruction, executing self-heating operation to realize grading self-heating until the target temperature gear is reached; The host is also used for continuously monitoring the working state of the solid state storage device, dynamically adjusting or terminating the heating instruction.

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