Hard Disk Storage Block Power Control for Lower Idle Consumption

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for managing power consumption in data center hard disks result in high energy consumption due to continuous power supply to entire hard disks, even when only a portion is actively used, leading to inefficiency and energy waste.

Innovation Solution

A power supply method for hard disks that divides storage space into blocks, allowing the main control chip to supply rated power to enabled blocks and energy-saving power or no power to energy-saving blocks based on their states, reducing unnecessary power consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If normal power is continuously supplied to the entire hard disk to ensure readiness for read/write requests, then the hard disk can respond immediately to any access request, but power consumption increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveread/write request response capabilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The hard disk storage space is divided into multiple independent storage blocks, each capable of being independently powered on or off. The main control chip controls power supply to individual storage blocks based on their access states, rather than powering the entire disk. This segmentation allows only actively accessed blocks to consume power, significantly reducing overall power consumption while maintaining readiness for read/write requests.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Use of energy by moving object

If the computing device sends hibernation instructions to the entire hard disk to reduce power consumption, then power consumption decreases, but the entire hard disk cannot serve partial read/write requests efficiently

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidpartial access efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of putting the entire hard disk into hibernation, the system segments the disk into multiple storage blocks and allows selective power management. When only partial access is needed, the main control chip keeps only the required storage blocks powered on while putting others into hibernation or powering them off, thus maintaining partial access efficiency while reducing overall power consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Reliability

If the computing device issues wake-up instructions to the entire hard disk to restore full functionality, then the hard disk can handle any read/write request, but power consumption returns to high levels

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefull functionality availabilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system wakes up only the specific storage blocks that need to be accessed rather than the entire hard disk. The main control chip identifies which storage blocks contain the requested data and supplies power only to those blocks, maintaining full functionality availability for required operations while avoiding unnecessary power consumption across the entire disk.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

4Speed

If continuous power is supplied to the hard disk to maintain operational state, then data access speed remains high, but energy waste occurs in unused storage areas

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata access speedVSAvoidenergy waste in unused storage

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The hard disk is segmented into multiple storage blocks with independent power control. The main control chip monitors access patterns and supplies power only to storage blocks that are actively being read from or written to. This ensures that data access speed remains high for accessed blocks while eliminating energy waste in unused storage areas.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements periodic monitoring of storage block access states and dynamically adjusts power supply accordingly. Storage blocks are powered on when access is detected and powered off or put into hibernation when not accessed, creating a periodic on-off pattern that maintains speed when needed while reducing energy waste during idle periods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentUS20250328184A1Power supply method, hard disk and computing device

Publication Date: 2025.10.23 XFUSION DIGITAL TECH CO LTD

AI summary

A power supply method, a hard disk and a computing device are provided. The method is applied to the hard disk, where the hard disk includes a main control chip and a plurality of storage blocks, and each storage block is connected to the main control chip. The method includes: acquiring a state of a first storage block; where the first storage block is any one of the plurality of storage blocks; and the state includes an enabled state or an energy-saving state; when the state of the first storage block is the enabled state, supplying power to the first storage block at a rated power; and when the state of the first storage block is the energy-saving state, supplying power to the first storage block at an energy-saving power, or not supplying power to the first storage block; where the energy-saving power is lower than the rated power.