Storage Controller Emergency Write Control for Data Safety

Solution Overview

Problem

Nonvolatile storage devices in vehicles, such as SSDs and eMMC, have a limited service life due to frequent data writing, and risk data loss during power interruptions in emergencies like accidents, where critical data is not recorded in time.

Innovation Solution

A storage controller that collects data and writes it to nonvolatile storage using an extraordinary write scheme during emergency predictions, reducing the time between data collection and writing, and inhibits overwriting of important logs to prevent data loss, while extending the storage's service life.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Duration of action of stationary object

If data is temporarily held in a volatile area before writing to nonvolatile storage, then the service life of storage is extended, but data loss occurs during power interruptions in emergencies

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice life of storageVSAvoiddata safety during power interruption

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by detecting emergency situations (accidents, power interruptions) and proactively flushing data from volatile memory to nonvolatile storage before the power interruption occurs. This advance action ensures critical data is preserved without waiting for the actual power failure, resolving the contradiction between extending storage life and preventing data loss during emergencies.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring for emergency conditions (such as accident detection or power failure signals) and triggering appropriate data preservation actions. When an emergency is detected, the system responds by immediately writing buffered data to nonvolatile storage, creating a feedback loop that maintains data safety without requiring continuous writing operations that would reduce storage lifespan.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If data is written frequently to nonvolatile storage, then data loss is prevented, but the service life of storage decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata safetyVSAvoidservice life of storage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by detecting emergency situations (accidents, power interruptions) and proactively flushing data from volatile memory to nonvolatile storage before the power interruption occurs. This advance action ensures critical data is preserved without waiting for the actual power failure, resolving the contradiction between extending storage life and preventing data loss during emergencies.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of continuous writing, the system uses periodic action by writing data to nonvolatile storage only when necessary - specifically when the volatile buffer is full or when an emergency condition is detected. This periodic writing approach reduces the total number of write operations compared to continuous writing, thereby extending storage lifespan while still maintaining data safety through timely flushes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

3Reliability

If data is written immediately to nonvolatile storage, then data loss is prevented, but the time for data collection and processing increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata safetyVSAvoiddata collection time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system introduces an intermediary volatile memory buffer between the data collection process and the nonvolatile storage. Data is first collected in this intermediary buffer, allowing continuous data acquisition without interruption. The buffer then mediates the transfer to nonvolatile storage, writing data either when full or when emergencies are detected, thus preventing data loss while maintaining efficient data collection timing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of continuous writing, the system uses periodic action by writing data to nonvolatile storage only when necessary - specifically when the volatile buffer is full or when an emergency condition is detected. This periodic writing approach reduces the total number of write operations compared to continuous writing, thereby extending storage lifespan while still maintaining data safety through timely flushes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentUS11144239B2Storage controller, storage device, and write control method

Publication Date: 2021.10.12 KK TOSHIBA

AI summary

According to an embodiment, a storage controller includes a collector and a controller. The collector is configured to collect data to be written in nonvolatile storage. The controller is configured to perform controlling such that a first time length between collecting data and writing the collected data in the nonvolatile storage after an emergency prediction notice is received is shorter than a second time length between collecting data and writing the collected data in the nonvolatile storage before the emergency prediction notice is received.