Patent ID: 8051249

Claim:
A method comprising: in a data storage device that is detachable from and operatively coupled to a host device, wherein the data storage device includes a controller, a cache memory attached to the controller via a first data path, and a storage memory attached to the controller via a second data path, wherein the first data path is different than the second data path, performing: sending a first data segment of a data object to the host device; after sending the first data segment to the host device, receiving an indication from the host device that the data object has a predictable data object type; and after receiving the indication from the host device and prior to receiving a request from the host device for a second data segment: identifying, in the data storage device, that the first data segment associated with the data object and the second data segment associated with the data object are sequential in a predictable sequence, wherein the second data segment is non-contiguous in relation to the first data segment; and in response to identifying the second data segment as being sequential to the first data segment, autonomously preloading the second data segment from the storage memory into the cache memory to be available for access by the host device.