Memory systems and electronic systems performing an adaptive error correction operation with pre-checked error rate, and methods of operating the memory systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10114693-B2
Application number	US-201715653790-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 19, 2017
Priority date	Jan 23, 2017
Publication date	Oct 30, 2018
Grant date	Oct 30, 2018

Abstract

A memory system may include a test vector generator configured for generating a test vector to be written into a memory device, a data discrepancy checker configured for comparing read data outputted from the memory device with the test vector to generate an information signal corresponding to a comparison between the read data and the test vector, an error correction code (ECC) controller configured for performing an ECC encoding operation and an ECC decoding operation according to any one among a plurality of ECC levels based on a control signal, and a memory controller controlling the test vector generator, the data discrepancy checker and the ECC controller. The memory controller configured to transmit the control signal corresponding to an error rate of the memory device to the ECC controller, based on the information signal generated by the data discrepancy checker.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A memory system comprising:
a test vector generator configured to generate a test vector to be written into a memory device;
a data discrepancy checker configured to compare read data outputted from the memory device with the test vector to generate an information signal corresponding to a comparison between the read data and the test vector;
an error correction code (ECC) controller configured to perform an ECC encoding operation and an ECC decoding operation according to any one among a plurality of ECC levels based on a control signal; and
a memory controller configured to control the test vector generator, the data discrepancy checker and the ECC controller,
wherein the memory controller transmits the control signal corresponding to an error rate of the memory device to the ECC controller, based on the information signal generated by the data discrepancy checker.

2. The memory system of claim 1 , further comprising a memory status checker configured to receive a status of the memory device from the memory controller to store the status of the memory device therein.

3. The memory system of claim 1 , wherein the ECC controller includes:
an ECC encoder configured to perform an ECC encoding operation;
an ECC decoder configured to perform an ECC decoding operation; and
an ECC level storage unit configured to store the plurality of ECC levels.

4. The memory system of claim 3 , wherein the ECC encoder performs an ECC encoding operation of original data to generate a codeword including the original data, a parity and an ECC level flag.

5. The memory system of claim 4 , wherein the ECC decoder applies an ECC level according to the ECC level flag to the codeword to perform an ECC decoding operation.

6. The memory system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of ECC levels have different abilities of error correction.

7. The memory system of claim 1 , wherein the memory controller is configured to write the test vector into the memory device and configured to transmit read data corresponding to the test vector outputted from the memory device to the data discrepancy checker.

8. The memory system of claim 7 , wherein the memory controller transmits a command for test request to the test vector generator if the memory device is in an initialized status.

9. The memory system of claim 1 , wherein the memory controller writes the test vector into a target region of the memory device and transmits the read data corresponding to the test vector stored in the memory device to the data discrepancy checker, if the access number of times of the target region is greater than a predetermined value.

10. The memory system of claim 1 ,
wherein the memory controller reads out all of data in the memory device so that ECC decoding operations of the respective read data are performed using ECC levels applied to the respective read data to generate decoded data;
wherein all of the decoded data are encoded using an ECC encoding operation with a currently set ECC level; and
wherein the memory controller performs a data scrubbing process that writes the encoded data into the memory device.

11. The memory system of claim 10 , wherein the data scrubbing process is performed if the access to the memory device is not requested during a certain time period.

12. A memory system comprising:
a test vector generator configured to generate a test vector to be written into a memory device;
a data discrepancy checker configured to compare read data outputted from the memory device with the test vector to generate an information signal corresponding to a comparison between the read data and the test vector;
an error correction code (ECC) controller configured to perform an ECC encoding operation and an ECC decoding operation using an ECC level inputted to the ECC controller; and
a memory controller configured to control the test vector generator, the data discrepancy checker and the ECC controller,
wherein the memory controller transmits the ECC level corresponding to an error rate of the memory device among a plurality of ECC levels to the ECC controller, based on the information signal generated by the data discrepancy checker.

13. The memory system of claim 12 , wherein the ECC controller includes:
an ECC encoder configured to perform an ECC encoding operation; and
an ECC decoder configured to perform an ECC decoding operation.

14. The memory system of claim 13 , wherein the ECC encoder performs an ECC encoding operation of original data to generate a codeword including the original data, a parity and an ECC level flag.

15. The memory system of claim 14 , wherein the ECC decoder applies an ECC level according to the ECC level flag to the codeword to perform an ECC decoding operation.

16. The memory system of claim 12 , wherein the memory controller includes an ECC level storage unit configured to store the plurality of ECC levels.

17. The memory system of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of ECC levels have different abilities of error correction.

18. A memory system comprising:
a test vector generator configured to generate a test vector to be written into a memory device;
a data discrepancy checker configured to compare read data outputted from the memory device with the test vector to generate an information signal corresponding to a comparison between the read data and the test vector; and
a memory controller configured to control the test vector generator and the data discrepancy checker,
wherein the memory controller performs an error correction code (ECC) encoding operation and an ECC decoding operation using an ECC level corresponding to an error rate of the memory device among a plurality of ECC levels, based on the information signal generated by the data discrepancy checker.

19. The memory system of claim 18 ,
wherein the memory controller includes an ECC controller; and
wherein the ECC controller includes:
an ECC encoder configured to perform an ECC encoding operation;
an ECC decoder configured to perform an ECC decoding operation; and
an ECC level storage unit configured to store the plurality of ECC levels.

20. The memory system of claim 19 , wherein the ECC encoder performs an ECC encoding operation of original data to generate a codeword including the original data, a parity and an ECC level flag.

21. The memory system of claim 20 , wherein the ECC decoder applies an ECC level according to the ECC level flag to the codeword to perform an ECC decoding operation.

22. The memory system of claim 18 , wherein the plurality of ECC levels have different abilities of error correction.

Assignees

• Sk Hynix Inc

Inventors

• Kim Soojin

Classifications

• G11C29/52

  Protection of memory contents; Detection of errors in memory contents · CPC title

• G06F11/1044 Primary

  with specific ECC/EDC distribution · CPC title

• H03M13/353

  Adaptation to the channel · CPC title

• G06F11/1068

  in sector programmable memories, e.g. flash disk (G06F11/1072 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F12/0238

  Memory management in non-volatile memory, e.g. resistive RAM or ferroelectric memory · CPC title