Data storage devices and data processing methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10818371-B2
Application number	US-201916518615-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2019
Priority date	Sep 3, 2018
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

A data storage device includes a memory controller and a memory device. The memory device includes a current memory block. The memory controller is coupled to the memory device and configured to access the memory device. In response to detection of a sudden power-off that has occurred before the memory device is powered up, the memory controller is configured to find a last valid page and a last valid word line corresponding to the last valid page by scanning a plurality of pages in the current memory block, and determine whether to use one or more empty pages belonging to a word line group that is the same as that of the last valid page according to a read count and an erase count of the current memory block.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A data storage device, comprising:
a memory device, comprising a plurality of memory blocks, wherein the memory blocks comprise a current memory block; and
a memory controller, coupled to the memory device and configured to access the memory device,
wherein in response to detection of a sudden power-off that has occurred before the memory device is powered up, the memory controller is configured to find a last valid page and a last valid word line corresponding to the last valid page by scanning a plurality of pages comprised in the current memory block, and determine whether to use one or more empty pages belonging to a word line group that is the same as that of the last valid page according to a read count and an erase count of the current memory block.

2. The data storage device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein when a sum of a weighted value of the read count and a weighted value of the erase count of the current memory block is not greater than a first threshold value, the memory controller determines to use the empty pages belonging to the word line group that is the same as that of the last valid page.

3. The data storage device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein when a summation of a weighted value of the read count and a weighted value of the erase count of the current memory block is greater than a second threshold value, the memory controller determines not to use the empty pages belonging to the word line group that is the same as that of the last valid page.

4. The data storage device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein when a summation of a weighted value of the read count and a weighted value of the erase count of the equal to a second threshold value, the memory controller determines to perform a supplementary determination procedure to determine whether to use the empty pages belonging to the word line group that is the same as that of the last valid page.

5. The data storage device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein in the supplementary determination procedure, the memory controller is further configured to decode content of data stored in one or more programmed pages belonging to the word line group to determine how may error bits have been detected in each of the programmed pages, and wherein when a number of error bits detected in any of the programmed pages is greater than an error bit threshold value, the memory controller determines not to use the empty pages belonging to the word line group.

6. The data storage device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein in the supplementary determination procedure, the memory controller is further configured to decode content of data stored in one or more programmed pages belonging to the word line group to obtain a retry level capable of successfully decoding content of the data stored in each programmed page, and wherein when the retry level of any of the programmed pages is greater than a retry level threshold value, the memory controller determines not to use the empty pages belonging to the word line group.

7. The data storage device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein when the memory controller determines not to use the empty pages belonging to the word line group that is the same as that of the last valid page, the memory controller is configured to dummy program the empty pages until a last empty page belonging to the word line group.

8. The data storage device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein when the memory controller determines to use the empty pages belonging to the word line group that is the same as that of the last valid page, the memory controller is configured to dummy program a plurality of pages corresponding to a word line adjacent to the last valid word line.

9. A data processing method for a data storage device, wherein the data storage device comprises a memory device and a memory controller, the memory device comprises a plurality of memory blocks, the memory blocks comprise a current memory block, the memory controller is coupled to the memory device and is configured to access the memory device, the method is performed by the memory controller and comprises:
in response to detection of a sudden power-off that has occurred before the memory device is powered up, scanning a plurality of pages comprised in the current memory block to find a last valid page and a last valid word line corresponding to the last valid page; and
determining whether to use one or more empty pages belonging to a word line group that is the same as that of the last valid page according to a read count and an erase count of the current memory block.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the step of determining whether to use one or more empty pages belonging to a word line group that is the same as that of the last valid page according to a read count and an erase count of the current memory block further comprises:
determining to use the empty pages belonging to the word line group that is the same as that of the last valid page when a summation of a weighted value of the read count and a weighted value of the erase count of the current memory block is not greater than a first threshold value.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the step of determining whether to use one or more empty pages belonging to a word line group that is the same as that of the last valid page according to a read count and an erase count of the current memory block further comprises:
determining not to use the empty pages belonging to the word line group that is the same as that of the last valid page when a summation of a weighted value of the read count and a weighted value of the erase count of the current memory block is greater than a second threshold value.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the step of determining whether to use one or more empty pages belonging to a word line group that is the same as that of the last valid page according to a read count and an erase count of the current memory block further comprises:
performing a supplementary determination procedure to determine whether to use the empty pages belonging to the word line group that is the same as that of the last valid page when a summation of a weighted value of the read count and a weighted value of the erase count of the current memory block is greater than a first threshold value and is smaller than or equal to a second threshold value.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the step of performing the supplementary determination procedure further comprises:
decoding content of data stored in one or more programmed pages belonging to the word line group to determine how may error bits have been detected in each of the programmed pages; and
determining not to use the empty pages belonging to the word line group when the number of error bits detected in any of the programmed pages is greater than an error bit threshold value.

14. The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the step of performing the supplementary determination procedure further comprises:
decoding content of data stored in one or more programmed pages belonging to the word line group to obtain a retry level capable of successfully decoding content of the data stored in each programmed page; and
determining not to use the empty pages belonging to the word line group when the retry level of any of the programmed pages is greater than a retry level threshold value.

15. The method as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising:
dummy programming the empty pages until a last empty page belonging to the word line group when determining not to use the empty pages belonging to the word line group that is the sa

Assignees

• Silicon Motion Inc

Inventors

• Lin Wen-Sheng

Classifications

• Y02D10/00

  Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management · CPC title

• G06F11/1012

  using codes or arrangements adapted for a specific type of error (G06F11/1048 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G11C5/143

  Detection of memory cassette insertion or removal; Continuity checks of supply or ground lines; Detection of supply variations, interruptions or levels (G11C5/148 takes precedence); Switching between alternative supplies (G11C5/141 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G11C16/225

  Preventing erasure, programming or reading when power supply voltages are outside the required ranges · CPC title

• G11C2029/1202

  Word line control · CPC title