Temperature compensated memory refresh

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11056168-B2
Application number	US-201916506118-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2019
Priority date	Aug 14, 2018
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

Examples of the present disclosure relate to a device, method, and medium storing instructions for execution by a processor for refreshing memory blocks of solid state memory through a temperature compensated refresh rate. Techniques discussed herein include a solid state memory to store data and a temperature sensor to identify a temperature of the solid state memory. The memory device with solid state memory also includes a memory controller that periodically refreshes memory blocks of the solid state memory at an adjustable refresh rate, wherein memory controller is to adjust the adjustable refresh rate based on the temperature of the solid state memory.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A memory device with a temperature compensated refresh rate, comprising:
a solid state memory, in a vehicle dashboard, to store data;
a temperature sensor to identify a temperature of the solid state memory, wherein the temperature is estimated from a temperature value obtained from a temperature sensor of the vehicle located physically outside of the solid state memory; and
a memory controller that periodically refreshes memory blocks of the solid state memory at an adjustable refresh rate, wherein the memory controller is to adjust the adjustable refresh rate based on the temperature of the solid state memory, wherein the adjustable refresh rate is modified based on the temperature measured at the temperature sensor, an initial refresh rate, and a rate of data usage measured by the solid state memory, and wherein the data usage comprises wear leveling information for the solid state memory.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the data usage comprises a read and write volume on the solid state memory.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the adjustable refresh rate is increased in response to an increased temperature from a previous temperature measurement.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the adjustable refresh rate is decreased in response to a decreased temperature from a previous temperature measurement.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the solid state memory is a NAND solid state memory.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the solid state memory is a flash-based solid state memory.

7. A method for preserving data through a temperature compensated refresh rate comprising:
identifying a temperature of a solid state memory in a vehicle dashboard;
modifying an adjustable refresh rate of the solid state memory based on the temperature identified, wherein the temperature identified is estimated from a temperature value obtained from a temperature sensor of the vehicle located physically outside of the solid state memory; and
refreshing memory blocks of the solid state memory at a time determined by the adjustable refresh rate, wherein the adjustable refresh rate is modified based on the temperature measured at the temperature sensor, an initial refresh rate, and a rate of data usage measured by the solid state memory, and wherein the data usage comprises wear leveling information for the solid state memory.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the data usage comprises a read and write volume on the solid state memory.

9. The method of claim 7 , comprising increasing the adjustable refresh rate in response to an identification of a temperature increase of the solid state memory from a previous temperature measurement.

10. The method of claim 7 , comprising decreasing the adjustable refresh rate in response to an identification of a temperature decrease of the solid state memory from a previous temperature measurement.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the solid state memory is a NAND solid state memory.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the solid state memory is a flash-based solid state memory.

13. A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, refreshes memory blocks of a solid state drive using a temperature compensated refresh rate, the instructions to direct the processor to:
identify a temperature of a solid state memory in a vehicle dashboard, wherein the temperature is estimated from a temperature value obtained from a temperature sensor of the vehicle located physically outside of the solid state memory;
modify an adjustable refresh rate of the solid state memory based on the temperature identified; and
refresh memory blocks of the solid state memory at a time determined by the adjustable refresh rate, wherein the adjustable refresh rate is modified based on the temperature measured at the temperature sensor, an initial refresh rate, and a rate of data usage measured by the solid state memory, and wherein the data usage comprises wear leveling information for the solid state memory.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the data usage comprises a read and write volume on the solid state memory.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 , comprising instructions that when executed, cause the processor to increase the adjustable refresh rate in response to an increased temperature from a previous temperature measurement.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 , comprising instructions that when executed, cause the processor to decrease the adjustable refresh rate in response to a decreased temperature from a previous temperature measurement.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the solid state memory is a NAND solid state memory.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the solid state memory is a flash-based solid state memory.

Assignees

• Panasonic Automotive Systems Co America Div Panasonic Corp North America

Inventors

• Belcourt David Luc
• Nimbalkar Shivaramraje
• Nagarajan Vishnuchakravarthi

Classifications

• G06F3/0658

  Controller construction arrangements · CPC title

• G06F1/206

  comprising thermal management · CPC title

• G06F12/0246

  in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory · CPC title

• G11C7/04 Primary

  with means for avoiding disturbances due to temperature effects · CPC title

• G06F2212/1032

  Reliability improvement, data loss prevention, degraded operation etc · CPC title