Storage device and control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11093167-B2
Application number	US-201916352021-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2019
Priority date	Jul 26, 2018
Publication date	Aug 17, 2021
Grant date	Aug 17, 2021

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a controller acquires temperature data periodically while receiving a first mode designating signal, writes the temperature data into a nonvolatile storage while or after the first mode designating signal, acquires temperature data after a lapse of a predetermined time from designation of the second mode, writes the temperature data into the nonvolatile storage while or after a lapse of a predetermined time since the designation of the second mode, acquires temperature data at a timing of changing from the second mode to the first mode, and write the acquired temperature data into the nonvolatile storage at or after the timing of changing from the second mode to the first mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A storage device comprising:
a nonvolatile storage;
a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the nonvolatile storage and outputs it as physical temperature data;
a controller that controls an operation of the nonvolatile storage and the temperature sensor, wherein
the controller is configured to
receive a signal designating a first mode or a second mode from outside,
acquire the physical temperature data from the temperature sensor periodically while the signal designates the first mode,
write the acquired physical temperature data into the nonvolatile storage while the signal designates the first mode or after a lapse of a first time from a first timing when the signal designating the first mode is changed to designate the second mode,
acquire the physical temperature data from the temperature sensor after a lapse of a second time from the first timing while the signal designates the second mode, the second time is longer than the first time,
write the acquired physical temperature data into the nonvolatile storage while the signal designates the second mode or after a lapse of the second time from the first timing,
acquire the physical temperature data from the temperature sensor at a second timing when the signal designating the second mode is changed to designate the first mode, and
write the acquired temperature data into the nonvolatile storage at the second timing or after the second timing.

2. The storage device of claim 1 , further comprising a power supply circuit, wherein the power supply circuit is configured to
supply a first power supply required for acquiring the physical temperature data to the controller while the signal designates the first mode;
supply a second power supply lower than the first power supply to the controller while the signal designates the second mode; and
supply the first power supply to the controller after a lapse of the second time from the first timing.

3. The storage device of claim 2 , wherein
the second mode comprises:
a third mode in which the power supply circuit supplies a third power supply lower than the first power supply to the controller; and
a fourth mode in which the power supply circuit supplies a fourth power supply lower than the third power supply to the controller,
the storage device operates in the third mode during a first period and operates in the fourth mode after the first period, while the signal designates the second mode.

4. The storage device of claim 1 , wherein the controller writes a current physical temperature data, a maximum physical temperature data in a past and a minimum physical temperature data in the past into the nonvolatile storage.

5. The storage device of claim 1 , wherein the controller controls the operation of the nonvolatile storage based on first physical temperature data which is acquired at the second timing, and second physical temperature data which is first-acquired while the physical temperature data is acquired periodically while the signal designates the first mode.

6. The storage device of claim 5 , wherein the controller shuts down the storage device when the second physical temperature data is higher than a component assurance physical temperature, and a sum of the first physical temperature data and a particular physical temperature data is not higher than the second physical temperature data.

7. A method of controlling a storage device comprising a nonvolatile storage, a temperature sensor that detects a physical temperature of the nonvolatile storage and outputs physical temperature data, a controller that controls an operation of the nonvolatile storage and the temperature sensor, the method comprising:
receiving a signal designating a first mode or a second mode from outside,
acquiring the physical temperature data from the temperature sensor periodically while the signal designates the first mode,
writing the acquired physical temperature data into the nonvolatile storage while the signal designates the first mode or after a lapse of a first time from a first timing when the signal designating the first mode is changed to designate the second mode,
acquiring the physical temperature data from the temperature sensor after a lapse of a second time from the first timing while the signal designates the second mode, the second time is longer than the first time,
writing the acquired physical temperature data into the nonvolatile storage while the second signal designates the second mode or after a lapse of the second time from the first timing,
acquiring the physical temperature data from the temperature sensor at a second timing when the signal designating the second mode is changed to designate the first mode, and
writing the acquired physical temperature data into the nonvolatile storage at the second timing or after the second timing.

8. The method of controlling the storage device of claim 7 , further comprising:
supplying a first power supply required for acquiring the physical temperature data to the controller while the signal designates the first mode;
supplying a second power supply lower than the first power supply to the controller while the signal designates the second mode; and
supplying the first power supply to the controller after a lapse of the second time from the first timing.

9. The method of controlling the storage device of claim 8 , wherein the second mode comprises a third mode in which the power supply circuit supplies a third power supply lower than the first power supply to the controller and a fourth mode in which the power supply circuit supplies a fourth power supply lower than the third power supply to the controller, the method further comprising:
operating the storage device in the third mode during a first period and operating the storage device in the fourth mode after the first period, while the signal designates the second mode.

10. The method of controlling the storage device of claim 7 , further comprising:
writing a current physical temperature data, a maximum physical temperature data in a past and a minimum physical temperature data in the past into the nonvolatile storage by the controller.

11. The method of controlling the storage device of claim 7 , further comprising:
controlling the operation of the nonvolatile storage by the controller based on first physical temperature data acquired at second timing and second physical temperature data which is first-acquired while the physical temperature data is acquired periodically while the signal designates the first mode.

12. The method of controlling the storage device of claim 11 , further comprising:
shutting down the storage device by the controller when the second physical temperature data is higher than a component assurance physical temperature, and a sum of the first physical temperature data and a particular physical temperature data is not higher than the second physical temperature data.

Assignees

• Toshiba Memory Corp

Inventors

• Masubuchi Hayato

Classifications

• G01K3/10

  in respect of time, e.g. reacting only to a quick change of temperature · CPC title

• G01K7/425 Primary

  Thermal management of integrated systems · CPC title

• G01K1/022

  for recording · CPC title

• G11C16/30

  Power supply circuits · CPC title

• G06F3/0679

  Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP] · CPC title