Memory controller and method of operating the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025036301-A1
Application number	US-202418588365-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 27, 2024
Priority date	Jul 24, 2023
Publication date	Jan 30, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided herein are a memory controller and a method of operating the same. The memory controller may include a background condition storage and a background controller. The background condition storage may be configured to store a trigger condition for each background operation for a memory device in each of a non-charging mode and a charging mode associated with a battery for the memory controller. The background controller may be configured to change the trigger condition from a non-charging condition to a charging condition depending on charging information indicating whether the battery for the memory controller is in a charging state. The trigger condition is mitigated in the charging condition compared to the non-charging condition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A memory controller comprising:
a background condition storage configured to store a trigger condition for each background operation for a memory device; and a background controller configured to change the trigger condition from a non-charging condition to a charging condition depending on charging information indicating whether the battery for the memory controller is in a charging state, wherein the trigger condition is mitigated in the charging condition compared to the non-charging condition.

2 . The memory controller according to claim 1 , wherein the background controller is configured to receive the charging information from a host, set the trigger condition to the charging condition in response to charging information indicating that the battery is in the charging state, and set the trigger condition to the non-charging condition in response to charging information indicating that the battery is in a non-charging state.

3 . The memory controller according to claim 2 , wherein:
the background controller is configured to control each background operation of the memory device based on the set trigger condition, and the corresponding background operation consumes more power or has a higher execution frequency in the charging condition than that in the non-charging condition.

4 . The memory controller according to claim 1 , wherein:
the background condition storage is configured to store, as the trigger condition, a condition regarding a dirty level for triggering garbage collection among background operations, and the dirty level indicates a necessity for a free block of the memory device to be secured through the garbage collection and is less in the charging condition than in the non-charging condition.

5 . The memory controller according to claim 1 , wherein:
the background condition storage is configured to store, as the trigger condition, a condition regarding a reference invalid page count based on which corresponding memory block of the memory device is selected as a victim block on which garbage collection among background operations is to be performed, and the reference invalid page count is less in the charging condition than in the non-charging condition.

6 . The memory controller according to claim 1 , wherein:
the background condition storage is configured to store, as the trigger condition, a condition regarding a reference read count for triggering a read reclaim operation among background operations, and the reference read count is less in the charging condition than in the non-charging condition.

7 . The memory controller according to claim 1 , wherein:
the background condition storage is configured to store, as the trigger condition, a condition regarding a reference number of error bits for a test read of the memory device based on which block of the memory device is selected on which a read reclaim operation among background operations is to be performed, and the reference number of error bits is less in the charging condition than in the non-charging condition.

8 . The memory controller according to claim 1 , wherein:
the background condition storage is configured to store, as the trigger condition, a condition regarding a reference interval for a test read of the memory device based on which block of the memory device is selected on which a read reclaim operation among background operations is to be performed, and the reference interval for the test read is shorter in the charging condition than in the non-charging condition.

9 . The memory controller according to claim 8 , wherein the test read is performed on a page programmed last among pages included in a memory block of the memory device.

10 . The memory controller according to claim 1 , wherein:
the background condition storage is configured to store, as the trigger condition, a condition regarding a reference erase or write count on which block of the memory device is selected on which wear leveling among background operations is to be performed, and the reference erase or write count is less in the charging condition than in the non-charging condition.

11 . A method of operating a memory controller, the method comprising:
receiving, from a host, charging information indicating whether a battery for the memory controller is in a charging state; changing a trigger condition for a background operation for a memory device to a charging condition that is mitigated compared to a non-charging condition based on the charging information; and performing the background operation on the memory device based on the trigger condition.

12 . The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving from the host charging information indicating that the battery is in a non-charging state; and changing the trigger condition for the background operation from the charging condition to the non-charging condition.

13 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein:
performing the background operation comprises performing garbage collection based on the trigger condition of a dirty level, less than that in the non-charging condition, and the dirty level indicates a necessity for a free block of the memory device to be secured through the garbage collection.

14 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein performing the background operation comprises:
selecting a target block of the memory device on which a read reclaim operation is to be performed based on the trigger condition of a read count less than that in the non-charging condition; and performing the read reclaim operation on the target block.

15 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein performing the background operation comprises:
selecting a target block of the memory device on which a read reclaim operation is to be performed based on the trigger condition of a number of error bits less than that in the non-charging condition; and performing the read reclaim operation on the target block.

16 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein performing the background operation comprises:
performing a test read of the memory device at an interval shorter than that in the non-charging condition; and performing a read reclaim operation on a selected target block of the memory device depending on a result of the test read.

17 . The memory controller according to claim 16 , wherein the test read is performed on a page programmed last among pages included in a memory block of the memory device.

18 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein performing the background operation comprises:
selecting a target block of the memory device on which wear leveling is to be performed based on the trigger condition of an erase or write count less than that in the non-charging condition; and performing the wear leveling on the target block.

19 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the background operation consumes more power or has a higher execution frequency, as the trigger condition, in the charging condition than in the non-charging condition.

Assignees

• Sk Hynix Inc

Inventors

• Jang In Jong

Classifications

• G06F2212/7205

  Cleaning, compaction, garbage collection, erase control · CPC title

• G06F2212/1032

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

• G06F3/0614

  Improving the reliability of storage systems · CPC title

• G06F12/0253

  Garbage collection, i.e. reclamation of unreferenced memory · CPC title

• G06F3/064

  Management of blocks · CPC title