Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090222616 | MEMORY SYSTEM - A controller includes an identification information management table that manages identification information indicating, for each of addresses in second-management unit, whether one or more data in first management unit belonging to the addresses is stored in the second or the third storing area. When the controller executes a process of flushing data from the first storing area to the second storing area or the third storing area, the controller updates the identification information in the identification information management table. The controller executes a process of reading data from the second storing area or the third storing area by referring to the identification information. As a result, the speed of searches conducted in the management table is increased. | 09-03-2009 |
20090222617 | MEMORY SYSTEM - A memory system includes a volatile first storing unit, a nonvolatile second storing unit in which data is managed in a predetermined unit, and a controller that writes data requested by a host apparatus in the second storing unit via the first storing unit and reads out data requested by the host apparatus from the second storing unit to the first storing unit and transfers the data to the host apparatus. The controller includes a management table for managing the number of failure areas in a predetermined unit that occur in the second storing unit and switches, according to the number of failure areas, an operation mode in writing data in the second storing unit from the host apparatus. | 09-03-2009 |
20090222628 | MEMORY SYSTEM - A controller determines whether data stored in a first storing area should be flushed to a second storing area or a third storing area. When flushing of data in a track unit from at least one of the first storing area and the second storing area unit to the third storing area unit is determined, the controller collects data included in the flushed data in the track unit from at least one of the first storing area and the second storing area including the storing area from which the flushing of the data is determined, merges the flushed data and the collected data, and writes the merged data in the third storing area. | 09-03-2009 |
20090222629 | MEMORY SYSTEM - A memory system includes a controller that reads out, data written in a nonvolatile second storing area, from which data is read out and in which data is written in a page unit, to a first storing area as a cache memory included in a semiconductor memory and transfers the data to the host apparatus. The controller performs, when a readout request from the host apparatus satisfies a predetermined condition, at least one of first pre-fetch for reading out, to the first storing area data from a terminal end of a logical address range designated by a readout request being currently processed to a boundary of a logical address aligned in the page unit and a second pre-fetch for reading out data from the boundary of the logical address aligned in the page unit to a next boundary of the logical address. | 09-03-2009 |
20090222636 | MEMORY SYSTEM AND MEMORY INITIALIZING METHOD - A memory system includes a controller that writes internal information concerning an operation state of the memory system in a special LBA area allocated to a predetermined logical address range in a second storing memory and writes the internal information in a first storing memory, and reads out, when the memory system is started up, the internal information to manage the operation state. The controller stores the internal information written in the first storing memory in the second storing memory as a snapshot when a predetermined condition is satisfied and, when an error occurs and the internal information written in the special LBA area cannot be read out when the memory system is started up, captures the internal information stored as the snapshot into the first storing memory and reads out the internal information. | 09-03-2009 |
20090240871 | MEMORY SYSTEM - A system includes: a first input buffer that functions as an input buffer for a third storing area; and a second input buffer that functions as an input buffer for the third storing area and that separately stores data with a high update frequency for the third storing area. In the system, a plurality of data written in a first storing area or a second storing area are flushed to the first input buffer in units of logical blocks. Also, a plurality of data written in the first input buffer are relocated to the third storing area in units of logical blocks. | 09-24-2009 |
20090241010 | MEMORY SYSTEM - A memory system includes a controller that manages data stored in the first and second storing areas. The controller determines, when a readout error occurs when the stored data in the second storing area is read out, success or failure of error correction to the read-out data based on the result of the error correction stored in a storage buffer, writes, when the error correction is successful, correction data corresponding to the read-out data stored in the storage buffer, and writes, when the error correction fails, the read-out data itself not subjected to error correction processing. | 09-24-2009 |
20090248964 | MEMORY SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A NONVOLATILE SEMICONDUCTOR MEMORY - A memory system includes a nonvolatile semiconductor memory having blocks, the block being data erasing unit; and a controller configured to execute; an update processing for; writing superseding data in a block, the superseding data being treated as valid data; and invalidating superseded data having the same logical address as the superseding data, the superseded data being treated as invalid data; and a compaction processing for; retrieving blocks having invalid data using a management tablet the management table managing blocks in a linked list format for each number of valid data included in the block; selecting a compaction source block having at least one valid data from the retrieved blocks; copying a plurality of valid data included in the compaction source blocks into a compaction target block; invalidating the plurality of valid data in the compaction source blocks; and releasing the compaction source blocks in which all data are invalidated. | 10-01-2009 |
20100011260 | MEMORY SYSTEM - To provide a memory system which determines a memory state such as an exhaustion level and allows a memory to be efficiently used. | 01-14-2010 |
20100107021 | SEMICONDUCTOR MEMORY DEVICE - This disclosure concerns a memory including: a first memory region including memory groups including a plurality of memory cells, addresses being respectively allocated for the memory groups, the memory groups respectively being units of data erase operations; a second memory region temporarily storing therein data read from the first memory region or temporarily storing therein data to be written to the first memory region; a read counter storing therein a data read count for each memory group; an error-correcting circuit calculating an error bit count of the read data; and a controller performing a refresh operation, in which the read data stored in one of the memory groups is temporarily stored in the second memory region and is written back the read data to the same memory group, when the error bit count exceeds a first threshold or when the data read count exceeds a second threshold. | 04-29-2010 |
20100138591 | MEMORY SYSTEM - A memory system includes a volatile first storing unit, a nonvolatile second storing unit, and a controller. The controller stores management information of data stored in the second storing unit during a startup operation into the first storing unit and performs data management while updating the management information. The management information in a latest state stored into the first storing unit is also stored in the second storing unit. The management information includes a pre-log before and after change generated before a change occurs in the management information and a post-log, which is generated after the change occurs in the management information, concerning the change in the management information. The pre-log and the post-log are stored in the same areas of different blocks. | 06-03-2010 |
20100161881 | MEMORY SYSTEM - A memory system ( | 06-24-2010 |
20100274950 | MEMORY SYSTEM - A controller executes first processing for writing a plurality of data in a sector unit in the first storing area; second processing for flushing the data stored in the first storing area to the first input buffer in a first management unit twice or larger natural number times as large as the sector unit; third processing for flushing the data stored in the first storing area to the second input buffer in a second management unit twice or larger natural number times as large as the first management unit; fourth processing for relocating a logical block in which all pages are written in the first input buffer to the second storing area; fifth processing for relocating a logical block in which all pages are written in the second input buffer to the third storing area; and sixth processing for flushing a plurality of data stored in the second storing area to the second input buffer in the second management unit. | 10-28-2010 |
20100281204 | MEMORY SYSTEM - A memory system includes a WC | 11-04-2010 |
20100312948 | MEMORY SYSTEM - A memory system includes a DRAM | 12-09-2010 |
20110022784 | MEMORY SYSTEM - A memory system according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a memory amount required for management table creation is reduced by adopting a nonvolatile semiconductor memory including a plurality of parallel operation elements respectively having a plurality of physical blocks as units of data erasing and a controller that can drive the parallel operation elements in parallel and has a number-of-times-of-erasing managing unit that manages the number of times of erasing in logical block units associated with a plurality of physical blocks driven in parallel. | 01-27-2011 |
20110055462 | MEMORY SYSTEM, CONTROLLER, AND DATA TRANSFER METHOD - According to one embodiment, a memory system includes a nonvolatile first memory, a nonvolatile second memory, a data-copy processing unit and a data invalidation processing unit. The first memory has a storage capacity for n (n≧2) pages per word line. The nonvolatile second memory temporarily stores user data write-requested from a host apparatus. The data-copy processing unit executes data copy processing including reading out, in page units, the user data stored in the second memory and sequentially writing the read-out user data in page units in the first memory. The data invalidation processing unit selects, after the execution of the data copy processing, based on whether the memory cell group per word line stores user data for n pages, user data requiring backup out of the user data subjected to the data copy processing and leaves the selected user data in the second memory as backup data. | 03-03-2011 |
20110099349 | MEMORY SYSTEM - A controller executes first processing for writing a plurality of data in a sector unit in the first storing area; second processing for flushing the data stored in the first storing area to the first input buffer in a first management unit twice or larger natural number times as large as the sector unit; third processing for flushing the data stored in the first storing area to the second input buffer in a second management unit twice or larger natural number times as large as the first management unit; fourth processing for relocating a logical block in which all pages are written in the first input buffer to the second storing area; fifth processing for relocating a logical block in which all pages are written in the second input buffer to the third storing area; and sixth processing for flushing a plurality of data stored in the second storing area to the second input buffer in the second management unit. | 04-28-2011 |
20110185105 | MEMORY SYSTEM - A memory system in which speed of processing for searching through management tables is increased by providing a forward lookup table for searching for, respectively in track and cluster units, from a logical address, a storage device position where data corresponds to the logical address, and a reverse lookup table for searching for, from a position of the storage device, a logical address stored in the position. These forward and reverse lookup tables are linked. | 07-28-2011 |
20110185106 | MEMORY SYSTEM - A memory system includes a management-information restoring unit. The management-information restoring unit determines whether a short break has occurred referring to a pre-log or a post-log in a NAND memory. The management-information restoring unit determines that a short break has occurred when the pre-log or the post-log is present in the NAND memory. In that case, the management-information restoring unit determines timing of occurrence of the short break, and, after selecting a pre-log or a post-log used for restoration, performs restoration of the management information reflecting these logs on a snapshot. Thereafter, the management-information restoring unit applies recovery processing to all write-once blocks in the NAND memory, takes the snapshot again, and opens the snapshot and the logs in the past. | 07-28-2011 |
20110185107 | MEMORY SYSTEM - A memory system includes a volatile first storing unit, a nonvolatile second storing unit, and a controller. The controller performs data transfer, stores management information including a storage position of the data stored in the second storing unit into the first storing unit, and performs data management while updating the management information. The second storing unit has a management information storage area for storing management information storage information including management information in a latest state and a storage position of the management information. The storage position information is read by the controller during a startup operation of the memory system and includes a second pointer indicating a storage position of management information in a latest state in the management information storage area and a first pointer indicating a storage position of the second pointer. The first pointer is stored in a fixed area in the second storing unit and the second pointer is stored in an area excluding the fixed area in the second storing unit. | 07-28-2011 |
20110185108 | MEMORY SYSTEM - A memory system includes a volatile first storing unit, a nonvolatile second storing unit in which a plurality of memory cells that can store multi-value data are arranged, the memory cells having a plurality of pages, and a controller that performs data transfer between a host apparatus and the second storing unit via the first storing unit. The controller includes a save processing unit that backs up, when, before data is written in the second storing unit in a write-once manner, data is written in a lower order page of a memory cell same as that of a page in which the data is written, the data of the lower order page and a broken-information-restoration processing unit that restores, when the data in the lower order page is broken, the broken data using the backed-up data. | 07-28-2011 |
20110231598 | MEMORY SYSTEM AND CONTROLLER - According to one embodiment, a memory system includes a first memory that is nonvolatile, a second memory, and a controller that performs data transfer between a host device and the first memory by using the second memory. The controller caches data of each write command transmitted from the host device in the second memory, and performs a first transfer of transferring the data of each write command, which is cached in the second memory, to the first memory while leaving a beginning portion at a predetermined timing. | 09-22-2011 |
20110231734 | MEMORY SYSTEM - A memory system includes a controlling unit that configured to control data transfer between the first and the second memory. The controlling unit executes copy processing for, after reading out data stored in a first page of the second memory to the first memory, writing the data in a second page of the second memory, determines, when executing the copy processing, whether the error correction processing for the data read out from the first page is successful, stores, when the error correction processing is successful, corrected data in the first memory and writes the corrected data in the second page, and reads out, when the error correction processing is unsuccessful, the data from the first page to the first memory and writes the data not subjected to the error correction processing in the second page. | 09-22-2011 |
20110264859 | MEMORY SYSTEM - A memory system according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a data managing unit | 10-27-2011 |
20110307667 | MEMORY SYSTEM - A memory system according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a first management table that manages addresses concerning the data written in a first storing area; and a second management table that manages, in an address unit of a second management unit, information indicating temporal order of the data stored in the first storing area and manages, for each of addresses in a second management unit, number-of-valid-data information indicating a number of data in the first management unit included in the addresses in the second management unit. | 12-15-2011 |
20120060066 | SEMICONDUCTOR MEMORY DEVICE WITH ERROR CORRECTION - This disclosure concerns a memory including: a first memory region including memory groups including a plurality of memory cells, addresses being respectively allocated for the memory groups, the memory groups respectively being units of data erase operations; a second memory region temporarily storing therein data read from the first memory region or temporarily storing therein data to be written to the first memory region; a read counter storing therein a data read count for each memory group; an error-correcting circuit calculating an error bit count of the read data; and a controller performing a refresh operation, in which the read data stored in one of the memory groups is temporarily stored in the second memory region and is written back the read data to the same memory group, when the error bit count exceeds a first threshold or when the data read count exceeds a second threshold. | 03-08-2012 |
20120069668 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - According to one embodiment, a semiconductor storage device includes a transistor, a first node, a first capacitor, a first switch, and a second switch. One end of the transistor is connected to a first voltage source supplying a first voltage. The first node is charged to the first voltage by the transistor. One of electrodes of the first capacitor is connected to the first node, and the other of the electrodes of the first capacitor is supplied with a first clock signal having a second voltage. One end of the first switch is connected to the first node. The first switch outputs a potential of the first node at a first time at which the first switch is turned on. One end of the second switch is connected to the first node. The second switch outputs the potential of the first node at a second time. | 03-22-2012 |
20120124330 | MEMORY SYSTEM - A memory system according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a data managing unit | 05-17-2012 |
20120179863 | MEMORY SYSTEM - A memory system includes a plurality of storage groups, each of which includes a nonvolatile first storing unit and a second storing unit as a buffer memory of the first storing unit and is capable of performing data transfer between the first storing unit and the second storing unit, and a plurality of MPUs. A first control for data transfer between the host device and the first storing unit via the second storing unit for one of the storage groups and a second control including a control for maintenance of the first storing unit for other storage groups are allocated to the MPUs to be performed independently by the MPUs. | 07-12-2012 |
20120179942 | MEMORY SYSTEM - To provide a memory system which determines a memory state such as an exhaustion level and allows a memory to be efficiently used. | 07-12-2012 |
20120320665 | SEMICONDUCTOR MEMORY - A semiconductor memory includes a first memory cell including: a first resistance change element and a first select transistor. The semiconductor memory includes a second memory cell including: a second select transistor and a second resistance change element. The semiconductor memory includes a third memory cell including: a third select transistor and a third resistance change element, the third memory cell acting as a reference cell. The semiconductor memory includes a fourth memory cell including: a fourth resistance change element and a fourth select transistor, the fourth memory cell acting as a reference cell. | 12-20-2012 |
20130179630 | MEMORY SYSTEM - According to one embodiment, a memory system includes a nonvolatile semiconductor memory include a first area, and a second area smaller than the first area; and a controller configured to control data stored in the nonvolatile semiconductor memory, wherein the nonvolatile semiconductor memory is configured to store a first data accessible by a host command and to a second data inaccessible by the host command, and when receiving the host command, the controller writes the second data of the first area within the second area and initializes a first address information related the first data. | 07-11-2013 |
20130212326 | MEMORY SYSTEM - A controller includes an identification information management table that manages identification information indicating, for each of addresses in second-management unit, whether one or more data in first management unit belonging to the addresses is stored in the second or the third storing area. When the controller executes a process of flushing data from the first storing area to the second storing area or the third storing area, the controller updates the identification information in the identification information management table. The controller executes a process of reading data from the second storing area or the third storing area by referring to the identification information. As a result, the speed of searches conducted in the management table is increased. | 08-15-2013 |
20130227208 | MEMORY SYSTEM - A memory system includes a management-information restoring unit. The management-information restoring unit determines whether a short break has occurred referring to a pre-log or a post-log in a NAND memory. The management-information restoring unit determines that a short break has occurred when the pre-log or the post-log is present in the NAND memory. In that case, the management-information restoring unit determines timing of occurrence of the short break, and, after selecting a pre-log or a post-log used for restoration, performs restoration of the management information reflecting these logs on a snapshot. Thereafter, the management-information restoring unit applies recovery processing to all write-once blocks in the NAND memory, takes the snapshot again, and opens the snapshot and the logs in the past. | 08-29-2013 |
20130290659 | MEMORY SYSTEM - A memory system includes a volatile first storing unit, a nonvolatile second storing unit, and a controller. The controller performs data transfer, stores management information including a storage position of data stored in the second storing unit into the first storing unit, and performs data management while updating the management information. The second storing unit stores management information in a latest state and a storage position of the management information. The storage position information is read by the controller during a startup operation of the memory system and includes a second pointer indicating a storage position of the management information in a latest state and a first pointer indicating a storage position of the second pointer. The first pointer is stored in a fixed area in the second storing unit and the second pointer is stored in an area excluding the fixed area in the second storing unit. | 10-31-2013 |
20140013043 | MEMORY SYSTEM - A memory system according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: speed of processing for searching through management tables is increased by providing a forward lookup table for searching for, respectively in track and cluster units, from a logical address, a storage device position where data corresponding to the logical address and a reverse lookup table for searching for, from a position of the storage device, a logical address stored in the position and linking these tables. | 01-09-2014 |
20140122782 | MEMORY SYSTEM - A memory system includes a first, second and third storing area included in a volatile semiconductor memory, and a controller that allocates the storage area of the nonvolatile semiconductor memory to the second storing area and the third storing area in a logical block unit associated with one or more blocks. First and second management units respectively manage the second and third storing areas. The second management unit has a size larger than that of the first management unit. When flushing data from the first to the second or third storing areas, the controller collects, from at least one of the first, second and third storing areas, data other than the data to be flushed and controls the flushing of the data such that a total of the data is a natural number times as large as the block unit as much as possible. | 05-01-2014 |
20140129901 | MEMORY SYSTEM - A memory system includes a first nonvolatile memory, a second nonvolatile memory with a longer access latency than the first nonvolatile memory, a first error correction unit, a second error correction unit, and an interface. The first nonvolatile memory stores first data and a first error correction code generated for the first data. The second nonvolatile memory stores a second error correction code which is generated for the first data with a higher correction ability than that of the first error correction code. The first error correction unit performs error correction on the first data by using the first error correction code. The second error correction unit performs error correction on the first data by using the second error correction code. The interface transmits the first data after the error correction to a host. | 05-08-2014 |
20140136772 | MEMORY SYSTEM - According to one embodiment, a memory system includes a nonvolatile semiconductor memory include a first area, and a second area smaller than the first area; and a controller configured to control data stored in the nonvolatile semiconductor memory, wherein the nonvolatile semiconductor memory is configured to store a first data accessible by a host command and to a second data inaccessible by the host command, and when receiving the host command, the controller writes the second data of the first area within the second area and initializes a first address information related the first data. | 05-15-2014 |
20140189420 | MEMORY SYSTEM - A memory system includes a volatile first storing unit, a nonvolatile second storing unit in which data is managed in a predetermined unit, and a controller that writes data requested by a host apparatus in the second storing unit via the first storing unit and reads out data requested by the host apparatus from the second storing unit to the first storing unit and transfers the data to the host apparatus. The controller includes a management table for managing the number of failure areas in a predetermined unit that occur in the second storing unit and switches, according to the number of failure areas, an operation mode in writing data in the second storing unit from the host apparatus. | 07-03-2014 |
20140208013 | MEMORY SYSTEM - A memory system includes a volatile first storing unit, a nonvolatile second storing unit, and a controller. The controller performs data transfer, stores management information including a storage position of the data stored in the second storing unit into the first storing unit, and performs data management while updating the management information. The second storing unit has a management information storage area for storing management information storage information including management information in a latest state and a storage position of the management information. The storage position information is read by the controller during a startup operation of the memory system and includes a second pointer indicating a storage position of management information in a latest state in the management information storage area and a first pointer indicating a storage position of the second pointer. The first pointer is stored in a fixed area in the second storing unit and the second pointer is stored in an area excluding the fixed area in the second storing unit. | 07-24-2014 |
20140237320 | MEMORY SYSTEM - A memory system includes a controlling unit that configured to control data transfer between the first and the second memory. The controlling unit executes copy processing for, after reading out data stored in a first page of the second memory to the first memory, writing the data in a second page of the second memory, determines, when executing the copy processing, whether the error correction processing for the data read out from the first page is successful, stores, when the error correction processing is successful, corrected data in the first memory and writes the corrected data in the second page, and reads out, when the error correction processing is unsuccessful, the data from the first page to the first memory and writes the data not subjected to the error correction processing in the second page. | 08-21-2014 |
20140250264 | MEMORY SYSTEM - A memory system according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: speed of processing for searching through management tables is increased by providing a forward lookup table for searching for, respectively in track and cluster units, from a logical address, a storage device position where data corresponding to the logical address and a reverse lookup table for searching for, from a position of the storage device, a logical address stored in the position and linking these tables. | 09-04-2014 |
20140286077 | RESISTANCE CHANGE TYPE MEMORY - According to one embodiment, a resistance change type memory includes a first and a second bit lines, a memory cell connected between the first and second bit lines and including a variable resistance element as a memory element and a first select element including a first control terminal connected to a word line, and an auxiliary circuit connected to the first bit line and including a second select element including a second control terminal connected to a control line. When data is read from the memory cell, a first current in a read current supplied to the first bit line is supplied to the memory element and the first select element, and a second current in the read current is supplied to the second select element. | 09-25-2014 |
20140289588 | MEMORY SYSTEM - A memory system ( | 09-25-2014 |
20140372688 | MEMORY SYSTEM - A memory system includes a management-information restoring unit. The management-information restoring unit determines whether a short break has occurred referring to a pre-log or a post-log in a NAND memory. The management-information restoring unit determines that a short break has occurred when the pre-log or the post-log is present in the NAND memory. In that case, the management-information restoring unit determines timing of occurrence of the short break, and, after selecting a pre-log or a post-log used for restoration, performs restoration of the management information reflecting these logs on a snapshot. Thereafter, the management-information restoring unit applies recovery processing to all write-once blocks in the NAND memory, takes the snapshot again, and opens the snapshot and the logs in the past. | 12-18-2014 |
20150070969 | RESISTANCE CHANGE TYPE MEMORY - According to one embodiment, a resistance change type memory includes a memory cell including a first resistance change element as a memory element; a reference cell including a second resistance change element and a first element having a resistance value which is not higher than a resistance range of the first and second resistance change elements; and a read circuit including a first input terminal connected to the memory cell, and a second input terminal connected to the reference cell. | 03-12-2015 |