# US 10,120,794 B2 · Storage device including buffer and main memories, and user device including the same

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- Number: US 10,120,794 B2
- Document ID: US10120794B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/993,146
- Filed: 2016-01-12
- Published: 2016-07-14
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2015-01-13
- Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Dongjun Shin
- Inventors: Dongjun Shin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10120794B2

## CPC

- G06F 12/0246: {in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory}
- G11C 7/1039: {using pipelining techniques, i.e. using latches between functional memory parts, e.g. row/column decoders, I/O buffers, sense amplifiers}
- G11C 7/1045: {Read-write mode select circuits}
- G11C 16/10: Programming or data input circuits
- G06F 2212/1016: Performance improvement
- G06F 2212/7201: Logical to physical mapping or translation of blocks or pages
- G06F 2212/7203: Temporary buffering, e.g. using volatile buffer or dedicated buffer blocks
- G06F 2212/7204: Capacity control, e.g. partitioning, end-of-life degradation
- G06F 2212/7207: management of metadata or control data
- G11C 7/1087: {Data input latches}
- G11C 7/1096: {Write circuits, e.g. I/O line write drivers}
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B)

## Abstract

A storage device includes a nonvolatile memory including a buffer region and a main region, and a memory controller responsive to a write request to store successively received blocks of write data at the nonvolatile memory. The memory controller is configured to initially store blocks among the successively received blocks of write data in the main region of the nonvolatile memory, and to subsequently store remaining blocks among the successively receive blocks of write data in the buffer region when a continuity count exceeds a reference count. The continuity count denotes a number of times a data size of the successively received blocks consecutively equals or exceeds a reference data size.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A storage device comprising:
a nonvolatile memory including a buffer region and a main region; and
a memory controller responsive to a write request to store successively received blocks of write data at the nonvolatile memory,
wherein the memory controller is configured to initially store blocks among the successively received blocks of write data in the main region of the nonvolatile memory, and to subsequently store remaining blocks among the successively received blocks of write data in the buffer region when a continuity count equals or exceeds a reference count,
wherein the continuity count denotes a number of times a data size of the successively received blocks consecutively equals or exceeds a reference data size.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The storage device of claim 1, wherein N-bit data is stored at each memory cell of the buffer region, and M-bit data is stored at each memory cell of the main region, where N and M are integers and M>N.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The storage device of claim 1, wherein the memory controller comprises:
a mode manager configured to change a write mode between a first mode in which data is stored at the buffer region and a second mode in which data is stored at the main region.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The storage device of claim 3, wherein a write speed of the first mode is greater than a write speed of the second mode,
wherein the mode manager changes the write mode to the first mode when the continuity count equals or exceeds the reference count, and
wherein the mode manager changes the write mode to the second mode at an idle state.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The storage device of claim 4, wherein, after the mode manager changes the write mode to the first mode and in absence of the idle state, the memory controller maintains the first mode regardless of a data size of all of remaining blocks among the successively received blocks of write data.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The storage device of claim 1, wherein the memory controller is configured to perform a migration operation in which data stored at the buffer region is transferred to the main region.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The storage device of claim 6, wherein the memory controller is configured to perform the migration operation during an idle time.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The storage device of claim 1, wherein the nonvolatile memory is a flash memory having a three-dimensional memory array.

### Claim 9

A storage device comprising:
a flash memory including a buffer region and a main region; and
a memory controller responsive to a write request to store each of successively received blocks of write data at the buffer region when a continuity count equals or exceeds a reference count, wherein the continuity count denotes a number of times a data size of the successively received blocks of write data consecutively equals or exceeds a reference size.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The storage device of claim 9, wherein the memory controller changes from a second mode in which the successively received blocks of write data are initially stored in the main region to a first mode in which remaining successively received blocks of write data are stored in the buffer region when the continuity count equals or exceeds the reference count.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The storage device of claim 10, wherein, after an occurrence of an idle state, the memory controller changes to the second mode for execution of a next write request.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The storage device of claim 10, wherein, in absence of the idle state and after the memory controller changes to the first mode, the memory controller maintains the first mode for storing the remaining successively received blocks of write data in the buffer region regardless of a data size of the remaining successively received blocks of write data.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The storage device of claim 9, wherein N-bit data is stored at each memory cell of the buffer region, and M-bit data is stored at each memory cell of the main region, where N and M are integers and M>N.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The storage device of claim 9, wherein the memory controller comprises:
a speed mode manager configured to change between a first write speed mode in which the write data is stored at the buffer region and a second write speed mode in which the write data is stored at the main region.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The storage device of claim 14, wherein the speed mode manager changes from the first write speed mode to the second write speed mode after an occurrence of an idle state.

### Claim 16

A user device comprising:
a host configured to provide a write request and successive blocks of write data; and
a storage device configured to receive the write request and the successive blocks of write data from the host, and to store the successive blocks of write data at a buffer region or a main region of a flash memory, and
wherein the storage device is configured to initially store blocks among the received successive blocks of write data in the main region of the flash memory, and to subsequently store remaining blocks among the received successive blocks of write data in the buffer region of the flash memory when a continuity count equals or exceeds a reference count,
wherein the continuity count denotes a number of times a data size of the received successive blocks of write data consecutively equals or exceeds a reference data size.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The user device of claim 16, wherein the storage device comprises:
a mode manager configured to change a write mode between a first mode in which data is stored at the buffer region and a second mode in which data is stored at the main region.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The user device of claim 17, wherein a write speed of the first mode is greater than a write speed of the second mode,
wherein the mode manager changes the write mode to the first mode when the continuity count equals or exceeds the reference count, and
wherein the mode manager changes the write mode to the second mode at an idle state.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The user device of claim 18, wherein, after the mode manager changes the write mode to the first mode and in absence of the idle state, the storage device maintains the first mode regardless of a data size of all of the remaining blocks among the received successive blocks of write data.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The user device of claim 16, wherein the host and the storage device constitute a mobile electronic device.