US 10,310,770 B2 · Nonvolatile memory device, and storage apparatus having nonvolatile memory device

Abstract

This nonvolatile memory device has a blockwise-erase nonvolatile memory including a plurality of physical areas, and also has a memory controller which transmits one of a plurality of types of commands to the nonvolatile memory. After an erase command to erase one of the physical areas has been transmitted, but before a response to that erase command is received, the memory controller determines whether to suspend the ongoing erasure of the physical area, on the basis of whether there is a command to be transmitted and/or on the basis of the degree of deterioration of the physical area being erased. If the determination is affirmative, the memory controller transmits a command to the nonvolatile memory to suspend the erasure.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A nonvolatile memory device configured to receive a command from a higher-level apparatus and to return a response to the command, comprising:

a blockwise-erase nonvolatile memory including a plurality of physical areas;
and
a memory controller configured to transmit any type of a command among types of commands, to the nonvolatile memory;
wherein the types of commands include an erase command for a physical area,
from transmission of the erase command to reception of a response to the erase command, the memory controller is configured to:
(A) determine whether or not to suspend erasure of the physical area being erased, based on at least one of presence or absence of a transmission target command and a degree of deterioration of the physical area being erased;
and
(B) transmit a command for suspending the erasure, to the nonvolatile memory, when a result of the determination of (A) is affirmative.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Nonvolatile memory device, and storage apparatus having nonvolatile memory device

Life of this patent

Nonvolatile memory device, and storage apparatus having nonvolatile memory device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims15