# US 10,310,983 B2 · Data storage device and operating method thereof

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- Number: US 10,310,983 B2
- Document ID: US10310983B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/837,600
- Filed: 2017-12-11
- Published: 2018-09-27
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2017-03-23
- Assignees: SK hynix Inc.
- Applicants: SK hynix Inc.
- Inventors: Seung Gu Ji; Byeong Gyu Park
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10310983B2

## CPC

- G06F 12/0891: using clearing, invalidating or resetting means
- G06F 12/0246: {in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory}
- G11C 7/1051: {Data output circuits, e.g. read-out amplifiers, data output buffers, data output registers, data output level conversion circuits}
- G11C 7/12: Bit line control circuits, e.g. drivers, boosters, pull-up circuits, pull-down circuits, precharging circuits, equalising circuits, for bit lines
- G11C 7/22: Read-write [R-W] timing or clocking circuits; Read-write [R-W] control signal generators or management
- G11C 11/4091: Sense or sense/refresh amplifiers, or associated sense circuitry, e.g. for coupled bit-line precharging, equalising or isolating
- G11C 16/26: Sensing or reading circuits; Data output circuits
- G06F 2212/1024: Latency reduction
- G06F 2212/1036: Life time enhancement
- G06F 2212/7203: Temporary buffering, e.g. using volatile buffer or dedicated buffer blocks
- G06F 2212/7208: Multiple device management, e.g. distributing data over multiple flash devices
- G06F 2212/7211: Wear leveling
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B)

## Abstract

An operating method for a data storage device may include: reading data from a first memory region of a storage medium; storing the read data in a data buffer; and writing the data stored in the data buffer to a second memory region of the storage medium, based on a read count for the first memory region.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An operating method of a data storage device, comprising:
reading data from a first memory region of a storage medium;
storing the read data in a data buffer; and
writing the data stored in the data buffer to a second memory region of the storage medium, based on a read count for the first memory region.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The operating method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining a read count value for the first memory region; and
comparing the read count value for the first memory region with a threshold value,
wherein the writing of the data stored in the data buffer comprises the data stored in the data buffer to the second memory region of the storage medium, based on the comparison result.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The operating method of claim 1, further comprising invalidating original data stored in the memory region, after the writing of the data.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The operating method of claim 3, wherein states of other data stored in the memory region are retained when the original data are invalidated.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The operating method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the data stored in the data buffer to the external device in response to the read request.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The operating method of claim 1, further comprising performing a data transfer operation on a memory block in which the read data are stored, among a plurality of memory blocks included in the memory region, depending on the determination result.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The operating method of claim 6, wherein when the data transfer operation is performed, states of data stored in one or more other memory blocks excluding the memory block among the plurality of memory blocks are retained.

### Claim 8

An operating method for a data storage device, comprising:
determining whether a read count value of a memory region included in a storage medium exceeds a threshold count value; and
whenever a read request for the memory region is received from an external device, writing read-requested data stored in the memory region to another memory region included in the storage medium while leaving the other data stored in the memory region as is, after the read count value is determined to exceed the threshold count value.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The operating method of claim 8, further comprising reading data stored in the another memory region, in order to process a subsequent read request for the read-requested data.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The operating method of claim 8, further comprising invalidating the read-requested data stored in the memory region, after the writing of the read-requested data to the another memory region.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The operating method of claim 10, wherein the states of the other data stored in the memory region are retained when the read-requested data stored in the memory region is invalidated.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The operating method of claim 8, further comprising:
reading the read-requested data from the memory region in response to the read request;
storing the read data in a data buffer;
transmitting the data stored in the data buffer to the external device.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The operating method of claim 12, wherein the writing of the read-requested data to the another memory region comprises writing the data stored in the data buffer to the another memory region.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The operating method of claim 8, further comprising increasing the read count value in response to the read request.

### Claim 15

A data storage device comprising:
a storage medium comprising a plurality of memory regions; and
a controller suitable for reading original data stored in a memory region of the storage medium in response to a read request received from an external device, increasing a read count value of the memory region, determining whether the read count value exceeds a threshold count value, and invalidating the original data among data stored in the memory region while leaving the other data stored in the memory region as is, depending on the determination result.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The data storage device of claim 15, wherein the controller, depending on the determination result, invalidates valid data stored in the memory region after receiving a read request indicating a read operation for the valid data from the external device.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The data storage device of claim 15, wherein the controller writes data read from the original data to another memory region of the storage medium, depending on the determination result.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The data storage device of claim 15, wherein the controller transmits data read from the original data to the external device in response to the read request.