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US 12,050,787 B2Granted
Memory controller systems with nonvolatile memory for storing operating parameters
AssigneeRambus Inc.
InventorsShih-ho Wu, Christopher Haywood
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to computer storage systems and methods thereof. In an embodiment, a memory system comprises a controller module, a nonvolatile memory, and a volatile memory. The controller module operates according to a command and operation table. The command and operation table can be updated to change the way controller module operates. When the command and operation table is updated, the updated table is stored at a predefined location of the nonvolatile memory. There are other embodiments as well.
Claims20
A memory system comprising:
- a communication interface;
- and
- a controller circuit coupled to the communication interface, wherein the controller circuit comprises:
- a load reduction memory buffer coupled between a host interface and a volatile memory interface;
- a register block to store one or more parameters or settings, wherein the one or more parameters or settings comprises at least one of a speed parameter, a frequency parameter, or a latency parameter of a volatile memory coupled to the volatile memory interface;
- and
- data buffers to provide speed matching between the volatile memory interface and a non-volatile memory interface, wherein the controller circuit is to:
- execute a first set of one or more commands according to the one or more parameters or settings;
- receive a request to update at least one of the one or more parameters or settings or the first set of one or more commands;
- update the at least one of the one or more parameters or settings to one or more updated parameters or settings or the first set of one or more commands to an updated set of one or more commands;
- and
- send, to a non-volatile memory coupled to the non-volatile memory interface, a copy of the at least one of the one or more updated parameters or settings or the updated set of one or more commands such that the at least one of the one or more updated parameters or settings or the updated set of one or more commands are preserved after a power cycle.
9 more elements
A method of a controller module, the method comprising:
- receiving a copy of register values and a copy of a table from a non-volatile memory, the copy of the table comprising a first set of commands to be executed by the controller module, wherein at least one of the register values indicates at least one of a speed parameter, a frequency parameter, or a latency parameter of a volatile memory;
- executing the first set of commands using the copy of the register values;
- receiving a request to update at least one of the register values or the first set of commands;
- updating the at least one of the register values to updated register values or the first set of commands to an updated set of commands;
- and
- sending, to a non-volatile memory, a copy of the at least one of the updated register values or the updated set of commands such that the at least one of the updated register values or the updated set of commands are preserved after a power cycle.
3 more elements
A controller circuit comprising:
- a communication interface;
- a memory block;
- and
- a plurality of registers, wherein the controller circuit is configured to:
- receive a first request to change at least one entry in a table, wherein the table is stored at a first memory location of the memory block, the table comprising executable commands and operations;
- in response to the first request, i) change the at least one entry in the table to obtain an updated table in the first memory location, ii) store a copy of the updated table at a second memory location in a non-volatile memory coupled to the controller circuit such that the change to the table is preserved after a power cycle, and iii) set an indication that the table is updated;
- and
- execute at least one of the executable commands and operations in the updated table after the power cycle.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.