# US 12,118,246 B2 · Method of operating storage device for retention enhancement and storage device performing the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,118,246 B2 - Document ID: US12118246B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/872,162 - Filed: 2022-07-25 - Published: 2023-05-11 - Granted: 2024-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2021-11-09 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Hyunjin Kim; Hyunduk Cho; Sangeun Lee - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12118246B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/0659: {Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling} - G06F 3/0679: {Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]} - G06F 3/0619: {in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors} - G06F 3/0632: {by initialisation or re-initialisation of storage systems} - G06F 3/0673: {Single storage device} - G06F 11/1048: {using arrangements adapted for a specific error detection or correction feature} - G06F 11/106: {Correcting systematically all correctable errors, i.e. scrubbing} - Y02D 10/00: Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract In a method of operating a storage device including a storage controller and a nonvolatile memory, the storage device is powered on based on an activation of an external power supply voltage. An establishment of communication with a host device is waited for, based on a link signal between the storage device and the host device. Without the establishment of communication with the host device, a retention enhancement operation is performed on the storage device by entering a retention enhancement mode and by providing at least one command from the storage controller to the nonvolatile memory. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of operating a storage device including a storage controller and a nonvolatile memory, the method comprising: powering on the storage device based on an activation of an external power supply voltage; waiting for an establishment of communication with a host device based on a link signal between the storage device and the host device; and without the establishment of communication with the host device, performing a retention enhancement operation on the storage device by entering a retention enhancement mode and by providing at least one command from the storage controller to the nonvolatile memory. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein, in response to an establishment of communication waiting time becoming longer than a first reference time, the storage device is configured to enter the retention enhancement mode and to perform the retention enhancement operation. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the establishment of communication waiting time starts from a time point at which the external power supply voltage is activated. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein: in response to the link signal being deactivated even after the first reference time having elapsed from the time point at which the external power supply voltage is activated, the storage device is configured to determine that the establishment of communication with the host device has failed, and in response to the establishment of communication with the host device having failed, the storage device is configured to enter the retention enhancement mode and to perform the retention enhancement operation. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: in response to the establishment of communication with the host device being successfully completed, performing a normal operation on the storage device by entering a normal operation mode. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, further comprising: while the storage device enters the retention enhancement mode and performs the retention enhancement operation, checking whether the communication establishment with the host device has successfully completed. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein, in response to the establishment of communication with the host device being successfully completed while the storage device enters the retention enhancement mode and performs the retention enhancement operation, the storage device is configured to stop the retention enhancement operation, to exit the retention enhancement mode, and to enter the normal operation mode and perform the normal operation. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein: in response to the link signal being activated while the storage device enters the retention enhancement mode and performs the retention enhancement operation, the storage device is configured to determine that the establishment of communication with the host device has successfully completed, in response to the establishment of communication with the host device being successfully completed, the storage device is configured to stop the retention enhancement operation and to exit the retention enhancement mode, and in response to the storage device exiting the retention enhancement mode, the storage device is configured to enter the normal operation mode and to perform the normal operation. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein performing the retention enhancement operation on the storage device includes: performing a read operation on first data based on a read command, the first data being stored in a first region among a plurality of regions included in the nonvolatile memory; and selectively performing a reprogram operation on the first data. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein selectively performing the reprogram operation on the first data includes: in response to a number of first error bits included in the first data being greater than a first reference number, performing the reprogram operation on the first data based on a reprogram command; and in response to the number of the first error bits is less than or equal to the first reference number, omitting the reprogram operation on the first data. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the first reference number is variable. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the first reference number is less than a second reference number used to determine whether the first data is degraded while a normal operation is performed on the storage device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein performing the reprogram operation on the first data based on the reprogram command includes: storing the first data into a second region different from the first region among the plurality of regions. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein performing the retention enhancement operation on the storage device further includes: in response to the read operation being completed on all of the plurality of regions, waiting in the retention enhancement mode by finishing the retention enhancement operation. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein, in response to a retention enhancement waiting time becoming longer than a second reference time, the storage device is configured to perform the retention enhancement operation again. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the retention enhancement waiting time starts from a time point at which the retention enhancement operation has finished. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein an interface between the host device and the storage device is formed based on one of a small computer small interface (SCSI), serial attached SCSI (SAS), peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) and serial advanced technology attachment (SATA). ### Claim 18 A storage device comprising: a storage controller; and a nonvolatile memory controlled by the storage controller, and wherein: the storage device is powered on based on an activation of an external power supply voltage, the storage controller is configured to wait for establishment of communication with a host device based on a link signal between the storage device and the host device, and without the establishment of communication with the host device, the storage controller is configured to perform a retention enhancement operation by entering a retention enhancement mode and by providing at least one command to the nonvolatile memory. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The storage device of claim 18, wherein the storage controller includes: a measurer configured to measure an establishment of communication waiting time from a time point at which the external power supply voltage is activated; and a retention enhancement driver configured to determine that the establishment of communication with the host device has failed in response to the establishment of communication waiting time becoming longer than a first reference time, and to enter the retention enhancement mode and to perform the retention enhancement operation in response to the establishment of communication with the host device having failed. ### Claim 20 A method of operating a storage device including a storage controller and a nonvolatile memory, the method comprising: powering on the storage device based on an activation of an external power supply voltage; waiting for an establishment of communication with a host device based on a link signal between the storage device and the host device; in response to the establishment of communication with the host device being successfully completed, entering a normal operation mode; performing a normal operation in the normal operation mode; measuring an establishment of communication waiting time starting from a time point at which the external power supply voltage is activated; in response to the establishment of communication waiting time becoming longer than a first reference time, entering a retention enhancement mode without the establishment of communication with the host device; performing a retention enhancement operation in the retention enhancement mode by providing a read command and a reprogram command from the storage controller to the nonvolatile memory; and in response to the communication establishment of communication with the host device being successfully completed in the retention enhancement mode, exiting the retention enhancement mode and entering the normal operation mode, and wherein a criterion for determining whether data is degraded in the retention enhancement mode is higher than a criterion for determining whether data is degraded in the normal operation mode.