Memory system and block merge method
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorYul-Won CHO
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In one embodiment, the invention provides a memory system including a flash memory device including a plurality of memory blocks implementing a plurality of data blocks, a plurality of log blocks, and a plurality of free blocks. The memory system further includes a flash translation layer maintaining the number of the free blocks to be at least equal to a reference number by converting selected memory blocks among the data and log blocks into free blocks via at least one merge operation during a background period. Additionally, the flash translation layer converts selected ones of the free blocks into data and log blocks, respectively.
Claims25
A memory system comprising:
- a flash memory device comprising a plurality of memory blocks implementing a plurality of data blocks, a plurality of log blocks, and a plurality of free blocks;
- and
- a flash translation layer maintaining the number of the free blocks to be at least equal to a reference number by converting selected memory blocks among the data and log blocks into free blocks via at least one merge operation during a background period,
- wherein the flash translation layer converts selected ones of the free blocks into data and log blocks, respectively.
A block merge method performed in a memory system comprising a flash memory device including a plurality of memory blocks implementing a plurality of data blocks, a plurality of log blocks, and a plurality of free blocks, the block merge method comprising:
- comparing the number of the free blocks to a reference number;
- selecting log and data blocks of the memory blocks to be merged when the number of the free blocks is less than the reference number;
- and
- increasing the number of the free blocks to at least the reference number by converting the selected log and data blocks into free blocks using at least one merge operation during a background period of the flash memory device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.