US 2011/0258386 A1Published application

Partial Block Data Programming And Reading Operations In A Non-Volatile Memory

AssigneeSanDisk Corporation

InventorKevin M. Conley

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Abstract

Data in less than all of the pages of a non-volatile memory block are updated by programming the new data in unused pages of either the same or another block. In order to prevent having to copy unchanged pages of data into the new block, or to program flags into superceded pages of data, the pages of new data are identified by the same logical address as the pages of data which they superceded and a time stamp is added to note when each page was written. When reading the data, the most recent pages of data are used and the older superceded pages of data are ignored. This technique is also applied to metablocks that include one block from each of several different units of a memory array, by directing all page updates to a single unused block in one of the units.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A re-programmable non-volatile memory system, comprising:

an array of storage elements organized into a plurality of blocks, each block having storage elements that are erasable together and organized into a plurality of pages, each page having storage elements that are accessed together and each page is programmable in a preset order in a block at a specified offset position,
a memory controller for controlling the operations of the non-volatile memory system, the operations including:
(a) in response to a host command for programming and one or more pages of original user data addressable by logical addresses and received from the host, programming the one or more pages of original user data into a first one or more pages of storage elements in the preset order in at least a first one of the blocks,
(b) in response to a host command for updating and one or more pages of updated user data received from the host, programming the received one or more pages of updated user data into a second one or more pages of storage elements in the preset order in at least a second one of the blocks without necessarily in the same offset positions as in the the at least a first one of the blocks, and
(c) in response to a host command for reading user data of specified logical addresses, reading at least the one or more pages of updated data from the at least the second one of the blocks with some of the specified logical addresses in common with that of original user data and reading pages of original user data that have not been updated from the at least the first one of the blocks with others of the specified logical addresses are associated.

2 more elements

In a re-programmable non-volatile semiconductor memory system having an array of storage elements organized into a plurality of blocks, each block having storage elements that are erasable together and organized into a plurality of pages, each page having storage elements that are accessed together and each page is programmable in a preset order in a block at a specified offset position, a method of operating the memory system, comprising:

programming original data into individual ones of a first plurality of pages in at least a first block, the original data having logical addresses associated therewith,
thereafter programming an updated version of the original data into individual ones of a second plurality of pages in a second block, the updated version having logical addresses associated therewith and being less than the given number of pages of the original data programmed into the first plurality of pages, wherein the logical addresses associated with the updated version of the original data are the same as the logical addresses associated with the original data,
wherein programming the second plurality of pages additionally comprises programming the updated version of the original data in those of the second plurality of pages that have different offset positions within the second block than the offset positions of the first plurality of pages within said at least the first block that contain original data with the same associated logical addresses,
maintaining updatable address information that links physical addresses of the first and second blocks storing original and updated data with the logical addresses associated with the stored data, wherein the address information includes physical addresses of multiple blocks for individual logical addresses of original data having updated versions thereof, and
thereafter reading data from the first and second plurality of pages by a process that includes accessing the updatable address information.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/168,756Filed 24 Jun 2011
Priority: 19 Jan 2001
Published: 20 Oct 2011
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

G11C 16/102
Programming or data input circuits: external programming circuits, e.g. EPROM programmers; In-circuit programming or reprogramming; EPROM emulators
G06F 12/0246
Memory management in non-volatile memory, e.g. resistive RAM or ferroelectric memory: in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory
G11C 16/105
External programming circuits, e.g. EPROM programmers; In-circuit programming or reprogramming; EPROM emulators: circuits or methods for updating…
G06F 2212/1016
Providing a specific technical effect: performance improvement

Family

Application09/766,436Continuation · filed 19 Jan 2001
Application10/841,388Continuation · filed 7 May 2004
Application11/250,238Continuation · filed 13 Oct 2005
Application12/900,397Continuation · filed 7 Oct 2010
Application13/168,756Continuation
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