# US 2019/0171522 A1 · Data storage device, host device for data storage device operations, and data writing method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0171522 A1 - Document ID: US20190171522A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/170,249 - Filed: 2018-10-25 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-06 - Assignees: Silicon Motion, Inc. - Applicants: Silicon Motion, Inc. - Inventors: Ming-Hung CHANG; Kuo-Yuan HSU - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190171522A1 ## CPC - G06F 11/1076: {Parity data used in redundant arrays of independent storages, e.g. in RAID systems} - G06F 3/061: {Improving I/O performance} - G06F 3/0656: {Data buffering arrangements} - G06F 3/0659: {Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling} - G06F 3/0688: {Non-volatile semiconductor memory arrays} - G06F 12/0246: {in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory} - G06F 12/1009: using page tables, e.g. page table structures - G06F 2212/1016: Performance improvement - G06F 2212/1032: Reliability improvement, data loss prevention, degraded operation etc - G06F 2212/262: configured as RAID - G06F 2212/657: Virtual address space management - G06F 2212/7201: Logical to physical mapping or translation of blocks or pages - G06F 2212/7205: Cleaning, compaction, garbage collection, erase control - G06F 2212/7208: Multiple device management, e.g. distributing data over multiple flash devices - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A data storage device with fault-tolerant design. The data storage device has a RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) engine that generates RAID checking code for user data requested in a write command. The user data is programmed to a non-volatile memory according to a target physical address indicated in the write command. The RAID checking code is programmed to the non-volatile memory according to a reserved physical address. The user data and the RAID checking code are programmed to a stripe of pages within a stripe of blocks. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A data storage device, comprising: a non-volatile memory; and a microcontroller, including a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) engine that encodes user data to generate RAID checking code, wherein: the user data is indicated by a write command; the microcontroller programs the user data to the non-volatile memory according to a target physical address indicated by the write command, and programs the RAID checking code to the non-volatile memory according to a reserved physical address; and the user data and the RAID checking code are programmed to a stripe of pages of a stripe of blocks. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The data storage device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the write command is requested by a host. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The data storage device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reserved physical address is determined based on a RAID encoding initialization command from a host. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The data storage device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the microcontroller programs the RAID checking code to the non-volatile memory according to the reserved physical address in response to a RAID checking code programming command. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The data storage device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the microcontroller further comprises a RAID checking code buffer for temporary storage of the RAID checking code. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The data storage device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user data is accumulated to be programmed to the non-volatile memory with the RAID checking code. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The data storage device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user data and the RAID checking code are sequentially programmed to the non-volatile memory. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The data storage device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the microcontroller checks whether number of available logical unit numbers (LUNs) is a preset value and, if yes, the microcontroller programs the RAID checking code to the non-volatile memory according to the reserved physical address. ### Claim 9 A host device controlling operations of a data storage device, wherein: the host device operates the data storage device to store user data according to a target physical address and stores redundant array of independent disks (RAID) checking code according to a reserved physical address; and based on a block status table, the host device determines a logical unit number (LUN) to set the reserved physical address. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The host device as claimed in claim 9, further performing a function calculation to determine the LUN of the reserved physical address. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The host device as claimed in claim 9, further recording the target physical address of the user data in a logical-to-physical mapping table L2P. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The host device as claimed in claim 9, further recording a logical address of the RAID checking code to a physical-to-logical mapping table P2L. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The host device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the logical address is indicated by a block stripe number or a page stripe number. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The host device as claimed in claim 9, outputting a write command to the data storage device with the user data and the target physical address indicated by the write command. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The host device as claimed in claim 9 with the RAID checking code generated by the data storage device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The host device as claimed in claim 9, outputting a RAID checking code programming command to operate the data storage device to store the RAID checking code according to the reserved physical address. ### Claim 17 (depends on 9) The host device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the block status table is provided by the data storage device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 9) The host device as claimed in claim 9, maintaining the block status table. ### Claim 19 A data writing method, comprising: receiving a write command; generating redundant array of independent disks (RAID) checking code for user data indicated by the write command; programming the user data to a non-volatile memory according to a target physical address indicated by the write command; receiving a RAID checking code programming command; and in response to the RAID checking code programming command, programming the RAID checking code to the non-volatile memory according to a reserved physical address, wherein the user data and the RAID checking code are programmed to a stripe of pages of a stripe of blocks. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The data writing method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the reserved physical address is determined based on a RAID encoding initialization command. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The data writing method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the user data is accumulated to be programmed to the non-volatile memory with the RAID checking code. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The data writing method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the user data and the RAID checking code are sequentially programmed to the non-volatile memory in separated time points. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The data writing method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising: checking whether the number of available logical unit numbers (LUNs) is a preset value and, if yes, programming the RAID checking code to the non-volatile memory according to the reserved physical address. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The data writing method as claimed in claim 23, wherein: the number of available LUNs is indicated by a RAID encoding initialization command. ### Claim 25 (depends on 19) The data writing method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising: outputting a block status table in response to an identification command.