Apparatus and method for retaining firmware in memory system
AssigneeSK hynix Inc.
InventorsJeen PARK, Jung-Ae KIM, Duk-Rae LEE
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A memory system includes a memory device including plural memory blocks divided into a system region, a user data region and a reserved region. The system region includes a first block storing original firmware and a second block storing copied firmware, and the reserved region includes a dedicated test block having an operational characteristic that substantially the same as that of the second block. The memory system includes a controller configured to access the dedicated test block for determining a status of the second block based on an operation state of the dedicated test block, and to update both the dedicated test block and the second block based on the status of the second block.
Claims20
A memory system, comprising:
- a memory device including plural memory blocks divided into a system region, a user data region and a reserved region, wherein the system region includes a first block storing original firmware and a second block storing copied firmware, and the reserved region includes a dedicated test block having an operational characteristic that is substantially the same as that of the second block;
- and
- a controller configured to access the dedicated test block for determining a status of the second block based on an operation state of the dedicated test block, and to update both the dedicated test block and the second block based on the status of the second block.
The memory system according to claim I., wherein the user data region includes plural spaces each being accessible based on a logical address through a map table, and the system region and the reserved region includes other plural spaces each being accessible based on a physical address but not a logical address.
An apparatus for controlling firmware in a memory system including at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to:
- access a dedicated test block located in a reserved region of a memory device, to the dedicated test block having an operational characteristic that is substantially the same as that of a block storing copied firmware in a system region of the memory device;
- determine a data retention status of the dedicated test block;
- and
- recover the block storing the copied firmware based on a result of the determine operation.
A method for operating a memory system, comprising:
- accessing a dedicated test block located in a reserved region of a memory device and having an operational characteristic that is substantially the same as that of a block storing copied firmware in a system region of the memory device;
- determining a data retention status of the dedicated test block;
- and
- recovering the block storing the copied firmware based on a result of the determining operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.