Methods for queuing and absorbing erase commands in a nonvolatil

Details Methods for queuing and absorbing erase commands in a nonvolatil Methods for queuing and absorbing erase commands in a nonvolatil

1997-03-14

1999-09-21

Gossage, Glenn

Electrical computers and digital processing systems: memory

Storage accessing and control

Specific memory composition

711158, 711167, 395595, 395736, 395737, G06F 1200, G06F 946, G11C 1602

Patent

active

059567422

ABSTRACT:
A method of queuing erase commands for a nonvolatile memory utilizes placeholder commands to prevent the depth of an operation queue from limiting the number of block erase commands that can be queued at one time. The method includes the step of storing a first erase command in the operation queue. The first erase command is designated as a placeholder erase command if no placeholder command is stored in the operation queue. Each of the first and placeholder erase commands designates at least one block of the nonvolatile memory to be erased. Each block has a corresponding status indicator. If a placeholder erase command is already stored in the operation queue, then 1) the corresponding status indicator for the block designated by the first erase command is set to indicate that the first erase command is an absorbed erase command, and 2) the first erase command is removed from the operation queue. If a program command designating the same block as any of the placeholder and absorbed erase commands is stored in the operation queue, then 1) an erase operation for the same block is performed; 2) the corresponding status indicator for the same block is cleared; and 3) the program command is executed. If the program command does not designate the same block as any of the placeholder and absorbed erase commands, then 1) the program command is executed; and 2) the program command is removed from the operation queue.

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Patent Abstracts of Japan, vol. 18, No. 436 (P-1786), Publication Date: May 13, 1994, for JP G-131889, May 13, 1994.

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