Scheduling of housekeeping operations in flash memory systems

Electrical computers and digital processing systems: memory – Storage accessing and control – Specific memory composition

Reexamination Certificate

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

C711S100000, C711S154000

Reexamination Certificate

active

07315917

ABSTRACT:
A re-programmable non-volatile memory system, such as a flash EEPROM system, having its memory cells grouped into blocks of cells that are simultaneously erasable is operated to perform memory system housekeeping operations in the foreground during execution of a host command, wherein the housekeeping operations are unrelated to execution of the host command. Both one or more such housekeeping operations and execution of the host command are performed within a time budget established for executing that particular command. One such command is to write data being received to the memory. One such housekeeping operation is to level out the wear of the individual blocks that accumulates through repetitive erasing and re-programming.

REFERENCES:
patent: 5043940 (1991-08-01), Harari
patent: 5070032 (1991-12-01), Yuan et al.
patent: 5095344 (1992-03-01), Harari
patent: 5172338 (1992-12-01), Mehrotra et al.
patent: 5268870 (1993-12-01), Harari
patent: 5313421 (1994-05-01), Guterman et al.
patent: 5315541 (1994-05-01), Harari et al.
patent: 5341339 (1994-08-01), Wells
patent: 5343063 (1994-08-01), Yuan et al.
patent: 5388083 (1995-02-01), Assar et al.
patent: 5479633 (1995-12-01), Wells et al.
patent: 5479638 (1995-12-01), Assar et al.
patent: 5485595 (1996-01-01), Assar et al.
patent: 5530828 (1996-06-01), Kaki et al.
patent: 5532962 (1996-07-01), Auclair et al.
patent: 5570315 (1996-10-01), Tanaka et al.
patent: 5640529 (1997-06-01), Hasbun
patent: 5644539 (1997-07-01), Yamagami et al.
patent: 5661053 (1997-08-01), Yuan
patent: 5768192 (1998-06-01), Eitan
patent: 5774397 (1998-06-01), Endoh et al.
patent: 5798968 (1998-08-01), Lee et al.
patent: 5890192 (1999-03-01), Lee et al.
patent: 5903495 (1999-05-01), Takeuchi et al.
patent: 5909449 (1999-06-01), So et al.
patent: 5930167 (1999-07-01), Lee et al.
patent: 5956743 (1999-09-01), Bruce et al.
patent: 6000006 (1999-12-01), Bruce et al.
patent: 6011725 (2000-01-01), Eitan
patent: 6046935 (2000-04-01), Takeuchi et al.
patent: 6222762 (2001-04-01), Guterman et al.
patent: 6230233 (2001-05-01), Lofgren et al.
patent: 6233644 (2001-05-01), Dahlen et al.
patent: 6286016 (2001-09-01), Heller et al.
patent: 6345001 (2002-02-01), Mokhlesi
patent: 6373746 (2002-04-01), Takeuchi et al.
patent: 6426893 (2002-07-01), Conley et al.
patent: 6456528 (2002-09-01), Chen
patent: 6522580 (2003-02-01), Chen et al.
patent: 6567307 (2003-05-01), Estakhri
patent: 6732221 (2004-05-01), Ban
patent: 6763424 (2004-07-01), Conley
patent: 6771536 (2004-08-01), Li et al.
patent: 6781877 (2004-08-01), Cernea et al.
patent: 7012835 (2006-03-01), Gonzalez et al.
patent: 2002/0099904 (2002-07-01), Conley
patent: 2002/0184432 (2002-12-01), Ban
patent: 2003/0046487 (2003-03-01), Swaminathan
patent: 2003/0109093 (2003-06-01), Harari et al.
patent: 2003/0225961 (2003-12-01), Chow et al.
patent: 2004/0083335 (2004-04-01), Gonzalez et al.
patent: 2004/0177212 (2004-09-01), Chang et al.
patent: 2005/0073884 (2005-04-01), Gonzalez et al.
patent: 2005/0144357 (2005-06-01), Sinclair
patent: 2005/0144365 (2005-06-01), Gorobets et al.
patent: 2005/0144516 (2005-06-01), Gonzalez et al.
patent: 2005/0166087 (2005-07-01), Gorobets
patent: 2005/0204187 (2005-09-01), Lee et al.
patent: 2006/0047920 (2006-03-01), Moore et al.
patent: 2006/0053247 (2006-03-01), Cheung et al.
patent: 2006/0106972 (2006-05-01), Gorobets et al.
patent: 2006/0155922 (2006-07-01), Gorobets et al.
patent: 2006/0161724 (2006-07-01), Bennett et al.
patent: WO 00/49488 (2000-08-01), None
patent: WO 03/027828 (2003-04-01), None
patent: WO2004/040459 (2004-05-01), None
patent: WO2004/040578 (2004-05-01), None
patent: WO2004/040585 (2004-05-01), None
Park, Chanik. “Cost-Efficient Memory Architecture Design of NAND Flash Memory Embedded Systems”. Proceedings of the 21st International Conference on Computer Design. 2003. pp. 1-6.
Chang, Li-Pin. “An Adaptive Striping Architecture for Flash Memory Storage Systems of Embedded Systems”. Proceedings of the Eighth IEEE Real-Time and Embedded Technology and Applications Symposium. 2002. pp. 1-10.
Chiang, Mei-Ling. “Managing Flash Memory in Personal Communication Devices”. IEEE. 1997. pp. 177-182.
Chiang, M. L. “Cleaning Policies in Mobile Computers using Flash Memory.” Journal of Systems and Software. Elsevier Science, 1999. pp. 213-231.
“3.1: Objects, values and types”. Python Library Reference. 2004. http://web.archive.org/web/20040823015823/docs.python.org/ref/about.html.
Kalinsky, David. “Introduction to Priority Inversions”. Embedded Systems Programming. Apr. 2002. pp. 55-56. http://www.netrino.com/Publications/Glossary/PriorityInversion.html.
European Patent Office/International Searching Authority, “Notification of Transmittal of the International Search Report and the Written Opinion of the International Searching Authority, or the Declaration,” mailed in corresponding International Application No. PCT/US2006/001070 on Sep. 4, 2006, 15 pages.
ISA/EPO, “Invitation to Pay Additional Fees including Partial International Search Report,” mailed in related Application No. PCT/US2006/001070 on Jun. 20, 2006, 7 pages.

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for the USA inventors and patents. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Scheduling of housekeeping operations in flash memory systems does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Scheduling of housekeeping operations in flash memory systems, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Scheduling of housekeeping operations in flash memory systems will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2799238

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.