Semiconductor storage device with volatile and nonvolatile memories to allocate blocks to a memory and release allocated blocks
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A semiconductor storage device comprising:
- a nonvolatile memory having a plurality of blocks, each of the plurality of blocks being a unit of data erasing; and
a controller configured to;
allocate a first set of the plurality of blocks as a first memory area, the first set of the plurality of blocks including SLC (Single Level Cell) blocks;
allocate a second set of the plurality of blocks as a second memory area, the second set of the plurality of blocks including SLC blocks and MLC (Multi Level Cell) blocks;
store data received from an external host apparatus in the SLC block included in the first memory area by a first management unit, the first management unit being less than the unit of data erasing;
copy valid data stored in the SLC blocks to one of the MLC blocks;
release at least one of the SLC blocks in which no valid data is stored from the second memory area, after copying the valid data stored in the SLC blocks, andwherein the SLC blocks include pseudo SLC blocks.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A semiconductor storage device includes a first memory area configured in a volatile semiconductor memory, second and third memory areas configured in a nonvolatile semiconductor memory, and a controller which executes following processing. The controller executes a first processing for storing a plurality of data by the first unit in the first memory area, a second processing for storing data outputted from the first memory area by a first management unit in the second memory area, and a third processing for storing data outputted from the first memory area by a second management unit in the third memory area.
28 Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A semiconductor storage device comprising:
-
a nonvolatile memory having a plurality of blocks, each of the plurality of blocks being a unit of data erasing; and a controller configured to; allocate a first set of the plurality of blocks as a first memory area, the first set of the plurality of blocks including SLC (Single Level Cell) blocks; allocate a second set of the plurality of blocks as a second memory area, the second set of the plurality of blocks including SLC blocks and MLC (Multi Level Cell) blocks; store data received from an external host apparatus in the SLC block included in the first memory area by a first management unit, the first management unit being less than the unit of data erasing; copy valid data stored in the SLC blocks to one of the MLC blocks; release at least one of the SLC blocks in which no valid data is stored from the second memory area, after copying the valid data stored in the SLC blocks, and wherein the SLC blocks include pseudo SLC blocks. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A method of controlling a semiconductor storage device, the semiconductor storage device including a nonvolatile memory, the method comprising:
-
receiving data from an external host apparatus; allocating a first set of the plurality of blocks as a first memory area, the first set of the plurality of blocks including SLC (Single Level Cell) blocks; allocating a second set of the plurality of blocks as a second memory area, the second set of the plurality of blocks including SLC blocks and MLC (Multi Level Cell) blocks; storing the data in the SLC block included in the first memory area by a first management unit, the first management unit being less than the unit of data erasing; copying valid data stored in the SLC blocks to one of the MLC blocks; releasing at least one of the SLC blocks in which no valid data is stored from the second memory area, after copying the valid data stored in the SLC blocks, and wherein the SLC blocks include pseudo SLC blocks. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
-
Specification