Method for processing data stored in a memory device and a data storage device utilizing the same

• US 10,635,527 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2018
• Issued: 04/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silicon Motion, Inc. (Silicon Motion)
• Original Assignee: Silicon Motion, Inc. (Silicon Motion)
• Inventors: Lin, Wen-Sheng, Chen, Yu-Da
• Primary Examiner(s): Rizk, Samir W
• Application Number:
  US16/039,767
• Publication Number:
  US 20190095276A1
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1048 using arrangements adapted for a specific error detection or correction feature
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/106 Correcting systematically all correctable errors, i.e. scrubbing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1068 in sector programmable memories, e.g. flash disk G06F11/1072 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0253 Garbage collection, i.e. reclamation of unreferenced memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/202 Non-volatile memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7205 Cleaning, compaction, garbage collection, erase control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0608 Saving storage space on storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/064 Management of blocks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0647 Migration mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0679 Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/52 Protection of memory contents; Detection of errors in memory contents

Abstract

A data storage device includes a memory device and a controller. The memory device includes multiple memory blocks. Each memory block includes multiple pages. The controller is coupled to the memory device and includes an ECC engine configured to check and correct errors that have occurred in data stored in the memory blocks. When a number of error bits in a page of one of the memory blocks exceeds a threshold, the controller is configured to add a block number of the memory block in a predetermined queue and when a garbage collection procedure has been triggered, the controller is configured to perform garbage collection on the memory block.

Claims

1. A data storage device, comprising:

a memory device, comprising a plurality of memory blocks, each memory block comprising a plurality of pages; and

a controller, coupled to the memory device and comprising an ECC engine configured to check and correct errors that have occurred in data stored in the memory blocks,

wherein when a number of error bits in a page of one of the memory blocks exceeds a threshold, the controller is configured to add a block number of the memory block in a predetermined queue, and when a garbage collection procedure has been triggered, the controller is configured to perform garbage collection on the memory block;

wherein before the controller performs the garbage collection on the memory block, the controller is configured not to mark the memory block as a bad block.

2. The data storage device as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the number of error bits in the page exceeds the threshold, the data stored in the page comprises an uncorrectable error.

3. The data storage device as claimed in claim 2, wherein after the controller moved all valid pages of the memory block to a destination block, the controller is configured to mark the memory block as a bad block.

4. The data storage device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to perform the garbage collection procedure based on the predetermined queue.

5. The data storage device as claimed in claim 1, wherein when a destination block utilized for performing the garbage collection procedure is full but not all valid pages of the memory block have been moved to the destination block, the controller is configured to preferentially select the memory block as a source block when a next garbage collection procedure has been triggered.

6. A method for processing data stored in a memory device, suitable for a data storage device, the data storage device comprising a memory device and a controller, the memory device comprising a plurality of memory blocks, each memory block comprising a plurality of pages, the method comprising:

performing error checking and correcting on data stored in the memory blocks to determine whether a number of error bits in a page of one of the memory blocks exceeds a threshold;

adding a block number of the memory block in a predetermined queue when the number of error bits in the page of the memory block exceeds the threshold; and

performing garbage collection on the memory block when a garbage collection procedure has been triggered;

not marking the memory block as a bad block before performing the garbage collection on the memory block.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein when the number of error bits in the page exceeds the threshold, the data stored in the page comprises an uncorrectable error.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising:

marking the memory block as a bad block after all valid pages of the memory block have been moved to a destination block.

9. The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:

performing the garbage collection procedure based on the predetermined queue.

10. The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:

preferentially selecting the memory block as a source block in a next garbage collection procedure when a destination block utilized for performing the garbage collection procedure is full but not all valid pages of the memory block have been moved to the destination block.