INTELLIGENT MEMORY DATA MANAGEMENT

• US 20090157948A1
• Filed: 12/14/2007
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Original Assignee: Spansion LLC (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Trichina, Elena, Boscher, Arnaud
• Granted Patent: US 8,140,746 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0246 in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7205 Cleaning, compaction, garbage collection, erase control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7207 management of metadata or control data

Abstract

Systems and/or methods that facilitate data management on a memory device are presented. A data management component can log and tag data creating data tags. The data tags can comprise static metadata, dynamic metadata or a combination thereof. The data management component can perform file management to allocate placement of data and data tags to the memory or to erase data from the memory. Allocation and erasure are based in part on the characteristics of the data tags, and can follow embedded rules, an intelligent component or a combination thereof. The data management component can provide a search activity that can utilize the characteristics of the data tags and an intelligent component. The data management component can thereby optimize the useful life, increase operating speed, improve accuracy and precision, improve efficiency of non-volatile (e.g., flash) memory and provide improved functionality to memory devices.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates management of data in a memory, comprising:

a memory that includes a plurality of memory locations, wherein at least one of data or one or more data tags, or a combination thereof, is written to, read from, or stored in, at least one memory location of the plurality of the memory locations; and

a data management component that manages data associated with a memory based in part on information associated with the one or more data tags.

2. The system of claim 1, the memory is comprised of at least one of a NOR flash memory or a NAND flash memory, or a combination thereof.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a log component, wherein the log component captures log data associated with the data received for input in the memory, the nature of the log data being of at least static metadata, dynamic metadata, or a combination thereof.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a tag component, wherein the tag component captures log data as one or more data tags, and the data tags are associated with the corresponding data that is to be or already has been placed in a memory.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising an intelligent component, wherein the intelligent component creates metadata associated with the data, the one or more data tags, or a combination thereof.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the tag component captures the metadata result of the intelligent component as one or more data tags and associates the one or more data tags with the corresponding data.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the data management component further comprises a file management component, wherein the file management component:

allocates placement of data and data tags in a memory, and the allocation;

pertains to characteristics of the data tags; and

follows embedded rules, an intelligent component or a combination thereof.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the file management component erases date from a memory, and the erasure of data pertains to:

characteristics of the data tag; and

follows embedded rules, an intelligent component or a combination thereof.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the data management component further comprises:

a search component, wherein the search component searches data in the memory based in part on data tag characteristics and input received from the user; and

an interface component, wherein the interface component establishes an input/output link with a host processor, presents an option to search to the user, receives the user request to search and returns the results of the search to the user.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the results of the search include one of at least a data list, an option to modify the search or an option to cancel the search.

11. An electronic device comprising the system of claim 1.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the electronic device is one of a computer, a cellular phone, a digital phone, a video device, a smart card, a personal digital assistant, a television, an electronic game, a digital camera, an electronic organizer, an audio player, an audio recorder, an electronic device associated with digital rights management, a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) card, a trusted platform module (TPM), an electronic control unit associated with motor vehicles, a global positioning satellite (GPS) unit, an electronic device associated with an airplane, an electronic device associated with an industrial control system, a Hardware Security Module (HSM), a set-top box, a secure memory device with computational capabilities, or an electronic device with a tamper-resistant chip.

13. A method that facilitates management of data in a memory, comprising:

tagging data based in part on information associated with the data, the data is associated with the memory; and

managing data in the memory based in part on data tags respectively associated with the data.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

logging data wherein the log data comprise metadata of the nature of at least static, dynamic, or a combination thereof, and

tagging the data based in part on the log data, wherein the tagging of the data is based in part on embedded rules, or an inference of a characteristic associated with the data, or a combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the data tags are associated with the corresponding data that is to be or already has been stored in a memory.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

evaluating a memory;

evaluating the data and data tags associated with the data; and

allocating the storage location in the memory of the data and associated data tags based in part on characteristics of the data tags.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the evaluating of the data and data tags associated with the data utilizes embedded rules, an intelligent component or a combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

capturing sensitivity prioritization to one or more data tags;

receiving a command to erase data in a memory component;

evaluating the one or more data tags associated with the data to be erased;

erasing the data; and

reclaiming the memory location associated with the data based in part on the prioritization specified in the one or more data tags associated with the data.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the capturing of prioritization is based in part on a predetermined sensitivity criteria, the predetermined sensitivity criteria is related to at least one of cryptographic rules, a level(s) of authorization, a user specification regarding priority or sensitivity of the data, an association of the data with a particular application(s), or inferred priority or sensitivity of the data, or a combination thereof.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising performing search of the data in the memory based in part on data tag characteristics, and the search comprises:

establishing an input/output link with a host processor;

presenting an option to search to the user;

receiving the user request to search;

presenting detailed search options to the user;

receiving user search terms;

querying the memory using search terms;

retrieving data list;

providing list to user;

accepting one of a user selection of data from the data list, a request to modify the search or a request to cancel the search; and

providing data to user based on user selection of data or providing search options based on request to modify search or terminating search based on request to cancel the search.