PRELOADING DATA INTO A FLASH STORAGE DEVICE

• US 20110199823A1
• Filed: 10/05/2009
• Published: 08/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Digital Israel Limited (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SanDisk IL Ltd. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Bar-or, Shahar, Stern, Ori Moshe, Inbar, Dan, Eli, Yigal
• Granted Patent: US 8,743,629 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 365/185.03
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/5628 Programming or writing circuits; Data input circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/102 External programming circuits, e.g. EPROM programmers; In-circuit programming or reprogramming; EPROM emulators
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/14 Circuits for erasing electrically, e.g. erase voltage switching circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2211/5641 Multilevel memory having cells with different number of storage levels

Abstract

Programmer'"'"'s data that is transferred from a programming device (160) to a storage device (100) is initially stored in a memory device (120) of the storage device (100) by using a durable data-retention storage setup (210). After the storage device is embedded in a host device (170), the programmer'"'"'s data is internally (i.e., in the storage device) read from the memory device and rewritten into the memory device by using a conventional storage setup (220). Using a durable data-retention storage setup may include temporarily (i.e., before the storage device is embedded in a host) operating selected memory cells (124) of the memory device as conventional single-bit per cell (SBC) cells or as unconventional multi-bit per cell (MBC) cells. After the storage device (100) is embedded in a host device (170), the programmer'"'"'s data, or selected parts thereof, is read from the memory device (120) and rewritten into it by operating selected memory cells (126, 128) of the memory device as conventional MBC cells.

Claims

1. A method for preloading data into a storage device before the storage device is embedded in a host device, the method comprising:

in a storage device having a memory, a storage setup module, and a storage manager, wherein the storage setup module is configurable by the storage manager, performing, by the storage manager;

configuring the storage setup module to read or to write a first group of elements of the memory according to a first storage setup of a plurality of selectable storage setup options;

receiving first data from a programming device coupled to the storage device; and

writing the first data into the first group of elements of the memory using the first storage setup.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first storage setup facilitates programming multiple bits for each element of the first group of elements of the memory.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first storage setup comprises a durable data retention storage scheme.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first storage setup comprises a single-bit per element storage setup.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first storage setup comprises a multi-bit per element storage setup, and wherein the first storage setup utilizes unconventional threshold voltage distribution curves associated with binary states of the first group of elements of the memory.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising reconditioning the first data after the storage device is embedded in the host device by reading at least a portion of the first data from the first group of elements of the memory using the first storage setup to access first read data, and writing the first read data to a second group of elements of the memory using a second storage setup.

3-4. -4. (canceled)

9-11. -11. (canceled)

12. A method for reconditioning data that is preloaded into a storage device that is embedded in a host device, the method comprising:

in a storage device having a memory, wherein a first group of elements of the memory is configured to store first data according to a first storage setup of a plurality of selectable storage setup options, a storage manager and a storage setup module that is configurable by the storage manager, performing, by the storage manager;

reading at least a portion of the first data from the first group of elements of the memory using the first storage setup to access first read data; and

writing the first read data into a second group of elements of the memory using a second storage setup.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first storage setup facilitates programming multiple bits for each element of the first group of elements of the memory.

14. The method of as in claim 12, wherein the first storage setup comprises a durable data retention storage scheme.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first storage setup comprises a single-bit per element storage setup.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the first storage setup comprises a multi-bit per element storage setup, wherein the first storage setup utilizes unconventional threshold voltage distribution curves associated with binary states of the first group of elements of the memory.

27. The storage device of claim 13, wherein the first storage setup comprises a single-bit per element storage setup.

29. The storage device of claim 13, wherein the first storage setup comprises a multi-bit per element storage setup, and wherein the first storage setup utilizes unconventional threshold voltage distribution curves associated with binary states of each of the plurality of elements of the memory.

16-17. -17. (canceled)

19-24. -24. (canceled)

25. A storage device connectable to a programming device and embeddable in a host device, the storage device comprising:

a memory device having a plurality of memory elements for storing data;

a configurable storage setup module; and

a storage manager for configuring the storage setup module;

wherein the storage manager is configured, before the storage device is embedded in the host device;

to receive first data from the programming device when the storage device is operatively coupled to the programming; and

to write the first data into a first group of elements of the memory by using a first storage setup of a plurality of storage setup options; and

wherein the storage manager is configured, after the storage device is embedded in the host device;

to read at least a portion of the first data from the first group of elements of the memory using the first storage setup to access first read data; and

to rewrite the first read data into a second group of elements of the memory using a second storage setup.

26. The storage device of claim 25, wherein the first storage setup comprises a durable data retention storage scheme.

28. (canceled)

30-39. -39. (canceled)

40. A method comprising:

in a storage device having a plurality of memory elements, a first group of the plurality of memory elements storing first data according to a first storage setup, the storage device performing;

in response to the storage device being embedded in a host device and containing preloaded data;

reading from the first group of the plurality of memory elements at least a portion of the first data by using the first storage setup to obtain first read data; and

writing the first read data into a second group of the plurality of memory elements using a second storage setup.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising configuring a storage setup module within the storage device to read to or write from the plurality of memory elements according to the second storage setup.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein the first storage setup comprises a durable data retention storage scheme.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the first storage setup comprises a single-bit per element storage setup.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein the first storage setup comprises a multi-bit per element storage setup, and wherein the first storage setup utilizes unconventional threshold voltage distribution curves associated with binary states of each of the plurality of memory elements.