Data Writing Method and Data Storage Device

• US 20110258369A1
• Filed: 04/11/2011
• Published: 10/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Silicon Motion Incorporated California (Silicon Motion)
• Original Assignee: Silicon Motion Incorporated California (Silicon Motion)
• Inventors: Hsiao, Wei-Yi
• Application Number:
  US13/084,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20110258369A1
• 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: G11C 16/349 Arrangements for evaluating degradation, retention or wearout, e.g. by counting erase cycles
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/82 for EEPROMs

Abstract

The invention provides a data writing method for a memory. In one embodiment, the memory comprises a data area and a spare area, the data area comprises a plurality of data blocks storing data, and the spare area comprises a plurality of spare blocks having no data stored therein. First, a write command for writing a write data to a first data block of the flash memory is received from a host. A first spare block with the earliest erase time index is then selected from the spare area. Whether an erase count of the first spare block is less than a first threshold is then determined When the erase count of the first spare block is less than the first threshold, the write data is written to the first spare block. Data is then erased from the first data block to convert the first data block to a spare block.

Claims

1. A data writing method for a memory, wherein the memory comprises a data area and a spare area, the data area comprises a plurality of data blocks storing data, and the spare area comprises a plurality of spare blocks having no data stored therein, comprising:

receiving a write command for writing a write data to a first data block of the flash memory from a host;

selecting a first spare block with the earliest erase time index in comparison with those of other spare blocks from the spare area;

determining whether an erase count of the first spare block is less than a first threshold;

when the erase count of the first spare block is less than the first threshold, writing the write data to the first spare block; and

erasing data from the first data block to convert the first data block to a spare block.

2. The data writing method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data writing method further comprises:

when the erase count of the first spare block is greater than the first threshold, searching for a second spare block with an erase count less then the first threshold in the spare area;

writing the write data to the second spare block; and

erasing data from the first data block to convert the first data block to a spare block.

3. The data writing method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the data writing method further comprises:

when the second spare block is not found in the spare area, performing a wear-leveling process to convert a second data block of the data area to a third spare area;

writing the write data to the third spare block; and

erasing data from the first data block to convert the first data block to a spare block;

wherein the third spare block has an erase count less than the first threshold.

4. The data writing method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the wear-leveling process comprises:

searching the data area for the second data block with an erase count less than the first threshold;

searching the spare area for a fourth spare block with an erase count greater than a second threshold;

writing the data of the second data block to the fourth spare block; and

erasing data from the second data block to convert the second data block to the third spare block;

wherein the second threshold is greater than the first threshold.

5. The data writing method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the wear-leveling process further comprises:

searching the data area for the second data block with an erase count less than the first threshold;

searching the spare area for a fourth spare block with an erase count which is the highest in comparison with those of other spare blocks in the spare area;

writing the data of the second data block to the fourth spare block; and

erasing data from the second data block to convert the second data block to the third spare block.

6. The data writing method as claimed in claim 4, wherein obtaining of the

when the data area does not comprises a data block with an erase count less than the first threshold, subtracting a predetermined count from the erase counts of all data blocks of the data area;

and

searching the data area for the second data block with an erase count less than the first threshold.

7. The data writing method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the predetermined count is equal to the first threshold.

8. A data storage device, comprising:

a memory, comprising a data area and a spare area, wherein the data area comprises a plurality of data blocks storing data, and the spare area comprises a plurality of spare blocks having no data stored therein; and

a controller, receiving a write command for writing a write data to a first data block of the flash memory from a host, selecting a first spare block with the earliest erase time index from the spare area, determining whether an erase count of the first spare block is less than a first threshold, and when the erase count of the first spare block is less than the first threshold, writing the write data to the first spare block, and erasing data from the first data block to convert the first data block to a spare block.

9. The data storage device as claimed in claim 8, wherein when the erase count of the first spare block is greater than the first threshold, the controller searches the spare area for a second spare block with an erase count less then the first threshold, writes the write data to the second spare block, and erases data from the first data block to convert the first data block to a spare block.

10. The data storage device as claimed in claim 9, wherein when the second spare block is not found in the spare area, the controller performs a wear-leveling process to convert a second data block of the data area to a third spare area, writes the write data to the third spare block, and erases data from the first data block to convert the first data block to a spare block, wherein the third spare block has an erase count less than the first threshold.

11. The data storage device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the controller searches the data area for the second data block with an erase count less than the first threshold, searches the spare area for a fourth spare block with an erase count greater than a second threshold, writes the data of the second data block to the fourth spare block, and erases data from the second data block to convert the second data block to the third spare block, thereby performing the wear-leveling process, wherein the second threshold is greater than the first threshold.

12. The data storage device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the controller searches the data area for the second data block with an erase count less than the first threshold, searches the spare area for a fourth spare block with an erase count which is the highest in comparison with those of other spare blocks in the spare area, writes the data of the second data block to the fourth spare block, and erases data from the second data block to convert the second data block to the third spare block, thereby performing the wear-leveling process.

13. The data storage device as claimed in claim 11, wherein when the data area does not comprises a data block with an erase count less than the first threshold, the controller subtracts a predetermined count from the erase counts of all data blocks of the data area, and searches the data area for the second data block with an erase count less than the first threshold.