DATA STORAGE DEVICE

• US 20120030542A1
• Filed: 10/07/2011
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Borchers, Albert T., Swing, Andrew T., Sprinkle, Robert S., Klaus, Jason W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,239,729 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0246 in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0813 with a network or matrix configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7205 Cleaning, compaction, garbage collection, erase control
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2029/0409 Online test
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/52 Protection of memory contents; Detection of errors in memory contents
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/88 with partially good memories

Abstract

A data storage device includes an interface that is configured to interface with a host, a command bus, multiple memory devices that are operably coupled to the command bus and a controller that is operably coupled to the interface and to the command bus. The controller is configured to receive a copy command from the host using the interface, read data from a source memory device in response to the copy command, write the data to a destination memory device in response to the copy command and communicate results to the host using the interface.

Claims

1. A data storage device comprising:

an interface that is arranged and configured to interface with a host;

a command bus;

multiple memory devices that are operably coupled to the command bus; and

a controller that is operably coupled to the interface and to the command bus, wherein the controller is arranged and configured to;

receive a copy command from the host using the interface;

read data from a source memory device in response to the copy command;

write the data to a destination memory device in response to the copy command; and

communicate results to the host using the interface.

2. The data storage device of claim 1 wherein the source memory device and the destination memory device are a same memory device.

3. The data storage device of claim 1 wherein the source memory device and the destination memory device are different memory devices.

4. The data storage device of claim 1 wherein:

the controller comprises multiple channel controllers, wherein each channel controller is arranged and configured to control one or more of the memory devices; and

the source memory device and the destination memory device are controlled by a same channel controller.

5. The data storage device of claim 1 wherein:

the controller comprises multiple channel controllers, wherein each channel controller is arranged and configured to control one or more of the memory devices; and

the source memory device and the destination memory device are controlled by different channel controllers.

6. The data storage device of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to:

read metadata from the source memory device; and

write the metadata to the destination memory device.

7. The data storage device of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to:

check for errors in data on the source memory device when reading the data from the source memory device;

correct the errors in the data;

generate new error correction codes for the corrected data; and

write the corrected data and the new error correction codes to the destination memory device.

8. A recordable storage medium having recorded and stored thereon instructions that, when executed, perform the actions of:

receiving, at a controller that is arranged and configured to control multiple memory devices, a copy command from a host using an interface;

reading data from a source memory device in response to the copy command;

writing the data to a destination memory device in response to the copy command; and

communicating results to the host using the interface.

9. The recordable storage medium of claim 8 wherein the source memory device and the destination memory device are a same memory device.

10. The recordable storage medium of claim 8 wherein the source memory device and the destination memory device are different memory devices.

11. The recordable storage medium of claim 8 wherein:

the controller comprises multiple channel controllers, wherein each channel controller is arranged and configured to control one or more of the memory devices; and

the source memory device and the destination memory device are controlled by a same channel controller.

12. The recordable storage medium of claim 8 wherein:

the controller comprises multiple channel controllers, wherein each channel controller is arranged and configured to control one or more of the memory devices; and

the source memory device and the destination memory device are controlled by different channel controllers.

13. The recordable storage medium of claim 8 wherein the instructions that, when executed, further perform the actions of:

reading metadata from the source memory device; and

writing the metadata to the destination memory device.

14. The recordable storage medium of claim 8 wherein the instructions that, when executed, further perform the actions of:

checking for errors in data on the source memory device when reading the data from the source memory device;

correcting the errors in the data;

generating new error correction codes for the corrected data; and

writing the corrected data and the new error correction codes to the destination memory device.

15. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a controller that is arranged and configured to control multiple memory devices, a copy command from a host using an interface;

reading data from a source memory device in response to the copy command;

writing the data to a destination memory device in response to the copy command; and

communicating results to the host using the interface.

16. The method as in claim 15 wherein the source memory device and the destination memory device are a same memory device.

17. The method as in claim 15 wherein the source memory device and the destination memory device are different memory devices.

18. The method as in claim 15 wherein:

the controller comprises multiple channel controllers, wherein each channel controller is arranged and configured to control one or more of the memory devices; and

the source memory device and the destination memory device are controlled by a same channel controller.

19. The method as in claim 15 wherein:

the controller comprises multiple channel controllers, wherein each channel controller is arranged and configured to control one or more of the memory devices; and

the source memory device and the destination memory device are controlled by different channel controllers.

20. The method as in claim 15 wherein the instructions that, when executed, further perform the actions of:

reading metadata from the source memory device; and

writing the metadata to the destination memory device.

21. The method as in claim 15 wherein the instructions that, when executed, further perform the actions of:

checking for errors in data on the source memory device when reading the data from the source memory device;

correcting the errors in the data;

generating new error correction codes for the corrected data; and

writing the corrected data and the new error correction codes to the destination memory device.