NON-VOLATILE MEMORY SYSTEM AND MANAGEMENT METHOD THEREOF

• US 20120191897A1
• Filed: 07/22/2011
• Published: 07/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Incorporated (SK Hynix Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Incorporated (SK Hynix Inc.)
• Inventors: YANG, Wun Mo, Kim, Kyeong Rho, Kwak, Jeong Soon
• Application Number:
  US13/188,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20120191897A1
• 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 2212/7203 Temporary buffering, e.g. using volatile buffer or dedicated buffer blocks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A non-volatile memory system includes a memory area including a plurality of non-volatile memory blocks, and a micro control unit configured to manage the memory blocks as a data block and a buffer block. As a write command is input, if no buffer block assigned to the data block exists and a free page exists in the data block, the micro control unit converts the data block to a self-buffer block.

Claims

1. A non-volatile memory system comprising:

a memory area including a plurality of non-volatile memory blocks; and

a micro control unit configured to manage the memory blocks as a data block and a buffer block,

wherein, as a write command is input, if no buffer block assigned to the data block exists and a free page exists in the data block, the micro control unit converts the data block to a self-buffer block.

2. The non-volatile memory system according to claim 1, wherein the micro control unit is configured to store an address is mapping table and update the address mapping table when converting the data block to the self-buffer block.

3. The non-volatile memory system according to claim 1, wherein the micro control unit is configured to store physical block write pointer information and check whether the free page exists in the data block with reference to the physical block write pointer information.

4. The non-volatile memory system according to claim 1, wherein, as a write or read command is input, if a log block has been assigned to the data block, the micro control unit generates logical-physical page mapping information on the log block.

5. The non-volatile memory system according to claim 4, wherein, as the write command is input, if the log block has been assigned to the data block, the micro control unit checks whether the free page exists in the log block.

6. The non-volatile memory system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a memory controller that records data and a logical page address on the self-buffer block under a control of the micro control unit as the write command is input.

7. A method of managing a non-volatile memory system including a memory area and a micro control unit that separately manages the memory area as a data block and a log block, comprising:

as a write command is input, checking by the micro control unit whether the log block has been assigned to the data block;

if the log block has not been assigned, checking by the micro control unit whether a free page exists in the data block; and

if the free page exists, converting by the micro control unit the data block to a self-buffer block.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

storing data and a logical page address in the self-buffer block.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

if the log block has been assigned, checking by the micro control unit whether the free page exists in the assigned log block; and

if the free page exists in the assigned log block, write data under a control of the micro control unit.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein writing the data further comprises:

storing a logical page address.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

if the log block has been assigned, checking by the micro control unit whether logical-physical page mapping information on the log block exists; and

if the logical-physical page mapping information does not exist, scanning by the micro control unit the logical page address of the log block to generate the logical-physical page mapping information.

12. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

if the free page does not exist in the assigned log block, checking by the micro control unit whether the log block is a self-buffer block; and

if the log block is the self-buffer block, performing by the micro control unit a block conversion algorithm with respect to the self-buffer block.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

if the log block is a buffer block, performing by the micro control unit the block conversion algorithm with respect to the buffer block.

14. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

if the free page do not exist, performing by the micro control unit a block conversion algorithm with respect to a buffer block.

15. A method of managing a non-volatile memory system including a memory area and a micro control unit that separately manages the memory area as a data block and a log block, comprising:

as a reading command is input, checking by the micro control unit whether a log block assigned to the data block is a self-buffer block; and

if the self-buffer block has been assigned to the data block, outputting valid data from the self-buffer block under a control of the micro control unit.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

if a buffer block has been assigned to the data block, outputting valid data from the buffer block under the control of the micro control unit.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

as the reading command is input, checking by the micro control unit whether logical-physical page mapping information on the log block assigned to the data block exists; and

if the logical-physical page mapping information does not exist, scanning by the micro control unit the log block to generate the logical-physical page mapping information.

18. A non-volatile memory system comprising:

is a memory area including a plurality of non-volatile memory blocks; and

a micro control unit configured to manage the memory blocks as a data block and a buffer block, and to store an address mapping table and update the address mapping table when converting the data block to the self-buffer block;

wherein, as a read command is input, if a log block assigned to the data block is a self-buffer block, the micro control unit reads data from a corresponding page of the self-buffer block.

19. The non-volatile memory system according to claim 18, if a log block assigned to the data block is a buffer block, the micro control unit reads data from a corresponding page of the buffer block.