ARCHITECTURE AND METHOD FOR REMOTE MEMORY SYSTEM DIAGNOSTIC AND OPTIMIZATION

• US 20130212207A1
• Filed: 12/18/2012
• Published: 08/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Ong, Adrian E.
• Application Number:
  US13/719,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20130212207A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/213
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0751 Error or fault detection not based on redundancy power supply failures G06F1/30; network fault management H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0793 Remedial or corrective actions recovery from an exception in an instruction pipeline G06F9/3861; by retry G06F11/1402; for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1008 in individual solid state devices G06F11/1004 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1076 Parity data used in redundant arrays of independent storages, e.g. in RAID systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/00 Accessing, addressing or allocating within memory systems or architectures digital input from, or digital output to record carriers, e.g. to disk storage units, G06F3/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/167 using a common memory, e.g. mailbox
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0601 Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/16 using elements in which the storage effect is based on magnetic spin effect
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/1677 Verifying circuits or methods
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/1695 Protection circuits or methods
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/0002 using resistive RAM [RRAM] elements

Abstract

A smart memory system preferably includes a memory including one or more memory chips and a smart memory controller. The smart memory controller includes a transmitter communicatively coupled to the cloud. The transmitter securely transmits a product identification (ID) associated with the memory to the cloud. A cloud-based data center receives and stores the product ID and related information associated with the memory. A smart memory tester receives a product specific test program from the cloud-based data center. The smart memory tester may remotely test the memory via the cloud in accordance with the product specific test program. The information stored in the cloud-based data center can be accessed anywhere in the world by authorized personnel. Repair solutions can be remotely determined based on the test results and the diagnostic information. The repair solutions are transmitted to the smart memory controller, which repairs the memory.

Claims

1. A memory system, comprising:

a memory;

a smart memory controller coupled to the memory, the smart memory controller including a transmitter communicatively coupled to a cloud, the transmitter being configured to transmit a product identification associated with the memory to the cloud; and

the smart memory controller further including a receiver communicatively coupled to the cloud and configured to receive, from the cloud, a product specific test program associated with the product identification of the memory.

2. The memory system of claim 1, wherein:

the smart memory controller is configured to run the product specific test program on the memory; and

the transmitter is configured to transmit test results and diagnostic information associated with the product specific test program to the cloud.

3. The memory system of claim 2, wherein:

the receiver is configured to receive repair solutions from the cloud; and

the smart memory controller is configured to apply the repair solutions to the memory.

4. The memory system of claim 2, wherein:

the smart memory controller is configured to determine repair solutions based on the test results and the diagnostic information, and to apply the repair solutions to the memory.

5. The memory system of claim 1, wherein:

the product specific test program includes one or more test patterns, address scramble test information, and data scramble test information; and

the receiver is configured to receive the one or more test patterns, the address scramble test information, and the data scramble test information from the cloud.

6. The memory system of claim 5, wherein the smart memory controller further comprises:

a test pattern decoder coupled to the receiver and configured to decode the one or more test patterns; and

a test code decoder coupled to the receiver and configured to decode the address scramble test information and the data scramble test information.

7. The memory system of claim 6, wherein:

the product specific test program includes one or more memory commands; and

the receiver is configured to receive the one or more memory commands from the cloud.

8. The memory system of claim 7, wherein the smart memory controller further comprises a sequencer, wherein:

the test code decoder is configured to decode the one or more memory commands;

the sequencer is configured to buffer and sequence the one or more memory commands and the one or more test patterns; and

the smart memory controller is configured to read from the memory or write to the memory responsive to the decoded one or more memory commands and based on the decoded one or more test patterns.

9. The memory system of claim 8, wherein:

the sequencer is configured to buffer and sequence the address scramble test information and the data scramble test information; and

the smart memory controller is configured to read from the memory or write to the memory based on the decoded address scramble test information and the decoded data scramble test information.

10. A memory system, comprising:

a cloud-based data center associated with a cloud and configured to receive a product identification associated with a remote memory;

a smart memory tester including a receiver communicatively coupled to the cloud-based data center, the receiver being configured to receive, from the cloud-based data center, a product specific test program associated with the product identification of the remote memory; and

the smart memory tester further including a transmitter communicatively coupled to the cloud and configured to test the remote memory via the cloud in accordance with the product specific test program.

11. The memory system of claim 10, wherein:

the cloud-based data center is configured to select the product specific test program based on the product identification;

the cloud-based data center is configured to receive test results and diagnostic information associated with the product specific test program; and

the receiver of the smart memory tester is configured to receive, from the cloud, the test results and the diagnostic information associated with the product specific test program.

12. The memory system of claim 11, wherein:

the cloud-based data center is configured to store the test results, the diagnostic information, and the product identification associated with the remote memory, so that the test results and the diagnostic information are accessible to authorized personnel from any Internet access point and time.

13. The memory system of claim 12, wherein:

the cloud-based data center is configured to determine repair solutions based on the test results and the diagnostic information; and

the cloud-based data center is configured to transmit, to the remote memory, the repair solutions.

14. The memory system of claim 10, wherein:

the product specific test program includes one or more test patterns, address scramble test information, and data scramble test information; and

the transmitter of the smart memory tester is configured to transmit the one or more test patterns, the address scramble test information, and the data scramble test information to the cloud.

15. The memory system of claim 14, wherein the smart memory tester further comprises:

a test pattern encoder coupled to the transmitter and configured to encode the one or more test patterns; and

a test code encoder coupled to the transmitter and configured to encode the address scramble test information and the data scramble test information.

16. The memory system of claim 15, wherein:

the product specific test program includes one or more memory commands; and

the transmitter of the smart memory tester is configured to transmit the one or more memory commands to the cloud.

17. The memory system of claim 16, wherein the smart memory tester further comprises a generator, wherein:

the test code encoder is configured to encode the one or more memory commands; and

the generator is configured to generate the one or more memory commands and the one or more test patterns.

18. A memory system, comprising:

a memory;

a smart memory controller coupled to the memory, the smart memory controller including a transmitter communicatively coupled to a cloud, the transmitter being configured to transmit a product identification associated with the memory to the cloud;

a cloud-based data center associated with the cloud and configured to receive the product identification associated with the memory;

a smart memory tester including a receiver communicatively coupled to the cloud-based data center and configured receive the product specific test program from the cloud-based data center; and

the smart memory tester further including a transmitter communicatively coupled to the cloud and configured to remotely test the memory via the cloud in accordance with the product specific test program.

19. The memory system of claim 18, wherein:

the smart memory controller further includes a receiver communicatively coupled to the cloud and configured to receive, from the cloud, the product specific test program associated with the product identification of the memory, and to run the product specific test program on the memory;

the transmitter of the smart memory controller is configured to transmit test results and diagnostic information associated with the product specific test program to the cloud; and

the cloud-based data center is configured to receive the test results and the diagnostic information associated with the product specific test program.

20. The memory system of claim 19, wherein:

the cloud-based data center is configured to store the test results, the diagnostic information, and the product identification associated with the memory, so that the test results and the diagnostic information are accessible to authorized personnel from any Internet access point and time.

21. The memory system of claim 19, wherein:

the cloud-based data center is configured to determine repair solutions based on the test results and the diagnostic information;

the cloud-based data center is configured to transmit, to the memory, the repair solutions;

the receiver of the smart memory controller is configured to receive the repair solutions from the cloud; and

the smart memory controller is configured to apply the repair solutions to the memory.

22. A method for performing remote memory diagnostic and operation procedures, the method comprising:

securely transmitting to a cloud, by a smart memory controller, a product identification associated with a memory;

securely receiving from the cloud, by an entity that is remote from the memory, the product identification associated with the memory;

securely transmitting to the cloud, by the remote entity, a product specific test program associated with the product identification of the memory; and

securely receiving from the cloud, by the smart memory controller, the product specific test program associated with the product identification of the memory.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the remote entity includes a cloud-based data center, the method further comprising:

storing, in the cloud-based data center, the test results, the diagnostic information, and the product identification associated with the memory; and

providing the test results and the diagnostic information to authorized personnel from any Internet access point and time.

24. The method of claim of claim 22, further comprising:

determining repair solutions, by the remote entity, based on the test results and the diagnostic information;

securely transmitting to the cloud, by the remote entity, the repair solutions;

securely receiving, by the smart memory controller, the repair solutions from the cloud; and

applying the repair solutions to the memory.