HYBRID MEMORY DEVICE, MEMORY SYSTEM INCLUDING SAME AND DATA PROCESSING METHOD

• US 20150278104A1
• Filed: 03/24/2015
• Published: 10/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., SungKyunKwan University's Research & Business Foundation (SungKyunKwan University)
• Original Assignee: SungKyunKwan University's Research & Business Foundation (SungKyunKwan University)
• Inventors: KIM, KYUNG HO, MOON, SANGKWON, KIM, JIN-SOO, LEE, YOUNG-SIK, JEONG, JINKYU
• Granted Patent: US 9,804,801 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0611 in relation to response time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0656 Data buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/068 Hybrid storage device

Abstract

A method of processing data in a memory system including a control unit and a hybrid memory device having a first memory and a second memory, includes; receiving first write data, storing the first write data in the first memory and assigning a first group state from among a plurality of group states to the stored first write data in response to first attribution information, completing a data processing operation in the memory system directed to the stored first write data that changes the attribution information associated with the stored first write data by monitoring of the first attribution information using an operating system running on the memory controller, and changing the first group state assigned to the stored first write data to a second group state from among the plurality of group states, the second group state having a different priority than a priority for the first group state.

Claims

1. A hybrid memory device comprising:

a first memory operating according to a first speed and configured for use as a primary memory to receive and store data having assigned attribution information;

a second memory operating according to a second speed different from the first speed; and

a memory controller configured to perform a flush operation that secures additional free space in the first memory by copying data from the first memory to the second memory,

wherein the memory controller classifies data during storage of the data in the first memory according to one of a plurality of group states in response to attribution information associated with the data, wherein the plurality of group states range from a lowest priority to a highest priority, and

upon receiving a write data request including write data, the memory controller is further configured to determine whether sufficient free space exists in the first memory to store the write data, and upon determining that insufficient free space exists in the first memory, overwrites data assigned at least the lowest priority group state.

2. The hybrid memory device of claim 1, wherein the memory controller is further configured upon determining that insufficient free space exists in the first memory to execute a flush operation.

3. The hybrid memory device of claim 1, wherein the memory controller is further configured upon determining that sufficient free space exists in the first memory to immediately write the write data to the first memory.

4. The hybrid memory device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of group states comprise the highest priority group state, the lowest priority group state, a second highest priority group state, and a second lowest priority group state.

5. The hybrid memory device of claim 4, wherein the data overwritten by the memory controller includes data assigned the lowest priority group state and the second lowest priority group state.

6. The hybrid memory device of claim 4, wherein the memory controller is configured to reference an attribution information table,

each data unit stored in the first memory having corresponding flag bits indicating an assigned group state for the data unit.

7. The hybrid memory device of claim 6, wherein the memory controller is further configured to update the attribution information table in response to completion of a data processing operation directed to data stored in the first memory.

8. The hybrid memory device of claim 1, wherein the memory controller is further configured to execute a flush operation in response to an externally-provided command.

9. The hybrid memory device of claim 1, wherein the memory controller is further configured to periodically execute a flush operation.

10. The hybrid memory device of claim 1, wherein the second speed is slower than the first speed.

11. The hybrid memory device of claim 1, wherein the first group state is a highest priority group state, the second group state is a lowest priority group state, and a third group state is an intermediate group state between the highest priority group state and lowest priority group state.

12. A method of processing data in a memory system including a control unit and a hybrid memory device, the hybrid memory device including a memory controller, a first memory operating according to a first speed, and a second memory operating according to a second speed different from the first speed, the method comprising:

receiving a first write data request including first write data and first attribution information associated with the first write data;

storing the first write data in the first memory and assigning a first group state from among a plurality of group states to the stored first write data in response to the first attribution information;

completing a data processing operation in the memory system directed to the stored first write data that changes the attribution information associated with the stored first write data by monitoring of the first attribution information using an operating system running on the memory controller; and

changing the first group state assigned to the stored first write data to a second group state from among the plurality of group states, the second group state having a priority lower than a priority for the first group state.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

after storing the first write data, receiving a second write data request including second write data and second attribution information associated with the second write data; and

determining whether sufficient free space exists in the first memory to store the second write data; and

upon determining that sufficient free space exists in the first memory to store the second write data, storing the second write data in the first memory and assigning a third group state from among the plurality of group states to the stored second write data in response to the second attribution information, wherein the third group state has a priority higher than the priority of the second group state and lower than the priority of the first group state.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

after storing the second write data, receiving a third write data request including third write data and third attribution information associated with the third write data; and

determining whether sufficient free space exists in the first memory to store the third write data; and

upon determining that sufficient free space does not exist in the first memory to store the third write data, overwriting the stored first data in the first memory with at least a portion of the third write data.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

after overwriting the stored first data in the first memory with the at least a portion of the third write data, determining whether sufficient free space exists in the first memory for a residual portion of the third write data other than the at least a portion of the third write data overwriting the stored second data.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

upon determining that sufficient free space does not exist in the first memory for the residual portion of the third write data;

executing a flush operation that copies at least the stored second write data from the first memory to the second memory; and

thereafter,

storing the third write data in the first memory.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the second speed is slower than the first speed.

18. In a memory system including a control unit and a hybrid memory device, the hybrid memory device including a memory controller, a first memory operating according to a first speed, and a second memory operating according to a second speed different from the first speed, a method of re-allocating memory space in the first memory during execution of a write operation, comprises:

referencing an attribute information table listing respectively assigned group states for first data, second data and third data stored in the first memory, wherein the first data is assigned a first priority group state, the second data is assigned a second group state having a priority lower than that of the first group state, and the third data is assigned a third group state having a priority lower than that of the second group state;

in response to a received write data request including fourth data, determining whether sufficient free space exists in the first memory to store the fourth data; and

upon determining that sufficient free space exists in the first memory to store the fourth data, storing the fourth write data in the first memory, else upon determining that sufficient free space does not exists in the first memory to store the fourth data, re-allocating memory space in the first memory by overwriting the third data with at least a portion of the fourth data.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

completing a data processing operation in the memory system directed to the stored first data that changes attribution information associated with the stored first data by monitoring of the attribution information using an operating system running on the memory controller; and

changing the first group state assigned to the stored first data to a different group state.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

upon determining that sufficient free space does not exist in the first memory for a residual portion of the fourth data other than the fourth data overwriting the third data, executing a flush operation that copies at least the stored second data from the first memory to the second memory; and

thereafter,

storing the residual portion of the fourth write data in the first memory.