Apparatus for collecting garbage block of nonvolatile memory according to power state and method of collecting the same

• US 7,774,390 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2006
• Issued: 08/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Shin, Dong-kun
• Primary Examiner(s): Pardo; Thuy N
• Application Number:
  US11/635,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20070174579A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,342 Days
• Field of Search: 707/206, 707/10, 707/814, 707/819, 711/170, 711/103, 711/114, 709/107, 718/1, 463/43, 710/1
• US Class Current: 707/814
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0246 in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0253 Garbage collection, i.e. reclamation of unreferenced memory
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Provided are an apparatus for collecting garbage blocks of a nonvolatile memory according to a power state and a method of collecting the same, and more particularly, an apparatus for collecting garbage blocks of a nonvolatile memory according to a power state and a method of collecting the same, in which an amount of power consumed by a portable device can be reduced by adjusting a garbage block collection operation on the basis of the power state of the portable device. The apparatus includes a power managing unit which collects physical blocks allocated to the nonvolatile memory on the basis of the power state of a portable device.

Claims

1. An apparatus for collecting garbage blocks of a nonvolatile memory according to a power state, the apparatus comprising:

a power managing unit which collects physical blocks allocated to the nonvolatile memory characterized in that a number of valid pages in physical blocks is determined and selection of physical blocks for collection is determined on the basis of the power state of a portable device;

a block allocator which allocates physical blocks to the nonvolatile memory; and

a garbage block collector which collects the allocated physical blocks on the basis of the power state;

wherein the physical block is a block of memory and the garbage block is a block of memory allocated for deletion.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power managing unit comprises:

a power state checking unit which transmits the power state of the portable device checked by the garbage block collector; and

a list storing unit which stores an allocated block list for the physical blocks allocated to the nonvolatile memory and a free block list for available physical blocks.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the garbage block collector adjusts a garbage block collection value on the basis of the power state of the portable device, when the allocated blocks are collected.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the garbage block collector adjusts a garbage block collection operation cycle on the basis of the power state of the portable device, when the allocated blocks are collected.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the garbage block collector collects the allocated physical blocks while considering a wear level.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising the nonvolatile memory which stores data.

7. A method of collecting garbage blocks of a nonvolatile memory according to a power state, the method comprising:

checking the number of free blocks in the nonvolatile memory;

checking the power state of a portable device, when the number of the free blocks is smaller than a first threshold value;

calculating numbers of valid pages in physical blocks;

performing garbage block collection with respect to physical blocks including physical blocks requiring large garbage block collection values, in which the number of valid pages is large, when a power of the portable device is sufficient; and

performing the garbage block collection with respect to physical blocks requiring small garbage block collection values, in which the number of valid pages is small, when the power of the portable device is insufficient,

wherein the physical block is a block of memory and the garbage block is a block of memory allocated for deletion.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the garbage block collection is not performed, when the number of the free blocks is larger than the first threshold value.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the garbage block collection is performed while considering a wear level.

10. A computer readable recording medium storing programs for executing the method of claim 7.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising

setting a garbage block collection cycle to a value smaller than a second threshold value, when the power of the portable device is sufficient;

setting the garbage block collection cycle to a value larger than the second threshold value, when the power of the portable device is insufficient; and

performing garbage block collection with respect to physical blocks on the basis of the set garbage block collection cycle.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the garbage block collection is not performed, when the number of the free blocks is larger than the first threshold value.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the garbage block collection is performed while considering a wear level.

14. A computer readable recording medium storing programs for executing the method of claim 11.