Copyback optimization for memory system

• US 8,572,335 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2012
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Wakrat, Nir Jacob, Helm, Mark Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): DOAN, DUC T
• Application Number:
  US13/476,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20120233387A1
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 711/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1068 in sector programmable memories, e.g. flash disk G06F11/1072 takes precedence

Abstract

In a copyback or read operation for a non-volatile memory subsystem, data page change indicators are used to manage transfers of data pages between a register in non-volatile memory and a controller that is external to the non-volatile memory.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a data page, wherein the data page includes data, metadata, an Error Correction Code (ECC) for the data, and an ECC for the metadata;

computing an initial data change indicator (DCI) for the received data page;

storing the data page in a non-volatile memory of a memory subsystem;

retrieving the data page from the non-volatile memory;

determining if the data page has changed;

sending the data page to a controller responsive to the determination that the data page has changed; and

sending a portion of the data page to the controller responsive to the determination that the data page has not changed, wherein the portion of the data page excludes the data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the computed initial DCI for the received data page.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining if the data page has changed comprises reading the stored initial DCI.

4. An apparatus, comprising:

a non-volatile memory including a memory array, and a register; and

a controller coupled to the non-volatile memory and configured to;

receive a data page, wherein the data page includes data, metadata, an Error Correction Code (ECC) for the data, and an ECC for the metadata;

store the data page in the register;

compute an initial data change indicator (DCI) for the received data page;

store the initial DCI in the memory array;

transfer the data page from the register to the memory array responsive to the storing of the initial DCI in the memory array;

retrieve the data from the memory array;

determine if the data page has changed; and

perform an operation on the data page responsive to the determination that the data page has changed.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the non-volatile memory further includes an internal state machine configured to transfer the data page from the memory array to the register.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the controller further includes an error correction code (ECC) engine.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to perform an operation on the metadata included in the data page responsive to the determination that the data page has not changed.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the ECC engine is configured to generate an ECC dependent upon the initial DCI.

9. A memory subsystem, comprising:

means for receiving a data page, wherein the data page includes data, metadata, an Error Correction Code (ECC) for the data, and an ECC for the metadata;

means for computing an initial data change indicator (DCI) for the data page;

means for storing the data page in a non-volatile memory of a memory subsystem;

means for retrieving the data page from the non-volatile memory;

means for determining if the data page has changed;

means for sending the data page to a controller responsive to determining the data page has changed; and

means for sending a portion of the data page to the controller responsive to determining the data page has not changed, wherein the portion of the data page excludes the data.

10. The memory subsystem of claim 9, wherein the means for storing the data page comprises means for storing the initial data change indicator in the non-volatile memory.

11. The memory subsystem of claim 9, wherein the initial DCI comprises an error correction code.

12. The memory subsystem of claim 9, wherein the means for retrieving the data page comprises means for storing the data page in a memory register.

13. A method, comprising:

receiving a data page for storage in a memory, wherein the data page includes data, metadata, an Error Correction Code (ECC) for the data, and an ECC for the metadata;

transferring the received data page into a register;

computing an initial data change indicator (DCI) for the received data page;

storing the computed initial DCI in the memory; and

transferring the data page from the register to the memory responsive to the storing of the computed DCI in the memory.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the initial DCI comprises an error detection code (EDC).

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the EDC comprises cyclic redundancy check (CRC).

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the EDC comprises an error correction code (ECC).

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the memory comprises a non-volatile memory.