Memory formatting method, memory controller, and memory storage apparatus

• US 9,389,998 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2012
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Phison Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Phison Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: Lee, Chien-Fu
• Primary Examiner(s): Queler, Adam M
• Assistant Examiner(s): TA, TRANG KHANH
• Application Number:
  US13/545,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20130290609A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,462 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0246 in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1727 Details of free space management performed by the file system saving storage space on storage systems G06F3/0608; management of blocks in storage devices G06F3/064
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7201 Logical to physical mapping or translation of blocks or pages
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0638 Organizing or formatting or addressing of data
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A memory formatting method adapted to a memory storage apparatus is provided. The memory formatting method includes configuring a plurality of logical block addresses to be mapped to a portion of a plurality of physical blocks, generating a first file system data and a second file system data according to the size of the logical block addresses, and storing the first file system data into a first physical block, and the first physical block is mapped to a first logical block address among the logical block addresses. The memory formatting method also includes selecting a second physical block among the physical blocks, storing the second file system data into the second physical block, determining whether a format command is received, and when the format command is received, re-mapping the first logical block address to the second physical block.

Claims

1. A memory formatting method for a memory storage apparatus, wherein the memory storage apparatus has a rewritable non-volatile memory module, and the rewritable non-volatile memory module has a plurality of physical blocks, the memory formatting method comprising:

configuring a plurality of logical block addresses for mapping to a portion of the physical blocks;

generating a first file system data and a second file system data according to a size of the logical block addresses at initial partition of the logical block addresses;

storing the first file system data into at least one first physical block among the physical blocks, wherein the at least one first physical block is mapped to at least one first logical block address among the logical block addresses, wherein the first file system data is updated if data is written to the logical block addresses;

selecting at least one second physical block among the physical blocks;

storing the second file system data into the at least one second physical block;

determining whether a format command is received from a host system; and

when the format command is received from the host system, re-mapping the at least one first logical block address to the at least one second physical block,

wherein before the step of re-mapping the at least one first logical block address to the at least one second physical block, the second file system data is not updated if data is written to the logical block addresses, and

wherein after the step of remapping the at least one first logical block address to the at least one second physical block, the second file system data is updated if data is written to the logical block addresses.

2. The memory formatting method according to claim 1 further comprising:

logically grouping the physical blocks into at least a data area and a spare area,

wherein the step of storing the first file system data into the at least one first physical block among the physical blocks comprises;

selecting at least one physical block from the physical blocks of the data area as the at least one first physical block and storing the first file system data into the at least one first physical block,

wherein the step of selecting the at least one second physical block among the physical blocks comprises;

selecting at least one physical block from the physical blocks of the spare area as the at least one second physical block and serving the at least one second physical block as a hidden area.

3. The memory formatting method according to claim 2 further comprising:

after re-mapping the at least one first logical block address to the at least one second physical block, removing the at least one second physical block from the hidden area, associating the at least one second physical block with the data area, and associating the at least one first physical block with the spare area.

4. The memory formatting method according to claim 1 further comprising:

executing a format application program in the host system; and

transmitting the format command to the memory storage apparatus by using the format application program through a vendor command.

5. The memory formatting method according to claim 1, wherein the logical block addresses belong to a partition, and the at least one first logical block address is at least one logical block address continuously arranged from a starting address of the partition.

6. The memory formatting method according to claim 3 further comprising:

after re-mapping the at least one first logical block address to the at least one second physical block, generating a third file system data according to the size of the logical block addresses, selecting at least one third physical block from the physical blocks of the spare area, associating the at least one third physical block with the hidden area, and storing the third file system data into the at least one third physical block.

7. The memory formatting method according to claim 1 further comprising:

after re-mapping the at least one first logical block address to the at least one second physical block, generating a third file system data according to the size of the logical block addresses, erasing the at least one first physical block, and storing the third file system data into the at least one first physical block.

8. A memory controller for controlling a rewritable non-volatile memory module of a memory storage apparatus, wherein the rewritable non-volatile memory module has a plurality of physical blocks, the memory controller comprising:

a host interface, configured to couple to a host system;

a memory interface, configured to couple to the rewritable non-volatile memory module; and

a memory management circuit, coupled to the host interface and the memory interface, wherein the memory management circuit is configured to configure a plurality of logical block addresses for mapping to a portion of the physical blocks,

wherein the memory management circuit is further configured to generate a first file system data and a second file system data according to a size of the logical block addresses at initial partition of the logical block addresses and store the first file system data into at least one first physical block among the physical blocks, wherein the at least one first physical block is mapped to at least one first logical block address among the logical block addresses, and wherein the first file system data is updated if data is written to the logical block addresses,

wherein the memory management circuit is further configured to select at least one second physical block among the physical blocks and store the second file system data into the at least one second physical block,

wherein the memory management circuit is further configured to determine whether a format command is received from the host system, and when the format command is received from the host system, the memory management circuit is further configured to re-map the at least one first logical block address to the at least one second physical block, wherein before the at least one first logical block address is re-mapped to the at least one second physical block, the second file system data is not updated if data is written to the logical block addresses, and wherein after the at least one first logical block address is re-mapped to the at least one second physical block, the second file system data is updated if data is written to the logical block addresses.

9. The memory controller according to claim 8, wherein the memory management circuit is further configured to logically group the physical blocks into at least a data area and a spare area, select at least one physical block from the physical blocks in the data area as the at least one first physical block, select at least one physical block from the physical blocks of the spare area as the at least one second physical block, and serve the at least one second physical block as a hidden area.

10. The memory controller according to claim 9, wherein after re-mapping the at least one first logical block address to the at least one second physical block, the memory management circuit is further configured to remove the at least one second physical block from the hidden area, associate the at least one second physical block with the data area, and associate the at least one first physical block with the spare area.

11. The memory controller according to claim 8, wherein the format command is transmitted by a format application program executed in the host system to the memory storage apparatus through a vendor command.

12. The memory controller according to claim 8, wherein the logical block addresses belong to a partition, and the at least one first logical block address is at least one logical block address continuously arranged from a starting address of the partition.

13. The memory controller according to claim 10, wherein after re-mapping the at least one first logical block address to the at least one second physical block, the memory management circuit is further configured to generate a third file system data according to the size of the logical block addresses, select at least one third physical block from the physical blocks of the spare area, associate the at least one third physical block with the hidden area, and store the third file system data into the at least one third physical block.

14. The memory controller according to claim 8, wherein after re-mapping the at least one first logical block address to the at least one second physical block, the memory management circuit is further configured to generate a third file system data according to the size of the logical block addresses, erase the at least one first physical block, and store the third file system data into the at least one first physical block.

15. A memory storage apparatus, comprising:

a connector, configured to couple to a host system;

a rewritable non-volatile memory module, having a plurality of physical blocks; and

a memory controller, coupled to the connector and the rewritable non-volatile memory module,

wherein the memory controller is configured to configure a plurality of logical block addresses for mapping to a portion of the physical blocks,

wherein the memory controller is further configured to generate a first file system data and a second file system data according to a size of the logical block addresses at initial partition of the logical block addresses and store the first file system data into at least one first physical block among the physical blocks, wherein the at least one first physical block is mapped to at least one first logical block address among the logical block addresses, and wherein the first file system data is updated when data is written to the logical block addresses,

wherein the memory controller is further configured to select at least one second physical block among the physical blocks and store the second file system data into the at least one second physical block,

wherein the memory controller is further configured to determine whether a format command is received from the host system, and when the format command is received from the host system, the memory controller is further configured to re-map the at least one first logical block address to the at least one second physical block, wherein before the at least one first logical block address is re-mapped to the at least one second physical block, the second file system data is not updated when data is written to the logical block addresses, and wherein after the at least one first logical block address is re-mapped to the at least one second physical block, the second file system data is updated when data is written to the logical block addresses.

16. The memory storage apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the memory controller is further configured to logically group the physical blocks into at least a data area and a spare area, select at least one physical block from the physical blocks of the data area as the at least one first physical block, select at least one physical block from the physical blocks of the spare area as the at least one second physical block, and serve the at least one second physical block as a hidden area.

17. The memory storage apparatus according to claim 16, wherein after re-mapping the at least one first logical block address to the at least one second physical block, the memory controller is further configured to remove the at least one second physical block from the hidden area, associate the at least one second physical block with the data area, and associate the at least one first physical block with the spare area.

18. The memory storage apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the format command is transmitted by a format application program executed in the host system through a vendor command.

19. The memory storage apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the logical block addresses belong to a partition, and the at least one first logical block address is at least one logical block addresses continuously arranged from a starting address of the partition.

20. The memory storage apparatus according to claim 17, wherein after re-mapping the at least one first logical block address to the at least one second physical block, the memory controller is further configured to generate a third file system data according to the size of the logical block addresses, select at least one third physical block from the physical blocks of the spare area, associate the at least one third physical block with the hidden area, and store the third file system data into the at least one third physical block.

21. The memory storage apparatus according to claim 15, wherein after re-mapping the at least one first logical block address to the at least one second physical block, the memory controller is further configured to generate a third file system data according to the size of the logical block addresses, erase the at least one first physical block, and store the third file system data into the at least one first physical block.