Auxiliary power supply devices and nonvolatile memory systems including the same

• US 9,484,069 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2015
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Shim, In Bo, Lee, Jongjoo
• Primary Examiner(s): ALROBAIE, KHAMDAN N
• Application Number:
  US14/611,763
• Publication Number:
  US 20150357005A1
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0625 Power saving in storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0653 Monitoring storage devices or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0679 Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/30 Power supply circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/141 Battery and back-up supplies

Abstract

An auxiliary power supply device can include a first power storage unit, a first charging circuit to receive input power and charge the first power storage unit, a second power storage unit having lower power supply speed than the first power storage unit and longer power supply time than the first power storage unit, a second charge circuit to receive input power and charge the second power storage unit, and a switching unit to supply the stored power of the first power storage unit to external devices for a predetermined time when a sudden power-off occurs and supply stored power of the second power storage unit to the external devices after the predetermined time elapses.

Claims

1. A nonvolatile memory system comprising:

a nonvolatile memory device;

a memory controller configured to control the nonvolatile memory device; and

an auxiliary power supply device configured to receive an input power and supply an output power to the nonvolatile memory device and to the memory controller,

wherein the auxiliary power supply device comprises a first power storage unit and a second power storage unit,

wherein the auxiliary power supply device is configured to detect a sudden power-off, to initially supply stored power of the first power storage unit to the nonvolatile memory device and the memory controller as the output power when the sudden power-off is detected, and to subsequently supply stored power of the second power storage unit to the nonvolatile memory device and the memory controller as the output power after supplying the stored power of the first power storage unit, and

wherein the first power storage unit is configured to supply a larger power supply amount per unit time than the second power storage unit, and the second power storage unit is configured to supply stored power for a longer time than the first power storage unit.

2. The nonvolatile memory system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the nonvolatile memory device and the memory controller are configured to use stored power provided by the auxiliary power supply device to perform a first sudden power-off operation and a second sudden power-off operation when the sudden power-off occurs.

3. The nonvolatile memory system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the first sudden power-off operation includes an operation to complete a transaction that the nonvolatile memory device is performing which is performed while the stored power of the first power storage unit is supplied.

4. The nonvolatile memory system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the second sudden power-off operation includes a backup operation of the memory controller which is performed after the first sudden power-off operation is completed.

5. The nonvolatile memory system as set forth in claim 2, wherein a first peak power required during the first sudden power-off operation is higher than a second peak power required during the second sudden power-off operation.

6. The nonvolatile memory system as set forth in claim 2, wherein a first operation time of the first sudden power-off operation is shorter than a second operation time of the second sudden power-off operation.

7. The nonvolatile memory system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary power supply device further comprises:

a first charging circuit configured to receive the input power and charge the first power storage unit to a first charge voltage; and

a second charging circuit configured to receive the input power and charge the second power storage unit to a second charge voltage.

8. The nonvolatile memory system as set forth in claim 7, wherein the auxiliary power supply device further comprises:

a switching unit configured to supply the stored power of the first power storage unit to the nonvolatile memory device and the memory controller as the output power for a predetermined time when the sudden power-off occurs and to supply the stored power of the second power storage unit to the nonvolatile memory device and the memory controller as the output power after the predetermined time elapses.

9. The nonvolatile memory system as set forth in claim 7, wherein the auxiliary power supply device further comprises:

a switching unit configured to compare the first and second charge voltages with each other and supply the stored power of the first power storage unit or the stored power of the second power storage unit to the memory controller and the nonvolatile memory device based on a result of the comparison.

10. The nonvolatile memory system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first power storage unit includes a tantalum capacitor and the second power storage unit includes a battery.

11. An auxiliary power supply device comprising:

a first power storage unit;

a first charging circuit configured to receive an input power and charge the first power storage unit;

a second power storage unit configured to supply a smaller power supply amount per unit time than the first power storage unit and configured to supply power for a longer time than the first power storage unit;

a second charging circuit configured to receive the input power and charge the second power storage unit; and

a switching unit configured to switch between supplying stored power of the first power storage unit to a plurality of devices and supplying stored power of the second power storage unit to the plurality of devices after a sudden power-off occurs.

12. The auxiliary power supply device as set forth in claim 11, wherein the switching unit is configured to switch between supplying the stored power of the first power storage unit to the plurality of devices for a predetermined time when the sudden power-off occurs and supplying the stored power of the second power storage unit to the plurality of devices after the predetermined time elapses.

13. The auxiliary power supply device as set forth in claim 11, wherein the first charging circuit is configured to charge the first power storage unit to a first charge voltage and the second charging circuit is configured to charge the second power storage unit to a second charge voltage lower than the first charge voltage.

14. The auxiliary power storage device as set forth in claim 11, wherein the switching unit is configured to compare a first charge voltage of the first power storage unit with a second charge voltage of the second power storage unit when the sudden power-off occurs, to supply the stored power of the first power storage unit to the plurality of devices when the first charge voltage of the first power storage unit is higher than the second charge voltage of the second power storage unit, and to supply the stored power of the second power storage unit to the plurality of devices when the first charge voltage of the first power storage unit is lower than the second charge voltage of the second power storage unit.

15. The auxiliary power supply device as set forth in claim 11, wherein the switching unit is configured to detect the sudden power-off based on a voltage of the input power.

16. The auxiliary power supply device as set forth in claim 11, wherein the switching unit is configured to receive an external trigger signal and detect the sudden power-off based on the received external trigger signal.

17. The auxiliary power supply device as set forth in claim 11, wherein the switching unit is configured to supply the stored power of the first power storage unit to the plurality of devices when the sudden power-off is detected and a voltage level of the input power is higher than a predetermined voltage level and to supply the stored power of the second power storage unit to the plurality of devices when the voltage level of the input power is lower than the predetermined voltage level.

18. The auxiliary power supply device as set forth in claim 17, wherein the predetermined voltage level is a level of a minimum voltage required for performing a first sudden power-off operation.

19. A solid state drive comprising:

a plurality of nonvolatile memory devices;

a buffer memory;

a solid state drive controller; and

an auxiliary power supply device configured to receive an input power and supply an output power to the plurality of nonvolatile memory devices, the buffer memory, and the solid state drive controller,

wherein the auxiliary power supply device comprises a first power storage unit and a second power storage unit, and

wherein the auxiliary power supply device is configured to detect a sudden power-off, to initially supply stored power of the first power storage unit to the plurality of nonvolatile memory devices, the buffer memory, and the solid state drive controller as the output power when the sudden power-off is detected, and to subsequently supply stored power of the second power storage unit to the plurality of nonvolatile memory devices, the buffer memory, and the solid state drive controller as the output power after supplying the first stored power, and

wherein the first power storage unit is configured to supply a larger power supply amount per unit time than the second power storage unit, and the second power storage unit is configured to supply stored power for a longer time than the first power storage unit.