Method for storing control information in flash memory devices

• US 20060161726A1
• Filed: 04/25/2005
• Published: 07/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Digital Israel Limited (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: M-Systems Flash Disk Pioneers Ltd. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Lasser, Menahem
• Granted Patent: US 7,426,623 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0246 in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory

Abstract

A flash memory system including one or more flash memory devices; the flash memory devices are partitioned into multiple units, at least a first unit and a second unit. A mechanism which allocates the units in combination as a super-unit, reserves at least a portion of a first unit field required for managing the super-unit in the first unit and the mechanism reserves at least a portion of a second unit field required for managing the super-unit in the second unit. Preferably, the first unit field and the second unit field are different unit fields, or the first unit field and the second unit field are the same unit field. Preferably, the flash memory device each support at least two planes, and the first unit and the second unit each belong to a different plane. Alternatively, there are two flash memory devices, and the first unit and the second unit each belong to a different flash memory device.

Claims

1. A flash memory system comprising:

(a) at least one flash memory device partitioned into a plurality of units; and

(b) a mechanism which allocates at least a first unit and a second unit of said units in combination as a super-unit, wherein said mechanism reserves at least a portion of a first unit field required for managing said super-unit in said first unit and said mechanism reserves at least a portion of a second unit field required for managing said super-unit in said second unit.

2. The flash memory system of claim 1 wherein said first unit field and said second unit field are different unit fields.

3. The flash memory system of claim 1 wherein said first unit field and said second unit field are the same unit field.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one flash memory device supports at least two planes, wherein said first unit and said second unit each belongs to a different plane.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one flash memory device includes at least two said flash memory devices, wherein said first unit and said second unit each belongs to a different said flash memory device.

6. A flash memory management method for managing at least one flash memory device partitioned into a plurality of units, the method comprising:

(a) allocating at least a first unit and a second unit of said units in combination as a super-unit;

(b) reserving at least a portion of a first unit field required for managing said super-unit in said first unit; and

(c) reserving at least a portion of a second unit field required for managing said super-unit in said second unit.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said first unit field and said second unit field are different unit fields.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said first unit field and said second unit field are the same unit field.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said at least one flash memory device supports at least two planes, wherein said first unit and said second unit each belongs to a different plane.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein said at least one flash memory device includes at least two said flash memory devices, wherein said first unit and said second unit each belongs to a different said flash memory device.