IP Library Granted Patent US 12675234
Granted Patent B2
US 12675234 · App. 19/019,861 · Granted Jul 7, 2026

Methods and apparatuses for operating a memory system

Inventors: Xingwei Tang (Wuhan, CN); Lu Guo (Wuhan, CN); Kun Ren (Wuhan, CN); Wen Luo (Wuhan, CN)
Assignee: Yangtze Memory Technologies Co., Ltd.
G06F3/0655G06F3/0604G06F3/0644G06F3/0679G06F12/0246
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12675234
App. No.
19/019,861
Granted
Jul 7, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods, devices, and systems for managing memory devices are provided. In one aspect, a memory system can include a memory device including memory pages, a memory controller coupled to the memory device. The memory controller is configured to send, to the memory device, a first command indicating to identify dummy data, and in response to receiving, from the memory device, a response indicating that a first memory page is a zero page, determine data comprised in the first memory page as dummy data.

Claims (43)

1 . A memory system, comprising:

a memory device comprising memory pages; and

a memory controller coupled to the memory device, wherein the memory controller is configured to:

send, to the memory device, a first command indicating to identify dummy data; and

in response to receiving, from the memory device, a response indicating that a first memory page is a zero page, determine data comprised in the first memory page as dummy data.

2 . The memory system of claim 1 , wherein the memory controller is further configured to:

send a second command indicating to write dummy data in a second memory page, wherein the memory device is configured to:

in response to receiving the second command, program the second memory page into a zero page, wherein threshold voltages of memory cells of the zero page are higher than a preset level, wherein the preset level is higher than a starting read level for reading the second memory page.

3 . The memory system of claim 2 , wherein the second command indicates to program the second memory page based on a single-level cell (SLC) mode.

4 . The memory system of claim 3 , wherein programming the second memory page based on the SLC mode comprises:

programming, using a single program pulse, memory cells of the second memory page above the preset level.

5 . The memory system of claim 2 , wherein a low density parity check (LDPC) encoder of the memory controller is disabled when programming the second memory page.

6 . The memory system of claim 1 , wherein the memory device is configured to:

send the response indicating that the first memory page is a zero page, without sending the data comprised in the first memory page to the memory controller.

7 . The memory system of claim 1 , wherein the memory device is configured to:

perform, based on a starting read voltage, a read operation on the first memory page;

determine a quantity of failed memory cells in the first memory page, wherein threshold voltages of the failed memory cells are lower than the starting read voltage; and

in response to determining that the quantity of failed memory cells is less than a threshold, send the response indicating that the first memory page is a zero page.

8 . The memory system of claim 1 , wherein the memory controller is configured to send the first command during a garbage collection operation of the memory system.

9 . The memory system of claim 2 , wherein the memory controller is configured to send the second command during a power-loss protection operation, wherein the second memory page is comprised in an open memory block.

10 . The memory system of claim 2 , wherein the memory controller is configured to send the second command after a program operation for programming user data into one or more memory pages, wherein the second memory page immediately follows a last memory page of the one or more memory pages.

11 . A memory controller, comprising:

at least one processor and an interface, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

send, through the interface to a memory device, a first command that indicates to identify dummy data; and

in response to receiving, through the interface from the memory device, a response indicating that a first memory page is a zero page, determine data comprised in the first memory page as dummy data.

12 . The memory controller of claim 11 , wherein the memory controller is configured to:

send a second command indicating to write dummy data in a second memory page, wherein the second command indicates to program the second memory page based on a single-level cell (SLC) mode.

13 . The memory controller of claim 12 , wherein a low density parity check (LDPC) encoder of the memory controller is disabled when programming the second memory page.

14 . The memory controller of claim 12 , wherein the memory controller is configured to send the second command during a power-loss protection operation, wherein the second memory page is comprised in an open memory block.

15 . The memory controller of claim 12 , wherein the memory controller is configured to send the second command after a program operation for programming user data into one or more memory pages, wherein the second memory page immediately follows a last memory page of the one or more memory pages.

16 . The memory controller of claim 11 , wherein the memory controller is configured to send the first command during a garbage collection operation.

17 . A method of operating a memory system, comprising:

sending, from a memory controller of the memory system to a memory device of the memory system, a first command that indicates to identify dummy data; and

in response to receiving, by the memory controller from the memory device, a response indicating that a first memory page of the memory device is a zero page, determining data comprised in the first memory page as dummy data.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

performing, based on a starting read voltage, a read operation on the first memory page;

determining a quantity of failed memory cells in the first memory page, wherein threshold voltages of the failed memory cells are lower than the starting read voltage; and

in response to determining that the quantity of failed memory cells is less than a threshold, sending, from the memory device to the memory controller, the response indicating that the first memory page is a zero page.

19 . The method of claim 17 , comprising:

sending, from the memory controller to the memory device, a second command indicating to write dummy data in a second memory page of the memory device; and

programming, by the memory device, the second memory page into a zero page, wherein threshold voltages of memory cells of the zero page are higher than a preset level, wherein the preset level is higher than a starting read level for reading the second memory page.

20 . The method of claim 17 , comprising:

sending, from the memory device to the memory controller, the response indicating that the first memory page is a zero page, without sending the data comprised in the first memory page.