Power management block for use in a non-volatile memory system
Methods and apparatus for enabling a power up process of a non-volatile memory to occur efficiently are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for utilizing a memory system that has a non-volatile memory with at least one reserved memory area includes providing power to the memory system, initializing the non-volatile memory, and writing a first signature into the reserved memory area. The first signature is arranged to indicate that the memory system was successfully initialized. In one embodiment, the method also includes executing a power down process on the memory system, and writing a second signature into the reserved memory area which indicates that the power down process has been executed.
1. A method for utilizing a memory system, the memory system including a non-volatile memory, the non-volatile memory including at least one reserved memory area, the method comprising:
providing power to the memory system;
initializing the non-volatile memory;
writing a first signature into a first page of the at least one reserved memory area, the first signature indicating that the memory system was successfully initialized;
executing a power down process on the memory system;
writing a second signature into a second page of the at least one reserved memory area that is distinct from the first page of the at least one reserved memory area, the second signature indicating that the power down process has been executed; and
determining whether to perform a data recovery process based on the presence of the first signature in the first page of the at least one reserved memory area and the presence of the second signature in the second page of the at least one reserved memory area.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
removing power from the memory system after writing the second signature into the second page of the at least one reserved memory area.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein writing the second signature into the second page of the at least one reserved memory area includes writing additional information with the second signature into the second page of the at least one reserved memory area.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one reserved memory area is a block that comprises the first and second pages, and writing the second signature into the second page of the at least one reserved memory area includes writing the second signature into the second page of the block.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein writing the first signature into the first page of the at least one reserved memory area includes writing the first signature into the first page of the block.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein executing the power down process includes at least one of completing a file copying process and resolving physical blocks associated with the non-volatile memory.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein writing the first signature into the first page of the at least one reserved memory area includes writing additional information with the first signature into the first page of the at least one reserved memory area.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one reserved memory area is a block that comprises the first and second pages, and writing the first signature into the first page of the at least one reserved memory area includes writing the first signature into the first page of the block.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the non-volatile memory is a NAND flash memory.
10. A memory system comprising:
a non-volatile memory including at least one reserved memory area;
means for providing power;
means for initializing the non-volatile memory;
means for writing a first signature into a first page of the at least one reserved memory area, wherein the first signature indicating that the non-volatile memory was successfully initialized;
means for executing a power down process on the memory system;
means for writing a second signature into a second page of the at least one reserved memory area that is distinct from the first page of the at least one reserved memory area, the second signature indicating that the power down process has been executed; and
means for determining whether to perform a data recovery process based on the presence of the first signature in the first page of the at least one reserved memory area and the presence of the second signature in the second page of the at least one reserved memory area.
11. The memory system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one reserved memory area is a block comprising the first and second pages, and writing the first signature into the first page of the at least one reserved memory area includes writing the first signature into the first page of the block and writing the second signature into the second page of the at least one reserved memory area includes writing the second signature into the second page of the block.
12. The memory system of claim 10 wherein the non-volatile memory is a NAND flash memory.
13. A memory device comprising:
code devices that are arranged to maintain at least one reserved memory area within a non-volatile memory;
code devices that cause a first signature to be written into a first page of the at least one reserved memory area, the first signature indicating that the non-volatile memory was successfully initialized;
code devices that cause a second signature to be written into a second page of the at least one reserved memory area that is distinct from the first page of the at least one reserved memory area, the second signature indicating that the power down process has been executed;
code devices for determining whether to perform a data recovery process based on the presence of the first signature in the first page of the at least one reserved memory area and the presence of the second signature in the second page of the at least one reserved memory area; and
a memory section that is arranged to store the code devices.
14. The memory device of claim 13 , wherein the at least one reserved memory area is a block comprising the first and second pages, and the code devices that cause the first signature to be written into the first page of the at least one reserved memory area include code devices that cause the first signature to be written into the first page of the block and the code devices that cause the second signature to be written into the second page of the at least one reserved memory area include code devices that cause the second signature to be written into the second page of the block.
15. The memory device of claim 13 , wherein the code devices are one of software code devices and firmware code devices.
16. A memory system comprising:
a non-volatile memory, the non-volatile memory including at least one reserved memory area;
a controller, the controller being arranged to initialize the non-volatile memory and to write a first signature into a first page of the at least one reserved memory area, wherein the first signature indicates that the memory system was successfully initialized;
wherein the controller is further arranged to execute a power down process on the memory system and to write a second signature into a second page of the at least one reserved memory area that is distinct from the first page of the at least one reserved memory area, the second signature indicating that the power down process has been executed;
wherein the controller is further arranged to determine whether to perform a data recovery process based on the presence of the first signature in the first page of the at least one reserved memory area and the presence of the second signature in the second page of the at least one reserved memory area.
17. The system of claim 16 wherein the non-volatile memory is a NAND flash memory.