IP Library Granted Patent US 9,984,731
Granted Patent B2
US 9,984,731 · App. 14/971,856 · Granted May 29, 2018

Storage device and storage method

Inventor: Masahiro Kiyooka (Yokohama Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: Toshiba Memory Corporation
G11C7/04G11C16/10G11C16/32G11C16/349G11C16/0483
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,984,731
App. No.
14/971,856
Granted
May 29, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

According to one embodiment, a storage device includes a plurality of nonvolatile semiconductor memories, a sensor and a controller. The sensor is configured to measure a temperature of the nonvolatile semiconductor memories. The controller is configured to receive data from a host, determine a rewriting interval of the data and write the data to, of the nonvolatile semiconductor memories, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory having a temperature corresponding to the rewriting interval.

Claims (66)

1. A storage device comprising:

a plurality of nonvolatile semiconductor memories;

a sensor configured to measure a temperature of the nonvolatile semiconductor memories; and

a controller configured to determine a rewriting interval of data to be written to the nonvolatile semiconductor memories, and write the data to, of the nonvolatile semiconductor memories, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory having a temperature corresponding to the rewriting interval.

2. The storage device of claim 1 , wherein

the controller is further configured to write the data to a nonvolatile semiconductor memory having a temperature higher than a predetermined temperature when the rewriting interval is shorter than a predetermined interval, and write the data to a nonvolatile semiconductor memory having a temperature which is not higher than the predetermined temperature when the rewriting interval is not shorter than the predetermined interval.

3. The storage device of claim 1 , wherein

the controller is further configured to read the rewriting interval included in management information of data received from the host in a multi-stream format.

4. The storage device of claim 1 , wherein

the controller is further configured to determine the rewriting interval, according to a type of the data.

5. The storage device of claim 1 , wherein

each of the nonvolatile semiconductor memories comprises a plurality of blocks, and data is configured to be erased in block units,

the controller is further configured to manage a refresh time limit for each block of the nonvolatile semiconductor memories and perform a refresh process at the refresh time limit of a first block of a first nonvolatile semiconductor memory, and

the refresh process comprises reading data from the first block of the first nonvolatile semiconductor memory, and writing the read data to a second block of the first nonvolatile semiconductor memory or a block of another nonvolatile semiconductor memory in accordance with the rewriting interval of the data.

6. The storage device of claim 5 , wherein

the controller is further configured to determine a block to which data is to be written such that the number of refreshes is equalized in the blocks.

7. The storage device of claim 1 , wherein

each of the nonvolatile semiconductor memories comprises a plurality of blocks, and data is configured to be erased in block units, and

the controller is further configured to, when a rewrite command of a first block of a first nonvolatile semiconductor memory is received from the host, read data from, the first block of the first nonvolatile semiconductor memory, write the read data to a second block of the first nonvolatile semiconductor memory or a block of another nonvolatile semiconductor memory in accordance with a rewriting interval of the data, and erase the data of the first block of the first nonvolatile semiconductor memory.

8. The storage device of claim 7 , wherein

the controller is further configured to determine a block to which data is to be written sues that the number of rewrites is equalized in the block.

9. A storage method comprising:

measuring a temperature of a plurality of nonvolatile semiconductor memories;

determining a rewriting interval of data received from a host; and

writing the data to, of the nonvolatile semiconductor memories, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory having a temperature corresponding to the rewriting interval.

10. The storage method or claim 9 , wherein

the writing comprises writing the data to a nonvolatile semiconductor memory having a temperature higher than a predetermined temperature when the rewriting interval is shorter than a predetermined interval, and writing the data to a nonvolatile semiconductor memory having a temperature which is nor higher than the predetermined temperature when the rewriting interval is not shorter than the predetermined interval.

11. The storage method of claim 9 , wherein

the determining comprises reading the rewriting interval included in management information of data received from the host in a multi-stream format.

12. The storage method of claim 9 , wherein

the determining comprises determining the rewriting interval according to a type of the data.

13. The storage method of claim 9 , wherein

each of the nonvolatile semiconductor memories comprises a plurality of blocks, and data is configured to be erased in block units, and

the storage method further comprises;

managing a refresh time limit for each block of the nonvolatile semiconductor memories; and

performing a refresh process at the refresh time limit of a first block of a first nonvolatile semiconductor memory, wherein

the refresh process comprises reading data from the first block of the first nonvolatile semiconductor memory, and writing the read data to a second block of the first nonvolatile semiconductor memory or a block of another nonvolatile semiconductor memory in accordance with the rewriting interval of the data.

14. The storage method of claim 13 , wherein

the refresh process comprises determining a block to which data is to be written such that the number of refreshes is equalized in the blocks.

15. The storage method of claim 9 , wherein

each of the nonvolatile semiconductor memories comprises a plurality of blocks, and data is configured to be erased in block units, and

the storage method comprises:

receiving a rewrite command of a first block of a first nonvolatile semiconductor memory from the host;

reading data from the first block of the first nonvolatile: semiconductor memory;

writing the read data to a second block of the first nonvolatile semiconductor memory or a block of another nonvolatile semiconductor memory in accordance with the rewriting interval of the data; and

erasing the data of the first block of the first nonvolatile semiconductor memory.

16. The storage method of claim 15 , further comprising:

determining a block to which data is to be written such that the number of rewrites is equalized in the blocks.

17. A storage device comprising:

a plurality of nonvolatile semiconductor memories;

a sensor configured to measure a temperature of the nonvolatile semiconductor memories;

a host configured to access the nonvolatile semiconductor memories; and

a controller connected between the nonvolatile semiconductor memories and the host, wherein

the controller is configured to

obtain a rewriting interval of data to be written to the nonvolatile semiconductor memories,

write the data to a nonvolatile semiconductor memory having a temperature higher than a predetermined temperature when the rewriting interval is shorter than a predetermined interval, and write the data to a nonvolatile semiconductor memory having a temperature which is not higher than the predetermined temperature when the rewriting interval is not shorter than the predetermined interval, and

apply a refresh process to the nonvolatile semiconductor memories in intervals corresponding to temperatures of the nonvolatile semiconductor memories,

wherein the refresh process comprises:

reading data from a first clock of a first nonvolatile semiconductor memory, and

writing the read data to a second block of the first nonvolatile semiconductor memory or a block of another nonvolatile semiconductor memory in accordance with the rewriting interval of the data.

18. The storage device of claim 17 , wherein

the controller is further configured to read the rewriting interval included in management information of data received, from the host in a multi-stream format.

19. The storage device of claim 17 , wherein

the controller is further configured to determine the rewriting interval according to a type of the data.

20. The storage device of claim 17 , wherein

the controller is further configured to determine a block to which data is to be written such that the number of writes and the number of refreshes are equalized in the blocks.

Assignments (5)
MERGER Recorded Jan 22, 2021
From: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
To: K.K. PANGEA
Reel/Frame 055659/0471 →
CHANGE OF NAME AND ADDRESS Recorded Jan 22, 2021
From: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
To: KIOXIA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 055669/0001 →
CHANGE OF NAME AND ADDRESS Recorded Jan 22, 2021
From: K.K. PANGEA
To: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 055669/0401 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 8, 2017
From: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
To: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 043529/0709 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 16, 2015
From: KIYOOKA, MASAHIRO
To: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
Reel/Frame 037310/0163 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62214157 · Sep 3, 2015
Related Publication 20170068466A1 · Mar 9, 2017