Memory system and method

1. A memory system, comprising:

a nonvolatile memory;

a random access memory configured to store data that is received from a host in accordance with acceptance of a write command; and

a controller electrically connected to the nonvolatile memory and the random access memory, the controller configured to write data into the nonvolatile memory in a first mode or a second mode, the first mode being a mode in which N-bit data is written per memory cell in the nonvolatile memory, the second mode being a mode in which M-bit data is written per memory cell in the nonvolatile memory, N being equal to or larger than one, M being larger than N, wherein the controller is further configured to:

while a reception speed of third data is equal to or slower than a threshold, the third data being received in accordance with acceptance of one or more write commands from the host, the reception speed being a speed of the third data sent from the host to the random access memory,

allocate a second memory area in the random access memory as a second buffer, the second buffer being used for storing the third data sent from the host as second data to be written into the nonvolatile memory in the second mode,

store the third data sent from the host as the second data in the second memory area, and

write the second data stored in the second memory area into the nonvolatile memory in the second mode; and

upon the reception speed of the third data becoming faster than the threshold,

additionally allocate a first memory area in the random access memory as a first buffer, the first buffer being used for storing the third data sent from the host as first data to be written into the nonvolatile memory in the first mode, a capacity of the first memory area being smaller than a capacity of the second memory area, a total capacity of the first memory area and the second memory area being smaller than a capacity of a third memory area in the random access memory, the third memory area being allocated in a case where fourth data sent from the host to the random access memory with a reception speed faster than the threshold is written into the nonvolatile memory only in the second mode, the capacity of the third memory area being determined such that a writing speed of the fourth data from the random access memory to the nonvolatile memory in the second mode can satisfy a requirement to cope with the reception speed of the fourth data that is faster than the threshold,

store the third data sent from the host as the second data in the second memory area more preferentially than the first data in the first memory area,

in a case where the second memory area has no available space to store the third data, store the third data sent from the host as the first data in the first memory area,

write the second data stored in the second memory area into the nonvolatile memory in the second mode, and

write the first data stored in the first memory area into the nonvolatile memory in the first mode.

2. The memory system of claim 1 ,

further comprising a power storage device,

wherein the controller is further configured to write data stored in the random access memory into the nonvolatile memory in the first mode by using electric charge stored in the power storage device when power supplied from an external power source to the memory system is shut off.

3. The memory system of claim 1 , wherein

the controller is further configured to write data, which has been written in the nonvolatile memory in the first mode, into the nonvolatile memory in the second mode when the memory system is in an idle state.

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

when the reception speed is faster than the threshold,

determine a ratio between a first data amount to be written into the nonvolatile memory in the first mode and a second data amount to be written into the nonvolatile memory in the second mode based on the reception speed.

5. The memory system of claim 4 , wherein the controller is further configured to increase a ratio of the first data amount to a sum of the first data amount and the second data amount as the reception speed increases.

6. The memory system of claim 1 , further comprising a power storage device,

wherein the controller is further configured to:

write the second data stored in the second buffer into the nonvolatile memory in the first mode using electric charge stored in the power storage device when power supplied from an external power source to the memory system is shut off while the reception speed is equal to or slower than the threshold; and

write the first data stored in the first buffer and the second data stored in the second buffer into the nonvolatile memory in the first mode using electric charge stored in the power storage device when power supplied from the external power source to the memory system is shut off while the reception speed is faster than the threshold.

7. The memory system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to write, when the reception speed faster than the threshold becomes equal to or slower than the threshold, the first data stored in the first buffer into the nonvolatile memory in the first mode and release the first buffer.

8. The memory system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to calculate the reception speed based on an amount of the third data received from the host in accordance with acceptance of one or more write commands within a first time period.

9. A method of controlling a memory system, the memory system comprising a nonvolatile memory, and a random access memory configured to store data that is received from a host in accordance with acceptance of a write command, the method comprising:

writing data into the nonvolatile memory in a first mode or a second mode, the first mode being a mode in which N-bit data is written per memory cell in the nonvolatile memory, the second mode being a mode in which M-bit data is written per memory cell in the nonvolatile memory, N being equal to or larger than one, M being larger than N;

while a reception speed of third data is equal to or slower than a threshold, the third data being received in accordance with acceptance of one or more write commands from the host, the reception speed being a speed of the third data sent from the host to the random access memory,

allocating a second memory area in the random access memory as a second buffer, the second buffer being used for storing the third data sent from the host as second data to be written into the nonvolatile memory in the second mode,

storing the third data sent from the host as the second data in the second memory area, and

writing the second data stored in the second memory area into the nonvolatile memory in the second mode; and

upon the reception speed of the third data becoming faster than the threshold,

additionally allocating a first memory area in the random access memory as a first buffer, the first buffer being used for storing the third data sent from the host as first data to be written into the nonvolatile memory in the first mode, a capacity of the first memory area being smaller than a capacity of the second memory area, a total capacity of the first memory area and the second memory area being smaller than a capacity of a third memory area in the random access memory, the third memory area being allocated in a case where fourth data sent from the host to the random access memory with a reception speed faster than the threshold is written into the nonvolatile memory only in the second mode, the capacity of the third memory area being determined such that a writing speed of the fourth data from the random access memory to the nonvolatile memory in the second mode can satisfy a requirement to cope with the reception speed of the fourth data that is faster than the threshold,

storing the third data sent from the host as the second data in the second memory area more preferentially than the first data in the first memory area,

in a case where the second memory area has no available space to store the third data, storing the third data sent from the host as the first data in the first memory area;

writing the second data stored in the second memory area into the nonvolatile memory in the second mode, and

writing the first data stored in the first memory area into the nonvolatile memory in the first mode.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein

the memory system further comprises a power storage device, and

the method further comprises

writing data stored in the random access memory into the nonvolatile memory in the first mode by using electric charge stored in the power storage device when power supplied from an external power source to the memory system is shut off.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising writing data, which has been written in the nonvolatile memory in the first mode, into the nonvolatile memory in the second mode when the memory system is in an idle state.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

when the reception speed is faster than the threshold,

determining a ratio between a first data amount to be written into the nonvolatile memory in the first mode and a second data amount to be written into the nonvolatile memory in the second mode based on the reception speed.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising increasing a ratio of the first data amount to a sum of the first data amount and the second data amount as the reception speed increases.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein

the memory system further comprises a power storage device, and

the method further comprises:

writing the second data stored in the second buffer into the nonvolatile memory in the first mode using electric charge stored in the power storage device when power supplied from an external power source to the memory system is shut off while the reception speed is equal to or slower than the threshold; and

writing the first data stored in the first buffer and the second data stored in the second buffer into the nonvolatile memory in the first mode using electric charge stored in the power storage device when power supplied from the external power source to the memory system is shut off while the reception speed is faster than the threshold.