IP Library Granted Patent US 11,397,461
Granted Patent B2
US 11,397,461 · App. 16/666,975 · Granted Jul 26, 2022

Providing energy information to memory

Inventors: Greg Blodgett (Nampa, ID); Daniele Balluchi (Cernusco Sul Naviglio, IT); Danilo Caraccio (Milan, IT); Graziano Mirichigni (Vimercate, IT)
Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
G06F1/3275G06F13/1668G11C5/142G11C5/144G11C11/4072G11C11/4074G11C16/20G11C16/30
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,397,461
App. No.
16/666,975
Granted
Jul 26, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods for providing energy information to memory. An embodiment includes determining, by a host, that a charge level of an energy source coupled to the host has reached or exceeded a threshold value, and transmitting, from the host to a memory device coupled to the host, signaling indicative of an energy mode for the memory device, wherein the signaling is transmitted based at least in part on determining that the charge level of the energy source has reached or exceeded the threshold.

Claims (44)

1. A method, comprising:

determining, by a host, that a charge level of an energy source coupled to the host has fallen below a threshold value;

determining, by the host, an age of the energy source;

transmitting, from the host to a memory device coupled to the host, a single data bit indicating to turn power loss protection on for the memory device, wherein the single data bit is transmitted based at least in part on:

determining that the charge level of the energy source has fallen below the threshold value; and

the determined age of the energy source; and

performing, by the memory device upon receiving the single data bit indicating to turn power loss protection on, an error correction operation on data stored in the memory device that is different than an error correction operation performed on the data prior to the memory device receiving the single data bit.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the single data bit indicating to turn power loss protection on for the memory device includes setting or clearing a flag that enables or disables turning power loss protection on for the memory device.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the flag comprises a Boolean value representative of whether to enable or disable turning power loss protection on for the memory device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method includes:

determining, by the host, a rate of energy use by the host; and

transmitting, from the host to the memory device, the single data bit indicating to turn power loss protection on for the memory device based at least on part on the determined rate of energy use by the host.

5. A method, comprising:

determining, by a host, an age of an energy source coupled to the host;

transmitting, from the host to a memory device coupled to the host, a single data bit indicating to turn power loss protection on or off for the memory device, wherein the single data bit is transmitted based at least in part on the determined age of the energy source;

determining, by the memory device, whether to perform one or more power loss protection operations based at least in part on the single data bit received from the host;

performing, by the memory device, the one or more power loss protection operations upon determining to perform the one or more power loss protection operations; and

performing, by the memory device upon performing the one or more power loss protection operations, an error correction operation on data stored in the memory device that is different than an error correction operation performed on the data prior to the memory device performing the one or more power loss protection operations.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the one or more power loss protection operations include a sudden power off recovery operation.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the one or more power loss protection operations protect data that has been programmed to the memory device against an unexpected power loss.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the one or more power loss protection operations protect data that is being programmed to the memory device against an unexpected power loss.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein determining whether to perform one or more power loss protection operations comprises determining whether to perform the one or more power loss protection operations on all the data stored in the memory device.

10. The method of claim 5 , wherein determining whether to perform one or more power loss protection operations comprises determining whether to perform the one or more power loss protection operations on only a portion of the data stored in the memory device.

11. The method of claim 5 , wherein the method includes reducing, by the memory device, a number of error correction operations performed on the data stored in the memory device upon determining to perform the one or more power loss protection operations.

12. A system, comprising:

a memory device;

a processor;

a controller coupled to the processor, wherein at least one of the processor or controller is configured to:

determine that an energy source coupled with the processor is not removable; and

determine an age of the energy source; and

an interface coupled with the controller and configured to transmit, to the memory device, a single data bit indicating to turn power loss protection on or off for the memory device, wherein the single data bit is transmitted based at least in part on:

the processor or controller determining that the energy source coupled with the processor is not removable; and

the determined age of the energy source;

wherein the memory device is configured to perform, upon receiving the single data bit indicating to turn power loss protection on, an error correction operation on data stored in the memory device that is different than an error correction operation performed on the data prior to the memory device receiving the single data bit.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the single data bit indicating to turn power loss protection on or off for the memory device includes a flag that enables or disables turning power loss protection on or off for the memory device.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the flag comprises a Boolean value representative of whether to enable or disable turning power loss protection on or off for the memory device.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein:

at least one of the processor or controller is configured to determine that the energy source is currently charging; and

the interface is configured to transmit, to the memory device, the single data bit indicating to turn power loss protection on or off for the memory device based at least in part on the processor controller determining that the energy source is currently charging.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein:

at least one of the processor or controller is configured to determine that the energy source is an unlimited energy source; and

the interface is configured to transmit, to the memory device, the single data bit indicating to turn power loss protection on or off for the memory device based at least in part on the processor controller determining that the energy source is an unlimited energy source.

17. The system of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the processor or controller is configured to, upon the interface transmitting the single data bit indicating to turn power loss protection on or off for the memory device, cease cycling power to the memory device.

18. The system of claim 12 , wherein the interface is configured to, upon transmitting the single data bit indicating to turn power loss protection on or off for the memory device, cease transmitting a hardware reset signal to the memory device.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 29, 2019
From: BLODGETT, GREG; BALLUCHI, DANIELE; CARACCIO, DANILO; MIRICHIGNI, GRAZIANO
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 050852/0748 →