IP Library Granted Patent US 11,461,042
Granted Patent B2
US 11,461,042 · App. 17/210,008 · Granted Oct 4, 2022

Non-volatile memory module architecture to support memory error correction

Inventors: George Pax (Boise, ID); Jonathan Scott Parry (Boise, ID)
Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
G06F3/0656G06F3/061G06F3/0619G06F3/0685G06F3/0688G06F11/1068G06F11/1072G06F12/0246G11C5/04G11C5/141G11C7/10G11C7/22G11C8/00G11C11/005G11C16/32G11C29/52G11C29/883G06F2212/1032G06F2212/7202G11C2029/0409G11C2029/0411G11C2207/2245
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,461,042
App. No.
17/210,008
Granted
Oct 4, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Apparatus and methods are provided for operating a non-volatile memory module. In an example, a method can include filling a first plurality of pages of a first non-volatile memory with first data from a first data lane that includes a first volatile memory device, and filling a second plurality of pages of the first non-volatile memory device with second data from a second data lane that includes a second volatile memory device. In certain examples, the first plurality of pages does not include data from the second data lane.

Claims (54)

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a dynamic random access memory (DRAM);

a non-volatile memory (NVM) coupled to the DRAM; and

a controller configured to perform operations including:

receive, from a host device, a control signal having first and second states;

in response to a first state of the control signal, restore one or more pages of previously-stored data from the NVM to the DRAM;

read a register value established in response to an error in restoring the data from the NVM to the DRAM; and

operate the apparatus in response to the register value and instructions from the host device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise in response to the control signal having the second state, indicating a loss of power to the apparatus, initiating transfer of data from dynamic random access memory (DRAM) of the apparatus to non-volatile memory (NVM) of the apparatus.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a non-volatile memory controller; and

a power supply.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:

manage error correcting code (ECC) data on the apparatus;

transfer ECC data to and restore ECC data from the NVM; and

operate the apparatus based at least in part on the ECC data.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein controller is configured to adjust one or more bits of the register value in response to an indication from the host of the error in restoring the data from the NVM to the DRAM.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a connector couplable to a backup power source.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the backup power source comprises at least one of a battery or a capacitor, or both.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the NVM comprises NAND flash.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the DRAM comprises DDR4 DRAM.

10. A method comprising:

receiving, at a memory module from a host device, a first command that is based at least in part on a loss of power to the memory module;

transferring, in response to the first command, data from a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) of the memory module to a non-volatile memory (NVM) of the memory module;

receiving, at the memory module from the host device, a second command that is based at least in part on power to the memory module being re-established;

restoring, in response to the second command, the data from the NVM to the DRAM;

receiving, at the memory module, a third command from the host device establishing a register value in response to a host command identifying an error in restoring the data from the NVM to the DRAM identifying corrupted data in the DRAM; and

operating the memory module based at least in part on the corrupted data and according to instructions from the host device.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

storing error correcting code (ECC) data on the DRAM, wherein the data transferred to the NVM and restored to DRAM comprises the ECC data; and

operating the memory module based at least in part on the ECC data.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

determining that the error comprises an error in the NVM; and

writing one or more bits in the register value indicative of the error in NVM.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

determining that the error comprises an error in a controller associated with the NVM; and

writing one or more bits in the register value indicative of the error in the controller.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the data comprises corrupted data transferred from and restored to the DRAM.

15. A DIMM memory device, comprising:

first memory devices comprising volatile memory media;

a second memory device comprising non-volatile memory media; and

a controller configured to perform operations including:

receiving from a host device, a first command that is based at least in part on a loss of power to the DIMM memory device;

in response to the first command, transferring data from the volatile memory media to the non-volatile memory media of the DIMM memory device;

receiving from the host device at the DIMM memory device, a second command based at least in part on power to the DIMM memory device being re-established;

restoring, in response to the second command, the data from the non-volatile memory media to the volatile memory media;

receiving from the host device, at the DIMM memory device, a third command from the host device establishing a register value identifying an error in restoring the data from the non-volatile memory media to the volatile memory media; and

operating the DIMM memory device based at least in part in response to the register value and instructions from the host device.

16. The DIMM memory device of claim 15 , further comprising:

a backup power source configured to provide power during a loss of system power to the DIMM memory device to allow data transfer from the volatile memory media to the non-volatile memory media.

17. The DIMM memory device of claim 15 , wherein the non-volatile memory media comprises NAND flash memory.

18. The DIMM memory device of claim 15 , wherein the volatile memory media comprises DRAM memory.

19. The DIMM memory device of claim 16 , wherein the backup power source comprises at least one of a battery and a capacitor.

20. The DIMM memory device of claim 16 , wherein the first command and the second command are represented by alternate states of a single signal.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 14, 2023
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: LODESTAR LICENSING GROUP, LLC
Reel/Frame 064901/0011 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 16518541 · Jul 22, 2019
Continuation 16201576 · Nov 27, 2018
Continuation 15861374 · Jan 3, 2018
Continuation 15000812 · Jan 19, 2016
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