IP Library Granted Patent US 12,164,372
Granted Patent B2
US 12,164,372 · App. 17/822,119 · Granted Dec 10, 2024

Data retention (DR) warning system

Inventors: Lisha Wang (Fremont, CA); Jinyoung Kim (Fremont, CA); Andrew Yu-Jen Wang (Saratoga, CA); Jinghuan Chen (Irvine, CA); Kroum Stoev (Pleasanton, CA)
Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
G06F11/1012G06F12/0253G06F12/0269G06F12/0276G06F16/125G06F2212/702G06F2212/7205
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 12,164,372
App. No.
17/822,119
Granted
Dec 10, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

Aspects of a storage device including a memory and a controller are provided. The controller may determine to perform garbage collection on a superblock. During the garbage collection process, the controller will typically move the superblock into an erase pool for erasing the superblock. However, aspects of the disclosure are directed to a method of measuring a raw bit error rate (RBER) of the superblock prior to erasure. The measured RBER may be used to estimate a data retention time of the storage device and provide the customer with an early warning notification if a health metric of the storage devices reaches a threshold retention time.

Claims (30)

1. A storage device, comprising:

a memory comprising a first superblock and a second superblock; and

a controller coupled to the memory and configured to:

select the first superblock for an audit, wherein the first superblock is selected from an active pool of superblocks if no superblocks are held in an inactive pool of superblocks, and wherein the first superblock is selected from the active pool of superblocks based on the first superblock having a lowest health metric relative to other superblocks from the active pool;

audit the first superblock to determine whether an amount of invalid data contained in the first superblock satisfies a threshold condition;

determine to perform garbage collection on the first superblock based on satisfaction of the threshold condition; and

in response to the determination to perform garbage collection and prior to erasure of invalid data from the first superblock:

copy valid data from the first superblock to the second superblock if the first superblock is selected from the active pool of superblocks; and

measure a first raw bit error rate (RBER) of the first superblock; and

estimate a data retention time of the storage device based on the first RBER and a second RBER measured from the second superblock prior to the first superblock measurement.

2. The storage device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to measure the first RBER from one or more of an oldest wordline of the first superblock or a weakest wordline of the first superblock.

3. The storage device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to erase the first superblock after measuring the first RBER of the first superblock.

4. The storage device of claim 1 , wherein the estimated data retention time is further based on a threshold RBER indicative of a configured maximum bit error rate.

5. The storage device of claim 4 , wherein the controller is further configured to output a warning notification to a user of the storage device if the estimated data retention time is equal to a current time.

6. The storage device of claim 1 , wherein the controller, being configured to audit the first superblock, is further configured to select the first superblock for audit based on a scheduled event.

7. The storage device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to store the estimated data retention time in a self-monitoring, analysis, and reporting technology (SMART) log.

8. A method for self-testing by a storage device, the method comprising:

selecting a first superblock for an audit, wherein the first superblock is selected from an active pool of superblocks if no superblocks are held in an inactive pool of superblocks, and wherein the first superblock is selected from the active pool of superblocks based on the first superblock having a lowest health metric relative to other superblocks from the active pool;

auditing the first superblock of the storage device to determine whether an amount of invalid data contained in the first superblock satisfies a threshold condition;

determining to perform garbage collection on the first superblock based on satisfaction of the threshold condition; and

in response to the determination to perform garbage collection and prior to erasure of invalid data from the first superblock:

copying valid data from the first superblock to a second superblock of the storage device if the first superblock is selected from the active pool of superblocks; and

measuring a first raw bit error rate (RBER) of the first superblock; and

estimating a data retention time of the storage device based on the first RBER and a second RBER measured from the second superblock prior to the first superblock measurement.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising measuring the first RBER from one or more of an oldest wordline of the first superblock or a weakest wordline of the first superblock.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising erasing the first superblock after measuring the first RBER of the first superblock.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the estimated data retention time is further based on a threshold RBER indicative of a configured maximum bit error rate.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising outputting a warning notification to a user of the storage device if the estimated data retention time is equal to a current time.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising selecting the first superblock for audit based on a scheduled event.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising storing the estimated data retention time in a self-monitoring, analysis, and reporting technology (SMART) log.

Assignments (8)
PARTIAL RELEASE OF SECURITY INTERESTS Recorded Apr 25, 2025
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS AGENT
To: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 071382/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 25, 2025
From: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 071050/0001 →
PATENT COLLATERAL AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 23, 2024
From: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS THE AGENT
Reel/Frame 068762/0494 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 27, 2024
From: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 067982/0032 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 29, 2024
From: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 067567/0682 →
PATENT COLLATERAL AGREEMENT - A&R LOAN AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 21, 2023
From: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 064715/0001 →
PATENT COLLATERAL AGREEMENT - DDTL LOAN AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 21, 2023
From: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 067045/0156 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 1, 2022
From: WANG, LISHA; KIM, JINYOUNG; WANG, ANDREW YU-JEN; CHEN, JINGHUAN; STOEV, KROUM
To: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 061943/0625 →