IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,930,671
Granted Patent B2
US 8,930,671 · App. 14/184,876 · Granted Jan 6, 2015

Logical address offset in response to detecting a memory formatting operation

Inventors: Mehdi Asnaashari (Danville, CA); William E. Benson (San Mateo, CA)
Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
G06F12/06G06F3/0608G06F3/0638G06F3/0679G06F12/0246G06F2212/7202
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,930,671
App. No.
14/184,876
Granted
Jan 6, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure includes methods, devices, and systems for a logical address offset. One method embodiment includes detecting a memory unit formatting operation. Subsequently, in response to detecting the formatting operation, the method includes inspecting format information on the memory unit, calculating a logical address offset, and applying the offset to a host logical address.

Claims (41)

1. A method, comprising:

detecting a memory unit formatting operation that is initiated across a host interface of a memory unit and that formats the memory unit with a file system;

operating the memory unit with a default logical address offset or an existing saved logical address offset prior to detecting the memory unit formatting operation; and

calculating a new logical address offset in response to detecting the formatting operation, wherein the new logical address offset is equal to a difference in logical addresses between an end of a system data area and a beginning of a subsequent physical page of memory cells or a beginning of a subsequent physical block of memory cells.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method includes applying the new logical address offset to a host logical address.

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

applying the new logical address offset to a starting logical address of the user data area; and

aligning the new logical address offset starting logical address of the user data area with an allocation unit boundary of the file system.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method includes calculating a second offset to be applied to host logical addresses that are within the system data area.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method includes inspecting format information on the memory unit in response to detecting the formatting operation before calculating the new logical address offset.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the method includes determining a starting logical address of a user data area of the memory unit according to the format information.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method includes using the new logical address offset until a subsequent memory unit formatting operation is detected.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the default logical address offset is 0.

9. A memory controller, comprising:

control circuitry configured to:

detect a memory unit formatting operation that is initiated across a host interface of a memory unit and that formats the memory unit with a file system;

operate the memory unit with a default logical address offset or an existing saved logical address offset prior to detecting the memory unit formatting operation; and

calculate a new logical address offset in response to detecting the formatting operation, wherein the new logical address offset is equal to a difference in logical addresses between an end of a system data area and a beginning of a subsequent physical page of memory cells or a beginning of a subsequent physical block of memory cells.

10. The memory controller of claim 9 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to:

inspect format information on the memory unit in response to detecting the formatting operation; and

determine a starting logical address of a user data area of the memory unit according to the format information.

11. The memory controller of claim 9 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to apply the new logical address offset to a host logical address.

12. The memory controller of claim 9 , wherein the controller includes controller memory and the control circuitry is configured to store the new logical address offset in the controller memory.

13. The memory controller of claim 12 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to store the new logical address offset until the control circuitry detects a subsequent formatting operation.

14. The memory controller of claim 12 , including an adder coupled to the controller memory and to a memory unit interface, wherein the adder is configured to add the new logical address offset to a host logical address prior to the host logical address being sent across the memory unit interface.

15. The memory controller of claim 9 , including a number of logical address range comparators configured to compare a host logical address with a range of logical addresses corresponding to a user data area of the memory unit to determine whether the host logical address is within the user data area.

16. A memory system, comprising:

a memory unit; and

a memory controller coupled to the memory unit, wherein the memory controller is configured to:

detect a memory unit formatting operation that is initiated across a host interface of the memory unit and that formats the memory unit with a file system;

operate the memory unit with a default logical address offset or an existing saved logical address offset prior to detecting the memory unit formatting operation; and

subsequently, in response to detecting the formatting operation, calculate a new logical address offset, wherein the new logical address offset is equal to a difference in logical addresses between an end of a system data area and a beginning of a subsequent physical page of memory cells or a beginning of a subsequent physical block of memory cells.

17. The memory system of claim 16 , wherein, in response to detecting the formatting operation, the controller is configured to:

inspect format information from a partition boot record of a system data area of the memory unit; and

determine a starting logical address of a user data area of the memory unit according to the format information.

18. The memory system of claim 17 , wherein the starting logical address of the user data area is aligned with an allocation unit boundary of the file system.

19. The memory system of claim 16 , wherein the memory controller is configured to:

store the new logical address offset until the control circuitry detects a subsequent formatting operation; and

in response to detecting the subsequent formatting operation, calculate a subsequent new logical address offset.

20. The memory system of claim 19 , wherein the new logical address offset is equal to a difference in logical addresses between an end of a system data area and a beginning of a subsequent physical page of memory cells or a beginning of a subsequent physical block of memory cells; and

wherein the memory controller is configured to replace the stored new logical address offset with the subsequent new logical address offset.

Assignments (8)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 12, 2019
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.; MICRON SEMICONDUCTOR PRODUCTS, INC.
Reel/Frame 051028/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 9, 2019
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 050937/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 23, 2018
From: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 047243/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 13, 2018
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.; MICRON SEMICONDUCTOR PRODUCTS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 047540/0001 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REPLACE ERRONEOUSLY FILED PATENT #7358718 WITH THE CORRECT PATENT #7358178 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 038669 FRAME 0001. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECURITY INTEREST. Recorded Jun 8, 2017
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 043079/0001 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 2, 2016
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 038954/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 12, 2016
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 038669/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 20, 2014
From: ASNAASHARI, MEHDI; BENSON, WILLIAM E.
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 032253/0424 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 13459923 · Apr 30, 2012
Continuation 12356765 · Jan 21, 2009
Related Publication 20140229660A1 · Aug 14, 2014