IP Library Granted Patent US 11,756,607
Granted Patent B2
US 11,756,607 · App. 17/713,954 · Granted Sep 12, 2023

Memory controller and method of operating the same

Inventor: Byung Jun Kim (Icheon, KR)
Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
G11C11/4093G06F12/0882G11C11/4076G11C11/4099G11C11/40626G06F2212/7201
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,756,607
App. No.
17/713,954
Granted
Sep 12, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic device includes a memory controller and a memory device. The memory controller that controls the memory device includes a write buffer to temporarily store write data received from a host, a write timing controller to receive temperature information indicating a temperature of the memory device and generate write timing information based on the temperature information, the write timing information indicating a write timing at which the write data is transferred to and stored in the memory device, and a write operation controller to control the write buffer and the memory device based on the write timing information such that the write data stored in the write buffer is transferred to and stored in the memory device.

Claims (29)

1. A memory controller that controls a memory device, the memory controller comprising:

a write buffer to temporarily store write data received from a host;

a write timing controller to receive temperature information indicating a temperature of the memory device, determine a target time interval corresponding to the temperature information, the target time interval indicating an interval between write timings at which the write data is transferred to the memory device, and generate write timing information indicating a write timing at which the write data is transferred at each target time interval; and

a write operation controller to control the write buffer to transfer the write data to the memory device at the write timing.

2. The memory controller of claim 1 , wherein the write timing controller comprises:

a reference time interval table storage to store a reference time interval table that includes information on a plurality of reference time intervals respectively corresponding to a plurality of temperature ranges of the memory device; and

a reference time interval determiner to determine, as the target time interval, a reference time interval corresponding to the temperature information with reference to the reference time interval table.

3. The memory controller of claim 2 , wherein as the temperature of the memory device decreases, the reference time interval corresponding to the temperature of the memory device decreases.

4. The memory controller of claim 2 , wherein when a size of the write data is less than a size of a page included in the memory device, the write operation controller generates dummy data, and controls the write buffer and the memory device such that the write data and the dummy data are transferred to and stored in the memory device.

5. The memory controller of claim 4 , wherein the write operation controller comprises a write data monitoring component to monitor the size of the write data stored in the write buffer,

wherein the write operation controller generates the dummy data having a size that is the same as a difference between the size of the page and the size of the write data.

6. The memory controller of claim 1 , further comprises a temperature information obtaining component transfers a temperature information request command to the memory device, and receives the temperature information from the memory device as a response to the temperature information request command.

7. A method of operating a memory controller controlling a memory device, the method comprising:

storing write data received from a host in a write buffer;

receiving temperature information indicating a temperature of the memory device;

determining a target time interval corresponding to the temperature information, the target time interval indicating an interval at which a write timing is determined;

determining the write timing indicating a time point at which the write data stored in the write buffer is to be transferred to the memory device, according to the target time interval;

controlling the write buffer to transfer the write data stored in the write buffer to the memory device at the write timing in response to determining the write timing; and

transferring a program command instructing to store the write data transferred from the write buffer to the memory device.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein determining the target time interval comprises:

determining the target time interval corresponding to the temperature information with reference to a reference time interval table that includes a plurality of reference time intervals respectively corresponding to a plurality of temperature ranges of the memory device.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein controlling the write buffer comprises:

generating dummy data when the size of the write data is less than a size of a page included in the memory device; and

controlling the write buffer to transfer the write data and the dummy data to the memory device,

wherein transferring the program command comprises transferring the program command instructing to store the write data and the dummy data transferred from the write buffer to the memory device.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein generating the dummy data comprises:

obtaining the size of the write data stored in the write buffer; and

generating the dummy data having a size that is the same as a difference between the size of the page and the size of the write data.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the page is one of a physical page and a logical page.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 7, 2024
From: SK HYNIX INC.
To: MIMIRIP LLC
Reel/Frame 067335/0246 →