IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,333,141
Granted Patent B2
US 12,333,141 · App. 18/664,553 · Granted Jun 17, 2025

Memory system and method of controlling non-volatile memory

Inventor: Shizuka Sekigawa (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: KIOXIA CORPORATION
G06F3/0604G06F3/0655G06F3/0679
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 12,333,141
App. No.
18/664,553
Granted
Jun 17, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A memory system includes a non-volatile memory and a controller. The non-volatile memory includes at least one memory chip. The controller is electrically coupled to the non-volatile memory. The controller transmits a first instruction to the non-volatile memory, and transmits a second instruction to the non-volatile memory after transmitting the first instruction. The first instruction and the second instruction form a series of sequences. In a case where the non-volatile memory satisfies a condition, the second instruction is transmitted to the non-volatile memory after a first period following transmission of the first instruction elapses. In a case where the non-volatile memory does not satisfy the condition, the second instruction is transmitted to the non-volatile memory after a second period following transmission of the first instruction elapses. The second period is different from the first period.

Claims (58)

1. A memory system comprising:

a non-volatile memory including at least one memory chip;

a controller electrically coupled to the non-volatile memory, and configured to:

transmit a first instruction to the non-volatile memory;

transmit a second instruction to the non-volatile memory after transmitting the first instruction;

determine whether the non-volatile memory includes an interface chip; and

in response to determining that the non-volatile memory includes the interface chip, the second instruction is transmitted to the non-volatile memory after a first period following transmission of the first instruction elapses,

in response to determining that the non-volatile memory does not include the interface chip, the second instruction is transmitted to the non-volatile memory after a second period following transmission of the first instruction elapses, and

the first period is different from the second period.

2. The memory system according to claim 1 , wherein

the first instruction and the second instruction form a series of sequences.

3. The memory system according to claim 1 , wherein

the controller is further configured to store data indicating whether the non-volatile memory includes the interface chip.

4. The memory system according to claim 3 , wherein

the controller is further configured to, before transmitting the first and second instructions to the non-volatile memory,

transmit a third instruction to the non-volatile memory, and

store data indicating whether the non-volatile memory includes the interface chip based on a response for the third instruction from the non-volatile memory.

5. The memory system according to claim 3 , wherein

the data indicating whether the non-volatile memory includes the interface chip is generated at the time of manufacture of the memory system.

6. The memory system according to claim 5 , wherein

the controller is further configured to determine whether to use the first period or the second period as a period between transmitting the first instruction and transmitting the second instruction based on a correspondence table in which the data indicating whether the non-volatile memory includes the interface chip and a physical address of the non-volatile memory are associated.

7. The memory system according to claim 1 , wherein

the controller and the non-volatile memory are electrically coupled by a first signal line,

the first instruction is one of assertion and negation of a first signal transmitted from the controller to the non-volatile memory via the first signal line, and

the second instruction is another one of assertion and negation of the first signal.

8. The memory system according to claim 1 , wherein

the controller and the non-volatile memory are electrically coupled by a first signal line and a second signal line,

the first instruction is assertion of a first signal transmitted from the controller to the non-volatile memory via the first signal line, and

the second instruction is assertion of a second signal transmitted from the controller to the non-volatile memory via the second signal line.

9. The memory system according to claim 1 , wherein the second period is shorter than the first period.

10. The memory system according to claim 1 , wherein

the controller is further configured to:

transmit, to the non-volatile memory, an instruction indicating a timing of taking in a command for requesting output of data from the non-volatile memory, as the first instruction, and

transmit, to the non-volatile memory, an instruction indicating a timing of output of the data from the non-volatile memory, as the second instruction.

11. The memory system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller includes at least one of a system-on-a-chip (SoC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

12. The memory system according to claim 1 , wherein the non-volatile memory includes at least one of a NAND flash memory, a magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), a phase change random access memory (PCRAM), or a resistive random access memory (ReRAM).

13. A method of controlling a plurality of non-volatile memories each having at least one memory chip, the plurality of the non-volatile memories including at least a first non-volatile memory and a second non-volatile memory, the method comprising:

transmitting a first instruction to the first non-volatile memory and the second non-volatile memory; and

determining that the first non-volatile memory includes an interface chip;

in response to determining that the first non-volatile memory includes the interface chip, transmitting a second instruction to the first non-volatile memory after a first period following the first instruction elapses,

determining that the second non-volatile memory does not include the interface chip; and

in response to determining that the second non-volatile memory does not include the interface chip, transmitting the second instruction to the second non-volatile memory after a second period following the first instruction elapses, the second period being different from the first period.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the first instruction and the second instruction form a series of sequences.

15. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising:

storing data indicating whether the plurality of the non-volatile memories each includes the interface chip.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein

the plurality of the non-volatile memories are each included in a memory system, and the data indicating whether the plurality of the non-volatile memories each includes the interface chip is generated at the time of manufacturing the memory system.

17. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising:

using either the first period or the second period based on a correspondence table in which the data indicating whether the plurality of the non-volatile memories each includes the interface chip and a physical address of the plurality of the non-volatile memories are associated.

18. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising:

before transmitting the first and second instructions to the first non-volatile memory and the second non-volatile memory,

transmitting a third instruction to the first non-volatile memory and the second non-volatile memory, and

storing data indicating whether the first non-volatile memory and the second non-volatile memory each includes the interface chip based on a response for the third instruction from the first non-volatile memory and the second non-volatile memory.

19. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising:

communicating with each of the plurality of the non-volatile memories by a first signal line, wherein

the first instruction is one of assertion and negation of a first signal transmitted to each of the plurality of the non-volatile memories via the first signal line, and

the second instruction is another one of assertion and negation of the first signal.

20. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the second period is shorter than the first period.

Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-129985 · Aug 6, 2021 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 17685952 · Mar 3, 2022
Related Publication 20240302959A1 · Sep 12, 2024
References Cited (14)
US 9053008B1 · Horn et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 10073643B2 · Jung et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20130290614A1 · Yoon et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 20150355705A1 · Weissmann et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20160118121A1 · Kelly et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160321002A1 · Jung et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20170052716A1 · Jenne et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20180336960A1 · Chu · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20200073555A1 · Iijima · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200387425A1 · Igahara · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20210208815A1 · Park · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20220113877A1 · Kim · 2022 [cited by examiner]
JP 2007026136A · 2007 [cited by applicant]
TW 201612683A · 2016 [cited by applicant]