IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,547,540
Granted Patent B2
US 12,547,540 · App. 18/419,173 · Granted Feb 10, 2026

Selective garbage collection

Inventors: Antonio Mauro (Giugliano in Campania, IT); Luigi Costanzo (Trentola Ducenta, IT); Nicola Colella (Capodrise, IT)
Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
G06F12/0253G06F1/3212
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,547,540
App. No.
18/419,173
Granted
Feb 10, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for selective garbage collection are described. A host system may determine that a battery level is below a threshold or determine whether a power parameter of a memory system that includes a memory device satisfies a criterion. The host system may set a value of a flag. The memory system may perform an access operation and identify the value of the flag. The memory system may determine whether performing a garbage collection procedure is permitted based on identifying the value of the flag.

Claims (55)

1 . An apparatus, comprising:

a memory device; and

a controller coupled with the memory device and configured to cause the apparatus to:

determine a power parameter of a system that includes the memory device, the power parameter being based at least in part on a charging status of the system;

suspend one or more garbage collection procedures based at least in part on determining the power parameter;

transmit, to a host system and subsequent to the suspension of the one or more garbage collection procedures, a request to perform a garbage collection procedure of the one or more garbage collection procedures based at least in part on determining the power parameter; and

determine whether to perform the garbage collection procedure on the memory device based at least in part on transmitting the request.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the apparatus to:

determine whether to perform the garbage collection procedure on the memory device based at least in part on a value of a flag that indicates whether the memory device satisfies a garbage collection criterion.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the apparatus to:

determine the value of the flag based at least in part on a garbage collection parameter indicating that the system has permitted the system to perform the garbage collection procedure.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the power parameter and the garbage collection parameter are stored in different registers.

5 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the apparatus to:

determine a battery level of the system, wherein the power parameter comprises the battery level; and

determine the value of the flag based at least in part on the power parameter in conjunction with the garbage collection parameter.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the apparatus to:

compare the battery level of the system against a predetermined threshold; and

determine a value of the power parameter based at least in part on the comparison.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the apparatus to:

determine that the system is operating in a high-power mode when the battery level is above the predetermined threshold; and

determine that the system is operating in a low-power mode when the battery level is below the predetermined threshold.

8 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the garbage collection parameter supersedes the power parameter in the determination of the value of the flag.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the apparatus to:

suspend the garbage collection procedure based at least in part on the garbage collection parameter indicating that the system has not permitted the system to perform the garbage collection procedure.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the apparatus to:

determine that the garbage collection parameter indicates that the system has permitted the system to perform the garbage collection procedure;

determine that the battery level of the system is above a predetermined threshold; and

reset the value of the flag based at least in part on the battery level of the system being above the predetermined threshold.

11 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code comprising instructions, which when executed by a processor of a memory device, cause the memory device to:

determine a power parameter of a system that includes the memory device, the power parameter being based at least in part on a charging status of the system;

suspend one or more garbage collection procedures based at least in part on determining the power parameter;

transmit, to a host system and subsequent to the suspension of the one or more garbage collection procedures, a request to perform a garbage collection procedure of the one or more garbage collection procedures based at least in part on determining the power parameter; and

determine whether to perform the garbage collection procedure on the memory device based at least in part on transmitting the request.

12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor of the memory device, further cause the memory device to:

determine whether to perform the garbage collection procedure on the memory device based at least in part on a value of a flag that indicates whether the memory device satisfies a garbage collection criterion.

13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor of the memory device, further cause the memory device to:

determine the value of the flag based at least in part on a garbage collection parameter indicating that the system has permitted the system to perform the garbage collection procedure.

14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the power parameter and the garbage collection parameter are stored in different registers.

15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor of the memory device, further cause the memory device to:

determine a battery level of the system, wherein the power parameter comprises the battery level; and

determine the value of the flag based at least in part on the power parameter in conjunction with the garbage collection parameter.

16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor of the memory device, further cause the memory device to:

compare the battery level of the system against a predetermined threshold; and

determine a value of the power parameter based at least in part on the comparison.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor of the memory device, further cause the memory device to:

determine that the system is operating in a high-power mode when the battery level is above the predetermined threshold; and

determine that the system is operating in a low-power mode when the battery level is below the predetermined threshold.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the garbage collection parameter supersedes the power parameter in the determination of the value of the flag.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor of the memory device, further cause the memory device to:

suspend the garbage collection procedure based at least in part on the garbage collection parameter indicating that the system has not permitted the system to perform the garbage collection procedure.

20 . A method, comprising:

determining a power parameter of a system that includes a memory device, the power parameter being based at least in part on a charging status of the system;

suspending one or more garbage collection procedures based at least in part on determining the power parameter;

transmitting, to a host system and subsequent to the suspension of the one or more garbage collection procedures, a request to perform a garbage collection procedure of the one or more garbage collection procedures based at least in part on determining the power parameter; and

determining whether to perform the garbage collection procedure on the memory device based at least in part on transmitting the request.

Continuity (2)
Continuation 17103538 · Nov 24, 2020
Related Publication 20240311295A1 · Sep 19, 2024
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