IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,731,621
Granted Patent B2
US 12,731,621 · App. 18/615,141 · Granted Sep 8, 2026

Allocating thermal region tags in a storage device

Inventors: Darshan Pagariya (Bangalore, IN); Vishal Sharma (Bangalore, IN); Sourabh Sankule (Bangalore, IN)
Assignee: SanDisk Technologies INC
G11C7/04G11C7/1069G11C7/1096
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,731,621
App. No.
18/615,141
Granted
Sep 8, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A storage device allocates a thermal region tag (TRT) to a meta block based on a programming temperature and other conditions that may affect an optimal TRT parameter. A controller in the storage device programs a meta block and obtains a current temperature, a first TRT associated with the current temperature, and a parameter associated with the first TRT when closing the meta block. The controller determines that the first TRT has been active for more than a predefined active period, a temperature fluctuation across a predefined number of thermal regions occurred during previous meta blocks programming, and/or a number of meta blocks assigned to the first TRT is greater than a TRT compaction threshold. The controller deactivates the first TRT, allocates a second TRT to a thermal region including the current temperature, and assigns the second TRT to the meta block.

Claims (32)

1 . A storage device to allocate a thermal region tag (TRT) to a meta block based on a programming temperature and other conditions that may affect an optimal TRT parameter, the storage device comprises:

a memory device including meta blocks to store host and control data;

a controller to program a first meta block, obtain a current temperature, a first TRT associated with the current temperature, and a parameter associated with the first TRT when closing the first meta block, determine if a condition exists to affect the optimal TRT parameter, and if the condition exists, deactivate the first TRT, allocate a second TRT to a thermal region including the current temperature, and assign the second TRT to the first meta block.

2 . The storage device of claim 1 , wherein the parameter is a period when the first TRT was created and first allocated to a previous meta block.

3 . The storage device of claim 1 , wherein the parameter is a current time retrieved from a host device.

4 . The storage device of claim 1 , wherein the parameter is a calculated time.

5 . The storage device of claim 1 , wherein the optimal TRT parameter includes a read sense voltage.

6 . The storage device of claim 1 , wherein the condition is whether the first TRT has been active for more than a predefined active period.

7 . The storage device of claim 1 , wherein the condition includes a temperature fluctuation across a predefined number of thermal regions during previous meta blocks programming.

8 . The storage device of claim 1 , wherein the condition includes checking if a number of meta blocks assigned to the first TRT is greater than a TRT compaction threshold.

9 . The storage device of claim 1 , wherein when the controller allocates the second TRT to the thermal region, the controller assigns the second TRT as the active TRT for the thermal region and updates TRT parameters for the second TRT.

10 . The storage device of claim 1 , wherein the controller assigns the second TRT to the thermal region for a predefined active period.

11 . A method for allocating a thermal region tag (TRT) to a meta block in a storage device based on a programming temperature and other conditions that may affect an optimal TRT parameter, the storage device includes a controller to execute the method comprising:

programming a first meta block;

obtaining a current temperature, a first TRT associated with the current temperature, and a parameter associated with the first TRT when closing the meta block;

determining if a condition exists to affect the optimal TRT parameter; and

if the condition exists, deactivating the first TRT, allocating a second TRT to a thermal region including the current temperature, and assigning the second TRT to the first meta block.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising obtaining at least one of a period when the first TRT was created and first allocated to a previous meta block, a current time from a host device, and a calculated time.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the optimal TRT parameter is a read sense voltage.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein determining further comprises determining whether the first TRT has been active for more than a predefined active period.

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein determining further comprises determining whether a temperature fluctuation across a predefined number of thermal regions occurred during previous meta blocks programming.

16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein determining further comprises determining whether a number of meta blocks assigned to the first TRT is greater than a TRT compaction threshold.

17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein assigning the second TRT further comprises allocating the second TRT to the thermal region, assigning the second TRT as the active TRT for the thermal region, and updating a TRT parameter for the second TRT.

18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein assigning the second TRT further comprises assigning the second TRT to the thermal region for a predefined active period.

19 . A storage device to allocate a thermal region tag (TRT) to a meta block based on a programming temperature and other conditions that may affect an optimal TRT parameter, the storage device comprises:

a memory device including meta blocks to store host and control data;

a controller to:

program the meta block,

obtain a current temperature, a first TRT associated with the current temperature, and a parameter associated with the first TRT when closing the meta block,

determine that at least one of the first TRT has been active for more than a predefined active period, a temperature fluctuation across a predefined number of thermal regions occurred during previous meta blocks programming, and a number of meta blocks assigned to the first TRT is greater than a TRT compaction threshold, and

deactivate the first TRT, allocate a second TRT to a thermal region including the current temperature, and assign the second TRT to the meta block.

20 . The storage device of claim 19 , wherein the second TRT is assigned to the thermal region for a predefined active period.

Assignments (4)
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 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 31, 2024
From: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
To: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 069796/0423 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 25, 2024
From: PAGARIYA, DARSHAN; SHARMA, VISHAL; SANKULE, SOURABH
To: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
Reel/Frame 066887/0109 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250299711A1 · Sep 25, 2025
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