IP Library Granted Patent US 9,009,436
Granted Patent B2
US 9,009,436 · App. 13/206,266 · Granted Apr 14, 2015

Flushed data alignment with physical structures

Inventor: Nicholas James Thomas (Dundee, GB)
Assignee: SanDisk Technologies, Inc.
G06F12/0866G06F12/0207G06F12/0246G06F2212/214
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,009,436
App. No.
13/206,266
Granted
Apr 14, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method and system are disclosed herein for performing operations on a parallel programming unit in a memory system. The parallel programming unit includes multiple physical structures (such as memory cells in a row) in the memory system that are configured to be operated on in parallel. The method and system perform a first operation on the parallel programming unit, the first operation operating on only part of the parallel programming unit and not operating on a remainder of the parallel programming unit, set a pointer to indicate at least one physical structure in the remainder of the parallel programming unit, and perform a second operation using the pointer to operate on no more than the remainder of the parallel programming unit. In this way, the method and system may realign programming to the parallel programming unit when partial writes to the parallel programming unit occur.

Claims (24)

1. A method of performing operations on a parallel programming unit in a memory system, the method comprising the memory system:

performing a first operation on the parallel programming unit, the parallel programming unit comprising multiple physical structures configured to be operated on in parallel, the first operation operating on only some of the multiple physical structures in the parallel programming unit and not operating on a remainder of the parallel programming unit;

setting a pointer to indicate at least one physical structure in the remainder of the parallel programming unit; and

performing a second operation using the pointer to operate on no more than the remainder of the parallel programming unit by writing only to memory cells in a row, as indicated by the pointer, from a column, as indicated by the pointer, to an end of the row.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first operation comprises a cache flushing operation.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the parallel programming unit comprises a row of memory cells.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the pointer indicates a first cell not operated on in the first operation.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the column of the pointer indicates a number of the remainder of the parallel programming unit.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first operation and second operation are write operations.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising iteratively writing, after performing the second operation, to the remainder of the parallel programming unit until all of the remainder is written to.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the parallel programming unit comprises all physical structures in the memory system that can be programmed or read in parallel and can be programmed or read with a same or similar completion time.

9. A storage device comprising:

a non-volatile memory comprising parallel programmable units, the parallel programming units comprising multiple physical structures configured to be operated on in parallel; and

a controller in communication with the non-volatile memory, the controller configured to:

perform a first operation on the parallel programming unit, the first operation operating on only some of the multiple physical structures in the parallel programming unit and not operating on a remainder of the parallel programming unit;

set a pointer to indicate at least one physical structure in the remainder of the parallel programming unit; and

perform a second operation using the pointer to operate on no more than the remainder of the parallel programming unit by writing only to memory cells in a row, as indicated by the pointer, from a column, as indicated by the pointer, to an end of the row.

10. The storage device of claim 9 , wherein the first operation comprises a cache flushing operation.

11. The storage device of claim 9 , wherein the parallel programming unit comprises a row of the memory cells.

12. The storage device of claim 11 , wherein the pointer is configured to indicate a first cell not operated on in the first operation.

13. The storage device of claim 12 , wherein the column of the pointer is configured to indicate a number of the remainder of the parallel programming unit.

14. The storage device of claim 13 , wherein the first operation and second operation are write operations.

15. The storage device of claim 14 , wherein the controller is further configured to iteratively write, after performing the second operation, to the remainder of the parallel programming unit until all of the remainder is written to.

16. The storage device of claim 9 , wherein the parallel programming unit comprises all physical structures in the memory system that can be programmed or read in parallel and can be programmed or read with a same or similar completion time.

Assignments (5)
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 25, 2025
From: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 071050/0001 →
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 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 31, 2024
From: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
To: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 069796/0423 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 25, 2016
From: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES INC
To: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
Reel/Frame 038807/0850 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 11, 2011
From: THOMAS, NICHOLAS JAMES
To: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES INC.
Reel/Frame 026732/0418 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20130042067A1 · Feb 14, 2013