Abstract: A data storage device is provided. A disk device is combined with a non-volatile memory device to provide much shorter write access time and much higher data write speed than can be achieved with a disk device alone. Interleaving bursts of sector writes between the two storage devices can effectively eliminate the effect of the seek time of the disk device. Following a non-contiguous logical address transition from a host system, the storage controller can perform a look-ahead seek operation on the disk device, while writing current data to the non-volatile memory device. Such a system can exploit the inherently faster write access characteristics of a non-volatile memory device, eliminating the dead time normally caused by the disk seek time.

Abstract: A dual media storage device is provided. Two separate non-volatile mass storage devices, one having a faster access time and a lower capacity than the other, are combined into a single system. A storage controller can direct the flow of data into one device or the other, depending upon various conditions, which might include one mass storage device being unavailable or for certain caching schemes.

Abstract: Data may be stored in a non-volatile memory array in adaptive metablocks that are configured according to the locations of data boundaries in the data. Data may be stored in an intermediate format and later copied to adaptive metablocks configured for the data. Data in intermediate format may be stored in non-volatile random access memory or in a portion of the non-volatile memory array.

Abstract: In a memory system having multiple erase blocks in multiple planes, a selected number of erase blocks are programmed together as an adaptive metablock. The number of erase blocks in an adaptive metablock is chosen according to the data to be programmed. Logical address space is divided into logical groups, a logical group having the same size as one erase block. Adaptive logical blocks are formed from logical groups. One adaptive logical block is stored in one adaptive metablock.

Abstract: In a nonvolatile memory with block management system that supports update blocks with non-sequential logical units, an index of the logical units in a non-sequential update block is buffered in RAM and stored periodically into the non-volatile memory. In one embodiment, the index is stored in a block dedicated for storing indices. In another embodiment, the index is stored in the update block itself. In yet another embodiment, the index is stored in the header of each logical unit. In another aspect, the logical units written after the last index update but before the next have their indexing information stored in the header of each logical unit. In this way, after a power outage, the location of recently written logical units can be determined without having to perform a scanning during initialization. In yet another aspect, a block is managed as partially sequential and partially non-sequential, directed to more than one logical subgroup.

Abstract: A non-volatile memory system is organized in physical groups of physical memory locations. Each physical group (metablock) is erasable as a unit and can be used to store a logical group of data. A memory management system allows for update of a logical group of data by allocating a metablock dedicated to recording the update data of the logical group. The update metablock records update data in the order received and has no restriction on whether the recording is in the correct logical order as originally stored (sequential) or not (chaotic). Eventually the update metablock is closed to further recording. One of several processes will take place, but will ultimately end up with a fully filled metablock in the correct order which replaces the original metablock. In the chaotic case, directory data is maintained in the non-volatile memory in a manner that is conducive to frequent updates. The system supports multiple logical groups being updated concurrently.

Abstract: Data in data runs are stored in a non-volatile memory array in adaptive metablocks that are configured according to the locations of data boundaries. A serial flash buffer is used to store some data, while other data are directly stored in non-volatile memory. Data may be stored with alignment to data boundaries during updating of the data to improve efficiency of subsequent updates.

Abstract: Pure, concentrated ammonia is recovered from aqueous liquors by stripping off gas water, de-acidifications, scrubbing and withdrawing ammonia from the top of a scrubbing column.