Patents by Inventor Gianfranco Ferrante

Gianfranco Ferrante has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11928063
    Abstract: A method includes: creating L2P tables while programming virtual blocks (VBs) across memory planes; creating an L2P bitmap for each VB, the L2P bitmap identifying logical addresses, within each L2P table, that belong to each VB; creating a VB bitmap for each L2P table, the VB bitmap identifying virtual blocks to which the respective L2P table points; creating an updated VB bitmap for a first L2P table based on changes to the first L2P table; determining that an entry in the VB bitmap is different than the entry in the updated VB bitmap, the entry corresponding to a particular VB; identifying an L2P bitmap corresponding to the particular VB; changing a bit within the identified L2P bitmap for an L2P mapping corresponding to the entry; and employing the identified L2P bitmap to determine L2P table(s) of the respective L2P tables that contain valid logical addresses for the particular VB.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicola Colella, Antonino Pollio, Gianfranco Ferrante
  • Publication number: 20240061787
    Abstract: A method includes: creating L2P tables while programming virtual blocks (VBs) across memory planes; creating an L2P bitmap for each VB, the L2P bitmap identifying logical addresses, within each L2P table, that belong to each VB; creating a VB bitmap for each L2P table, the VB bitmap identifying virtual blocks to which the respective L2P table points; creating an updated VB bitmap for a first L2P table based on changes to the first L2P table; determining that an entry in the VB bitmap is different than the entry in the updated VB bitmap, the entry corresponding to a particular VB; identifying an L2P bitmap corresponding to the particular VB; changing a bit within the identified L2P bitmap for an L2P mapping corresponding to the entry; and employing the identified L2P bitmap to determine L2P table(s) of the respective L2P tables that contain valid logical addresses for the particular VB.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2022
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Inventors: Nicola Colella, Antonino Pollio, Gianfranco Ferrante
  • Patent number: 11768627
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for using page line filler data are described. In some examples, a memory system may store data within a write buffer of the memory system. The memory system may initiate an operation to transfer the write buffer data to a memory device, for example, due to a command to perform a memory management operation (e.g., cache synchronization, context switching, or the like) from a host system. In some examples, a quantity of write buffer data may fail to satisfy a data size threshold. Thus, the memory system may aggregate the data in the write buffer with valid data from a block of the memory device associated with garbage collection. The memory system may aggregate the write buffer data with the garbage collection data until the aggregated data satisfies the data size threshold. The memory system may then write the aggregated data to the memory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicola Colella, Antonino Pollio, Gianfranco Ferrante
  • Publication number: 20230244414
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for using page line filler data are described. In some examples, a memory system may store data within a write buffer of the memory system. The memory system may initiate an operation to transfer the write buffer data to a memory device, for example, due to a command to perform a memory management operation (e.g., cache synchronization, context switching, or the like) from a host system. In some examples, a quantity of write buffer data may fail to satisfy a data size threshold. Thus, the memory system may aggregate the data in the write buffer with valid data from a block of the memory device associated with garbage collection. The memory system may aggregate the write buffer data with the garbage collection data until the aggregated data satisfies the data size threshold. The memory system may then write the aggregated data to the memory device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2023
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Inventors: Nicola Colella, Antonino Pollio, Gianfranco Ferrante
  • Patent number: 11556275
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for using page line filler data are described. In some examples, a memory system may store data within a write buffer of the memory system. The memory system may initiate an operation to transfer the write buffer data to a memory device, for example, due to a command to perform a memory management operation (e.g., cache synchronization, context switching, or the like) from a host system. In some examples, a quantity of write buffer data may fail to satisfy a data size threshold. Thus, the memory system may aggregate the data in the write buffer with valid data from a block of the memory device associated with garbage collection. The memory system may aggregate the write buffer data with the garbage collection data until the aggregated data satisfies the data size threshold. The memory system may then write the aggregated data to the memory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicola Colella, Antonino Pollio, Gianfranco Ferrante
  • Publication number: 20220374163
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for using page line filler data are described. In some examples, a memory system may store data within a write buffer of the memory system. The memory system may initiate an operation to transfer the write buffer data to a memory device, for example, due to a command to perform a memory management operation (e.g., cache synchronization, context switching, or the like) from a host system. In some examples, a quantity of write buffer data may fail to satisfy a data size threshold. Thus, the memory system may aggregate the data in the write buffer with valid data from a block of the memory device associated with garbage collection. The memory system may aggregate the write buffer data with the garbage collection data until the aggregated data satisfies the data size threshold. The memory system may then write the aggregated data to the memory device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2021
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Inventors: Nicola Colella, Antonino Pollio, Gianfranco Ferrante
  • Patent number: 11461228
    Abstract: In an example, a starting address corresponding to a location of particular information within a non-volatile storage memory is determined during an initialization process using a multilevel addressing scheme. Using the multilevel addressing scheme may include performing multiple reads of the storage memory at respective address levels to determine the starting address corresponding to the location of the particular information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Gianfranco Ferrante, Dionisio Minopoli
  • Publication number: 20210406169
    Abstract: A memory device is provided. The memory device comprises: a plurality of memory cells, each memory cell being programmable to at least two logic states, each logic state corresponding to a respective nominal electric resistance value of the memory cell, the plurality of memory cells comprising a first group of memory cells and a second group of memory cells, the memory cells of the second group being programmed to a predefined logic state of said at least two logic states; a memory controller coupled to the plurality of memory cells and configured to apply a reading voltage to at least one selected memory cell of the first group during a reading operation to assess the logic state thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Inventors: Dionisio Minopoli, Daniele Balluchi, Gianfranco Ferrante
  • Patent number: 11132311
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes an interface for memory having a cache and multiple independent arrays. An embodiment includes a memory device having a cache and a plurality independent memory arrays, a controller, and an interface configured to communicate a plurality of commands from the controller to the memory device, wherein the interface includes a pin configured to activate upon a first one of the plurality of commands being received by the memory device and deactivate once all of the plurality of commands have been executed by the memory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Dionisio Minopoli, Gianfranco Ferrante, Antonino Caprí, Emanuele Confalonieri, Daniele Balluchi
  • Publication number: 20210089443
    Abstract: In an example, a starting address corresponding to a location of particular information within a non-volatile storage memory is determined during an initialization process using a multilevel addressing scheme. Using the multilevel addressing scheme may include performing multiple reads of the storage memory at respective address levels to determine the starting address corresponding to the location of the particular information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2020
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Inventors: Gianfranco Ferrante, Dionisio Minopoli
  • Patent number: 10860474
    Abstract: In an example, a starting address corresponding to a location of particular information within a non-volatile storage memory is determined during an initialization process using a multilevel addressing scheme. Using the multilevel addressing scheme may include performing multiple reads of the storage memory at respective address levels to determine the starting address corresponding to the location of the particular information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Gianfranco Ferrante, Dionisio Minopoli
  • Publication number: 20200104268
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes an interface for memory having a cache and multiple independent arrays. An embodiment includes a memory device having a cache and a plurality independent memory arrays, a controller, and an interface configured to communicate a plurality of commands from the controller to the memory device, wherein the interface includes a pin configured to activate upon a first one of the plurality of commands being received by the memory device and deactivate once all of the plurality of commands have been executed by the memory device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2019
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Inventors: Dionisio Minopoli, Gianfranco Ferrante, Antonino Caprí, Emanuele Confalonieri, Daniele Balluchi
  • Patent number: 10534731
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes an interface for memory having a cache and multiple independent arrays. An embodiment includes a memory device having a cache and a plurality independent memory arrays, a controller, and an interface configured to communicate a plurality of commands from the controller to the memory device, wherein the interface includes a pin configured to activate upon a first one of the plurality of commands being received by the memory device and deactivate once all of the plurality of commands have been executed by the memory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Dionisio Minopoli, Gianfranco Ferrante, Antonino Caprí, Emanuele Confalonieri, Daniele Balluchi
  • Publication number: 20190286586
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes an interface for memory having a cache and multiple independent arrays. An embodiment includes a memory device having a cache and a plurality independent memory arrays, a controller, and an interface configured to communicate a plurality of commands from the controller to the memory device, wherein the interface includes a pin configured to activate upon a first one of the plurality of commands being received by the memory device and deactivate once all of the plurality of commands have been executed by the memory device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Inventors: Dionisio Minopoli, Gianfranco Ferrante, Antonino Caprí, Emanuele Confalonieri, Daniele Balluchi
  • Publication number: 20190188124
    Abstract: In an example, a starting address corresponding to a location of particular information within a non-volatile storage memory is determined during an initialization process using a multilevel addressing scheme. Using the multilevel addressing scheme may include performing multiple reads of the storage memory at respective address levels to determine the starting address corresponding to the location of the particular information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2017
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Inventors: Gianfranco Ferrante, Dionisio Minopoli
  • Patent number: 10175908
    Abstract: A controller of a memory device controls placement of data blocks by receiving, from a host electronic device, one or more commands of a memory system protocol. The commands include a write command with blocks of data to be stored in the memory device and contextual file system data for the blocks of data. The contextual file system data includes file metadata, file attributes, or both that identify an association of the one or more blocks of data with a file. The file is made up of the one or more blocks of data. The controller identifies the association of the one or more blocks of data with the file and executes the one or more commands, such that the one or more blocks of data are stored in the memory device with a placement based upon the association.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Danilo Caraccio, Graziano Mirichigni, Gianfranco Santopietro, Gianfranco Ferrante, Emanuele Confalonieri
  • Publication number: 20180129442
    Abstract: A controller of a memory device controls placement of data blocks by receiving, from a host electronic device, one or more commands of a memory system protocol. The commands include a write command with blocks of data to be stored in the memory device and contextual file system data for the blocks of data. The contextual file system data includes file metadata, file attributes, or both that identify an association of the one or more blocks of data with a file. The file is made up of the one or more blocks of data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2018
    Publication date: May 10, 2018
    Inventors: Danilo Caraccio, Graziano Mirichigni, Gianfranco Santopietro, Gianfranco Ferrante, Emanuele Confalonieri
  • Patent number: 9880772
    Abstract: A memory device includes a memory component and controller circuitry. The memory component stores data and the controller circuitry receives, from a host electronic device, one or more commands of a memory system protocol. The one or more commands include at least one write command, the write command comprising one or more blocks of data to be stored in the memory component. Further, the one or more commands include metadata, attributes, or both related to the one or more blocks of data. The controller circuitry interprets and executes the one or more commands. Accordingly, the blocks are stored in the memory component. Further, the controller circuitry of the memory device has access to the metadata, attributes or both.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Danilo Caraccio, Graziano Mirichigni, Gianfranco Santopietro, Gianfranco Ferrante, Emanuele Confalonieri
  • Publication number: 20170083260
    Abstract: A memory device includes a memory component and controller circuitry. The memory component stores data and the controller circuitry receives, from a host electronic device, one or more commands of a memory system protocol. The one or more commands include at least one write command, the write command comprising one or more blocks of data to be stored in the memory component. Further, the one or more commands include metadata, attributes, or both related to the one or more blocks of data. The controller circuitry interprets and executes the one or more commands. Accordingly, the blocks are stored in the memory component. Further, the controller circuitry of the memory device has access to the metadata, attributes or both.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2015
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Inventors: Danilo Caraccio, Graziano Mirichigni, Gianfranco Santopietro, Gianfranco Ferrante, Emanuele Confalonieri
  • Patent number: 8014208
    Abstract: Example embodiments for verifying an erase operation for a flash memory device may comprise, for one or more embodiments, utilizing program operation verification circuitry to verify, at least in part, the erase operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Gianfranco Ferrante, Dionisio Minopoli, Angelo Avino