Abstract: A flash memory control circuit including a microprocessor unit, a first interface unit, a second interface unit, a buffer memory, a memory management unit, and a data read/write unit is provided. The memory management unit manages a plurality of flash memory units, wherein each of the flash memory units has a plurality of flash memories, each of the flash memories has a plurality of memory cell arrays, and each of the memory cell arrays at least has an upper page and a lower page. The memory management unit groups the memory cell arrays of the corresponding flash memories into a plurality of data transfer unit sets (DTUSs). The data read/write unit interleavingly transfers data to the flash memory units in units of the DTUSs. Thereby, the flash memory control circuit can transfer the data stably and the usage of the buffer memory can be reduced.

Abstract: A data writing method for a flash memory is provided. The data writing method includes: dividing a new data into at lease one sub-data by the size of a writing unit; selecting one of a plurality of spare blocks from the flash memory as a substitute block for substituting a data block, wherein the new data is to be written into the data block; sequentially writing the sub-data having the size of the writing unit into the substitute block in the writing unit; and storing the sub-data not having the size of the writing unit into a temporary area. The writing efficiency of the flash memory can be improved by temporarily storing the sub-data not having the size of the writing unit into the temporary area and then writing the sub-data not having the size of the writing unit with subsequent data into the substitute block.

Abstract: A flash memory control circuit including a microprocessor unit, a first interface unit for connecting a flash memory, a second interface unit for connecting a computer host, an error correcting unit, a memory management unit, and a marking unit is provided. The memory management unit divides each page in the flash memory into a plurality of data bit areas, and a plurality of redundancy bit areas and a plurality of error correcting bit areas corresponding to the data bit areas, wherein each of the data bit areas has a plurality of sectors for respectively storing a sector data. The marking unit stores a data accuracy mark corresponding to each sector data in the corresponding redundancy bit area to record the status of the sector data. Thereby, the flash memory controller can effectively identify error data in the flash memory by using the error correcting codes and the data accuracy marks.

Abstract: A data writing method for a rewritable non-volatile memory module is provided, the rewritable non-volatile memory module has a plurality of physical blocks, each of the physical blocks has a plurality of physical pages, a portion of the physical blocks are mapped to a plurality of logical blocks, and each of the logical blocks has a plurality of logical pages. The data writing method includes receiving data, and the data has a plurality of data bits and belongs to one of the logical pages. The data writing method also includes determining whether each of the data bits is a specific value. The data writing method further includes not writing the data into the physical pages when each of the data bits is the specific value. Thereby, the performance of a memory storage apparatus is improved.

Abstract: A storage unit management method for managing a plurality of physical units in a rewritable non-volatile memory module is provided, wherein the physical units are at least grouped into a data area and a spare area. The method includes configuring a plurality of logical units for mapping to the physical units belonging to the data area, and determining whether the rewritable non-volatile memory module contains cold data. The method further includes performing a first wear-leveling procedure on the physical units if it is determined that the rewritable non-volatile memory module does not contain any cold data, and performing a second wear-leveling procedure on the physical units if it is determined that the rewritable non-volatile memory module contains the cold data.

Abstract: A data reading method for a rewritable non-volatile memory module is provided, wherein the rewritable non-volatile memory module has a plurality of physical pages. The data reading method includes grouping the physical pages into a plurality of physical page groups and configuring a corresponding threshold voltage set for each of the physical page groups. The data reading method also includes respectively reading data from the physical pages of the physical page groups by using the corresponding threshold voltage sets. The data reading method further includes when data read from one of the physical pages of one of the physical page groups cannot be corrected by using an error checking and correcting (ECC) circuit, updating the threshold voltage set corresponding to the physical page group.

Abstract: A memory management and writing method for managing a memory module is provided. The memory module has a plurality of memory units and a plurality of data input/output buses corresponding to the memory units. The method includes configuring a plurality of logical units, dividing each of the logical units as a plurality of logical parts, and mapping the logical parts of each of the logical units to physical blocks of the memory units. The method also includes respectively establishing mapping tables corresponding to the data input/output buses, and only using one of the data input/output buses to write data from a host system into the corresponding memory unit according to the mapping table corresponding to the data input/output bus. Accordingly, the method can effectively increase the speed of writing data into the memory module.

Abstract: A data writing method for writing page data into a rewritable non-volatile memory module is provided, the rewritable non-volatile memory module has a plurality of physical blocks, and each of the physical blocks has a plurality of physical pages. The data writing method includes grouping the physical pages into a plurality of physical page groups according to write speed of each physical page. The data writing method also includes compressing the page data to generate compressed data and calculating a data compression ratio corresponding to the compressed data. The data writing method further includes writing the compressed data into one of the physical pages in a corresponding physical page group among the physical page groups according to the data compression ratio. Accordingly, the data writing method can effectively ensure the accuracy of data stored in the rewritable non-volatile memory module.

Abstract: A data accessing method, and a storage system and a controller using the same are provided. The data accessing method is suitable for a flash memory storage system having a data perturbation module. The data accessing method includes receiving a read command from a host and obtaining a logical block to be read and a page to be read from the read command. The data accessing method also includes determining whether a physical block in a data area corresponding to the logical block to be read is a new block and transmitting a predetermined data to the host when the physical block corresponding to the logical block to be read is a new block. Thereby, the host is prevented from reading garbled code from the flash memory storage system having the data perturbation module.

Abstract: A storage apparatus is provided. The controller of the storage apparatus includes an error correction module and a data disordering module. The error correction module is configured to perform an error correction procedure for a data packet to be written into a flash memory module of the storage apparatus for generating sequence data codes containing the data packet and corresponding error correcting codes, wherein the data packet includes a data area recording data to be written and a spare area recording data related to the data packet. The data disordering module is configured to convert the sequence data codes into non-sequence data codes, wherein the data of the data area and the spare area and error correcting codes are dispersed in the non-sequence data codes. Accordingly, it is possible to effectively increase the safety of the data packet.

Abstract: A data writing method for writing data belonging to a logical page into a rewritable non-volatile memory module is provided. In the data writing method, a mark count value is set for each logical page. Whether the mark count value corresponding to the logical page is greater than a predetermined threshold is determined. If the mark count value corresponding to the logical page is not greater than the predetermined threshold, the mark count value corresponding to the logical page is counted, and the data and the mark count value corresponding to the logical page are written into a first storage area or a second storage area. Otherwise, the data and the mark count value corresponding to the logical page are written into the second storage area. Thereby, data stored in the rewritable non-volatile memory module can be effectively identified and data loss caused by power failure can be avoided.

Abstract: A storage apparatus is provided. The controller of the storage apparatus includes an error correction module and a data disordering module. The error correction module is configured to perform an error correction procedure for a data packet to be written into a flash memory module of the storage apparatus for generating sequence data codes containing the data packet and corresponding error correcting codes, wherein the data packet includes a data area recording data to be written and a spare area recording data related to the data packet. The data disordering module is configured to convert the sequence data codes into non-sequence data codes, wherein the data of the data area and the spare area and error correcting codes are dispersed in the non-sequence data codes. Accordingly, it is possible to effectively increase the safety of the data packet.

Abstract: A method for managing a buffer memory in a memory storage device is provided, wherein the memory storage device has a rewritable non-volatile memory module. The method includes transmitting temporary data from the buffer memory to a buffer area of the rewritable non-volatile memory module by using a pre-programmed command set, wherein the temporary data is not programmed into a storage area of the rewritable non-volatile memory module. The method also includes releasing a storage space storing the temporary data in the buffer memory and reloading the temporary data from the buffer area into the storage space of the buffer memory. Thereby, the method can temporarily increase available storage space of the buffer memory to meet the demand of additional operations.

Abstract: A data accessing method, and a storage system and a controller using the same are provided. The data accessing method is suitable for a flash memory storage system having a data perturbation module. The data accessing method includes receiving a read command from a host and obtaining a logical block to be read and a page to be read from the read command. The data accessing method also includes determining whether a physical block in a data area corresponding to the logical block to be read is a new block and transmitting a predetermined data to the host when the physical block corresponding to the logical block to be read is a new block. Thereby, the host is prevented from reading garbled code from the flash memory storage system having the data perturbation module.

Abstract: A memory storage device is provided. The memory storage device includes a connector, a rewriteable non-volatile memory module, a second temporary memory and a memory controller having a first temporary memory. The memory controller receives a write command and the write data, and temporarily stores the write data into the first temporary memory. The memory controller also copies the write data into the second temporary memory from the first temporary memory and, based on the write command, writes the write data into the rewriteable non-volatile memory module. Additionally, the memory controller determines whether a program fail occurs when executing the write command. If the program fail occurs, the memory controller reads the write data from the second temporary memory and re-execute the write command. Therefore, a write speed of the memory storage device can be effectively improved.

Abstract: A block management method for managing physical blocks of a rewritable non-volatile memory, and a memory controller and a memory storage apparatus using the same are provided. The method includes grouping the physical blocks into at least a data area, a free area, and a replacement area, and grouping the physical blocks of the data area and the free area into a plurality of physical units. The method also includes when one of the physical blocks belonging to of the physical units of the data area becomes a bad physical block, getting a physical block from the replacement area and replacing the bad physical block with the gotten physical block. The method further includes associating a physical unit that contains no valid data in the free area with the replacement area. Thereby, the physical blocks can be effectively managed and the access efficiency can be improved.

Abstract: A data access method for accessing a flash memory storage system, a storage system and a controller using the same are provided. A flash memory has a plurality of physical blocks, which are grouped into a system area, a data area, and a spare area. One or more variable tables are established to record transient information of each set of mother-child blocks of the data area and the spare area. The number of the variable table could be adjusted adaptively according to time required for writing the variable table into the system area, such that an overall data access efficiency of the flash memory storage system is enhanced.

Abstract: A block management method for managing a plurality of physical blocks is provided. The method includes grouping the physical blocks into a plurality of physical units, grouping a portion of the physical units into a data area and a spare area, configuring a plurality of logical units, and grouping the logical units into a plurality of logical unit groups and configuring another portion of the physical units as a plurality of global random physical units corresponding to the logical unit groups, wherein each of the global random physical units corresponds to one of the logical unit groups. The method further includes getting the physical units from the spare area as global random substitute physical units of the global random physical units. Accordingly, the method can store data in the global random physical units or the global random substitute physical units, thereby reducing the time for executing a host write command.

Abstract: A data writing method for a rewritable non-volatile memory module is provided. The rewritable non-volatile memory module has a plurality of lower physical pages and a plurality of upper physical pages respectively corresponding to the lower physical pages. The method includes determining whether a physical page is one of the upper physical pages before writing first data into the physical page; determining whether a backup area stores second data written into one of the lower physical pages corresponding to the physical page if the physical page is the upper physical page; reading the second data from the lower physical page corresponding to the physical page and backing up the second data into the backup area before writing the first data into the physical page when the backup area does not store the second data. Accordingly, the method may effectively prevent data loss due to a program failure.

Abstract: A method of moving a first portion of data and a second portion of data, which belong to one page data and respectively stored in a second physical page and a third physical page, into a first physical page in a flash memory module is provided. The method includes transmitting a read command for reading page data stored in the second physical page; reading the first portion of data from a buffer area of the rewritable non-volatile memory module into a buffer memory; transmitting a read command for reading page data stored in the third physical page; transmitting the first portion of data from the buffer memory to the buffer area; and transmitting a write command for writing data stored in the buffer area into the first physical page. Accordingly, the method can effectively move one page data dispersedly stored in different physical pages into one physical page.