Abstract: A data storage device includes a memory device and a memory controller. The memory controller selects a predetermined memory block to receive data and records multiple logical addresses in a first mapping table. The first mapping table records which logical page the data stored in each physical page of the predetermined memory block is directed to. A bit table is stored in a buffer memory and includes multiple fields. Each field records a bit value. When the memory controller writes data of a logical page that corresponds to a first logical address into the predetermined memory block, the memory controller records the first logical address in the first mapping table, converts the first logical address according to a predetermined function to generate a first field index of the bit table and sets the bit value corresponding to the first field index as a first value in the bit table.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system on chip (SoC), wherein the SoC comprises a first processor, a second processor and a memory. The memory stores a first parameter and a second parameter, wherein the first parameter is set by the first processor to indicate whether a specific region of the memory is locked or unlocked, and the second parameter is set by the first processor to indicate whether the specific region of the memory is locked or unlocked. In the operations of the SoC, before the first processor intends or prepares to access the specific region, the first processor refers to the second parameter to determine if the specific region is allowed to be accessed by the first processor.

Abstract: A data storage device includes a memory device and a memory controller. The memory device includes multiple memory blocks. The memory controller determines whether execution of a garbage collection procedure is required according to a number of spare memory blocks. When the execution of the garbage collection procedure is required, the memory controller determines an execution period according to a latest editing status of a plurality of open memory blocks; starts the execution of the garbage collection procedure so as to perform at least a portion of the garbage collection procedure in the execution period; and suspends the execution of the garbage collection procedure when the execution period has expired but the garbage collection procedure is not finished. The memory controller further determines a time interval for continuing the execution of the garbage collection procedure later according to the latest editing status of the open memory blocks.

Abstract: A data storage device includes a memory device and a memory controller. The memory controller configures a first predetermined memory block and a second predetermined memory block as buffers to receive data from a host device and determines to use the first or the second predetermined memory block to receive the data according to write addresses of a write command received from the host device. When the write addresses indicate that the data to be written by the host device is management data of a file system of the host device, the memory controller writes the data to the first predetermined memory block. When the write addresses indicate that the data to be written by the host device is not the management data of the file system of the host device, the memory controller writes the data to the second predetermined memory block.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for managing a flash memory module, wherein the flash memory module includes a plurality of flash memory chips, each flash memory chip includes a plurality of first temporary blocks and a plurality of second temporary blocks, each of the first and second temporary blocks and the data blocks includes a plurality of pages, and the method includes: writing data into one of the second temporary blocks; and when an access of the flash memory module meets a specific condition, moving the data stored in the second temporary block to one of the first temporary blocks, and storing information of a first blank page of the second temporary block to the first temporary block.

Abstract: A data storage device includes a memory device and a memory controller. The memory controller selects a predetermined memory block to receive data and records multiple logical addresses in a first mapping table. When the predetermined memory block is full, the memory controller edits a second mapping table based on the first mapping table. When editing the second mapping table, the memory controller determines whether M consecutive logical addresses have been recorded in the first mapping table. When the memory controller determines that M consecutive logical addresses have been recorded in the first mapping table, the memory controller edits the second mapping table according to a data compression rate (R), such that one or more fields, which correspond to one or more logical addresses recorded in the first mapping table, of the second mapping table are skipped and not edited. M and R are positive integers greater than 1.

Abstract: A data storage device includes a memory device and a memory controller. The memory controller selects a predetermined memory block to receive data and accordingly records multiple logical addresses in a first mapping table. When the predetermined memory block is full, the memory controller edits a second mapping table or a third mapping table based on the first mapping table. The memory controller determines whether the first mapping table has recorded logical addresses of a predetermined number of consecutive logical pages. If not, the memory controller edits the second mapping table. If so, the memory controller skips editing the second mapping table and edits the third mapping table instead, so as to record the mapping information of a predetermined logical page among the predetermined number of consecutive logical pages as representative mapping information in a corresponding field of the third mapping table.

Abstract: A data storage device includes a memory device and a memory controller. The memory device includes multiple memory blocks. The memory controller is coupled to the memory device and is configured to access the memory device. In a garbage collection procedure, the memory controller is configured to select multiple spare memory blocks as destination memory blocks and move valid data stored in at least one source memory block into the destination memory blocks. In the garbage collection procedure, the memory controller is further configured to determine an attribute of each valid data and determine which destination memory block to move the valid data into according to the corresponding attribute. Valid data having the same attribute is moved to the same destination memory block.

Abstract: The invention introduces a method for garbage collection, performed by a processing unit, including at least the following steps: executing instructions of a GC (garbage collection) process to direct a first access interface to read data from a storage unit, collect good data from the read data and direct the first access interface to program the good data into a spare block of the storage unit. During the GC process, each time that a timer has counted to a time period, the processing unit directs a second access interface to clock a portion of data requested by a host device out to the host device and resets the timer.

Abstract: A data storage device includes a flash memory, a controller and a random-access memory. The flash memory includes a plurality of planes, and each plane includes a plurality of blocks. A portion of blocks in each of the planes constitutes a super block, so that the flash memory includes a plurality of super blocks. The controller is coupled to the flash memory. When a first block of at least one first super block of the super blocks is damaged, and a second block of a second super block in the position corresponding to the damaged block is normal, the controller merges the second block of the second super block with the first super block to replace the first block. The random-access memory stores a compression table to record position information about the first block in the first super block and the number information of the second block.

Abstract: A data storage device includes a memory device and a memory controller. The memory controller selects a predetermined memory block to receive data and records multiple logical addresses in a first mapping table. The first mapping table records which logical page the data stored in each physical page of the predetermined memory block is directed to. A bit table is stored in a buffer memory and includes multiple fields. Each field records a bit value. When the memory controller writes data of a logical page that corresponds to a first logical address into the predetermined memory block, the memory controller records the first logical address in the first mapping table, converts the first logical address according to a predetermined function to generate a first field index of the bit table and sets the bit value corresponding to the first field index as a first value in the bit table.

Abstract: A data storage device includes a memory device and a memory controller. The memory controller selects a predetermined memory device to receive data and accordingly records multiple logical addresses in a first mapping table. The first mapping table records which logical page the data stored in each physical page of the predetermined memory block is directed to. When the predetermined memory block is full, the memory controller edits a second mapping table and a third mapping table according to the first mapping table. The second mapping table corresponds to multiple logical pages and records which memory block and which physical page is the data of each logical page stored in. The third mapping table corresponds to the physical pages of the predetermined memory block and indicates whether each physical page is a valid page or an invalid page.

Abstract: A data storage device utilized for accessing boot data includes a flash memory, a controller and a RAM. The flash memory includes several blocks, and each block includes several pages. The controller is coupled to the flash memory and the RAM. The controller receives a write command from a host and determines whether the data of the write command is system data or normal data. If the data to be written is system data, the controller transmits a confirm message to the host after the system data has been completely stored on the data storage device.

Abstract: A data storage device includes a memory device and a memory controller. The memory device includes multiple memory blocks. The memory blocks include multiple table blocks configured to store tables and multiple data blocks configured to store data. The memory controller is configured to receive a predefined command which is a command from a host device to instruct the memory controller to perform initialization of the data storage device. The initialization of the data storage device includes a plurality of processing procedures which include a first portion of processing procedures and a second portion of processing procedures. The memory controller is configured to perform the first portion of processing procedures in response to the predefined command. After the first portion of processing procedures has been finished, the memory controller is configured to notify the host device that the data storage device is ready.

Abstract: A data storage device for dynamically executing the garbage-collection process is provided which includes a flash memory and a controller. The flash memory includes a plurality of blocks wherein each of the blocks includes a plurality of pages. The controller is coupled to the flash memory and is utilized to execute the garbage-collection process on the flash memory according to a number of at least one spare block in the flash memory and the number of non-spare blocks corresponding to different ratios of effective pages. The garbage-collection process is utilized for merging at least two non-spare blocks to release at least one spare block.

Abstract: A method for managing a flash memory module, an associated flash memory controller and an associated electronic device are provided, wherein the method includes: when the flash memory module is powered on, and a garbage collection operation is not finished before the flash memory module is powered on: determining a progress of the garbage collection operation to generate a determination result; and determining to discard a target block in the garbage collection operation or to write dummy data into remaining pages of the target block according to the determination result.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system on chip (SoC), wherein the SoC comprises a first processor, a second processor and a memory. The memory stores a first parameter and a second parameter, wherein the first parameter is set by the first processor to indicate whether a specific region of the memory is locked or unlocked, and the second parameter is set by the first processor to indicate whether the specific region of the memory is locked or unlocked. In the operations of the SoC, before the first processor intends or prepares to access the specific region, the first processor refers to the second parameter to determine if the specific region is allowed to be accessed by the first processor.

Abstract: A method for managing a flash memory module, an associated flash memory controller and an associated electronic device are provided, wherein the method includes: when the flash memory module is powered on, and a garbage collection operation is not finished before the flash memory module is powered on: determining a progress of the garbage collection operation to generate a determination result; and determining to discard a target block in the garbage collection operation or to write dummy data into remaining pages of the target block according to the determination result.

Abstract: A data storage device for dynamically executing the garbage-collection process is provided which includes a flash memory and a controller. The flash memory includes a plurality of blocks wherein each of the blocks includes a plurality of pages. The controller is coupled to the flash memory and is utilized to execute the garbage-collection process on the flash memory according to a number of at least one spare block in the flash memory and the number of non-spare blocks corresponding to different ratios of effective pages. The garbage-collection process is utilized for merging at least two non-spare blocks to release at least one spare block.

Abstract: For single-level cell flash memories and multi-level cell flash memories, different operations can be performed according to their stability when an abnormal status is terminated. Specifically, for the multi-level cell flash memories, when the abnormal status is terminated, a now physical block is used to proceed with write operation, and the previous physical block(s) would not be written any more. On the contrary, for the single-level cell flash memories, when the abnormal status is terminated, the controller needs to perform corresponding operations on the last physical page of the previous physical block(s).