Patents by Inventor Neil Richard Darragh

Neil Richard Darragh 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).

  • Publication number: 20160180953
    Abstract: A memory system or flash card may include a mechanism for memory cell measurement and analysis that independently measures/predicts memory wear/endurance, data retention (DR), read disturb, and/or remaining margin. These effects may be independently quantified by analyzing the state distributions of the individual voltage levels of the cells. In particular, a histogram of cell voltage distributions of the memory cells can be analyzed to identify signatures for certain effects (e.g. wear, DR, read disturb, margin, etc.). Those measurements may be used for block cycling, data loss prediction, or adjustments to memory parameters. Pre-emptive action at the appropriate time based on the measurements may lead to improved memory management and data management. That action may include calculating the remaining useful life of data stored in memory, cycling blocks, predicting data loss, trade-off or dynamic adjustments of memory parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Applicant: SanDisk Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Neil Richard Darragh, Sergey Anatolievich Gorobets, Liam Michael Parker
  • Publication number: 20160180959
    Abstract: A memory system or flash card may include a mechanism for memory cell measurement and analysis that independently measures/predicts memory wear/endurance, data retention (DR), read disturb, and/or remaining margin. These effects may be independently quantified by analyzing the state distributions of the individual voltage levels of the cells. In particular, a histogram of cell voltage distributions of the memory cells can be analyzed to identify signatures for certain effects (e.g. wear, DR, read disturb, margin, etc.). Those measurements may be used for block cycling, data loss prediction, or adjustments to memory parameters. Pre-emptive action at the appropriate time based on the measurements may lead to improved memory management and data management. That action may include calculating the remaining useful life of data stored in memory, cycling blocks, predicting data loss, trade-off or dynamic adjustments of memory parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Applicant: SanDisk Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Neil Richard Darragh, Sergey Anatolievich Gorobets, Liam Michael Parker
  • Patent number: 9329797
    Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for improved block erase cycle life prediction and block management in a non-volatile memory. The method includes the storage device tracking information relating to a first erase cycle count at which the block erase time exceeded a predetermined threshold relative to a first erase cycle at which this occurred in other blocks. Blocks having a later relative erase cycle at which the erase time threshold is exceeded are assumed to have a greater erase cycle life than those that need to exceed the erase time threshold at an earlier erase cycle. This information is used to adjust wear leveling in the form of free block selection, garbage collection block selection and other block management processes. Alternatively or in combination, the predicted erase cycle life information is used to adjust program and/or erase parameters such as erase voltage and time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: SanDisk Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Neil Richard Darragh, Eran Erez, Sergey Anatolievich Gorobets
  • Publication number: 20160041891
    Abstract: A method for analyzing a read error event is provided comprising reading a page of data stored in memory, determining a read error event for the page of data, and identifying a scope of the read error event in the memory. In another embodiment, a method for performing a preliminary read error recovery is provided comprising reading a first data unit from memory and identifying a bit error rate for a first data unit with a correction engine, determining that the bit error rate is above a threshold, accessing a data structure including entries identifying data units and read error event information associated with the data units, identifying a second data unit in an entry that matches the first data unit, and performing a preliminary read error recovery process on the first data unit using the information in the entry to reduce the bit error rate below the threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2014
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Applicant: SanDisk Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Ashutosh Malshe, Neil Richard Darragh, Karthik Krishnamoorthy
  • Publication number: 20150186055
    Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for improved block erase cycle life prediction and block management in a non-volatile memory. The method includes the storage device tracking information relating to a first erase cycle count at which the block erase time exceeded a predetermined threshold relative to a first erase cycle at which this occurred in other blocks. Blocks having a later relative erase cycle at which the erase time threshold is exceeded are assumed to have a greater erase cycle life than those that need to exceed the erase time threshold at an earlier erase cycle. This information is used to adjust wear leveling in the form of free block selection, garbage collection block selection and other block management processes. Alternatively or in combination, the predicted erase cycle life information is used to adjust program and/or erase parameters such as erase voltage and time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2013
    Publication date: July 2, 2015
    Inventor: Neil Richard Darragh
  • Publication number: 20150186072
    Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for improved block erase cycle life prediction and block management in a non-volatile memory. The method includes the storage device tracking information relating to a first erase cycle count at which the block erase time exceeded a predetermined threshold relative to a first erase cycle at which this occurred in other blocks. Blocks having a later relative erase cycle at which the erase time threshold is exceeded are assumed to have a greater erase cycle life than those that need to exceed the erase time threshold at an earlier erase cycle. This information is used to adjust wear leveling in the form of free block selection, garbage collection block selection and other block management processes. Alternatively or in combination, the predicted erase cycle life information is used to adjust program and/or erase parameters such as erase voltage and time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2013
    Publication date: July 2, 2015
    Inventors: Neil Richard Darragh, Eran Erez, Sergey Anatolievich Gorobets