Including Plural Logical Address Spaces, Pages, Segments, Blocks Patents (Class 711/209)
  • Patent number: 8015385
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method is disclosed for allocating memory for a processor unit in a group of processing units. The method can include receiving a memory allocation request where the request can indicate a number of binary segments to be stored. The method can determine if the number indicates a nonstandard allocation, and locate an unallocated memory address based on a multiple of the number if the number indicates a nonstandard allocation. The method can also include locating an unallocated memory address from a pool of memory addresses, where the pool of addresses includes the integer multiples of the binary segments and excludes addresses that are two times the number of binary segments such that the address can be utilized to determine the allocation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Joel H. Schopp
  • Patent number: 8006065
    Abstract: Certain aspects of a method and system for combining page buffer list entries (PBLEs) to optimize caching of translated addresses are disclosed. Aspects of a method may include encoding at least two page buffer list entries in a remote direct memory access (RDMA) memory map into at least two contiguous memory locations by utilizing a remainder of a physical address corresponding to the two page buffer list entries. The first memory location of the two contiguous memory locations may comprise a base address and a contiguous length of the first page buffer list entry. The second memory location of the two contiguous memory locations may comprise a virtual address and a contiguous length of the second page buffer list entry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Caitlin Bestler
  • Patent number: 7996620
    Abstract: A cache memory high performance pseudo dynamic address compare path divides the address into two or more address segments. Each segment is separately compared in a comparator comprised of static logic elements. The output of each of these static comparators is then combined in a dynamic logic circuit to generate a dynamic late select output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Yuen H. Chan, Ann H. Chen, Kenneth M. Lo, Shie-ei Wang
  • Patent number: 7992009
    Abstract: A method of verifying programming of an integrated circuit card includes transferring program data to a page buffer of a non-volatile memory, copying the program data to a buffer memory, calculating a first checksum value with respect to program data in the buffer memory, updating the program data in the buffer memory by copying the program data of the page buffer to the buffer memory, calculating a second checksum value with respect to updated program data in the buffer memory, comparing the first checksum value and the second checksum value, and determining, based on the comparison result, whether the program data of the page buffer is tampered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kyung-Duck Seo
  • Patent number: 7986327
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention set forth a technique for optimizing the on-chip data path between a memory controller and a display controller within a graphics processing unit (GPU). A row selection field and a sector mask are included within a memory access command transmitted from the display controller to the memory controller indicating which row of data is being requested from memory. The memory controller responds to the memory access command by returning only the row of data corresponding to the requested row to the display controller over the on-chip data path. Any extraneous data received by the memory controller in the process of accessing the specifically requested row of data is stripped out and not transmitted back to the display controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventor: John H. Edmondson
  • Publication number: 20110179250
    Abstract: A storage system comprises a storage apparatus which includes a processor, storage disks, and a memory storing a page mapping table, a page mapping program, and a page-filename mapping program. A file system manages a file tree of files with filenames. The page mapping table specifies a relationship between data volumes in the storage apparatus and the storage disks and the file system, the data volumes each including pages, each page including segments, each segment including sectors. The file tree has for each storage apparatus a hierarchy of directories and files based on relationships among the data volumes, the pages, and the segments. The page mapping program and the page-filename mapping program are executable by the processor to specify, by page, a location of data contained in the I/O request by referring to the page mapping table and the file tree.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2010
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Keiichi MATSUZAWA, Yasunori KANEDA
  • Publication number: 20110179244
    Abstract: A storage apparatus is disclosed which includes: a memory configured to have a plurality of pages to which data can be written in units of a page, the memory being further configured to have a plurality of pages of write data stored into each page in multi-valued form; and a control section configured to select pages to which to write the data from among the plurality of pages of the memory, the control section being further configured to write to the selected pages of the memory the data of at least two bits in multi-valued form for a plurality of pages including the selected pages; wherein, when writing the plurality of pages of the write data, the control section puts the write data into multi-valued form per page before writing the data to a plurality of different unused pages of the memory on a page-by-page basis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2011
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshifumi Nishiura, Nobuhiro Kaneko, Hideaki Okubo
  • Publication number: 20110161562
    Abstract: A region-based management method of a non-volatile memory is provided. In the region-based management method, the storage space of all chips in the non-volatile memory is divided into physical regions, physical block sets, and physical page sets, and a logical space is divided into virtual regions, virtual blocks, and virtual pages. In the non-volatile memory, each physical block set is the smallest unit of space allocation and garbage collection, and each physical page set is the smallest unit of data access. The region-based management method includes a three-level address translation architecture for converting logical block addresses into physical block addresses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2010
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Applicant: NATIONAL TAIWAN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Yuan-Hao Chang, Tei-Wei Kuo
  • Patent number: 7971007
    Abstract: A method for accessing a downgrade memory and a downgrade memory apparatus are provided. The downgrade memory apparatus comprises at least one management unit and a controller. The management unit comprises a plurality of blocks, each block having a plurality of pages, and each page having a plurality of sectors, the downgrade memory having a plurality of non-accessible sectors. The controller is configured to parse a write command corresponding to a special block, to select at least one accessible sector according to a status information of the special block and to program the write command to the special block, wherein the status information indicates at least one non-accessible sector in the special block. Thereby the method and the apparatus of downgrade memory may as well omit the non-accessible sectors as enhance the usage memory capacity in accordance with the status information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Silicon Motion, Inc.
    Inventor: Wu-Chi Kuo
  • Publication number: 20110153674
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable media of data storage that include storing page identities of individual pages and logical relationships between pages are disclosed. A particular system includes a plurality of data storage devices. A storage manager is configured to store data as pages at the data storage devices. Each page includes a page payload and a page identity. The storage manager is also configured to store one or more relationships indicating logical order between pages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey A. East, Ryan L. Stonecipher, Emily N. Wilson, Kevin G. Farlee, Ankur Kemkar
  • Publication number: 20110153979
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally pertain to memory devices and more specifically to reducing the write amplification of memory devices without increasing cache requirements. Embodiments of the present invention may be represented as a modified B+ tree in that said tree comprises a multi-level tree in which all data items are stored in the leaf nodes of the tree. Each non-leaf node in the tree will reference a large number of nodes in the next level down from the tree. Modified B+ trees described herein may be represented as data structures used to map memory device page addresses. The entire modified B+ tree used to map said pages may be stored on the same memory device requiring limited amounts of cache. These embodiments may be utilized by low cost controllers that require good sequential read and write performance without large amounts of cache.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Inventor: NATHANIAL KIEL BOYLE
  • Publication number: 20110153912
    Abstract: A method of operating a memory system is presented. The memory system includes a controller and a non-volatile memory circuit, where the non-volatile memory circuit has a first portion, where data is stored in a binary format, and a second portion, where data is stored in a multi-state format. The controller manages the transfer of data to and from the memory system and the storage of data on the non-volatile memory circuit. The method includes receiving a first set of data and storing this first set of data in a first location in the second portion of the non-volatile memory circuit. The memory system subsequently receives updated data for a first subset of the first data set. The updated data is stored in a second location in the first portion of the non-volatile memory circuit, where the controller maintains a logical correspondence between the second location and the first subset of the first set of data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Inventors: Sergey Anatolievich Gorobets, William S. Wu, Shai Traister, Alexander Lyashuk, Steven T. Sprouse
  • Patent number: 7966355
    Abstract: An enhanced flash memory card, including a flash memory for storing a file system a wireless modem for downloading data from a remote computer to the flash memory, and a driver that controls the modem by associating designated flash card file system commands with modem actions to be performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Modu Ltd.
    Inventors: Itay Sherman, Yaron Segalov
  • Patent number: 7962687
    Abstract: A flash storage device having improved write performance is provided. The device includes a storage block having a plurality of physical pages and a controller configured to allocate subsets of the plurality of physical pages to a plurality of logical addresses, respectively, and to write data to the plurality of physical pages. Each of the subsets of physical pages includes more than one physical page. Upon receiving a first write request for one of the logical addresses, data from the first write request is written to a first physical page of the physical pages allocated to the logical address. Upon receiving a second write request for one of the logical address, the data from the second write request is written to a second physical page allocated to the logical address and the first physical page allocated to the logical address is invalidated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: STEC, Inc.
    Inventor: Hooshmand Torabi
  • Publication number: 20110138150
    Abstract: A method for data distribution, including distributing logical addresses among an initial set of devices so as provide balanced access, and transferring the data to the devices in accordance with the logical addresses. If a device is added to the initial set, forming an extended set, the logical addresses are redistributed among the extended set so as to cause some logical addresses to be transferred from the devices in the initial set to the additional device. There is substantially no transfer of the logical addresses among the initial set. If a surplus device is removed from the initial set, forming a depleted set, the logical addresses of the surplus device are redistributed among the depleted set. There is substantially no transfer of the logical addresses among the depleted set. In both cases the balanced access is maintained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2011
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ofir ZOHAR, Yaron REVAH, Haim HELMAN, Dror COHEN
  • Patent number: 7958321
    Abstract: Provided are an apparatus and a method of reducing memory access conflict. An apparatus for reducing memory access conflict when a plurality of data processing elements perform simultaneous access to a memory including a plurality of pages, each of which includes a plurality of subpages, the apparatus comprising: an access arbiter mapping a subpage division address corresponding to least significant bits of a memory access address received from each of the data processing elements to another address having a same number of bits as the subpage division address in order for data to be output from each of the subpages in a corresponding page at a time of the simultaneous access; and a selector, prepared for each of the pages, selecting to output one of the data output from the subpages using the mapped results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Young Su Kwon, Bon Tae Koo, Nak Woong Eum
  • Publication number: 20110131390
    Abstract: Deduplication of data using a low-latency random read memory (LLRRM) is described herein. Upon receiving a block, if a matching block stored on a disk device is found, the received block is deduplicated by producing an index to the address location of the matching block. In some embodiments, a matching block having a predetermined threshold number of associated indexes that reference the matching block is transferred to LLRRM, the threshold number being one or greater. Associated indexes may be modified to reflect the new address location in LLRRM. Deduplication may be performed using a mapping mechanism containing mappings of deduplicated blocks to matching blocks, the mappings being used for performing read requests. Deduplication described herein may reduce read latency as LLRRM has relatively low latency in performing random read requests relative to disk devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2011
    Publication date: June 2, 2011
    Inventors: Kiran Srinivasan, Garth Goodson, Kaladhar Voruganti
  • Patent number: 7953954
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus may operate to receive allocation requests from a processor configured to manage memory comprising a non-volatile memory device configurable as a plurality of blocks comprising a plurality of sectors, assign partial page blocks from the plurality of blocks for memory storage, fill some of the sectors by storing data bits associated with the allocation request in the at least one of the plurality of sectors, determine that the sectors are full, assigning a full page block from the plurality of blocks, and transfer the data bits associated with the allocation request from the partial page blocks to the full page block. Other apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Viet Ly, Michael Murray
  • Patent number: 7953953
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing a page replacement time in a system using a demand paging technique are provided. The apparatus includes a memory management unit which transmits a signal indicating that a page fault occurs, a device driver which reads a page having the page fault from a nonvolatile memory, and a page fault handler that searches and secures a space for storing the page having the page fault in a memory. The searching and securing of the space in the memory is performed within a limited time calculated beforehand and a part of data to be loaded to the memory of the system is stored in the nonvolatile memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ji-hyun In, Il-hoon Shin, Hyo-jun Kim
  • Patent number: 7949839
    Abstract: A method, and corresponding software and system, is described for paging memory used for one or more sequentially-accessed data structure. The method includes providing a data structure representing an order in which memory pages are to be reused; and maintaining the data structure according to a history of access to a memory page associated with one of the sequentially-accessed data structures. A position of the memory page in the order depends on a transition of sequential access off of the memory page.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Ab Initio Technology LLC
    Inventor: Craig W. Stanfill
  • Patent number: 7941630
    Abstract: This invention provides a storage system to store data used by computers. A storage system coupled to a computer and a management apparatus, includes storage devices accessed by the computer and a control unit that controls the storage devices, in which the control unit performs the following operations: setting, in the storage devices, a first virtual device including a first logical device; setting a second virtual device which including a second logical device, which is a virtual volume accessed by the computer; allocating an address of the first logical device to the second logical device; and changing the allocation to change storage areas of the virtual volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshiaki Eguchi
  • Patent number: 7941568
    Abstract: Registering memory space within a data processing system is performed. One or more open calls are received from an application to access one or more input/output (I/O) devices. Responsive to receiving the one or more open calls, one or more I/O map and pin calls are sent in order to register memory space for the one or more I/O devices within at least one storage area that will be accessed by the application. At least one virtual I/O bus address is received for each registered memory space of the one or more I/O devices. At least one I/O command is executed using the at least one virtual I/O bus address without intervention by an operating system or operating system image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Richard L. Arndt, Aaron C. Brown, Gregory F. Pfister, Renato J. Recio, Steven M. Thurber
  • Patent number: 7941632
    Abstract: Storage virtualization systems and methods that allow customers to manage storage as a utility rather than as islands of storage which are independent of each other. A demand mapped virtual disk image of up to an arbitrarily large size is presented to a host system. The virtualization system allocates physical storage from a storage pool dynamically in response to host I/O requests, e.g., SCSI I/O requests, allowing for the amortization of storage resources-through a disk subsystem while maintaining coherency amongst I/O RAID traffic. In one embodiment, the virtualization functionality is implemented in a controller device, such as a controller card residing in a switch device or other network device, coupled to a storage system on a storage area network (SAN). The resulting virtual disk image that is observed by the host computer is larger than the amount of physical storage actually consumed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: EMC Corporation
    Inventors: Wayne Karpoff, Brian Lake
  • Publication number: 20110099350
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes various techniques resolving block boundary issues and reconstructing logical blocks in a block access storage device when there are resulting mismatches between logical and physical block sizes or alignments, such that logical blocks span multiple physical block boundaries in irregular ways. In one example, a method comprises the following features: receiving logical block addresses that are associated with a sequence of logical blocks; and locating a first portion of a logical block within a first physical block that is stored in a block access storage device based upon a logical block address of the logical block, wherein the logical block is part of the sequence of logical blocks, and wherein at least two logical blocks within the sequence of logical blocks have different sizes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2009
    Publication date: April 28, 2011
    Applicant: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Timothy R. Feldman, Wayne H. Vinson, Jonathan W. Haines
  • Patent number: 7933162
    Abstract: Embodiments are provided that include a row decoder, including a row activation path, having a row address converter with an output coupled to an input of a section replacement detector. Further embodiments provide a method including mapping an external row address to an internal row address, wherein the internal row address comprises a section address, determining whether a section corresponding to the section address includes an error, and if the section includes an error, converting the internal row address to a redundant row address, wherein mapping the external row address to the internal row address is initiated prior to determining whether the section replacement should be performed. Further embodiments include a method for receiving a row address for a row in a memory section including a non-2^n number of normal rows and mapping the row address to a redundant row address by substracting a value from the row address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Takuya Nakanishi, Takumi Nasu, Yoshinori Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 7925818
    Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for virtualizing a processor and its memory, including a host operating system (OS); and virtualization software that maintains a virtualization environment for running a Virtual Machine (VM) without system level privileges and having a guest operating system running within the Virtual Machine. A plurality of processes are running within the host OS, each process having its own virtual memory, wherein the virtualization software is one of the processes. An image file is stored in persistent storage and maintained by the host operating system. The image file represents virtualized physical memory of the VM. A plurality of memory pages are aggregated into blocks, the blocks being stored in the image file and addressable in block form. The virtualization software manages the blocks so that blocks can be mapped to the virtualization software process virtual memory and released when the blocks are no longer necessary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Parallels Holdings, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nikolay N. Dobrovolskiy, Andrey A. Omelyanchuk, Alexey B. Koryakin, Anna L. Vorobyova, Alexander G. Tormasov, Serguei M. Beloussov
  • Patent number: 7925640
    Abstract: In the described embodiments, a computer constructs a dispatch data structure for a holder by first determining a set of member holders from which the holder inherits. The computer then constructs an “i-table” that includes holder addressor regions that each contains addressors for an associated set of members. Each of the holder addressor regions is associated with an i-table index. The computer next collects a set of identification numbers for the set of member holders and, from these, constructs an “m-table.” The size of the m-table is selected to perfectly hash the set of identification numbers by the m-table size. The computer then computes an m-table index for each of the set of identification numbers modulo the m-table size and uses the m-table index to populate the m-table. The computer next stores the i-table index in the m-table in accordance with the m-table index.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Oracle America, Inc.
    Inventors: Bernd J.W. Mathiske, Laurent P. Daynes, Gregory M. Wright
  • Patent number: 7916719
    Abstract: A method and HARQ memory apparatus in a BWA communication system are provided where the HARQ memory apparatus includes a memory configured to partition the entire memory area in units of slots corresponding to the size of a concatenation block, to input/output a plurality of channel data to the slot in units of the concatenation block, to store a new concatenation block in an empty slot, and to combine a retransmitted concatenation block with a prestored concatenation block and store the combined concatenation block at a prestored location. Accordingly, the required amount of memory can be reduced by using a buffer efficiently. In particular, when a memory is embedded in an integrated circuit, the size and power consumption of the integrated circuit can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jin-Woo Roh, Ji-Yun Seol, Bong-Gee Song, Jong-Han Lim, Jung-Ho Lee
  • Patent number: 7917720
    Abstract: A method for rearranging a logical volume including arranging a logical volume rearranging program on a particular server and using the logical volume rearranging program to acquire server/storage mapping information from each server and performance information from each storage subsystem. Moreover, the logical volume rearranging program acquires request I/O performance and a rearranging rule for each application set by a user. Furthermore, the logical volume rearranging program determines a destination by using the logical volume rearranging destination parity group specified by the user according to the aforementioned information, and rearranges the logical volume according to the storage subsystem performance and the request I/O performance of each application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takato Kusama, Tatsundo Aoshima, Kei Takeda
  • Publication number: 20110072205
    Abstract: A memory device comprises a memory cell array comprising a plurality of memory blocks each comprising a plurality of memory cells and a control setting circuit. The control setting circuit divides the memory blocks into at least first and second groups based on whether each of the memory blocks comprises at least one substandard memory cell, and sets individually control parameters of the first and second groups. The substandard memory cells are identified based on test results of the memory cells with respect to at least one of the control parameters. Each memory block in the first group comprises at least one substandard memory cell, and each memory block in the second group comprises no substandard memory cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2010
    Publication date: March 24, 2011
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Dong-Hyuk LEE, Jung-Bae LEE, Ki-Won PARK
  • Publication number: 20110066824
    Abstract: Certain aspects of a method and system for combining page buffer list entries (PBLEs) to optimize caching of translated addresses are disclosed. Aspects of a method may include encoding at least two page buffer list entries in a remote direct memory access (RDMA) memory map into at least two contiguous memory locations by utilizing a remainder of a physical address corresponding to the two page buffer list entries. The first memory location of the two contiguous memory locations may comprise a base address and a contiguous length of the first page buffer list entry. The second memory location of the two contiguous memory locations may comprise a virtual address and a contiguous length of the second page buffer list entry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2010
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Inventor: Caitlin Bestler
  • Patent number: 7908466
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for booting a microprocessor system using a serial (e.g., NAND-type) flash memory array having a random-access (parallel, e.g., NOR-flash type) interface. The method includes loading a boot code loader stored in the serial (e.g., NAND-type) flash memory array into a RAM when power is turned on, according to a routine of a read-only memory (ROM) of the microprocessor; loading boot code stored in the serial flash memory into an internal or external (main) RAM of the microprocessor according to the boot code loader; loading application code stored in the serial flash memory into the main (RAM) memory according to the boot code; and executing the application code. The system may be manufactured at a low cost compared to NOR-Flash based systems, while ensuring flexibility of a microprocessor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jee-Woong Oh, Eun-Seok Chae, Shin-Kyu Park
  • Patent number: 7908457
    Abstract: Registering memory space for an application is performed. One or more open calls are received from an application to access one or more input/output (I/O) devices. Responsive to receiving the one or more open calls, one or more I/O map and pin calls are sent in order to register memory space for the one or more I/O devices within at least one storage area that will be accessed by the application. A verification is made as to whether the memory space to be registered is associated with the application. Responsive to the memory space being associated with the application, at least one virtual I/O bus address is received for each registered memory space of the one or more I/O devices. At least one I/O command is executed using the at least one virtual I/O bus address without intervention by an operating system or operating system image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Richard L. Arndt, Aaron C. Brown, Bradly G. Frey, Gregory F. Pfister, Renato J. Recio, Steven M. Thurber
  • Publication number: 20110060863
    Abstract: A controller stores therein a sector address set indicating logical storage positions within a nonvolatile-memory storage area; page addresses indicating, in units of pages, physical storage positions within the nonvolatile-memory storage area; and pieces of management information each indicating whether one or more special sectors each being either a bad sector or a trimmed sector trimmed by a TRIM command are present in the corresponding page, while associating them with each other. When an access to a specified sector address is requested, the device refers to the piece of management information and judges whether any special sector is present in the page identified by the page address corresponding to the sector address. The device generates predetermined response data if the page contains one or more special sectors and accesses the nonvolatile-memory storage position corresponding to the sector address if the page contains no special sector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2010
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Tetsuro KIMURA, Shinichi KANNO, Shigehiro ASANO, Kazuhiro FUKUTOMI
  • Publication number: 20110060888
    Abstract: Various embodiments include apparatus, systems, and methods having multiple dice arranged in a stack in which a defective cell may be replaced by a spare cell on the same die or a different die. Other embodiments are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2010
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Inventors: Brent Keeth, Chris G. Martin, Troy A. Manning, Joe M. Jeddeloh, Timothy B. Cowles, Jim Rehmeyer, Paul A. LaBerge
  • Patent number: 7899972
    Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, a method includes switching between a first address space and a second address space, determining if the second address space exists in a list of address spaces; and maintaining entries of the first address space in a translation buffer after the switching. In such manner, overhead associated with such a context switch may be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Jason W. Brandt, Sanjoy K. Mondal, Richard Uhlig, Gilbert Neiger, Robert T. George
  • Patent number: 7900018
    Abstract: Provided are an embedded system and a method for relocating memory pages therefor. The embedded system includes a processor, a data relocating circuit for receiving a logical address from the processor, mapping the received logical address to a physical address to locate a valid page in a predetermined bank, and generating a bank power control signal according to whether or not a corresponding memory bank includes valid pages, and a memory including a plurality of memory banks addressed by a physical address outputted from the data relocating circuit and a plurality of switching means for selectively supplying a power voltage to each of memory banks in response to the bank power control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Young-Su Kwon, Bon-Tae Koo, Nak-Woong Eum
  • Patent number: 7899974
    Abstract: A nonvolatile memory and a mapping control apparatus and method of the same are disclosed, whereby block state information is changed depending on an operation performed by the nonvolatile memory to efficiently access a flash memory. The mapping control apparatus comprises a nonvolatile memory that has an area divided into blocks and stores block state information representing the state of written data, and a control unit that determines a block for a data operation through the block state information when the data operation is performed in the nonvolatile memory, and that updates the block state information depending on the result of the performed data operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hyung-seok Park
  • Publication number: 20110047453
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods are illustrated that relate to a web application running on a server accessible from the Internet. Aspects of the disclosure relate to an apparatus for outputting presentation code in response to receiving at least a page identifier. The apparatus comprises an electronic processor, a tangible medium storing a mapping table, template file, presentation and business rules, and computer-executable instructions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Applicant: BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Carlos Silva Catalahana, Jyotibasu Chandrabasu, Ying Huang, Christopher Alan Moore, Sarabhaiah Polakam, Virmani Singh, Peter Anthony Tavormina
  • Publication number: 20110047347
    Abstract: In general, this disclosure is directed to techniques for adjusting a mapping between a logical block address (LBA) space and a physical block address (PBA) space based on offset data associated with a plurality of access requests. According to one aspect, a method includes defining a translation map between a plurality of LBAs and a plurality of PBAs for a data storage device. Each PBA is associated with a sequence of storage slots. The translation map maps each of the LBAs to a PBA and to an index of a storage slot associated with the PBA. The method further includes obtaining offset data for a plurality of access requests associated with the plurality of LBAs. The offset data includes information relating to the indices to which starting LBAs of the access requests are mapped. The method further includes adjusting the translation map based on the offset data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2009
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Applicant: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Jinglei Li, Fumin Zhang
  • Patent number: 7870363
    Abstract: Methods and arrangements for remapping the map between logical space and physical space in non-volatile storage are described. Embodiments include transformations, code, state machines or other logic to divide the non-volatile storage of the computing device into two portions, a fixed portion and a floating portion. The embodiments may also include remapping in system firmware of the computing device the current map from logical space to physical space of the floating portion of the non-volatile storage. The embodiments may also include storing the revised map. The embodiments may also include using the revised map to access the floating portion of the non-volatile storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Jian Tang, Yufu Li, Ping Wu
  • Patent number: 7870271
    Abstract: A storage device has partitions that are separately addressed by distinct IP addresses. This allows direct access of the partitions, on a peer-to-peer basis, by any other device that can communicate using IP. Preferred storage devices support spanning between or among partitions of the same device, as well as between or among different storage devices. Both multicast and proxy spanning are contemplated. Combinations of the inventive storage devices with each other, and with prior art storage devices are contemplated, in all manner of mirroring and other arrangements. In still other aspects of the invention, a given storage device can comprise one or more types of media, including any combination of rotating and non-rotating media, magnetic and optical, and so forth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Inventors: Charles Frank, Thomas Ludwig, Thomas Hanan, William Babbitt
  • Patent number: 7865656
    Abstract: A storage controller that can control memory addresses even when a memory module having a different device configuration than an already mounted memory module is added as an expansion module. More specifically, a storage controller for controlling a storage unit that can be constructed using a plurality of memory modules is configured so as to include: a register which stores memory module configuration information for a basic memory module and an expansion memory module independently of each other; and an address conversion unit which, based on the memory module configuration information stored in the register, generates an address that can access the storage unit even when the memory address space of the expansion memory module is different from the memory address space of the basic memory module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Yoshitsugu Goto
  • Publication number: 20100325384
    Abstract: Provided are a data storage medium accessing method of accessing a data storage medium of a data storage device according to a virtual address (VA), the data storage device to access the data storage medium according to the VA, and a computer readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program to access the data storage medium accessing method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2010
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: In-sik RYU, Moon-chol PARK, Se-wook NA, Jae-sung LEE
  • Publication number: 20100318726
    Abstract: Correspondences between logical blocks and physical blocks of first and second memories are controlled such that an identical logical block is subject to correspondence with a physical block of the first memory and to a physical block of the second memory, and data is stored in the physical blocks subject to correspondence with the identical logical block such that pages that contain data do not overlap between the physical blocks so that operation performed on the first memory and operation performed on the second memory can be performed in parallel, thereby achieving speedup and an increase in efficiency in data writing to non-volatile memory, to which overwriting is inapplicable and to which writing involves block-to-block data move.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2010
    Publication date: December 16, 2010
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Yuichiro WATANABE
  • Patent number: 7849253
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the invention comprises a flash-media controller used for writing new data from an external system to a local flash-memory device. The newly written data may replace old data previously written to the flash-memory device, and may be written directly to unused locations within the flash-memory device. The flash-media controller may comprise a table of block descriptors and sector descriptors used to track specified characteristics of each block and sector of the flash-memory device, thereby allowing for write sequences to non-contiguous sectors within a block. Accordingly, copy operations may be deferred under the expectation that they will eventually become unnecessary, thereby designating old data as having become stale.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Standard Microsystems Corporation
    Inventor: Guy A. Stewart
  • Publication number: 20100306500
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of operating block-based thin provisioning disk volumes in a system including a first storage system which is connected via a network to a second storage system comprises, in response to a volume creation request to create a thin provisioning disk volume in the first storage system, recording in the first storage system attribute information of the block-based thin provisioning disk volume; specifying a directory path for the block-based thin provisioning disk volume in a file system in the second storage system; and creating a directory for the block-based thin provisioning disk volume under the specified directory path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2009
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventor: Yasuyuki MIMATSU
  • Patent number: 7844746
    Abstract: A heterogeneous processing element model is provided where I/O devices look and act like processors. In order to be treated like a processor, an I/O processing element, or other special purpose processing element, must follow some rules and have some characteristics of a processor, such as address translation, security, interrupt handling, and exception processing, for example. The heterogeneous processing element model abstracts an I/O device such that communication intended for the I/O device may be packetized and sent over a network. Thus, a virtualization platform may packetize communication intended for a remotely located I/O device and transmit the packetized communication over a distance, rather than having to make a call to a library, call a device driver, pin memory, and so forth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ravi K. Arimilli, Claude Basso, Jean L. Calvignac, Edward J. Seminaro
  • Patent number: 7836274
    Abstract: Certain aspects of a method and system for combining page buffer list entries (PBLEs) to optimize caching of translated addresses are disclosed. Aspects of a method may include encoding at least two page buffer list entries in a remote direct memory access (RDMA) memory map into at least two contiguous memory locations by utilizing a remainder of a physical address corresponding to the two page buffer list entries. The first memory location of the two contiguous memory locations may comprise a base address and a contiguous length of the first page buffer list entry. The second memory location of the two contiguous memory locations may comprise a virtual address and a contiguous length of the second page buffer list entry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Caitlin Bestler
  • Patent number: 7831760
    Abstract: A method includes indexing a translation table stored in memory with a first index of a virtual address corresponding to a first memory region size by querying the translation table at first locations associated with the first index. Indexing the translation table with a second index of the virtual address corresponding to a second memory region size by querying the translation table at second locations associated with the second index. The translation table includes translations for mapping address tags of the virtual address to physical addresses. The first index is different than the second index, and the first memory region size is different than the second memory region size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventors: Dennis M. O'Connor, Stephen J. Strazdus