Error Mapping Or Logging Patents (Class 714/723)
  • Patent number: 9384124
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a data storage device includes a first controller, a second controller, and a third controller. The first controller performs a control operation of writing data of a first data unit to a storage area in a flash memory and reading the data of the first data unit from the storage area. The second controller carries out migration processing of measuring a data amount of valid data stored in storage areas of a second data unit that is a data erase processing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Taichiro Yamanaka, Yoko Masuo, Hironobu Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 9336075
    Abstract: There is provided a monitoring apparatus (1) including: an acquisition unit (10) that acquires failure information indicating that a failure has occurred in any of a plurality of monitoring targets; a notification job determination unit (20) that determines whether or not a predetermined user has to be notified of the failure which is specified by the failure information; and a display unit (40) that displays failure notification information indicating occurrence of the failure when the acquisition unit (10) acquires the failure information, and displays notification job information indicating that there is a job to notify the failure to a predetermined user when the notification job determination unit (20) determines that notification has to be issued.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Teruya Ikegami
  • Patent number: 9305663
    Abstract: Examples are disclosed for assessing pass/fail status of non-volatile memory. In some examples, information may be received to indicate a block having memory pages associated with non-volatile memory cells. The information may indicate at least some of the memory pages have bit errors in excess of an error correction code (ECC) ability to correct. For these examples, the block may be selected for read testing. Read testing may include programming the memory pages with a known pattern and waiting a period of time. Following the period of time each memory page may be read and if a resulting pattern read matches the known pattern programmed to each memory page, the memory page passes. The block may be taken offline if the number of passing memory pages is below a pass threshold number. Other examples are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
    Inventors: Joshua Silberman, George Totolos, Richard Strong
  • Patent number: 9230687
    Abstract: A method, system and computer program product are provided for implementing ECC (Error Correction Codes) redundancy using reconfigurable logic blocks in a computer system. When a fail is detected when reading from memory, it is determined if the incorrect data is in the data or the ECC component of the data. When incorrect data is found in the ECC component of the data, and an actionable threshold is not reached, a predetermined Reliability, Availability, and Serviceability (RAS) action is taken. When the actionable threshold is reached with incorrect data identified in the ECC component of the data, an analysis process is performed to determine if the ECC logic is faulty. When a fail in the ECC logic is detected, the identified ECC failed logic is replaced with a spare block of logic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Edgar R. Cordero, Timothy J. Dell, Joab D. Henderson, Jeffrey A. Sabrowski, Anuwat Saetow, Saravanan Sethuraman
  • Patent number: 9170302
    Abstract: A semiconductor apparatus includes first and second chips sharing first and second data channels. The first chip compresses first test data of the first chip and outputs the compressed first test data through the first data channel in a first test mode, and the second chip compresses second test data of the second chip and outputs the compressed second test data through the second data channel in the first test mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Ki Up Kim
  • Patent number: 9165684
    Abstract: A fault bits scrambling memory and method thereof relate to a memory including at least one memory bank. The memory bank includes a memory module, a scrambling-logic unit, a self-testing unit and a scrambling code generating unit. The memory module includes a plurality of pages. Each page has a plurality of memory cells, and each memory cell has a physical address. The scrambling logic unit receives a scrambling code and the physical address to generate a mapping address by logical calculation, and outputs the mapping address to the memory module. The self-testing unit detects the faulty memory cells of each page. The scrambling code generating unit is applied to generate the scrambling code to maintain the number of the faulty memory cells corresponding to the mapping address of the same page is up to a maximum tolerance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: National Taiwan University of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Shyue-Kung Lu, Hao-Cheng Jheng
  • Patent number: 9136843
    Abstract: TSV repair circuit of a semiconductor device includes a first chip, a second chip, at least two TSV, at least two data path circuits and an output logic circuit. Each data path circuit comprises an input driving circuit, a TSV detection circuit, a memory device, a protection circuit and a power control circuit. The TSV detection circuit detects a TSV status, the memory device keeps the TSV status, the protection circuit determines whether to pull a first end of the TSV to a ground voltage according to the TSV status, and the power control circuit prevents a leakage current of a power voltage from flowing through a substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Pei-Ling Tseng, Keng-Li Su, Chih-Sheng Lin, Shyh-Shyuan Sheu
  • Patent number: 9128143
    Abstract: A semiconductor device failure analysis system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a memory configured to be capable of retaining an initial display information; and a control unit configured to generate a first image based on a configuration information of the semiconductor device and a plurality of fail bit information of the semiconductor device, the semiconductor device including a three-dimensional memory cell array, and to generate a second image from the first image based on the initial display information, the second image corresponding to part of the plurality of fail bit information. The semiconductor device failure analysis system according to the embodiment further includes a display configured to be capable of initially displaying the second image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Mami Kodama, Yoshikazu Iizuka
  • Patent number: 9063853
    Abstract: A storage device disclosed in the present application includes a device-error-codes table, first-information indicating a process-setting that can be changed by a device-state, and second-information indicating a process-setting that is a previously determined by a device-error-type, are associated with each other; a management-unit that adds information indicating a change in the second-information to the second-information stored in the table; a determining-unit that determines the device-error-type; an acquiring unit that acquires, from the table, the first-information; an information-converter that determines whether or not information indicating a change in the second-information, and changes the first-information by the acquiring unit; a transmitter that transmits the first-information by the acquiring unit or changed by the information-converter to a storage-device-controller; and an information-transmitter that receives, from the controller, a request to transmit the second-information and transmits,
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Hironori Kai
  • Patent number: 9058256
    Abstract: A data writing method for a rewritable non-volatile memory module is provided. The method includes selecting at least one physical erasing unit as a global random area and building a global random area searching table for recording update information corresponding to updated logical pages that data stored in the global random area belongs to. The method also includes receiving updated data belonging to a logical page; and determining whether a data dispersedness degree corresponding to the global random area is smaller than a data dispersedness degree threshold. The method further includes, if the data dispersedness degree corresponding to the global random area is smaller than the data dispersedness degree threshold, writing the update data into the global random area and recording update information corresponding to the logical page in the global random area searching table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: PHISON ELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventor: Chih-Kang Yeh
  • Patent number: 9049492
    Abstract: A portable terminal wherein the amount of processing and power consumption when performing repair is reduced and video data can be reliably repaired, and video data repair method and program of the same. The portable terminal is provided with a video data repairer that repairs video data in which video is poor by replacing it with a portion of video data acquired from an external source, said video data repairer saving, without deleting at the time of repairing, all of partial video data necessary to decode subsequent video data continuing after the video data to be repaired, and performing control so that only the portion of the video data that is repaired is re-encoded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Masaki Takahashi, Toshio Oka, Ryo Yokoyama, Satoshi Senga
  • Patent number: 9043663
    Abstract: An apparatus is equipped with a storage device including an error correction circuit. The apparatus performs a test of the storage device according to a predetermined testing procedure, and records a time-point at which error correction of the storage device has been performed by the error correction circuit during performance of the test. The apparatus determines, with predetermined accuracy, a first position within the storage device on which the error correction has been performed, based on a test speed at which the test is performed, a time-period from the time-point to current time, and a second position within the storage device on which the test is being performed at the current time. Then, the apparatus performs the test predetermined times on a range included in the storage device and including the first position, according to a testing procedure that has been used at the time-point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Minotani, Takahiro Osada, Hirokazu Ohta
  • Publication number: 20150143188
    Abstract: An embodiment of a method for accessing a storage unit of a flash memory, performed by a control unit, is disclosed to include at least the following steps. A transaction is appended to a bad-column table each time a bad column of a block within the storage unit is inspected. It is determined whether a total number of the transactions within the bad-column table is odd when the control unit determines that the last column of the block is a regular column. A transaction is appended to the bad-column table to indicate that the last column of the block is a bad column when the control unit determines that the total number of the transactions within the bad-column table is odd.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventor: Han-Cheng HUANG
  • Publication number: 20150143187
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for implementing enhanced performance with read before write to phase-change-memory. Each write to PCM is preceded by a read and a calculation to discover a location of any bad bits. The write data is converted to a format that can be corrected for a given number of previously undiscovered bit errors, and the writes are unverified.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Applicant: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Robert Eugeniu Mateescu, Dejan Vucinic, Cyril Guyot
  • Patent number: 9037921
    Abstract: The relative health of data storage drives may be determined based, at least in some aspects, on data access information and/or other drive operation information. In some examples, upon receiving the operation information from a computing device, a health level of a drive may be determined. The health level determination may be based at least in part on operating information received from a client entity. Additionally, a storage space allocation instruction or operation may be determined for execution. The allocation instruction or operation determined to be performed may be based at least in part on the determined health level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Marc J. Brooker, Tobias L. Holgers, Madhuvanesh Parthasarathy, Danny Wei
  • Patent number: 9037930
    Abstract: This disclosure includes a method for preventing errors in a DRAM (dynamic random access memory) due to weak cells that includes determining the location of a weak cell in a DRAM row, receiving data to write to the DRAM, and encoding the data into a bit vector to be written to memory. For each weak cell location, the corresponding bit from the bit vector is equal to the reliable logic state of the weak cell and the bit vector is longer than the data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michele M. Franceschini, Hillery C. Hunter, Ashish Jagmohan, Charles A. Kilmer, Kyu-hyoun Kim, Luis A. Lastras-Montano, Moinuddin K. Qureshi
  • Publication number: 20150135028
    Abstract: Embodiments are described that leverage variability of a chip. Different areas of a chip vary in terms of reliability under a same operating condition. The variability may be captured by measuring errors over different areas of the chip. A physical factor that affects or controls the likelihood of an error on the chip can be varied. For example, the voltage supplied to a chip may be provided at different levels. At each level of the physical factor, the chip is tested for errors within the regions. Some indication of the error statistics for the regions is stored and then used to adjust power used by the chip, to adjust reliability behavior of the chip, to allow applications to control how the chip is used, to compute a signature uniquely identifying the chip, etc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Inventors: Benjamin Zorn, Ray Bittner, Darko Kirovski, Karthik Pattabiraman
  • Publication number: 20150128000
    Abstract: In a method of operating a memory system including a memory device and a memory controller, the memory controller reads fail information from a fail info region included in the memory device. The memory controller maps a logical address related to a program to a physical address of a safe region based on the fail information to store the program in the safe region except the fail info region and a fail region included in the memory device. The memory controller loads the program into the safe region of the memory device according to the address mapping. The method of operating the memory system according to example embodiments increases the performance of the memory system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Inventors: Ju-Yun JUNG, Min-Yeab CHOO, Do-Geun KIM, Mi-Kyoung PARK, Dong-Yang LEE, Sun-Young LIM, Bu-Il JUNG, Hyuk HAN
  • Publication number: 20150121157
    Abstract: Layers in a multi-layer memory array are categorized according to likely error rates as predicted from their memory hole diameters. Data to be stored along a word line in a high risk layer is subject to a redundancy operation (e.g. XOR) with data to be stored along a word line in a low risk layer so that the risk of both being bad is low.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2013
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Applicant: SanDisk Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Deepak Raghu, Gautam A. Dusija, Chris Avila, Yingda Dong, Man Mui, Xiying Costa, Pao-Ling Koh
  • Patent number: 9015463
    Abstract: A memory device includes a non-volatile memory configured to store a repair data and output the repair data in response to an initialization signal, a plurality of registers configured to store the repair data outputted from the non-volatile memory, a plurality of memory banks configured to replace normal cells with redundant cells by using the repair data stored in corresponding registers among the plurality of registers, a verification circuit configured to generate a completion signal for informing that transfer of the repair data from the non-volatile memory to the plurality of registers is completed, and an output circuit configured to output the completion signal to a device other than the memory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Jeongsu Jeong, Youncheul Kim, Gwangyoung Stanley Jeong, Bokmoon Kang
  • Patent number: 9009550
    Abstract: A programmable Built In Self Test (pBIST) system used to test embedded memories where the memories under test are incorporated in a plurality of sub chips not integrated with the pBIST module. A distributed Data Logger is incorporated into each sub chip, communicating with the pBIST over serial and a compressed parallel data paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Raguram Damodaran, Naveen Bhoria, Aman Kokrady
  • Patent number: 9003247
    Abstract: Embodiments herein relate to a method for remapping data. In an embodiment, it is determined if a first memory block is faulty. A pointer is stored to the first memory block and a pointer flag of the first memory block is set when the first memory block is faulty. Data previously stored at the first memory block is written to a second memory block, where the pointer points to a location of the second memory block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Naveen Muralimanohar, Doe Hyun Yoon, Jichuan Chang, Parthasarathy Ranganathan, Norman Paul Jouppi
  • Patent number: 8996936
    Abstract: A method of correcting stored data includes reading data stored in a portion of a nonvolatile memory. The method includes, for each particular bit position of the read data, updating a count of data error instances associated with the particular bit position in response to detecting that the read data differs from a corresponding reference value of the particular bit position. The reading of the first portion and the updating of the counts of data error instances are performed for a particular number of repetitions. The method includes identifying each bit position having an associated count of data error instances equal to the particular number of repetitions as a recurring error bit position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Sandisk Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Saravanakumar Sevugapandian
  • Patent number: 8990646
    Abstract: An error test routine tests for a type of memory error by changing a content of a memory module. A memory handling procedure isolates the memory error in response to a positive outcome of the error test routine. The error test routine and memory handling procedure are to be performed at runtime transparent to an operating system. Information corresponding to isolating the memory error is stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Naveen Muralimanohar, Norman Paul Jouppi, Melvin K Benedict, Andrew C. Walton
  • Patent number: 8990647
    Abstract: Memory devices and methods include a stack of memory dies and a logic die. Method and devices include those that provide for repartitioning the stack of memory dies and storing the new partitions in a memory map. Repartitioning in selected configurations allows portions of memory to be removed from use without affecting the rest of the memory device. Additional devices, systems, and methods are included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Joe M. Jeddeloh
  • Publication number: 20150082106
    Abstract: Testing systems and methods, as well as memory devices using such testing systems and methods, may facilitate testing of memory devices using a read-modify-write test procedure. One such testing system receives a signal indicative of at least some of a plurality of bits of data read from an address differing from each other, and then masks subsequent write operations at the same address. Therefore, any address at which the bits of read data do not all have the same value may be considered to be faulty. Failure data from the test can therefore be stored in the same array of memory cells that is being tested.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2014
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Inventor: Michael A. Shore
  • Publication number: 20150074476
    Abstract: A data storing system performs a test operation on a memory block on which a read operation is determined to be failed, and determines whether the memory block is or is not a bad block based on a result of the test operation. The data storing system may improve reliability and yield of a device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2014
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Applicant: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Eui Jin KIM
  • Publication number: 20150067421
    Abstract: A dispersed storage processing unit selects a slice length for a data segment to be stored in a dispersed storage network (DSN). The data segment is encoded using a dispersed storage error coding function to produce a set of data slices in accordance with the slice length. A storage file is selected based on the slice length. A storage file identifier (ID) is generated that indicates the storage file. A set of DSN addresses are generated corresponding to the set of data slices, wherein the set of DSN addresses each include the storage file ID and a corresponding one of a plurality of offset identifiers (IDs). The set of data slices are written in accordance with the set of DSN addresses. A directory is updated to associate the set of DSN addresses with an identifier of the data segment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Applicant: CLEVERSAFE, INC.
    Inventors: Andrew Baptist, Ilya Volvovski, Wesley Leggette, Greg Dhuse, Jason K. Resch
  • Patent number: 8972822
    Abstract: A memory module includes a plurality of memory chips stacked on top of one another, each of the plurality of memory chips including a memory cell unit that is divided into a plurality of blocks, and an address scrambling circuit that processes an input address signal and that selects a block to be operated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Rikizo Nakano, Osamu Ishibashi, Sadao Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 8972776
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a non-volatile memory and a controller. The non-volatile memory includes a plurality of R-blocks. The controller is coupled to the non-volatile memory. The controller is configured to (i) write data using the R-blocks as a unit of allocation and (ii) perform recycling operations selectively on either an entire one of the R-blocks or a portion less than all of one of the R-blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Seagate Technology, LLC
    Inventors: Leonid Baryudin, Alex G. Tang, Earl T. Cohen
  • Patent number: 8966330
    Abstract: When a bad block is found in a nonvolatile memory array, the block is marked as a bad block so that it is not subsequently used. The block is also reconfigured as a bad block by increasing resistance of vertical NAND strings in the block by increasing threshold voltage of at least some transistors along vertical NAND strings, for example, select transistors or memory cell transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: SanDisk Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Deepak Raghu, Gautam Dusija, Chris Avila, Yingda Dong, Man Mui
  • Patent number: 8943270
    Abstract: In tiered storage subsystems in which pages are automatically allocated to appropriate storage media based on the access frequency in page units, since the number of storage media is not simply proportional to the performance, it was difficult to design in advance a tier configuration satisfying the required performance. According to the present invention, a cumulative curve of I/O distribution is created based on a result of measurement of I/O accesses performed to the storage subsystem, and RAID groups (RG) are allocated sequentially in order from RGs belonging to tiers having higher performances to the cumulative curve of I/O distribution. When either a performance limitation value or a capacity of the RG exceeds the cumulative curve of I/O distribution, a subsequent RG is allocated, and the process is repeated so as to compute the optimum tier configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideki Nagasaki, Hirokazu Ogasawara, Taro Ishizaki
  • Publication number: 20150019923
    Abstract: A method, computer readable medium, and system independently managing network applications within a network traffic management device communicating with networked clients and servers include monitoring with a network device a plurality of applications communicating over a plurality of direct memory access (DMA) channels established across a bus. The network device receives a request from a first application communicating over a first DMA channel in the plurality of DMA channels to restart the first DMA channel. In response to the request, the first DMA channel is disabled with the network device while allowing other executing applications in the plurality of applications to continue to communicate over other DMA channels in the plurality of DMA channels. A state of the first DMA channel is cleared independently from other DMA channels in the plurality of DMA channels, and communications for the first application over the first DMA channel are resumed with the network device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2010
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Applicant: F5 NETWORKS, INC.
    Inventors: Timothy Michels, Clay Jones
  • Publication number: 20150019926
    Abstract: An amount of time and an error rate function are received, where the error rate function defines a relationship between a number of iterations associated with iterative decoding and an error rate. A testing error rate is determined based at least in part on the amount of time. The number of iterations which corresponds to the testing error rate in the error rate function is selected to be a testing number of iterations; the testing error rate and the testing number of iterations are associated with testing storage media using iterative decoding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2014
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventors: Yu Kou, Lingqi Zeng
  • Patent number: 8935467
    Abstract: A memory system that includes a memory device and a memory controller. The memory device includes a plurality of memory cells, and a first storage unit configured to store information about a weak cell from among the plurality of memory cells. The memory controller is configured to transmit an operation command signal to the memory device, and control an operation of the memory device by using the information about the weak cell provided from the first storage unit. If the operation command signal is related to an operation to be performed using a first of the memory cells and the first memory cell is the weak cell, the memory device is configured to transmit the information about the weak cell to the memory controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hak Soo Yu, Joo Sun Choi, Hong Sun Hwang
  • Patent number: 8930327
    Abstract: In production applications that process and transfer secure and sensitive customer data, the heap dump files of these applications, which may be useful for debugging production issues and bugs, may contain secure and sensitive information. Thus, to make the useful debugging information available in heap dumps from production applications without compromising secure client data to those assigned to debugging and fixing production issues, these heap dumps may be scrubbed of sensitive information without scrubbing information that is useful for debugging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: salesforce.com, inc.
    Inventors: Fiaz Hossain, Zuye Zheng
  • Publication number: 20150006985
    Abstract: A data storage device may be configured with at least one data sector sync mark. Various embodiments are generally directed to a data sector having a sync mark and stored on a data storage medium with the sync mark having either a first or second patterns and a sync circuit configured to distinguish between the two different patterns to identify a status of at least some other portion of the data sector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2013
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Inventor: Bumseok Park
  • Patent number: 8924832
    Abstract: A data storage system configured to efficiently search and update system data is disclosed. In one embodiment, the data storage system can attempt to correct errors in retrieved data configured to index system data. Metadata stored along with user data in a memory location can be configured to indicate a logical address associated in a logical-to-physical location mapping with a physical address at which user data and metadata are stored. The data storage system can generate modified versions of logical address indicated by the metadata and determine whether such modified versions match the physical address in the logical-to-physical mapping. Modified versions of the logical address can be generated by flipping one or more bits in the logical address indicated by the metadata. Efficiency can be increased and improved performance can be attained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Johnny A. Lam
  • Publication number: 20140372816
    Abstract: A register not connected to a data bus is read by transferring data across an address bus to a device connected to the data bus, from which the data is read by a device connected to the data bus. The register resides in a register device connected via the address bus to a memory device that is connected to both the address bus and the data bus. A host processor triggers the register device to transfer information over the address bus to a register on the memory device. The host processor then reads the information from the register of the memory device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventors: Kuljit S. Bains, Klaus J. Ruff, George Vergis, Suneeta Sah
  • Patent number: 8910002
    Abstract: A test-ahead feature for non-volatile memory-based mass storage devices to anticipate device failure. The test-ahead feature includes a method performed with a solid-state mass storage device having a controller, a cache memory, and at least one non-volatile memory device. At least a first block is reserved on the at least one non-volatile memory device as a wear-indicator block and a plurality of second blocks are used for data storage. Information is stored corresponding to the number of write and erase cycles encountered by the second blocks during usage of the mass storage device, and the information is accessed to perform wear leveling among the second blocks. The wear-indicator blocks are subjected to an offset number of write and erase cycles in excess of the number of write and erase cycles encountered by the second blocks, after which an integrity check of the first block is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: OCZ Storage Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Franz Michael Schuette
  • Patent number: 8897109
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein are directed to a virtual repair of digital media using a virtual repair service. Digital media stored on a digital media device is read using a media player. A request is received by a virtual repair unit from the media player to perform a virtual repair of a segment of unreadable digital content of the digital media. The virtual repair unit retrieves a readable copy of the digital content corresponding to the segment of unreadable digital content identified in the request from a media repository using the virtual repair unit. The virtual repair unit transmits the readable copy of the digital content to the media player for insertion into a buffer of the media player.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Gavan Leonard Tredoux
  • Patent number: 8892969
    Abstract: Various embodiments comprise apparatus, methods, and systems including method comprising searching for a group address among a plurality of group addresses in a mapping table, and if a match is found, performing a memory operation on a first plurality of memory blocks indicated by the mapping table, and if a match is not found, performing a memory operation on a second plurality of memory blocks, the second plurality of memory blocks having the group address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Murray
  • Patent number: 8887013
    Abstract: A memory device includes a memory array with random defective memory cells. The memory array is organized into rows and columns with a row and column identifying a memory location of a memory cell of the memory array. The memory device includes a row address device and a column address device and is operative to use a grouping of either the row or the column addresses to manage the random defective memory cells by mapping the memory location of a defective memory cell to an alternate memory location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Avalanche Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Siamack Nemazie, Ebrahim Abedifard
  • Patent number: 8887012
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for saving and restoring soft repair information. One embodiment of the method includes storing soft repair information for one or more cache arrays implemented in a processor core in a memory element outside of the processor core in response to determining that a voltage supply to the processor core is to be disconnected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Bill K. Kwan, Atchyuth K. Gorti, Norm Hack, David Kaplan
  • Patent number: 8887014
    Abstract: This disclosure includes a method for preventing errors in a DRAM (dynamic random access memory) due to weak cells that includes determining the location of a weak cell in a DRAM row, receiving data to write to the DRAM, and encoding the data into a bit vector to be written to memory. For each weak cell location, the corresponding bit from the bit vector is equal to the reliable logic state of the weak cell and the bit vector is longer than the data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michele M. Franceschini, Hillery C. Hunter, Ashish Jagmohan, Charles A. Kilmer, Kyu-hyoun Kim, Luis A. Lastras-Montano, Moinuddin K. Qureshi
  • Patent number: 8874981
    Abstract: An exemplary method of creating a target storage layout table referenced for partitioning a storage space of a storage device includes following steps: identifying defective storage areas in the storage space of the storage device, and accordingly generating an identification result; and creating the target storage layout table according to the identification result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Mediatek Inc.
    Inventors: Meng-Chang Liu, Chen-Tsung Hsieh
  • Patent number: 8866502
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed to simultaneously, wirelessly test semiconductor components formed on a semiconductor wafer. The semiconductor components transmit respective outcomes of a self-contained testing operation to wireless automatic test equipment via a common communication channel. Multiple receiving antennas observe the outcomes from multiple directions in three dimensional space. The wireless automatic test equipment determines whether one or more of the semiconductor components operate as expected and, optionally, may use properties of the three dimensional space to determine a location of one or more of the semiconductor components. The wireless testing equipment may additionally determine performance of the semiconductor components by detecting infrared energy emitted, transmitted, and/or reflected by the semiconductor wafer before, during, and/or after a self-contained testing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Arya Reza Behzad, Ahmadreza Rofougaran, Sam Ziqun Zhao, Jesus Alfonso Castaneda, Michael Boers
  • Patent number: 8868601
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer program for consolidating data logged in log files in a network of servers, each server running at least one application that logs data into files on the server, the method comprising: providing a consolidating message queue for receiving the log data and file name; intercepting log data being written into a log file by a file system and sending that log data and the file name of the log file to a consolidating message queue; receiving the log data and file name in a consolidating message queue; and saving the log data in the consolidating message queue from all the servers to a consolidated file or data structure associated with the file name.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Richard Leigh
  • Patent number: 8862953
    Abstract: A method includes directing an access of a memory location of a memory device to an error correction code (ECC) decoder in response to receiving a test activation request indicating the memory location. The method also includes writing a test pattern to the memory location and reading a value from the memory location. The method further includes determining whether a fault is detected at the memory location based on a comparison of the test pattern and the value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Marc A. Gollub, Girisankar Paulraj, Diyanesh B. Vidyapoornachary, Kenneth L. Wright
  • Patent number: 8862952
    Abstract: A data storage system configured to perform prioritized memory scanning for memory errors is disclosed. In one embodiment, the data storage system prioritizes scanning for memory errors based on a quality attribute of pages or zones of a non-volatile memory array. Pages or zones having quality attributes that reflect a lower level of reliability or endurance than other pages or zones are scanned more frequently for memory errors. When memory errors are discovered, the quality attribute of pages or zones can be adjusted to reflect a lower level of reliability or endurance. In addition, stored data can be recovered before it may become permanently lost and before a host system reads the stored data. Improved performance of the data storage system is thereby attained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jing Booth, Andrew J. Tomlin