Solid State Memory Patents (Class 714/773)
  • Publication number: 20150149872
    Abstract: A method for encoding an input data block for storage in q-level cells of solid-state memory includes producing a preliminary block from the input data block by modulation encoding at least part of the input block into a first group of qary symbols via a first drift-tolerant encoding scheme, the preliminary block comprising the first group of qary symbols and any remainder of the input block not encoded via the first encoding scheme; generating parity data for the preliminary block via an error-correction encoding scheme; modulation encoding the parity data and any remainder of the input block into a second group of qary symbols via a second drift-tolerant encoding scheme; and supplying the qary symbols of the first and second groups for storage in respective q-level memory cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Inventors: Thomas Mittelholzer, Nikolaos Papandreou, Charalampos Pozidis
  • Publication number: 20150143201
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a memory system includes a plurality of memory devices and a memory controller operatively coupled to the memory devices. The memory controller is configured to partition write data into a plurality of data blocks, where each data block is associated with one of the memory devices. The memory controller is further configured to generate an instance of a local error-correcting code (ECC) corresponding to each data block, and merge each data block with the corresponding instance of the local ECC to form an encoded data block for each memory device. Additionally, the memory controller is configured to write each encoded data block to the memory devices such that each memory device stores one of the data blocks with the corresponding instance of the local ECC. A global ECC and a local ECC of the global ECC can also be included in the memory system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Paul W. Coteus, Hillery C. Hunter, Charles A. Kilmer, Kyu-hyoun Kim, Warren E. Maule, Kenneth L. Wright
  • Publication number: 20150143202
    Abstract: Systems and method relating generally to solid state memory, and more particularly to systems and methods for generated data from a solid state memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2013
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Applicant: LSI Corporation
    Inventors: Zhengang Chen, Yunxiang Wu, Erich F. Haratsch
  • Publication number: 20150143203
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a memory device suitable for outputting health monitoring data including information on a threshold voltage distribution, and outputting read data read from memory cells included in the memory device, and a controller suitable for receiving a predetermined quantity of the read data from the memory device based on the health monitoring data, and performing a decoding operation for an error correction by using the received read data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Applicant: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Jae Bum KIM, Sang Chul LEE
  • Patent number: 9037951
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for controlling data management operations including storage of data in solid state storage of a solid state storage system. Input data is stored in successive groups of data write locations in the solid state storage. Each group comprises a set of write locations in each of a plurality of logical subdivisions of the solid state storage. The input data to be stored in each group is encoded in accordance with first and second linear error correction codes. The encoding is performed by constructing from the input data to be stored in each group a logical array of rows and columns of data symbols. The rows and columns are respectively encoded in accordance with the first and second linear error correction codes to produce an encoded array in which all rows correspond to respective first codewords and columns correspond to respective second codewords.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Roy D. Cideciyan, Evangelos S. Eleftheriou, Robert Haas, Xiao-Yu Hu, Ilias Iliadas, Thomas Mittelholzer
  • Publication number: 20150135040
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array having a first group of main blocks, a second group of main blocks and redundancy blocks replacing the first group of main blocks or the second group of main blocks, a repair logic suitable for enabling a replacement signal when one or more of the second group of main blocks are defective, a control logic suitable for generating an address for the second group of main blocks in response to a dedicated command for access to one or more of the second group of main blocks, and an address decoder suitable for selecting one or more of the redundancy blocks based on the address for the second group of main blocks when the replacement signal is enabled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2014
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Applicant: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Sang Kyu LEE, Chang Geun KIM
  • Publication number: 20150135039
    Abstract: A data storage device includes a non-volatile memory and a controller. A method includes initiating a write operation to write first data to a first word line of a multi-level cell (MLC) block of the non-volatile memory. The method further includes compensating, in response to an event that interrupts programming at the first word line, for incompletion of a write disturb effect at the MLC block due to the event by copying second data from a second word line of the MLC block to a second block of the non-volatile memory or by writing dummy data to the second word line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2013
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Applicant: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventors: EVGENY MEKHANIK, ARSENIY AHARONOV
  • Publication number: 20150135038
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for post package repair are disclosed. An apparatus can include memory cells in a package. A storage element can store information responsive to a post-package repair mode being activated. The information can identify an address mapped to a portion of the memory cells to be repaired. The storage element can store the information responsive to data received from nodes of the package. A walking token circuit can interrogate the information stored in the storage element in a serial fashion responsive to the post-package repair mode being activated. A mapping circuit can remap, responsive to the interrogation, the address to be repaired to another portion of the memory cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2013
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Applicant: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Alan J. Wilson, Jeffrey Wright
  • Patent number: 9032272
    Abstract: Methods of operating memory systems and nonvolatile memory devices include performing error checking and correction (ECC) operations on M pages of data read from a first “source” portion of M-bit nonvolatile memory cells within the nonvolatile memory device to thereby generate M pages of ECC-processed data, where M is a positive integer greater than two (2). A second “target” portion of M-bit nonvolatile memory cells within the nonvolatile memory device is then programmed with the M pages of ECC-processed data using, for example, an address-scrambled reprogramming technique.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sangyong Yoon, Kitae Park, Jinman Han
  • Patent number: 9032263
    Abstract: Embodiments herein provide data recovery techniques and configurations for solid state memory devices. For example, a method includes identifying a hard error associated with a cell of a solid state memory device, providing a location of the cell having the identified hard error to a decoder to recover data originally programmed to the cell, and recovering the data originally programmed to the cell using the decoder. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Marvell World Trade Ltd.
    Inventor: Xueshi Yang
  • Patent number: 9032273
    Abstract: An embodiment relates to a method for data processing that includes reading data, the data comprising overhead information and payload information, and determining a state of each portion of the data, wherein the state is one of a first binary state, a second binary state, and an undefined state. The method also includes decoding at least one portion of data that has an undefined state based on its location and based on the overhead information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Jan Otterstedt, Rainer Goettfert
  • Publication number: 20150128011
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods for reading a set of bits from a NVM array (such as a SPI or parallel NOR NVM or otherwise) including: retrieving each of the set of bits from the NVM array substantially in parallel, applying substantially in parallel to each of the retrieved bits a segmented search, each search indexed using an order number of the respective bit being checked, and correcting a bit whose search indicates an error.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2013
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Applicant: Spansion LLC
    Inventors: Amir Rochman, Kobi Danon, Avri Harush
  • Patent number: 9026893
    Abstract: A data storage device is disclosed comprising non-volatile solid-state array comprising M storage elements for storing data protected by Reed-Solomon (R-S) code, each storage element comprising multiple blocks, each block comprising multiple pages for storing data. The data storage device further comprises a controller in communication with the storage array and defining a superblock comprising logical grouping of M blocks, each located in different storage element, and multiple superpages in each superblock, each superpage comprising M pages, each located in a different storage element. The controller generates, for each superpage, at least one R-S code parity page for protecting data pages in the superpage, where number of data pages and the at least one parity page is equal to M?1. The controller assigns one page in each superpage as an inactive page not used in the R-S code, where at least two inactive pages are in different storage elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Mei-Man L. Syu, Cliff Pajaro
  • Patent number: 9026892
    Abstract: A storage device includes a nonvolatile memory, a volatile memory, and a memory controller. The volatile memory includes a free block management table, and a worn block management table. If the number of free blocks is equal to or larger than a threshold value 1, and errors of the number of equal to or larger than a threshold value 2 but smaller than a threshold value 3 are included in the data read from the nonvolatile memory, the memory controller registers the block in the worn block management table as a worn block. If the number of free blocks becomes smaller than the threshold value 1, the memory controller registers the worn block registered in the worn block management table in the free block management table as the free block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryoichi Inada, Ryo Fujita, Yuzuru Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9026887
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods for physical page, logical page, and codeword correspondence. A number of methods include error coding a number of logical pages of data as a number of codewords and writing the number of codewords to a number of physical pages of memory. The number of logical pages of data can be different than the number of physical pages of memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Troy A. Manning, Troy D. Larsen, Martin L. Culley
  • Publication number: 20150121174
    Abstract: A semiconductor storing device and a redundancy method thereof are provided. The semiconductor storing device is for example a NAND flash memory, which includes: a storing array including a storing area and a redundancy storing area with a redundancy element; a page buffer; a row selecting circuit; an ECC circuit; and an I/O buffer. The row selecting circuit transforms defect data included in core data retained by a cache register into redundancy data retained by a redundancy cache register, and provides the transformed data to the ECC circuit, and the data corrected by the ECC circuit as the core data is written to the cache register again. During this period, the row selecting circuit outputs the corrected data retained in the cache register to the I/O buffer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2014
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventor: Harunobu Nakagawa
  • Publication number: 20150121173
    Abstract: The present invention is related to systems and methods for data storage compression.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2013
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Applicant: LSI Corporation
    Inventors: Shaohua Yang, Ebad Ahmed
  • Patent number: 9021337
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods provide relatively low uncorrectable bit error rates, low write amplification, long life, fast and efficient retrieval, and efficient storage density such that a solid-state drive (SSD) can be implemented using relatively inexpensive MLC Flash for an enterprise storage application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: PMC-Sierra, Inc.
    Inventor: Philip L. Northcott
  • Patent number: 9021338
    Abstract: A memory system comprises a nonvolatile memory device comprising a memory cell array comprising first and second memory blocks, and a memory controller configured to control the nonvolatile memory device to read data from the first memory block, selectively determine an error correction operation to be performed on the data after it is read from the first memory block based on a state of at least one of the first and second memory blocks, and then store the data in the second memory block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sang-Hyun Joo, Kitae Park, Sangyong Yoon, Jaeyong Jeong
  • Patent number: 9021332
    Abstract: An apparatus having a circuit and one or more processor is disclosed. The circuit is configured to receive a codeword from a memory. The memory is nonvolatile. The codeword generally has one or more errors. The processors are configured to generate read data by decoding the codeword repeatedly. The decoding includes a soft-decision decoding that uses a plurality of parameters calculated by (i) a first procedure, (ii) a second procedure in response to a plurality of failures of the decoding to converge using the first procedure and (iii) a third procedure in response to another failure of the decoding to converge using the second procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Erich F. Haratsch, Jeremy Werner, Zhengang Chen, Earl T. Cohen, Yunxiang Wu, Ning Chen
  • Patent number: 9021339
    Abstract: A data storage system configured to implement a data reliability scheme is disclosed. In one embodiment, a data storage system controller detects uncorrectable errors using intra page parity when data units are read from a set of pages. When an uncorrectable error is detected, the data storage system controller attempts to recover user data using inter page parity without using all data from each page of the set of pages. Recovery of user data can thereby be performed without reading all data from each page. As a result, the amount of time needed to read data can be reduced in some cases and overall data storage system performance can be increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignees: Western Digital Technologies, Inc., Skyera, Inc.
    Inventors: Guangming Lu, Leader Ho, Radoslav Danilak, Rodney N. Mullendore, Justin Jones, Andrew J. Tomlin
  • Patent number: 9021336
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods provide relatively low uncorrectable bit error rates, low write amplification, long life, fast and efficient retrieval, and efficient storage density such that a solid-state drive (SSD) can be implemented using relatively inexpensive MLC Flash for an enterprise storage application. Both primary parity symbols for primary codewords and secondary parity symbols for secondary codewords are generated. The secondary parity symbols are spread out across each page of a group of pages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: PMC-Sierra, Inc.
    Inventor: Philip L. Northcott
  • Patent number: 9021340
    Abstract: Error correction decoding is performed on a codeword where the codeword is unable to be successfully decoded. One or more bits in the codeword are selected to be replaced with an erasure. The selected bits in the codeword is/are replaced with an erasure to obtain a codeword with one or more erasures. Error correction decoding is performed on the codeword with one or more erasures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: SK hynix memory solutions inc.
    Inventors: Yu Kou, Xiangyu Tang
  • Publication number: 20150113318
    Abstract: Systems and methods relating generally to solid state memory, and more particularly to systems and methods for recovering data from a solid state memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2013
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Applicant: LSI Corporation
    Inventors: Yunxiang Wu, Yu Cai, Erich F. Haratsch
  • Publication number: 20150113358
    Abstract: A data management method, a memory controller and a memory storage apparatus are provided. The method includes grouping a plurality of physical units of a rewritable non-volatile memory module into at least a data area and a free area. The method also includes configuring a plurality of logical units for mapping a part of the physical units. The method further includes receiving at least two pieces of update data, which are corresponding to different logical pages of the logical units. The method further includes getting a physical unit from the physical units. The method further includes writing the at least two pieces of update data into the same one physical page of the gotten physical unit. Accordingly, the use efficiency of the physical units could be improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 25, 2014
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Inventor: Chih-Kang Yeh
  • Patent number: 9015559
    Abstract: A method for data storage includes storing data in a memory that includes one or more memory units, each memory unit including memory blocks. The stored data is compacted by copying at least a portion of the data from a first memory block to a second memory block, and subsequently erasing the first memory block. Upon detecting a failure in the second memory block after copying the portion of the data and before erasure of the first memory block, the portion of the data is recovered by reading the portion from the first memory block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ofir Shalvi, Naftali Sommer, Uri Perlmutter, Julian Vlaiko, Moshe Neerman
  • Patent number: 9015560
    Abstract: An integrated circuit including a first interface, a decoder, and a controller. The first interface is configured to (i) write encoded data in a portion of a flash memory, and (ii) read the encoded data back from the flash memory. The decoder is configured to (i) according to an error correction code, decode the encoded data read back from the flash memory, and (ii) based on the decoded data, determine a number of decoding errors corresponding to the decoded data. The controller is configured to, in response to the number of decoding errors being greater than or equal to a first threshold, cease accessing the portion of the flash memory. The first threshold is less than a number of errors correctable by the error correction code for the portion of the flash memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventors: Chen Kuo Huang, Sui-Hung Fred Au, Xueshi Yang, Lau Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9015561
    Abstract: In a three-dimensional nonvolatile memory, physical layers are zoned according to expected error rate. Different redundancy schemes are applied to different zones so that a high degree of redundancy is applied to a zone with a high expected error rate and a low degree of redundancy is applied to a zone with a low expected error rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: SanDisk Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Xinde Hu
  • Publication number: 20150106678
    Abstract: A semiconductor system includes a memory configured to output a parity bit during a read operation and receive a data mask (DM) signal during a write operation. The semiconductor system also includes a System On Chip (SOC) configured to detect errors by decoding the parity bit during the read operation, and output the DM signal to the memory during the write operation. Since the parity bit is generated in the memory based on data received from outside the memory, the semiconductor device and a corresponding semiconductor system may reduce the size of a storage space for parity bits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2014
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Applicant: SK HYNIX INC.
    Inventor: Seon Kwang JEON
  • Patent number: 9009566
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of operating a memory device storing error correcting codes ECCs for corresponding data and including ECC logic to correct errors using the ECCs. The method includes correcting data using ECCs for the data on the memory device, and producing information on the memory device about the use of the ECCs. The method provides the ECC information on an output port of the device in response to a command received on an input port from a process external to the memory device. The present invention also provides a method of controlling a memory device. The method includes sending a command to the memory device requesting ECC information corresponding to data in the memory device, and receiving the ECC information from the memory device in response to the command. The method includes performing a memory management function using the ECC information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Macronix International Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chun-Hsiung Hung, Hsin Yi Ho
  • Patent number: 9009576
    Abstract: Systems, methods and/or devices that enhance the reliability with which data can be stored in and read from a memory utilize an error indicator to adaptively determine the soft information values used for decoding. For example, in some implementations, the method includes selecting a first set of one or more soft information values and receiving a read data command. The method further includes responding to the read data command by initiating performance of a data access operation to access data in a storage medium, the data access operation producing a syndrome weight; determining a first indicator based at least in part on the syndrome weight; based on the first indicator, selecting a second set of one or more soft information values; and decoding data obtained from the data access operation using the second set of one or more soft information values to produce a result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: SanDisk Enterprise IP LLC
    Inventors: Seungjune Jeon, Ying Tai, Jiangli Zhu, Xiaoheng Chen
  • Patent number: 9009571
    Abstract: A storage medium receiving write data provided by a host device, providing read data to the host and including a first module and a second module is disclosed. The first module includes a first memory cell and a first controller. The first memory cell stores the write data. The first controller reads the first memory cell to generate a first accessing result. The second module includes a second memory cell and a second controller. The second memory cell stores the write data. The second controller reads the second memory cell. When the first accessing result has an error and the error cannot be corrected by the first controller, the first controller requests the second controller to read the second memory cell to generate a second accessing result, and the second controller serves the second accessing result as the read data and provides the read data to the host.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Silicon Motion, Inc.
    Inventors: Cheng-Wei Liu, Hsu-Ping Ou
  • Publication number: 20150100853
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for storing a validity mask and operating apparatuses are described. A number of methods for operating an apparatus include storing a validity mask that is associated with a number of pages of memory cells in a group of pages and that provides validity information for the number of pages of memory cells in the group of pages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2014
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Inventor: Steven R. Narum
  • Publication number: 20150100854
    Abstract: A data storage system configured to adaptively code data is disclosed. In one embodiment, a data storage system controller determines a common memory page size, such as an E-page size, for a non-volatile memory array. Based on the common memory page size, the controller selects a low-density parity-check (LDPC) code word length from a plurality of pre-defined LDPC code word lengths. The controller determines LDPC coding parameters for coding data written to or read from the memory array based on the selected LDPC code word length. By using the plurality of pre-defined LDPC code word lengths, the data storage system can support multiple non-volatile memory page formats, including memory page formats in which the common memory page size does not equal any LDPC code word length of the plurality of pre-defined LDPC code word lengths. Flexibility and efficiency of data coding can thereby be achieved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Inventor: Guangming LU
  • Publication number: 20150100852
    Abstract: A method of operating a memory device storing ECCs for corresponding data is provided. The method includes writing an extended ECC during a first program operation, the extended ECC including an ECC and an extended bit derived from the ECC. The method includes overwriting the extended ECC with a pre-determined state during a second program operation to indicate the second program operation. The method includes, setting the ECC to an initial ECC state before the first program operation; during the first program operation, computing the ECC, changing the ECC to the initial ECC state if the computed ECC equals the pre-determined state; and changing the extended bit to an initial value if the ECC equals the initial ECC state. The method includes reading an extended ECC including an extended bit and an ECC for corresponding data, and determining whether to enable ECC logic using the extended ECC.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2013
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Applicant: Macronix International Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shih-Chang Huang, Ken-Hui Chen, Chun-Hsiung Hung
  • Publication number: 20150100851
    Abstract: A system and method for adaptive enhanced post write reads (EPWRs) is provided. An error rate of a block of solid state memory may be determined. Foldings may be performed more times between two consecutive enhanced post write reads on the block when the determined error rate of the block is a lower value than when the determined error rate is a higher value. The foldings may be performed by folding data into the block of the solid state memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2013
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Inventors: Abhijeet Bhalerao, Mrinal Kochar, Piyush Sagdeo
  • Patent number: 9003261
    Abstract: A memory system includes a first nonvolatile memory, a second nonvolatile memory with a longer access latency than the first nonvolatile memory, a first error correction unit, a second error correction unit, and an interface. The first nonvolatile memory stores first data and a first error correction code generated for the first data. The second nonvolatile memory stores a second error correction code which is generated for the first data with a higher correction ability than that of the first error correction code. The first error correction unit performs error correction on the first data by using the first error correction code. The second error correction unit performs error correction on the first data by using the second error correction code. The interface transmits the first data after the error correction to a host.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Ikuo Magaki, Naoto Oshiyama, Kenichiro Yoshii, Kosuke Hatsuda, Shirou Fujita, Tokumasa Hara, Kohei Oikawa, Kenta Yasufuku
  • Patent number: 9003262
    Abstract: An operating method of a memory controller includes classifying a plurality of blocks in a memory cell array included in a flash memory into a first group and a second group according to the number of error bits in data programmed to each of the blocks, and creating a combinational block by combining a first block from the first group with a second block from the second group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: SAMSUNG Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae-Wook Lee, Yang Sup Lee, Jeong Beom Seo
  • Patent number: 9003265
    Abstract: Method for processing a non-volatile memory designed to store words containing data bits and control bits allowing an error correction with an error correction code, the method comprising the storage of information in the memory plane comprising an operation for writing in the memory plane at least one digital word modified with respect to at least one initial digital word not having any erroneous bit, said at least one modified digital word containing a bit having a modified value with respect to the value of this bit in said at least one initial digital word, the other bits of the modified digital word having values identical to those of these same bits in the initial digital word, the position of the modified bit in said at least one modified digital word defining the value of the digital information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Rousset) SAS
    Inventor: Francois Tailliet
  • Patent number: 9003264
    Abstract: A method for recovering corrupted data stored in persistent memory provides protection against, at least, loss of a single block, loss of a single page, as well as a high number of random retention errors. In some implementations, each data element in a quadrant of the persistent memory is protected by a row check word and a diagonal check word. Each row check word includes a value resulting from a mathematical operation performed on a respective row set comprising a set of data elements and each diagonal check word in the quadrant includes a value resulting from a mathematical operation performed on a respective diagonal set comprising a set of data elements distributed over the banks, blocks and pages in the quadrant so that failure of any one page, block or die in the quadrant does not result in the loss of any data in the quadrant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: SanDisk Enterprise IP LLC
    Inventor: Douglas A. Prins
  • Patent number: 9003263
    Abstract: A method of generating a hardware encoder includes generating a first directed graph characterizing a constraint set for a constrained system, identifying a scaling factor for an approximate eigenvector for the first directed graph, applying the scaling factor to the approximate eigenvector for the first directed graph to yield a scaled approximate eigenvector, partitioning arcs between each pair of states in the first directed graph, performing a state splitting operation on the first directed graph according to the partitioning of the arcs to yield a second directed graph, and generating the hardware encoder based on the second directed graph.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: LSI Corporation
    Inventors: Razmik Karabed, Shaohua Yang, Wu Chang, Victor Krachkovsky
  • Publication number: 20150095741
    Abstract: A decoding method, a memory storage device and a memory controlling circuit unit are provided. The method includes: reading memory cells according to a first reading voltage to obtain first verifying bits; executing a decoding procedure including a probability decoding algorithm according to the first verifying bits to obtain first decoded bits, and determining whether a decoding is successful by using the decoded bits; if the decoding is failed, reading the memory cells according to a second reading voltage to obtain second verifying bits, and executing the decoding procedure according to the second verifying bits to obtain second decoded bits. The second reading voltage is different from the first reading voltage, and the number of the second reading voltage is equal to the number of the first reading voltage. Accordingly, the ability for correcting errors is improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Applicant: PHISON ELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Wei Lin, Shao-Wei Yen, Yu-Hsiang Lin, Kuo-Hsin Lai, Kuo-Yi Cheng
  • Publication number: 20150095736
    Abstract: Provided are an apparatus, system, and method for performing an error recovery operation with respect to a read of a block of memory cells in a storage device. A current iteration of a decoding operation is performed by applying at least one reference voltage for the current iteration to a block of the memory cells in the storage device to determine current read values in response to applying the reference voltage. A symbol is generated for each of the read memory cells by combining the determined current read value with at least one value saved during the previous iteration. The symbols are used to determine bit reliability metrics for the block of memory cells. The bit reliability metrics are decoded. In response to the decoding failing, an additional iteration of the decoding operation is performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Applicant: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Lark-Hoon LEEM, Xin GUO, Ravi H. MOTWANI, Rosanna YEE, Scott E. NELSON
  • Publication number: 20150095742
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods, systems, and apparatuses related to multilevel encoding with error correction. In some embodiments, a plurality of bits may be encoded into a plurality of memory cells by level-shifting a subset of the plurality of multilevel memory cells for a bit of the plurality of bits. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventor: Christopher Bueb
  • Patent number: 8996961
    Abstract: An apparatus having an interface and a circuit is shown. The interface is coupled to a memory that is nonvolatile. The circuit is configured to (i) read a plurality of codewords from a block in the memory based on a program/erase count associated with the block, (ii) count a number of iterations used to decode the codewords and (iii) decrease a code rate of an error correction coding used to program the block in response to the number of iterations exceeding a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Zhengang Chen, Jeremy Werner, Earl T. Cohen, Ning Chen, AbdelHakim S. Alhussien, Erich F. Haratsch
  • Patent number: 8996957
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods provide relatively low uncorrectable bit error rates, low write amplification, long life, fast and efficient retrieval, and efficient storage density such that a solid-state drive (SSD) can be implemented using relatively inexpensive MLC Flash for an enterprise storage application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: PMC-Sierra, Inc.
    Inventor: Philip L. Northcott
  • Patent number: 8996958
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for decoding a codeword received from a flash memory. The flash memory comprises multi-level flash memory cells, wherein each multi-level flash memory cell stores one symbol of the codeword. An ECC decoder is arranged for decoding the codeword into a decoded codeword and correcting a maximum number of errors. The method determines the number of errors in the codeword. If the number of errors is more than the maximum number of errors that the ECC decoder can correct, the method generates modified codewords, calculates a corrective effect of a modified codeword, and determines a decoded codeword based on the corrective effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Roy D. Cideciyan, Ilias Iliadis, Roman Pletka
  • Patent number: 8996959
    Abstract: During a garbage collection process for a non-volatile memory device of a storage device, an adaptive copy-back method selectively performs either an external or an internal copy-back operation in view of certain performance conditions for a storage device. The external copy-back operation is performed when a number of error-corrected bits per unit size of read data exceeds a given threshold value, and the internal copy-back operation is performed when the number of error-corrected bits does not exceed the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyun-Uk Jung, Dong-Gil Lee, Jin-Yeong Kim
  • Patent number: 8996960
    Abstract: Techniques for operating a DIMM apparatus. The apparatus comprises a plurality of DRAM devices numbered from 0 through N?1, where N is an integer greater than seven (7), each of the DRAM devices is configured in a substrate module; a buffer integrated circuit device comprising a plurality of data buffers (DB) numbered from 0 through N?1, where N is an integer greater than seven (7), each of the data buffers corresponds to one of the DRAM devices; and a plurality of error correcting modules (“ECMs”) associated with the plurality of DRAM devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Inphi Corporation
    Inventors: Nirmal Raj Saxena, David Wang, Hamid Rategh, Lawrence Tse
  • Patent number: 8996956
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a memory region configured to include a plurality of banks and a redundancy region within each of the banks and an error check and correction (ECC) region configured to detect an address of the memory region at which an error has occurred and correct a defect of the memory region by replacing the address at which the error has occurred with a redundancy line of the redundancy region based on address information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Hyung Gyun Yang, Hyung Dong Lee, Yong Kee Kwon, Young Suk Moon