Allocation of sparing resources in a magnetoresistive solid-state storage device
US6973604B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 8, 2002 |
| Grant date | Dec 6, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 26, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11C29/72
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A magnetoresistive state-solid state storage device having arrays of magnetoresistive storage cells. Sparing resources such as a plurality of spare rows are allocated to replace rows of storage cells which are affected by physical failures. A count is made for the number of failed rows within each array, and a count is also made of the number of failed rows within a cross-array row set spread across plural arrays. A spare row or rows are allocated by selecting a cross-array row set affected by the highest number of failed rows and therefore most likely to lead to unreliable data storage, and then selecting an array in this cross-array row set having the lowest number of failed rows, and therefore the least competition for sparing resources. The method proceeds iteratively with counts updated as sparing resources are allocated.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.