Patent · US Active

Block management method, and storage system and controller using the same

US8250286B2 · kind B2 · utility

18Cited by
4References
25Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateOct 28, 2008
Grant dateAug 21, 2012
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 22, 2031

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C2211/5641
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A block management method for managing a multi level cell (MLC) NAND flash memory is provided, wherein the MLC NAND flash memory has a plurality of physical blocks grouped into at least a data area and a spare area, each of the physical blocks has a plurality of pages divided into a plurality of upper pages, and a plurality of lower pages with a writing speed thereof being greater than that of the upper pages. The block management method includes configuring a plurality of logical blocks for being accessed by a host, recording the logical block belonging to a frequently accessed block and executing a special mode to use the lower pages of at least two physical blocks of the MLC NAND flash memory for storing data of one logical block belonging to the frequently accessed block. Accordingly, it is possible to increase the access speed of a storage system.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.