Half block management for flash storage devices
US9558108B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 4, 2013 |
| Grant date | Jan 31, 2017 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 12, 2034 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F2212/7205
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method for managing block erase operations is provided for an array of memory cells including erasable blocks of memory cells in the array. The method comprises maintaining status data for a plurality of sub-blocks of the erasable blocks of the array. The status data indicate whether the sub-blocks are currently accessible and whether the sub-blocks are invalid. The method comprises, in response to a request to erase a selected sub-block of a particular erasable block, issuing an erase command to erase the particular block if the other sub-blocks of the particular erasable block are invalid, else updating the status data to indicate that the selected sub-block is invalid.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.