Phison Electronics Corporation

Chien-Hua Chu

Chih-Kang Yeh

Kuo-Yi Cheng

Hong-Lipp Ko

Jia-Yi Fu

Li-Chun Liang

Wei-Chen Teo

Jiunn-Yeong Yang

Jui-Hsien Chang

Jian-Yo Su

Kok-Yong Tan

Horng-Sheng Yan

Shu-Hua Wang

A sleep mode enabling method for a memory storage apparatus is provided. The method includes: setting a sleep pin connecting flag as a first value if a potential signal on a device sleep signal pin is at a second logic level opposite to an initial first logic level; setting a device sleep function flag as the first value in response to a device sleep function enabling command received from a host system; and enabling a device sleep function of the memory storage apparatus if the device sleep function enabling command is received and the device sleep function flag is set as the first value.

Method of enabling sleep mode, memory control circuit unit and storage apparatus

A memory management method, a memory control circuit unit and a memory storage device are provided. The method includes: configuring a plurality of first type super physical units, and each of the first type super physical units includes at least two good physical erasing units which may be programmed simultaneously. The method also includes: configuring at least one second type super physical unit, and the at least one second type super physical unit includes at least two good physical erasing units which may not be programmed simultaneously.

Memory management method for configuring super physical units of rewritable non-volatile memory modules, memory control circuit unit and memory storage device

A data protection method for a memory storage apparatus is provided. The method includes obtaining a current system time from a host system as a boot time, if the memory storage apparatus is powered on, and a basic input/output system of the host system loads and executes instruction programs in the expansion ROM of the memory storage apparatus for transmitting the current system time to the memory storage apparatus. The method also includes obtaining a shutdown time corresponding to the memory storage apparatus; calculating an off time from the shutdown time to the boot time and performing a refresh operation on physical erasing units of a rewritable non-volatile memory in the memory storage apparatus if the off time is longer than an off time threshold.

Data protection method, memory control circuit unit and memory storage apparatus

A method of detecting a rewritable non-volatile memory module is provided. The method includes setting an output voltage of a write protect pin of a memory interface as a first logic level, giving a read status command and receiving a first status message. The method further includes determining whether a corresponding bit data in the first status message conforms to a status corresponding to the first logic level; and if yes, identifying that the rewritable non-volatile memory module has connected to the memory interface.

Method of detecting memory modules, memory control circuit unit and storage apparatus

A data transmitting method for a memory storage apparatus is provided. The method includes: initially setting a first threshold and a first accumulated value; and updating the first threshold by using the first threshold plus the first accumulated value at intervals of a first predetermined time. The method also includes when a detected temperature of the memory storage apparatus is greater than or equal to a temperature threshold, determining whether a size of received writing data is greater than or equal to the first threshold; and if no, writing the writing data into a rewritable non-volatile memory module and then updating the first threshold by using the first threshold minus the size of the writing data; and if yes, not writing the writing data into the rewritable non-volatile memory module. Accordingly, the method can effectively prevent overheat of system during operations of the memory storage apparatus.

Data transmitting method, memory control circuit unit and memory storage apparatus

A temperature management method suitable for a memory storage device having a rewritable non-volatile memory module and a memory controller used for controlling the rewritable non-volatile memory module are provided. The temperature management method includes detecting and determining whether the hot-spot temperature of the memory storage device is higher than a predetermined temperature; and when affirmative, making the memory controller execute a cooling process, so as to reduce the hot-spot temperature of the memory storage device. Accordingly, the problem of heat buildup of the (rewritable non-volatile) memory storage device can be mitigated, as well as the problems of data loss and device aging of the (rewritable non-volatile) memory storage device.

Memory storage device, memory controller, and temperature management method

A memory management method, a memory control circuit unit using the method, and a memory storage apparatus using the method are provided. The memory management method includes determining whether a use count of the rewritable non-volatile memory module is greater than a use count threshold; based on a result of the determination, sorting each physical erasing unit in a spare area in an ascending manner according to an erasing count of each physical erasing unit in the spare area or according to the number of maximum bit errors of the physical erasing units in the spare area, so as to form a plurality of sorted physical erasing units; and selecting the foremost physical erasing unit from the spare area to write data according to the sorted physical erasing units. By applying the memory management method, the lifespan of the rewritable non-volatile memory module may be effectively prolonged.

Memory management method, memory control circuit unit and memory storage apparatus

A data accessing method, and a storage system and a controller using the same are provided. The data accessing method is suitable for a flash memory storage system having a data perturbation module. The data accessing method includes receiving a read command from a host and obtaining a logical block to be read and a page to be read from the read command. The data accessing method also includes determining whether a physical block in a data area corresponding to the logical block to be read is a new block and transmitting a predetermined data to the host when the physical block corresponding to the logical block to be read is a new block. Thereby, the host is prevented from reading garbled code from the flash memory storage system having the data perturbation module.

Data accessing method for flash memory storage device having data perturbation module, and storage system and controller using the same

A data processing method for a re-writable non-volatile memory module is provided. The method includes receiving a write data stream associating to a logical access address of a logical programming unit; selecting a physical programming unit; and determining whether the write data stream associates with a kind of pattern. The method includes, if the write data stream associates with the kind of pattern, setting identification information corresponding to the logical access address as an identification value corresponding to the pattern, and storing the identification information corresponding to the logical access address into a predetermined area, wherein the write data stream is not programmed into the selected physical programming unit. The method further includes mapping the logical programming unit to the physical programming unit. Accordingly, the method can effectively shorten the time for writing data into the re-writable non-volatile memory module.

Data processing method, and memory controller and memory storage device using the same

A controlling method for a memory storage device is provided. The method includes: disposing a rewriteable non-volatile memory module which is operated at a first working voltage in the memory storage device; and detecting whether the first working voltage is lower than a first voltage threshold. The method also includes: detecting whether a circuit component working voltage is lower than a circuit component voltage threshold; when the first working voltage is lower than the first voltage threshold, setting the memory storage device to stop executing commands from a host system and to stop giving commands to the rewriteable non-volatile memory module; and, when the circuit component working voltage is lower than the circuit component voltage threshold, enabling a reset signal to stop receiving and executing commands from the host system. Therefore, the method can effectively improve the stability of the memory storage device.

Memory storage device, memory controller and controlling method

A memory storage apparatus having a rewritable non-volatile memory module, a first circuit, a memory controller and a power management circuit is provided. The first circuit outputs a state signal and keeps the state signal in a first state when the first circuit is enabled, and then the first circuit keeps the state signal in a second state after a predetermined condition is satisfied. When the memory controller receives a first signal, the power management circuit stops supplying an output voltage to the rewritable non-volatile memory module and the memory controller. Additionally, when the memory controller is enabled, the memory controller determines whether the state signal is in the first state. If true, the memory controller performs a first procedure; and if not, the memory controller performs a second procedure.

Memory storage apparatus, and memory controller and power control method

A data protection method adapted to a rewritable non-volatile memory module having a plurality of physical blocks is provided. The data protection method includes following steps. If the rewritable non-volatile memory module is powered on, a power-off period from last time the rewritable non-volatile memory module is powered off till present is obtained. If the power-off period is longer than a time threshold, whether each physical block satisfies an update condition is determined according to a block information of the physical block. An update procedure is executed on the physical blocks that satisfy the update condition. The update procedure is configured to read data from a physical block and rewrite the data into one of the physical blocks. Thereby, data in the physical blocks is protected from being easily lost, and the lifespan of the rewritable non-volatile memory module is prolonged.

Data protection method, and memory controller and memory storage device using the same

A system operation method for controlling a rewritable non-volatile memory module is provided. The rewritable non-volatile memory module includes a plurality of physical blocks. The system operation method includes following steps. A first signal is received from a host system through a host interface. Whether a system setting of the host interface is to be modified is determined. If the system setting is to be modified, a system parameter is read from the physical blocks, and the system setting is modified according to the system parameter. A second signal is transmitted to the host system to establish a connection recognition between the rewritable non-volatile memory module and the host system. Thereby, the settings of transmission between the host system and the rewritable non-volatile memory module are made more flexible.

Modifying a host interface setting for a non-volatile memory module

A block management method for managing physical blocks of a rewritable non-volatile memory module, and a memory controller and a memory storage device using the same are provided. The method includes maintaining an error information table for recording one or more error correctable physical blocks among the physical blocks and an error bit number corresponding to the one or more error correctable physical blocks. The method further includes selecting a physical block for writing data according to the one or more error correctable physical blocks and the error bit number thereof recorded in the error information table. Accordingly, the data stability of the memory storage device can be improved.

Growing community of inventors

Hsinchu County, Taiwan

Chien-Hua Chu