Silicon Motion, Inc.

Neodio Technologies Corporation

Hsiao-Te Chang

Tsung-Chieh Yang

Wen-Long Wang

Chun-Yi Chen

Jieh-Hsin Chien

Chih-Lung Lin

Jen-Hung Liao

De-Wei Lai

Hung-Wei Lin

Hung-Jung Hsu

Jia Lung Wang

Shih Chieh Su

A method for performing memory access of a Flash cell of a Flash memory includes: performing a series of sensing operations respectively corresponding to a plurality of sensing voltages, wherein a sensing voltage of a specific sensing operation of the series of sensing operations has a sensing voltage determined according to a result of an initial sensing operation of the series of sensing operations; determining a threshold voltage of the Flash cell according to at least a digital value generated by the series of sensing operations; and using the determined threshold voltage to perform soft decoding of the Flash cell.

Memory access module for performing a plurality of sensing operations to generate digital values of a storage cell in order to perform decoding of the storage cell

The invention relates to a method, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and an apparatus for dynamically updating an optimization read voltage (RV) table. The method includes: obtaining a data-read transaction and replying with the data-read transaction to a host side after listening to a first request for read-performance data, which is issued by the host side, thereby enabling the data-performance transaction to be used in an update of the optimization RV table for a designated memory-cell type; and programming multiple records of an updated optimization RV table for the designated memory-cell type into a designated location of the NAND-flash module after listening to a second request for updating the optimization RV table for the designated memory-cell type, which is issued by the host side. The data-read transaction includes a current environmental parameter of a NAND-flash module, the designated memory-cell type and a bit error rate (BER). Each record includes one set of RV parameters and an environmental parameter associated with the set of RV parameters.

Method and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and apparatus for dynamically updating optimization read voltage table

The invention relates to a method, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and an apparatus for reading data with an optimization read voltage (RV) table. The method includes: determining one set of RVs for a designated memory-cell type according to a current environmental parameter of a NAND-flash module and content of the optimization RV table; and reading data on a page corresponding to the designated memory-cell type from the NAND-flash module with the set of RVs. The optimization RV table includes multiple records and each record includes one set of RV parameters and an environmental parameter associated with the set of RV parameters.

Method and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and apparatus for reading data with optimization read voltage table

A method for performing memory access of a Flash cell of a Flash memory includes: performing a plurality of sensing operations respectively corresponding to a plurality of sensing voltages to generate a first digital value and a second digital value of the Flash cell, the second digital value representing at least one candidate threshold voltage of the Flash cell; determining a threshold voltage of the Flash cell according to whether the at least one candidate threshold voltage is high or low; determining soft information of a bit stored in the Flash cell according to the threshold voltage of the Flash cell; and using the soft information to perform soft decoding.

A method for performing memory access of a Flash cell of a Flash memory includes: performing a first sensing operation corresponding to a first sensing voltage to generate a first digital value of the Flash cell; according to a result of the first sensing operation, performing a plurality of second sensing operations to generate a second digital value of the Flash cell representing at least one candidate threshold voltage of the Flash cell; determining the threshold voltage of the memory Flash cell according to the at least one candidate threshold voltage; determining soft information of a bit stored in the Flash cell according to the threshold voltage of the Flash cell; and using the soft information to perform soft decoding.

A method for performing memory access includes: performing a first sensing operation corresponding to a first sensing voltage and performing at least a second sensing operation corresponding to a second sensing voltage to respectively generate a first digital value of a Flash cell of a Flash memory and a second digital value of the Flash cell of the Flash memory; using the first digital value, the second digital value, and charge distribution statistics information of the Flash memory to obtain soft information of a bit stored in the Flash cell, wherein the soft information corresponds to a threshold voltage of the Flash cell; and using the soft information to perform soft decoding.

A Flash memory access module performs memory access management of a Flash storage device including a plurality of storage cells. The Flash memory access module includes: a read only memory for storing a program code; and a microprocessor which executes the program code to perform the following steps: performing a first sensing operation corresponding to a first sensing voltage in a storage cell, and performing a second sensing operation in the storage cell; using the first sensing operation and at least the second sensing operation to generate a first digital value and a second digital value, respectively, of the storage cell; using the first digital value and the second digital value to obtain soft information of a same bit stored in the storage cell; and using the soft information to perform soft decoding.

Memory access module for performing memory access management

A memory access module for performing memory access management of a storage device includes a plurality of storage cells. Each storage cell has a number of possible bit(s) directly corresponding to possible states of the storage cell. The memory access module further includes: a read only memory for storing a program code; and a microprocessor, coupled to the read only memory, for executing the program code to perform the following steps: performing a plurality of sensing operations, wherein a first sensing operation corresponds to a first sensing voltage, and each subsequent sensing operation corresponds to a sensing voltage determined according to a result of the previous sensing operation; using the plurality of sensing operations to generate a first digital value and a second digital value of a storage cell; using the first and the second digital value to obtain soft information of a same bit stored in the storage cell; and using the soft information to perform soft decoding.

A memory access module for performing memory access management of a storage device including a plurality of storage cells includes: sensing means for performing a plurality of sensing operations respectively corresponding to a plurality of different sensing voltages in order to generate a first digital value and a second digital value of a storage cell; processing means for using the first digital value and the second digital value to obtain soft information of a same bit stored in the storage cell; decoding means for using the soft information to perform soft decoding; and controlling means for accessing the storage device. The controlling means includes: storage means for storing a program code; and processing means for executing a program code to control access to the storage device and manage the plurality of storage cells.

Memory access module for performing sensing operations on storage cells of a storage device to obtain soft information and executing a program mode to control access to the storage device

A memory access module for performing memory access management of a storage device including a plurality of storage cells includes: sensing means for performing a plurality of sensing operations respectively corresponding to a plurality of different sensing voltages in order to generate at least a first digital value of a storage cell, wherein each subsequent sensing operation corresponds to a sensing voltage which is determined according to a result of the previous sensing operation; processing means for using the first digital value to obtain soft information of a bit stored in the storage cell; and decoding means for using the soft information to perform soft decoding.

A method for performing memory access includes: performing a plurality of sensing operations respectively corresponding to a plurality of different sensing voltages to generate a first digital value of a Flash cell of a Flash memory and a second digital value of the Flash cell of the Flash memory; using the first digital value and the second digital value to obtain soft information of a bit stored in the Flash cell; and using the soft information to perform soft decoding.

Method for performing memory access management, and associated memory device and controller thereof

The present invention provides a method for accessing a flash memory, where a block of the flash memory includes pages whose quantity is (2+M), N and M are positive integers. The method includes: writing a data stream into 1-(2)pages, and backing up data of a portion of the 1-(2)pages into (2+1)-(2+M)pages.

Method for accessing flash memory having pages used for data backup and associated memory device

A method for accessing a memory includes: utilizing a Flash memory to perform a plurality of sensing operations with a plurality of different sensing voltages respectively corresponding to the plurality of sensing operations; according to the plurality of sensing operations, generating a first digital value of a Flash cell of the Flash memory; according to the plurality of sensing operations and the first digital value, generating at least a second digital value of the Flash cell; and obtaining soft information of the Flash cell according to the second digital value. The first digital value and the second digital value are used for determining information of a same bit stored in the Flash cell, a number of possible bit(s) of the Flash cell directly corresponds to a number of possible states of the Flash cell, and the obtained soft information is used for performing soft decoding.

A method for performing memory access management includes: with regard to a same Flash cell of a Flash memory, receiving a first digital value outputted by the Flash memory, requesting the Flash memory to output at least one second digital value, wherein the first digital value and the at least one second digital value are utilized for determining information of a same bit stored in the Flash cell, and a number of various possible states of the Flash cell correspond to a possible number of bit(s) stored in the Flash cell; based upon the second digital value, generating/obtaining soft information of the Flash cell, for use of performing soft decoding; and controlling the Flash memory to perform sensing operations by respectively utilizing a plurality of sensing voltages that are not all the same, in order to generate the first digital value and the second digital value.

A method for operating a non-volatile memory is provided. The non-volatile memory includes a plurality of physical blocks having a plurality of data blocks and spare blocks. An index is obtained by comparing an average erase count of selected physical blocks with a first threshold. Each erase count for each physical block is the total number of the erase operations performed thereon. A performance capability status for the memory is determined according to the index. The performance capability status is set to a first status when the average erase count exceeds the first threshold. An indication is generated based on the performance capability status. A limp function is performed in response to the first status for configuring a minimum number of the at least some spare blocks reserved and used for data update operations.

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Hsinchu County, Taiwan

Hsiao-Te Chang