Sandisk Il Ltd.

Sandisk Technologies Inc.

Ori Stern

Alon Marcu

Shahar Bar-Or

Dan Inbar

Menahem Lasser

Itzhak Pomerantz

Itai Dror

Po Yuan

Rahav Yairi

Tal Heller

Xian Jun Liu

Junzhi Wang

Chieh-Hao Yang

Susan A Cannon

Yigal Eli

Amir Mosek

Yacov Duzly

Alain Nochimowski

Micha Rave

Nir Perry

Robert David Selinger

Jose Carlos Santos Garcia

Antonio Manuel Lopez Martin

Sandra Almog Goldschmidt

In order to write data to a storage system accessible with a first and second file system, a manager receives a data write request associated with a file. The manager determines if a function supported by the second file system is needed to complete the write request. If so, the file is opened and extended with the first file system. The file is then opened and written to by the second file system. The file is truncated by the first file system, and closed by both file systems. If the second file system function is not needed, the file is opened, written, and closed by the first file system. In order to read data from a storage system using a function supported by the second file system, the second file system's cached storage system index is updated, and then the file is opened, read, and closed by the second file system.

Method and system for accessing a storage system with multiple file systems

A method and system for enhancing efficiency in power failure handling in flash memory devices is disclosed. The method includes the controller of a storage device receiving a page of data, selecting a block having a desired back-up cost and copying previously stored data in the selected block to a back-up block prior to writing the received page to the selected block based on a category of the previously stored data. The system includes non-volatile memory having a plurality of operative blocks, at least one spare block and a controller. The controller is configured to receive a page of data, select an operative block in the memory having a desired back-up cost, and copy previously stored data in the selected block to a spare block based on a category of the previously stored data prior to writing the received page to the selected block.

Enhancement of efficiency in power failure handling in flash memory

Programmer's data that is transferred from a programming device to a storage device is initially stored in a memory device of the storage device by using a durable data-retention storage setup. After the storage device is embedded in a host device, the programmer's data is internally (i.e., in the storage device) read from the memory device and rewritten into the memory device by using a conventional storage setup. Using a durable data-retention storage setup may include temporarily (i.e., before the storage device is embedded in a host) operating selected memory cells of the memory device as conventional SBC cells or as unconventional MBC cells. After the storage device is embedded in a host device, the programmer's data, or selected parts thereof, is read from the memory device and rewritten into it by operating selected memory cells of the memory device as conventional MBC cells.

Preloading data into a flash storage device

A method and memory device for generating a time estimate are provided. In one embodiment, a memory device generates a time estimate from time stamps in file system metadata for a plurality of files stored in the memory device and uses the time estimate to perform a time-based activity in the memory device. In another embodiment, a memory device generates a time estimate from time stamps stored in a plurality of files stored in the memory device and uses the time estimate to perform a time-based activity in the memory device. In yet another embodiment, a memory device obtains a plurality of time stamps, selects one or more of the plurality of time stamps based on validity rankings, generates a time estimate from the selected time stamp(s), and uses the time estimate to perform a time-based activity in the memory device.

Method and memory device for generating a time estimate

Programmer's data that is transferred from a programming device () to a storage device () is initially stored in a memory device () of the storage device () by using a durable data-retention storage setup (). After the storage device is embedded in a host device (), the programmer's data is internally (i.e., in the storage device) read from the memory device and rewritten into the memory device by using a conventional storage setup (). Using a durable data-retention storage setup may include temporarily (i.e., before the storage device is embedded in a host) operating selected memory cells () of the memory device as conventional single-bit per cell (SBC) cells or as unconventional multi-bit per cell (MBC) cells. After the storage device () is embedded in a host device (), the programmer's data, or selected parts thereof, is read from the memory device () and rewritten into it by operating selected memory cells () of the memory device as conventional MBC cells.

A method of executing reading instruction to read host data from a flash memory device is provided. The method initiates with receiving from a host device a read instruction to read host data from an array of NAND flash memory cells grouped into separately-readable device pages, the host data being a portion of device data that is stored in a device page. The host data is parsed from device data, and the parsed host data is sent to the host device.

Controller for one type of NAND flash memory for emulating another type of NAND flash memory

Various methods, devices and systems are described for providing distributed storage services. A data storage device is capable of initiating a communication session with an external entity such as a local host computer (and vice versa) coupled directly to the data storage device, a remote server computer, or directly with remote data storage devices with or without intervention by a local host computer.

Storage device having direct user access

The embodiments described herein provide methods for executing a command to write data from a source location to a destination location in a memory device. In one embodiment, a memory device receives, from a host device, a command to write data from a source location to a destination location in the memory device. The memory device executes the command by changing the memory device's logical-to-physical address map without reading the data from the source location and writing the data to the destination location and without a need of further involvement of the host device after the host device sends the command to the memory device.

Methods for executing a command to write data from a source location to a destination location in a memory device

A method of executing an erasing instruction to erase host data from a flash memory device is provided. The method initiates with receiving from a host device an erase instruction to erase host data from an array of NAND flash memory cells grouped into separately-erasable device blocks, each device block including multiple device pages, the host data being a portion of device data that is stored in a device block. The host data is marked as erased, and a message is sent to the host device indicating that the host data has been erased.

A memory system self-initiates hibernation mode and responds to host commands issued during hibernation within a host protocol timeout period. Hibernation mode is entered after controller state data has been stored and while no host command to the memory system is pending. Power to volatile data storage is diminished during hibernation mode. Upon receiving a host command during hibernation mode, power is restored and a reduced portion of the controller state data is read from non-volatile memory. A removable data storage device or a portable electronic device with embedded data storage may be constructed with such a self-hibernating memory system.

Transparent self-hibernation of non-volatile memory system

Decorrelation is provided between data stored in respective pairs of adjacent memory cells in a plurality of bit lines of a flash memory. Each of the pairs of adjacent memory cells is located along a respective one of the bitlines and common to two adjacent wordlines. The decorrelation is achieved by storing scrambled data in at least one memory cell of each of the pairs of adjacent memory cells and storing unscrambled data in at least one memory cell of at least one of the pairs of adjacent memory cells.

Partial scrambling to reduce correlation

A controller for one type of NAND flash memory device that emulates another type of NAND flash memory device. The controller may include a host NAND interface to receive host data from a NAND host device, and a data aggregator for aggregating the host data with complementary data, to thereby create device data that is storable in a device page of an array of NAND flash memory cells of the NAND flash memory device. After creating the device data the controller writes the device data into a device page of the NAND flash memory cells. The controller also includes a data parser to parse host data from device data when data read operations are executed by the controller. If required, the controller uses the data parser to parse complementary data from device data to create device data when data writing operations are executed by the controller.

A method for writing into a flash memory device includes calculating a physical block for writing data thereto, checking whether the calculated physical block has been erased since a last power-up of the device and if it has been erased writing the data, or, if it has not been erased performing a refresh operation thereby obtaining a newly erased block since a last power-up that the data can be written to. The newly erased block may be the calculated block or another block of the flash memory.

Growing community of inventors

Modeen, Israel

Ori Stern