International Business Machines Corporation

Other

Globalfoundries Inc.

Theodore Antonakopoulos

Charalampos Pozidis

Evangelos Stavros Eleftheriou

Thomas R Albrecht

Ajay Dholakia

Giovanni Cherubinni

Giovanni Cherubini

Nikolaos Papandreou

Roy Daron Cideciyan

Thomas Mittelholzer

Robert Haas

Ilias Iliadis

Xiao-yu Hu

Donald W Moses

Charles H Hustig

Haris Pozidis

Vassilios Makios

Antonis Kalis

Maria Varsamou

A memory system for storing data in a plurality N of memory chips. The memory system includes a number K of sets of memory chips, wherein each set of the K sets includes a number M of the memory chips, with N=K&#xb7;M; and one signal processing unit having a number L of signal processing engines for signal processing data of the N memory chips and having a data link interface for interfacing each of the K sets.

Memory architecture for storing data in a plurality of memory chips

A multi-stage codeword detector for detecting codewords from read signals received from a multi-level memory device, includes a first detection stage configured for a coarse detection of a first codeword from a received read signal; a second detection stage configured for a fine detection of a second codeword from the received read signal; and a deciding entity configured to decide on using the second detection stage for the received read signal in dependence on a reliability indicator indicating a certain reliability level of the received read signal.

Multi-stage codeword detector

Systems and methods are provided that confront the problem of failed storage integrated circuits (ICs) in a solid state drive (SSD) by using a fault-tolerant architecture along with one error correction code (ECC) mechanism for random/burst error corrections and an L-fold interleaving mechanism. The systems and methods described herein keep the SSD operational when one or more integrated circuits fail and allow the recovery of previously stored data from failed integrated circuits and allow random/burst errors to be corrected in other operational integrated circuits. These systems and methods replace the failed integrated circuits with fully functional/operational integrated circuits treated herein as spare integrated circuits. Furthermore, these systems and methods improve I/O performance in terms of maximum achievable read/write data rate.

Solid-state storage system with parallel access of multiple flash/PCM devices

A system and method for erasure flagging for errors-and-erasures decoding in storage devices includes determining a deviation measure between a read/write head position relative to a track of symbols in storage media. A reliability value is determined for the symbols based on the deviation measure. Flagging the symbols with a reliability value below a threshold as erasures is performed. The symbols are decoded using errors-and-erasures decoding in an iterative procedure.

Erasure flagging system and method for errors-and-erasures decoding in storage devices

A probe-based data storage device includes a storage surface having an array of A storage fields; a probe array comprising A probes for writing data to respective storage fields; and an apparatus for controlling writing of blocks of user data in the array of storage fields.

Probe-based data storage devices

Methods and apparatus are provided for controlling writing and reading of data in an array of A storage fields of a probe-based data storage device in which data is written to and read from the array of storage fields by a corresponding array of probes. One method provides error-tolerance by exploiting the inherent parallelism of the probe storage array. A user data block to be written to the A-field array is first coded to produce a plurality of C-byte codewords, such that r&#xb7;C=kA where r is the number of codewords and kis an integer greater than or equal to 1. A sub-blocks of kbytes are produced from the codewords by selecting successive bytes of each sub-block cyclically from the r codewords. The A sub-blocks are then written via respective probes to the corresponding storage fields of the storage field array.

Writing and reading of data in probe-based data storage devices

A method and apparatus for overwriting data in a probe-based data storage device wherein data is represented by the presence and absence of pits formed in a storage surface by a probe of the device is provided. Input data is first coded such that successive bits of a given value x in the coded input data (b, b, b, . . . ,) are separated by at least d bits of the complementary value {tilde over (x)}, where d is a predetermined number&#x2267;2. Overwrite data bits (v, v, v, . . . ,) are then generated by encoding the coded input data bits (b, b, b, . . . ,).

Data overwriting in probe-based data storage devices

Methods and apparatus are provided for controlling writing and reading of data in an array of A storage fields of a probe-based data storage device in which data is written to and read from the array of storage fields by a corresponding array of probes. One method provides error-tolerance by exploiting the inherent parallelism of the probe storage array. A user data block to be written to the A-field array is first coded to produce a plurality of C-byte codewords, such that r.C=k.A where r is the number of codewords and kis an integer&#x2267;1. A sub-blocks of kbytes are produced from the codewords by selecting successive bytes of each sub-block cyclically from the r codewords. The A sub-blocks are then written via respective probes to the corresponding storage fields of the storage field array.

Methods and apparatus are provided for controlling writing and reading of data in an array of A storage fields of a probe-based data storage device in which data is written to and read from the array of storage fields by a corresponding array of probes. One method uses the concept of sub-arrays to provide variable-rate read/write operation. Input data blocks are received for writing to the A-field array, each input data block being writable in A/kstorage fields where kis an integer &#x2267;2. For successive groups of kblocks, the kblocks are written to respective sub-arrays, each of A/kstorage fields, of the storage field array by selectively writing at one of a series of rates, ranging from 1 block at a time to kblocks at a time, in dependence on a desired data write-rate. The blocks can also be read from the sub-arrays by selectively reading at one of a series of rates, ranging from 1 sub-array at a time to ksub-arrays at a time, in dependence on a desired data read-rate.

Methods and apparatus are provided for overwriting data in a probe-based data storage device in which data bits are represented by the presence and absence of pits at bit positions on a storage surface, the pits being formed in the storage surface by a probe mechanism of the device. Input data is coded to generate a coded bit sequence and an overwrite technique is employed to record the coded bit sequence on the storage surface over an old, previously-recorded bit sequence. Together with the properties of the coded bit sequence, the overwrite technique exploits the physical mechanism of the write process in that, with appropriate spacing of the bit positions on the storage surface, writing a pit at a bit position can erase an existing pit within a defined number of neighboring bit positions. In addition, the overwrite technique involves reading at least certain bits of the old bit sequence, whereby the pattern of data written on the storage surface in an overwrite operation is determined in part by the results of reading old data.

Provided is an antenna system for operating in clear line of sight and obscured line of sight conditions. The antenna system includes multiple antenna elements arranged to provide both space and angle diversity characteristics. The elements are spaced apart so as to provide independence but may have overlapping radiation patterns. Each element includes a main radiation lobe and the elements are arranged so that the main radiation lobes are oriented at diverse angles.

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Patras, Greece

Theodore Antonakopoulos