Block cleanup: page reclamation process to reduce garbage collection overhead in dual-programmable nand flash devices

Abstract

According to one general aspect, an apparatus may include a memory, an erasure-based, non-volatile memory, and a processor. The memory may be configured to store a mapping table, wherein the mapping table indicates a rewriteable state of a plurality of memory addresses. The erasure-based, non-volatile memory may be configured to store information, at respective memory addresses, in an encoded format. The encoded format may include more bits than the unencoded version of the information and the encoded format may allow the information be over-written, at least once, without an intervening erase operation. The processor may be configured to perform garbage collection based, at least in part upon, the rewriteable state associated with the respective memory addresses.