The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 22, 2011
Filed:
Apr. 20, 2009
Arunprasad Ramiya Mothilal, Los Altos, CA (US);
Arunprasad Ramiya Mothilal, Los Altos, CA (US);
Imation Corp., Oakdale, MN (US);
Abstract
Methods for extending the service life of a data storage device and devices operable to perform those methods are presented. A master lookup table block may comprise lookup table blocks and store an erase count indicator for each lookup table block. Each lookup table block may be associated with a logical zone of a memory and comprise entries. Each entry may be associated with a logical block and comprise an erase count for a physical block corresponding to that logical block. A physical block erasure may be performed on a first physical block in the memory. The physical block erasure may be tracked by incrementally increasing a first erase count. An actual erase count may be determined for the first physical block. The entry for a logical block corresponding to the first physical block may be exchanged with another entry within a different lookup table block when the actual erase count for the first physical block exceeds a threshold. The different lookup table block may have a lower erase count indicator relative to that of the lookup table block comprising the entry for the logical block corresponding to the first physical block.