Buffer Memory Bank Segmentation to Prevent Access Conflicts

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional memory systems experience bank conflicts where host and memory access units simultaneously access the same memory bank, impairing the utilization of the buffer memory.

Innovation Solution

The memory banks are divided into external and internal groups for host and memory operations, respectively, preventing simultaneous access and improving buffer memory utilization by segregating operations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If memory banks are shared between host and memory access units, then device complexity is reduced, but bank conflicts occur and buffer memory utilization deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvememory bank structureVSAvoidbuffer memory utilization
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The buffer memory banks are divided into two separate groups: external memory banks dedicated to host access units and internal memory banks dedicated to memory access units. This segmentation prevents bank conflicts by ensuring that host and memory operations access different memory banks simultaneously, thereby improving buffer memory utilization without significantly increasing overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If memory banks are divided into separate groups for host and memory operations, then bank conflicts are prevented and buffer memory utilization improves, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebuffer memory utilizationVSAvoidmemory bank structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The buffer memory banks are divided into two separate groups: external memory banks dedicated to host access units and internal memory banks dedicated to memory access units. This segmentation prevents bank conflicts by ensuring that host and memory operations access different memory banks simultaneously, thereby improving buffer memory utilization without significantly increasing overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP4191418B1Memory controller
Publication Date: 2026.04.15 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP4191418B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4191418B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4191418B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A memory controller includes a buffer memory including memory banks, one or more host access units configured to perform an access to the buffer memory for a host, one or more memory access units configured to perform an access to the buffer memory for a memory device, and a processor configured to control an operation of the memory controller. The processor divides the memory banks into an external memory bank group for an external operation related to the host, and an internal memory bank group for an internal operation within a memory system. The host access units access the external memory bank group. The memory access units access the external memory bank group to perform the external operation, and access the internal memory bank group to perform the internal operation.