Flash Memory Control Apparatus for Early Broken Block Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flash memory control systems fail to detect broken blocks until data writing attempts fail, leading to increased inter-block copy operations and process load, as they do not proactively identify and redirect data to alternative blocks.
Innovation Solution
A control apparatus that includes an erase check unit to detect broken blocks by attempting data erasure in adjacent blocks and designating a yet-next block as a new data recording destination, thereby reducing the frequency of inter-block copy operations by identifying and utilizing reserve blocks before actual data writing fails.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If data writing failure is used to detect broken blocks, then broken blocks are detected, but the detection is delayed until writing failure occurs, leading to increased inter-block copy operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs data erasure as a preliminary action before data writing to detect broken blocks in advance. The erase check unit attempts to erase data in the next block before it becomes the current destination block, so that broken blocks are identified proactively rather than reactively after writing failures occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the result of the data erasure operation is checked and used to determine whether the next block is broken. Based on this feedback, the system either proceeds with normal data copying or skips the broken block and selects an alternative, preventing unnecessary copy operations.
2Reliability
If data erasure is attempted in next block before writing, then broken blocks are detected earlier, but additional erasure operations increase process load
Solution Approach 1:
The data erasure operation is performed as a preliminary check before the block is used for data writing. This preliminary action enables early detection of broken blocks, preventing wasted data writing operations and subsequent costly inter-block copy operations, thereby improving overall productivity despite the additional erasure step.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the next block's own data erasure operation to detect whether it is broken, rather than requiring separate detection mechanisms. This self-service approach integrates detection into the normal data writing preparation process, minimizing additional process load.
3Reliability
If frequent inter-block copy operations are performed, then broken blocks are handled, but the process load of the control apparatus increases
Solution Approach 1:
By performing data erasure and checking its result as a preliminary action before data writing, the system identifies broken blocks in advance. This prevents unnecessary data copy operations to broken blocks, reducing the frequency of inter-block copy operations and lowering process load while maintaining data integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
When a broken block is detected through the erasure check, the system skips that block and selects an alternative block for data writing. This skipping mechanism avoids wasting time on futile copy operations to broken blocks, thereby reducing overall process load while ensuring data integrity through selective block usage.
Data Source
AI summary
To record data in a flash memory, upon detecting that a current destination memory block is full, a control apparatus records data in a destination memory block one block by one block, with “in-advance” data erasure of the next memory block and by determining if data erasure of the next memory block is successful. When data erasure of the next memory block fails, such memory block is designated as broken, and such memory block is excluded from a group of blocks to be used as recording destination. After determining the data erasure result of a yet-next memory block is successful, the required data is copied to the yet-next memory block. Therefore, even when one of the blocks is broken, a sequential data recording in the flash memory is performed without increasing the number of data copy operations between blocks.