Flash Memory Controller Boot Time Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
The prolonged booting time of electronic devices due to extensive data restoration on the last written block after abnormal power off in flash memory controllers, which is exacerbated by increasing page counts in flash memory modules, negatively impacting user experience.
Innovation Solution
The flash memory controller moves a portion of data from the last written block to a temporary block upon power-on and prioritizes garbage collection on the last written block, ensuring data integrity without prolonging boot time by sealing the block and raising its priority for quality detection or garbage collection when not busy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If data restoration is performed on the last written block after abnormal power off, then data integrity is ensured, but booting time is prolonged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by performing data restoration only on specific pages within the last written block rather than the entire block. The controller identifies and restores only those pages that are actually needed or affected, thereby reducing the overall restoration time while still ensuring data integrity for critical data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the last written block into multiple pages and processes them individually or in smaller groups. This segmentation allows the controller to prioritize certain pages for restoration while skipping or deferring others, thus reducing the total booting time while maintaining data integrity for essential pages.
2Quantity of substance
If the number of pages in each block is increased in stereoscopic flash memory modules, then storage capacity is improved, but data restoration time is extended
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by selectively restoring only necessary pages from the last written block rather than all pages. This approach maintains the benefit of high storage capacity from increased page counts while minimizing restoration time by focusing only on critical or affected pages.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the large number of pages in stereoscopic flash memory blocks into manageable groups, prioritizing restoration of essential pages while deferring or skipping less critical ones. This segmentation strategy enables the system to handle large storage capacities without proportionally increasing booting time.
3Reliability
If quality detection or garbage collection is performed on the last written block, then data quality is ensured, but system performance is reduced due to additional operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by performing quality detection and garbage collection only on specific pages within the last written block rather than the entire block. This selective approach ensures data quality for critical pages while minimizing the performance overhead associated with comprehensive quality checks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the last written block into pages that require quality detection or garbage collection and those that do not. This segmentation allows the system to maintain data quality for essential pages while avoiding unnecessary operations on other pages, thus preserving system performance.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a flash memory controller, wherein the flash memory controller includes a read-only memory, a microprocessor and a decoder, wherein the read-only memory is configured to store a program code, and the microprocessor is configured to execute the program code to access a flash memory module. In the operations of the flash memory controller, when the flash memory controller is powered on, the microcontroller reads a plurality of pages of a specific block of the flash memory module, and the decoder decodes data of the plurality of pages. When any one of the pages cannot be decoded successfully, the microcontroller seals the specific block, and increase a priority of the specific block for quality detection or garbage collection.