Multi-Region Flash Storage Control for Safety-Based Data Migration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing storage devices in autonomous vehicles struggle to efficiently manage data across different storage regions with varying types and safety levels, leading to inefficiencies in data storage and management.

Innovation Solution

A storage device with a non-volatile memory and storage controller that programs data based on safety level information and remaining storage region information, migrating or returning data between storage regions to optimize storage efficiency and reliability, using a safety level-target storage region table and mapping table to determine the appropriate storage region for each data type.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If data is stored in single-level cell regions for high reliability, then data safety is improved, but storage capacity and cost efficiency deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata safetyVSAvoidstorage capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The storage device is divided into multiple storage regions with different safety levels (first storage region with first safety level, second storage region with second safety level). Data is segmented and stored in appropriate regions based on their safety requirements, allowing critical data to occupy SLC regions while non-critical data uses MLC/TLC regions, thus improving overall storage capacity while maintaining necessary reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different storage regions are assigned different quality characteristics (safety levels) matching the requirements of stored data. High-safety data is stored in SLC regions with higher reliability, while low-safety data is stored in MLC/TLC regions with lower cost and higher capacity, optimizing the balance between reliability and storage efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Productivity

If data is migrated between storage regions based on safety levels, then storage efficiency is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestorage efficiencyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The storage controller pre-establishes mapping tables that define the correspondence between data safety levels and storage regions. When data is stored, the controller preliminarily determines the appropriate storage region based on the data's safety level requirements, avoiding complex real-time decisions and simplifying the migration process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The storage controller continuously monitors the usage state of different storage regions and dynamically adjusts data migration based on feedback. When the first storage region becomes full or when optimization is needed, the controller migrates data between regions according to safety levels, improving storage efficiency while maintaining systematic control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4530813B1Storage devices having multiple storage regions
Publication Date: 2026.04.22 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP4530813B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4530813B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4530813B1 patent drawingFigure 5A

AI summary

A storage device includes a non-volatile memory and a storage controller. The non-volatile memory includes a plurality of storage regions, and the plurality of storage regions include a first storage region and a second storage region which have different types. The storage controller programs data from a host device in the first storage region, based on safety level information of the host device and remaining storage region information of the non-volatile memory. Based on the safety level information and the remaining storage region information, the storage controller migrates the data programmed in the first storage region to the second storage region or returns the data migrated to the second storage region to the first storage region.