Memory Cell Fault Grading for Reversible Isolation Recovery

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Solution Overview

Problem

As electronic devices operate for longer periods, more storage cells are isolated due to memory faults, leading to a decrease in available storage capacity, particularly for soft failures that are currently treated as permanent, reducing memory efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A memory fault processing method that performs pressure tests on faulty storage cells to determine their fault levels, allowing for reversible de-isolation of cells with low risk levels, thereby increasing available storage capacity and managing memory cells based on their risk levels.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If storage cells with soft failures are permanently isolated to ensure data integrity, then reliability is improved, but the quantity of available storage cells deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata integrityVSAvoidquantity of available storage cells
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the parameter of fault assessment from binary (faulty/functional) to multi-level (fault level indications). By performing pressure tests and determining fault levels, the system can differentiate between storage cells that are safe to use, those requiring monitoring, and those that must be isolated. This parameter change allows reversible de-isolation of cells with low fault levels, resolving the contradiction between reliability and storage capacity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If all faulty storage cells are isolated to prevent incorrect data retrieval, then reliability is improved, but memory efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata correctnessVSAvoidmemory efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by treating different storage cells differently based on their individual fault levels. Instead of uniformly isolating all detected faulty cells, the system performs pressure tests and assigns fault levels, then applies localized decisions: cells with low fault levels are de-isolated and returned to service, cells with medium fault levels are monitored, and only cells with high fault levels are permanently isolated. This localized differentiation resolves the contradiction between ensuring data correctness and maintaining memory efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Quantity of substance

If storage cells are continuously monitored and pressure-tested to identify reversible faults, then the quantity of available storage cells is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvequantity of available storage cellsVSAvoidfault processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by performing pressure tests on storage cells when they are first detected as faulty, before making final isolation decisions. The system proactively assesses the fault level through standardized pressure test procedures, which include writing test data, reading it back, and analyzing errors. This preliminary assessment prevents premature isolation of recoverable cells and enables the system to restore cells with low fault levels, resolving the contradiction between increasing available storage cells and managing processing complexity through structured preliminary evaluation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4715596A1Memory fault processing method, apparatus, electronic device and readable storage medium
Publication Date: 2026.03.25 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP4715596A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4715596A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4715596A1 patent drawingFigure 3A

AI summary

This application provides a memory fault processing method and apparatus, an electronic device, and a readable storage medium. In the method, a faulty first storage cell is determined (S801), the first storage cell is isolated (S802), a pressure test is performed on the first storage cell to obtain a fault level of the first storage cell (S803), and a corresponding operation is performed on the first storage cell based on the fault level of the first storage cell, where when the fault level of the first storage cell indicates that the first storage cell is at a first risk level, the operation performed on the first storage cell includes de-isolating the first storage cell (S804). In this application, after a faulty storage cell is isolated, a pressure test may be further performed on the storage cell to obtain a real fault level of the storage cell. When the fault level of the first storage cell is the first risk level, the electronic device may de-isolate the first storage cell, and the first storage cell may continue to be used. In this application, a quantity of available storage cells may be increased.