Memory Controller Command Scheduling for Same-Die Peak Power

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Solution Overview

Problem

Peak power issues occur in nonvolatile memory devices used in mobile devices due to commands occupying the same die, leading to performance degradation.

Innovation Solution

A storage device with a memory controller that controls the order of command transfers based on whether commands occupy the same die, generating a scheduling program to ensure commands that share a die are in consecutive order, thereby optimizing power consumption and performance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If commands are transferred to memory device without considering die occupancy, then command processing speed is improved, but instantaneous power consumption increases due to multiple commands occupying the same die simultaneously

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommand processing speedVSAvoidinstantaneous power consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSPower

Solution Approach 1:

The memory controller performs preliminary analysis of command die occupancy before transferring commands to the memory device. By pre-identifying which commands occupy the same die, the controller can arrange them in consecutive order, ensuring that commands targeting the same die are executed sequentially rather than simultaneously, thus reducing peak power consumption while maintaining processing speed

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The memory controller dynamically adjusts the command transfer order based on real-time die occupancy analysis. Instead of using a fixed transfer sequence, the controller adaptively reorders commands to group those targeting the same die together, optimizing the balance between processing speed and power consumption according to the specific command pattern

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Productivity

If commands occupying the same die are transferred simultaneously, then throughput is improved, but power constraints are violated leading to performance degradation

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovethroughputVSAvoidperformance stability under power constraints
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The memory controller segments the command transfer process into die-specific groups. By dividing commands according to their target die and transferring each group sequentially, the controller maintains high throughput within each die while ensuring that power consumption remains within constraints, thus improving performance stability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP4560454B1Memory controller, storage device including memory controller, and operating method of memory controller
Publication Date: 2026.04.08 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP4560454B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4560454B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4560454B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A storage device includes a memory device (200) including a plurality of dies and a memory controller (100) receiving at least one command from a host (20) and transferring the at least one command to the memory device (200), wherein the memory controller (100) stores commands received from the host (20) in a queue (171), and when there are commands that occupy the same die among the commands stored in the queue (171), the memory controller (100) changes an order in which the commands are transferred to the memory device (200).