Memory Holding Latch Placement for Wear Leveling and Error Correction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current memory technologies face issues such as degradation, data loss, and uneven wear of memory cells due to disproportionate usage, which can lead to reduced lifespan and performance.

Innovation Solution

Implementing memory management techniques like wear leveling, TRIM, and garbage collection, along with the use of a holding register to separate read and write operations, allowing for error correction and data handling without generating new parity bits, enabling faster access and reduced unavailability of memory cells.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Duration of action of stationary object

If wear leveling is implemented to balance memory usage across sections, then memory cell lifespan is extended, but memory management complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvememory cell lifespanVSAvoidmemory management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of stationary objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The memory array is divided into multiple sections, each with its own holding register. This segmentation allows independent management of each section, enabling wear leveling to distribute operations across sections while keeping individual section management simpler and more modular.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Holding registers are introduced as intermediary components between the memory cells and the control logic. These holding registers buffer data during read and write operations, simplifying the control logic by handling the complexity of wear leveling operations and reducing the burden on the main memory management system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If holding register is used to separate read and write operations, then processing efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing efficiencyVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The memory system is segmented into multiple sections, each with dedicated holding registers for read and write operations. This segmentation enables parallel processing of multiple memory operations across different sections, improving overall processing efficiency while distributing the complexity across modular components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Holding registers create temporary copies of data during transfer operations. Instead of directly accessing memory cells during read/write operations, data is first copied to holding registers, allowing simultaneous access to memory cells and improving processing efficiency while isolating the complexity of data transfer management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Reliability

If error correction is performed during memory operations, then data reliability is improved, but operation time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata reliabilityVSAvoidoperation time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Error correction codes are pre-calculated and stored alongside the data in the holding registers during write operations. When data is read, the pre-stored error correction codes are immediately available for error detection and correction, eliminating the need for time-consuming real-time error correction calculations and reducing operation time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The holding registers maintain continuous availability of data and error correction codes throughout the memory operation cycle. Error correction can be performed continuously in the background during data transfer and access operations, rather than interrupting the main operation flow, thereby maintaining high productivity while ensuring data reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentUS20240362114A1Memory management holding latch placement and control signal generation
Publication Date: 2024.10.31 MICRON TECHNOLOGY INC
  • US20240362114A1 patent drawing
  • US20240362114A1 patent drawing
  • US20240362114A1 patent drawing

AI summary

A system for providing memory management holding latch placement and control signal generation is disclosed. The system performs memory management operations on a memory device to reduce memory cell wear and tear and to balance use of the memory cells of the memory device. The system separates memory management read operations from memory management write operations by utilizing a holding register that stores data from a source memory cell prior to transfer to a target memory cell. When a memory management read operation is initiated, data and error correction parity bits from the source memory cell are provided to a circuit including the holding register. The data and parity bits are analyzed for errors and the errors are corrected prior to storing the data and parity bits into the holding register. The data and associated parity bits are then transferred from the holding register to the target memory cell.