Memory Subsystem Integrity Scans by Block Health Metrics

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional memory sub-systems do not account for differences in error mechanisms experienced by different blocks, leading to sub-optimal scan frequencies that can result in overscanning or underscanning, affecting system performance and resource utilization.

Innovation Solution

Adaptive integrity scan rates are determined based on block health metrics, grouping blocks by error mechanisms and adjusting scan frequencies accordingly to optimize data integrity checks.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If uniform scan frequencies are applied to all memory blocks, then implementation simplicity is maintained, but data integrity reliability deteriorates due to overscanning or underscanning

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata integrityVSAvoidscan frequency management
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by assigning different scan frequencies to different memory blocks based on their individual health metrics and error mechanisms. Each block is evaluated independently and receives a customized scan rate, ensuring that blocks with higher error rates are scanned more frequently while healthy blocks are scanned less frequently, thereby optimizing data integrity without uniform complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamics by making scan frequencies adaptive and changeable over time. Scan frequencies are dynamically adjusted based on real-time health metrics and error rates of each memory block, allowing the system to respond to changing conditions rather than using fixed uniform frequencies across all blocks

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If high scan frequencies are used for all blocks, then data integrity is improved, but system performance deteriorates due to resource wastage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata integrityVSAvoidsystem performance
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by tailoring scan frequencies to the specific needs of each memory block based on its health metrics. Only blocks exhibiting error patterns receive increased scan frequencies, while healthy blocks maintain lower scan frequencies, thereby preserving system performance while ensuring data integrity where needed

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements partial action by applying intensive scanning only to the extent necessary for blocks showing error signs. Rather than universally applying high scan frequencies to all blocks, the system applies scanning resources partially and selectively only where error mechanisms are detected, avoiding unnecessary performance degradation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Productivity

If low scan frequencies are used for all blocks, then system performance is improved, but data integrity reliability deteriorates due to missed errors

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem performanceVSAvoiddata integrity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by identifying specific memory blocks with poor health metrics and error mechanisms, then applying higher scan frequencies only to those blocks. Healthy blocks continue to operate with lower scan frequencies, maintaining overall system performance while ensuring targeted monitoring of at-risk blocks

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback by continuously monitoring health metrics and error rates of memory blocks, then using this feedback information to dynamically adjust scan frequencies. Blocks that develop errors receive increased scanning attention, creating a closed-loop system that adapts to actual block conditions rather than using fixed low frequencies

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

4Productivity

If adaptive scan frequencies based on block health metrics are implemented, then resource utilization is improved, but implementation complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource utilizationVSAvoidscan frequency management
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the memory system into individual blocks and evaluating each block's health metrics independently. This segmentation allows the system to manage scan frequencies at the block level rather than treating all memory uniformly, improving resource utilization by targeting only problematic blocks while maintaining manageable complexity through modular assessment

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements self-service by enabling memory blocks to effectively determine their own scan frequency needs based on their inherent health metrics and error patterns. The system automatically monitors and adjusts scan rates without external intervention, allowing resource optimization while keeping management complexity internal to the memory subsystem

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS12451197B2Adaptive integrity scan rates in a memory sub-system based on block health metrics
Publication Date: 2025.10.21 MICRON TECHNOLOGY INC
  • US12451197B2 patent drawing
  • US12451197B2 patent drawing
  • US12451197B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A processing device in a memory sub-system detects an occurrence of a data integrity check trigger event and, responsive to the occurrence of the data integrity check trigger event, identifies a memory die of a plurality of memory dies. The processing device further associates each segment of the identified memory die with a respective group of a plurality of groups, each group representing one or more of a plurality of error mechanisms, and determines one or more respective adaptive scan frequencies for the identified memory die based on statistics of the segments associated with each respective group.