Sub-Block Erase Control in Non-Volatile Memory Under Power Constraints
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Solution Overview
Problem
Non-volatile memory devices face challenges in meeting power consumption requirements, particularly in mobile devices and storage devices, leading to performance degradation due to increased throughput, necessitating improvements in power management.
Innovation Solution
A non-volatile memory device and storage device that includes independently erasable sub-blocks, with a storage controller selecting an erase mode based on operation schedule and power consumption to control erase operations, allowing for sub-block or block-level erase operations to optimize power usage and performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If erase operations are performed frequently to maintain performance, then throughput is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The memory block is divided into multiple independently erasable sub-blocks, allowing selective erasure of only the necessary portions rather than erasing entire blocks. This segmentation enables granular control over erase operations, reducing unnecessary power consumption while maintaining throughput by erasing only the minimum required data regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically selects between different erase modes (first sub-block erase mode for single sub-block, second sub-block erase mode for multiple sub-blocks) based on real-time power consumption levels and operation schedules. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize the balance between throughput and power consumption by adjusting erase granularity according to current operating conditions.
2Use of energy by moving object
If operations are disabled to satisfy power constraints, then power consumption is reduced, but performance degrades
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting blocks into independently erasable sub-blocks, the system can perform targeted erase operations on only the necessary sub-blocks rather than disabling operations entirely. This maintains performance by keeping required sub-blocks operational while reducing power consumption by leaving unnecessary sub-blocks untouched.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the erase operation parameter from block-level to sub-block-level granularity, and further to selective multi-sub-block erasure based on power consumption thresholds. This parameter adjustment allows the system to maintain adequate performance by preserving necessary sub-blocks while reducing power consumption through more selective erasure operations.
3Device complexity
If block-level erase operations are used, then simplicity is maintained, but power efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The block is segmented into multiple sub-blocks with independent erase capability. This segmentation increases power efficiency by allowing selective erasure of individual sub-blocks or groups of sub-blocks, avoiding the waste of erasing entire blocks when only portions need erasure, while maintaining manageable complexity through organized sub-block management.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts erase granularity between single sub-block and multiple sub-block modes based on power consumption conditions. This dynamic approach optimizes power efficiency by selecting the appropriate erase scope while keeping complexity manageable through automated mode selection based on power thresholds and operation schedules.
Data Source
AI summary
A storage device includes at least one non-volatile memory including a plurality of blocks, each block of the plurality of blocks including a plurality of independently erasable sub-blocks. The storage device further includes a storage controller configured to select an erase mode from among a plurality of erase modes according to at least one of an operation schedule and a power consumption of the non-volatile memory, and control an erase operation of the non-volatile memory, according to the selected erase mode. Based on the selected erase mode being a first sub-block erase mode, the storage controller controls an erase operation with respect to one selected sub-block of a selected block. Based on the selected erase mode being a second sub-block erase mode, the storage controller controls an erase operation with respect to two or more selected sub-blocks of the selected block.