Virtual Block Stripe Management for Bad Physical Block Remapping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Rewritable non-volatile memory modules with dispersed bad physical blocks experience reduced writing efficiency and available space due to the unavailability of block stripes in multiple plane write mode, necessitating effective management of these bad blocks to enhance data accessing efficiency and space utilization.

Innovation Solution

A memory management method and storage controller that identify and remap bad physical blocks, updating a virtual block stripe management table to enable multiple plane write mode by sacrificing available physical blocks, thereby maintaining data accessing efficiency and space utilization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If bad physical blocks are identified and block stripes are marked as unusable, then reliability is improved, but writing efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata integrityVSAvoidwriting efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a virtual block stripe management table as an intermediary layer between the physical block stripe and the logical address space. This table maps virtual block stripes to physical block stripes, allowing the system to abstract away the presence of bad physical blocks. By using this intermediary mapping structure, the system can maintain reliable data integrity while preserving writing efficiency through flexible virtual-to-physical address translation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the block stripe management into separate virtual and physical layers. The virtual block stripe management table divides the mapping responsibility into distinct entries, where each virtual block stripe can be independently mapped to available physical block stripes. This segmentation allows the system to handle bad physical blocks without affecting the overall writing efficiency of the storage device.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If dispersed bad physical blocks are present, then reliability is improved, but available space deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata integrityVSAvoidavailable space
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from a one-to-one mapping between virtual and physical block stripes to a many-to-many mapping relationship through the virtual block stripe management table. This dimensional change in the mapping structure allows the system to redistribute available space across different physical block stripes, effectively increasing the usable space despite the presence of dispersed bad blocks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the mapping parameter from direct physical address mapping to virtual address mapping through the management table. By altering the addressing parameter from physical to virtual, the system can dynamically allocate available space and overcome the space reduction caused by bad physical blocks, thereby maintaining higher available space utilization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If multiple plane write mode is unavailable, then reliability is improved, but writing efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata integrityVSAvoidwriting efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a dynamic mapping mechanism where the virtual block stripe management table can be updated and reconfigured. This dynamic structure allows the system to adaptively select available physical block stripes for multiple plane write operations, maintaining writing efficiency while ensuring data integrity even when some physical blocks are faulty.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The virtual block stripe management table serves as an intermediary that enables the system to maintain multiple plane write mode functionality despite the presence of bad physical blocks. By translating virtual block stripe requests into available physical block stripe assignments, the intermediary structure preserves writing efficiency while ensuring reliable data access.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11288019B2Memory management method and storage controller
Publication Date: 2022.03.29 SHENZHEN EPOSTAR ELECTRONICS LTD
  • US11288019B2 patent drawing
  • US11288019B2 patent drawing
  • US11288019B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A memory management method for a storage device having a rewritable non-volatile memory module is provided. The rewritable non-volatile memory module has a plurality of physical blocks. The method includes: scanning the plurality of physical blocks to identify one or more bad physical blocks; performing a bad physical block remapping operation on the one or more bad physical blocks to update a virtual block stripe management table; and performing a writing operation under a multiple plane write mode based on the virtual block stripe management table.