公开(公告)号：US07934074B2

公开(公告)日：2011-04-26

申请号：US11871011

申请日：2007-10-11

申请人： Charles C. Lee ,  Frank Yu ,  Ming-Shiang Shen ,  Abraham C. Ma ,  David Q. Chow

发明人： Charles C. Lee ,  Frank Yu ,  Ming-Shiang Shen ,  Abraham C. Ma ,  David Q. Chow

IPC分类号： G06F12/06

CPC分类号： G06F12/0246 ,  G06F12/0607 ,  G06F2212/7201 ,  G06F2212/7208 ,  G11C11/5621 ,  G11C16/0408

摘要： A flash memory controller on a PCIE bus controls flash-memory modules on a flash bus. The flash-memory modules are plane-interleaved using interleaved bits extracted from the lowest bits of the logical block index. These plane-interleave bits are split into a LSB and a MSB, with middle physical block bits between the LSB and MSB. A physical sequential address counter generates a physical block number by incrementing the plane-interleave bits before the middle physical block bits, and then relocating the MSB to above the middle physical block bits. This causes blocks to be accessed in a low-high sequence of 0, 1, 4096, 4097, 2, 3, 4098, 4099, etc. in the four planes of flash memory. A RAM physical page valid table tracks valid pages in the four planes, while a RAM mapping table stores the plane, block, and page addresses for logical sectors generated by the physical sequential address counter.

摘要翻译： PCIE总线上的闪存控制器控制闪存总线上的闪存模块。 闪存模块使用从逻辑块索引的最低位提取的交错比特进行平面交织。 这些平面交织位分为LSB和MSB，LSB与MSB之间的中间物理块位。 物理顺序地址计数器通过在中间物理块比特之前递增平面交织比特，然后将MSB重新定位到中间物理块比特之上来生成物理块号。 这导致在闪存的四个平面中以0,1,4096,4097,2,3,40,40,4099等的低高序列访问块。 RAM物理页有效表跟踪四个平面中的有效页面，而RAM映射表存储由物理顺序地址计数器生成的逻辑扇区的平面，块和页面地址。

公开(公告)号：US07707321B2

公开(公告)日：2010-04-27

申请号：US11928124

申请日：2007-10-30

申请人： Charles C. Lee ,  David Q. Chow ,  Abraham C. Ma ,  Frank Yu ,  Ming-Shiang Shen ,  Horng-Yee Chou

发明人： Charles C. Lee ,  David Q. Chow ,  Abraham C. Ma ,  Frank Yu ,  Ming-Shiang Shen ,  Horng-Yee Chou

IPC分类号： G06F3/00 ,  G06F13/38

CPC分类号： G06F13/28 ,  Y02D10/14

摘要： An extended Universal-Serial Bus (EUSB) host has reduced loading by using radio frequency (RF) transceivers or direct wiring traces rather than a pair of legacy USB cables. The reduced loading opens the eye pattern. The EUSB device transfers internal data using chained Direct-Memory Access (DMA). Registers in a DMA controller point to a vector table that has vector entries, each pointing to a destination and a source. The source is a memory table for a memory group. The memory table has entries for several memory segments. Each memory-table entry has a pointer to a memory segment and a byte count for the segment. Once all bytes in the segment are transferred, a flag in the entry indicates when another memory segment follows within the memory group. When an END flag is read, then vector table is advanced to the next vector entry, and another memory group of memory segments processed.

摘要翻译： 扩展的通用串行总线（EUSB）主机通过使用射频（RF）收发器或直接布线轨迹而不是一对传统的USB电缆减少了负载。 减少负荷打开眼睛图案。 EUSB设备使用链接的直接内存访问（DMA）传输内部数据。 DMA控制器中的寄存器指向具有向量条目的向量表，每个向量表指向一个目的地和一个源。 源是内存组的内存表。 内存表有几个内存段的条目。 每个存储表条目具有指向存储器段的指针和段的字节计数。 一旦片段中的所有字节都被传送，该条目中的标志表示在存储器组中跟随其他内存段的时间。 读取END标志时，向量表前进到下一个向量条目，并处理另一个内存段的内存组。

公开(公告)号：US20080250195A1

公开(公告)日：2008-10-09

申请号：US12139842

申请日：2008-06-16

申请人： David Q. Chow ,  Frank Yu ,  Charles C. Lee ,  Abraham C. Ma ,  Ming-Shiang Shen

发明人： David Q. Chow ,  Frank Yu ,  Charles C. Lee ,  Abraham C. Ma ,  Ming-Shiang Shen

IPC分类号： G06F12/02

CPC分类号： G06F12/0246 ,  G06F21/32 ,  G06F21/78 ,  G06F2212/1036 ,  G06F2212/7202 ,  G06F2212/7208 ,  G06K19/07 ,  G06K19/07354

摘要： A flash system has multiple channels of flash memory chips that can be accessed in parallel. Host data is assigned to one of the channels by a multi-channel controller processor and accumulated in a multi-channel page buffer. When a page boundary in the page buffer is reached, the page buffer is written to a target physical block if full, or combined with old data fragments in an Aggregating Flash Block (AFB) when the logical-sector addresses (LSA's) match. Thus small fragments are aggregated using the AFB, reducing erases and wear of flash blocks. The page buffer is copied to the AFB when a STOP command occurs. Each channel has one or more AFB's, which are tracked by an AFB tracking table.

摘要翻译： 闪存系统具有可以并行访问的多个闪存芯片的通道。 主机数据被多通道控制器处理器分配给一个通道，并且累积在多通道页缓冲器中。 当到达页面缓冲区中的页面边界时，如果逻辑扇区地址（LSA）匹配，则页缓冲区将被写入目标物理块（如果已满）或与聚合闪存块（AFB）中的旧数据片段组合。 因此，使用AFB聚集小片段，减少闪存块的擦除和磨损。 发生STOP命令时，页面缓冲区被复制到AFB。 每个通道都有一个或多个AFB，它们由AFB跟踪表进行跟踪。

公开(公告)号：US20080235443A1

公开(公告)日：2008-09-25

申请号：US12115128

申请日：2008-05-05

申请人： David Q. Chow ,  Frank Yu ,  Charles C. Lee ,  Abraham C. Ma ,  Ming-Shiang Shen

发明人： David Q. Chow ,  Frank Yu ,  Charles C. Lee ,  Abraham C. Ma ,  Ming-Shiang Shen

IPC分类号： G06F12/02

CPC分类号： G06F12/1416 ,  G06F3/0664 ,  G06F12/0851 ,  G06F12/0866 ,  G06F12/0897 ,  G06F21/32 ,  G06F21/78 ,  G06F21/79 ,  G06F2212/2022 ,  Y02D10/13

摘要： A flash memory system stores blocks of data in Non-Volatile Memory Devices (NVMD) that are addressed by a logical block address (LBA). The LBA is remapped for wear-leveling and bad-block relocation by the NVMD. The NVMD are interleaved in channels that are accessed by a NVMD controller. The NVMD controller has a controller cache that caches blocks stored in NVMD in that channel, while the NVMD also contain high-speed cache. The multiple levels of caching reduce access latency. Power is managed in multiple levels by a power controller in the NVMD controller that sets power policies for power managers inside the NVMD. Multiple NVMD controllers in the flash system may each controller many channels of NVMD. The flash system with NVMD may include a fingerprint reader for security.

摘要翻译： 闪存系统存储由逻辑块地址（LBA）寻址的非易失性存储器件（NVMD）中的数据块。 NVBA将对LBA进行重新配置以进行磨损均衡和坏块重定位。 NVMD在由NVMD控制器访问的通道中进行交织。 NVMD控制器具有缓存存储在该通道中的NVMD中的块的控制器高速缓存，而NVMD还包含高速缓存。 多级缓存可以减少访问延迟。 电源由NVMD控制器中的电源控制器以多级管理，为NVMD内的电源管理器设置电源策略。 闪存系统中的多个NVMD控制器可以各自控制多个NVMD通道。 具有NVMD的闪存系统可能包括用于安全性的指纹读取器。

公开(公告)号：US20080198545A1

公开(公告)日：2008-08-21

申请号：US12043398

申请日：2008-03-06

申请人： Jim Chin-Nan Ni ,  Charles C. Lee ,  Frank Yu ,  Abraham C. Ma ,  Ming-Shiang Shen

发明人： Jim Chin-Nan Ni ,  Charles C. Lee ,  Frank Yu ,  Abraham C. Ma ,  Ming-Shiang Shen

IPC分类号： G06F1/16

CPC分类号： G06F12/1416 ,  G06F3/0658 ,  G06F3/0679 ,  G06F21/32 ,  G06F21/78

摘要： An open-frame flash-memory drive has a printed-circuit board assembly (PCBA) with flash-memory chips, a controller chip, and a Serial AT-Attachment (SATA) connector soldered to it. The PCBA is only partially encased by left and right frames or by a U-shaped bracket frame. The frames have PCBA supports and guide posts that fit near edges of the PCBA. The frames do not cover the top and bottom of the PCBA, allowing chips on the PCBA to be ventilated by unblocked air flow. Screws that attach the PCBA to the frame have metal collars that ground the frame to the PCBA's ground plane. The screws form a current path to draw any electro-static-discharge (ESD) current off the frame and onto a PCBA ground. When the SATA connector is inserted into a host, the host ground sinks ESD currents collected by the open frame.

摘要翻译： 开放式闪存驱动器具有焊接到其上的具有闪存芯片的印刷电路板组件（PCBA），控制器芯片和串行AT附件（SATA）连接器。 PCBA仅部分地被左右框架或U形支架框架包围。 这些框架具有PCBA支撑和适合PCBA边缘附近的导向柱。 框架不覆盖PCBA的顶部和底部，允许PCBA上的芯片通过未阻塞的气流通风。 将PCBA连接到框架上的螺钉具有金属套环，将框架接地到PCBA的接地平面。 螺钉形成电流通道，以将任何静电放电（ESD）电流从框架上取出并插入PCBA接地。 当SATA连接器插入主机时，主机接地会吸收由开放框架收集的ESD电流。

公开(公告)号：US07333364B2

公开(公告)日：2008-02-19

申请号：US11737336

申请日：2007-04-19

申请人： Frank Yu ,  Charles C. Lee ,  Abraham C. Ma ,  Ming-Shiang Shen

发明人： Frank Yu ,  Charles C. Lee ,  Abraham C. Ma ,  Ming-Shiang Shen

IPC分类号： G11C16/06

CPC分类号： G11C11/5621 ,  G11C11/5642 ,  G11C29/00 ,  G11C2211/5634 ,  G11C2211/5641

摘要： A flash memory has multi-level cells (MLC) that can each store multiple bits per cell. Blocks of cells can be downgraded to fewer bits/cell when errors occur, or for storing critical data such as boot code. The bits from a single MLC are partitioned among multiple pages to improve error correctability using Error Correction Code (ECC). An upper reference voltage is generated by a voltage reference generator in response to calibration registers that can be programmed to alter the upper reference voltage. A series of decreasing references are generated from the upper reference voltage and are compared to a bit-line voltage. Compare results are translated by translation logic that generates read data and over- and under-programming signals. Downgraded cells use the same truth table but generate fewer read data bits. Noise margins are asymmetrically improved by using the same sub-states for reading downgraded and full-density MLC cells.

摘要翻译： 闪存具有多级单元（MLC），每个单元可以存储多个位。 当发生错误时，单元块可以降级到较少的位/单元，或用于存储关键数据（如引导代码）。 来自单个MLC的位在多个页面之间进行分区，以使用错误校正码（ECC）来提高错误的可校正性。 响应于校准寄存器，由参考电压发生器产生较高的参考电压，校准寄存器可编程为改变上参考电压。 从较高参考电压产生一系列减小的参考值，并将其与位线电压进行比较。 比较结果由翻译逻辑翻译，生成读取数据和编程过程中和编程不足的信号。 降级的单元格使用相同的真值表，但生成较少的读取数据位。 通过使用相同的子状态来读取降级和全密度MLC单元，噪声余量被不对称地改善。

公开(公告)号：US07930531B2

公开(公告)日：2011-04-19

申请号：US11838192

申请日：2007-08-13

申请人： David Q. Chow ,  Charles C. Lee ,  Frank Yu ,  Tzu-Yih Chu ,  Ming-Shiang Shen

发明人： David Q. Chow ,  Charles C. Lee ,  Frank Yu ,  Tzu-Yih Chu ,  Ming-Shiang Shen

IPC分类号： G06F1/00

CPC分类号： G06F21/568 ,  G06F21/575 ,  G06F2221/2105 ,  G06F2221/2153

摘要： A multi-partition Universal Serial Bus (USB) device has a flash memory with multiple partitions of storage. Some partitions are for different operating systems and store OS images. Another partition has a control program while a user partition stores user data and user configuration information. The control program can test the multi-partition USB device and instruct the host computer BIOS to mount a partition from its flash memory as a drive of the host computer. The host computer can then be rebooted. The OS image from the flash memory is loaded into main memory during rebooting, and the host computer executes a new operating system using the new OS image. The user can press buttons on the multi-partition USB device to select which OS to load, and to begin rebooting. Virus removal programs in the alternate OS can help recover from a virus in the primary OS.

摘要翻译： 多分区通用串行总线（USB）设备具有具有多个存储分区的闪存。 一些分区用于不同的操作系统并存储操作系统映像。 另一个分区具有控制程序，而用户分区则存储用户数据和用户配置信息。 控制程序可以测试多分区USB设备，并指示主机BIOS将其闪存中的分区作为主机的驱动器安装。 然后可以重新启动主机。 重新启动时，闪存中的OS映像将加载到主内存中，主机使用新的操作系统映像执行新的操作系统。 用户可以按多分区USB设备上的按钮选择要加载的操作系统，并开始重新启动。 备用操作系统中的病毒清除程序可以帮助从主操作系统中的病毒恢复。

公开(公告)号：US07649743B2

公开(公告)日：2010-01-19

申请号：US12043398

申请日：2008-03-06

申请人： Jim Chin-Nan Ni ,  Charles C. Lee ,  Frank Yu ,  Abraham C. Ma ,  Ming-Shiang Shen

发明人： Jim Chin-Nan Ni ,  Charles C. Lee ,  Frank Yu ,  Abraham C. Ma ,  Ming-Shiang Shen

IPC分类号： H05K5/00

CPC分类号： G06F12/1416 ,  G06F3/0658 ,  G06F3/0679 ,  G06F21/32 ,  G06F21/78

摘要： An open-frame flash-memory drive has a printed-circuit board assembly (PCBA) with flash-memory chips, a controller chip, and a Serial AT-Attachment (SATA) connector soldered to it. The PCBA is only partially encased by left and right frames or by a U-shaped bracket frame. The frames have PCBA supports and guide posts that fit near edges of the PCBA. The frames do not cover the top and bottom of the PCBA, allowing chips on the PCBA to be ventilated by unblocked air flow. Screws that attach the PCBA to the frame have metal collars that ground the frame to the PCBA's ground plane. The screws form a current path to draw any electro-static-discharge (ESD) current off the frame and onto a PCBA ground. When the SATA connector is inserted into a host, the host ground sinks ESD currents collected by the open frame.

摘要翻译： 开放式闪存驱动器具有焊接到其上的具有闪存芯片的印刷电路板组件（PCBA），控制器芯片和串行AT附件（SATA）连接器。 PCBA仅部分地被左右框架或U形支架框架包围。 这些框架具有PCBA支撑和适合PCBA边缘附近的导向柱。 框架不覆盖PCBA的顶部和底部，允许PCBA上的芯片通过未阻塞的气流通风。 将PCBA连接到框架上的螺钉具有金属套环，将框架接地到PCBA的接地平面。 螺钉形成电流通道，以将任何静电放电（ESD）电流从框架上取出并插入PCBA接地。 当SATA连接器插入主机时，主机接地会吸收由开放框架收集的ESD电流。

公开(公告)号：US08108590B2

公开(公告)日：2012-01-31

申请号：US12139842

申请日：2008-06-16

申请人： David Q. Chow ,  Frank Yu ,  Charles C. Lee ,  Abraham C. Ma ,  Ming-Shiang Shen

发明人： David Q. Chow ,  Frank Yu ,  Charles C. Lee ,  Abraham C. Ma ,  Ming-Shiang Shen

IPC分类号： G06F12/02

CPC分类号： G06F12/0246 ,  G06F21/32 ,  G06F21/78 ,  G06F2212/1036 ,  G06F2212/7202 ,  G06F2212/7208 ,  G06K19/07 ,  G06K19/07354

摘要： A flash system has multiple channels of flash memory chips that can be accessed in parallel. Host data is assigned to one of the channels by a multi-channel controller processor and accumulated in a multi-channel page buffer. When a page boundary in the page buffer is reached, the page buffer is written to a target physical block if full, or combined with old data fragments in an Aggregating Flash Block (AFB) when the logical-sector addresses (LSA's) match. Thus small fragments are aggregated using the AFB, reducing erases and wear of flash blocks. The page buffer is copied to the AFB when a STOP command occurs. Each channel has one or more AFB's, which are tracked by an AFB tracking table.

摘要翻译： 闪存系统具有可以并行访问的多个闪存芯片的通道。 主机数据被多通道控制器处理器分配给一个通道，并且累积在多通道页缓冲器中。 当到达页面缓冲区中的页面边界时，如果逻辑扇区地址（LSA）匹配，则页缓冲区将被写入目标物理块（如果已满）或与聚合闪存块（AFB）中的旧数据片段组合。 因此，使用AFB聚集小片段，减少闪存块的擦除和磨损。 发生STOP命令时，页面缓冲区被复制到AFB。 每个通道都有一个或多个AFB，它们由AFB跟踪表进行跟踪。

公开(公告)号：US07657692B2

公开(公告)日：2010-02-02

申请号：US11926636

申请日：2007-10-29

申请人： Charles C. Lee ,  David Q. Chow ,  Abraham C. Ma ,  Frank Yu ,  Ming-Shiang Shen ,  Horng-Yee Chou

发明人： Charles C. Lee ,  David Q. Chow ,  Abraham C. Ma ,  Frank Yu ,  Ming-Shiang Shen ,  Horng-Yee Chou

IPC分类号： G06F13/00

CPC分类号： G06F13/28 ,  G06F12/1416 ,  G06F21/32 ,  G06F21/78 ,  G06K9/00087 ,  G06K19/07 ,  G06K19/07354 ,  G07C9/00087

摘要： An extended universal-serial bus (EUSB) bridge to a host computer can have peripheral component interconnect express (PCIE) protocol layers on one side of the bridge, and EUSB layers on the other side of the bridge, with a high-level bridging converter module connecting the upper layers. The PCIE physical, data-link, and transport layers may be eliminated by integrating the bridge with an I/O controller. PCIE requests and data payloads are directly sent to the bridge, rather than low-level PCIE physical signals. The PCIE data payloads are converted to EUSB data payloads by a high-level direct bridging converter module. Then the EUSB data payloads are passed down to an EUSB transaction layer, an EUSB data-link layer, and an EUSB physical layer which drives and senses physical electrical signals on both differential pairs of the EUSB bus.

摘要翻译： 到主机的扩展通用串行总线（EUSB）桥可以在桥的一侧具有外围组件互连快速（PCIE）协议层，并且在桥的另一侧可以具有高级桥接转换器 模块连接上层。 可以通过将桥与I / O控制器集成来消除PCIE物理，数据链路和传输层。 PCIE请求和数据有效载荷直接发送到桥，而不是低级PCIE物理信号。 PCIE数据有效载荷通过高级直接桥接转换器模块转换为EUSB数据有效载荷。 然后，EUSB数据有效载荷被传递到EUSB事务层，EUSB数据链路层和EUSB物理层，其在EUSB总线的两个差分对上驱动和感测物理电信号。