Method and apparatus for using wear-out blocks in nonvolatile memory

摘要

Some of the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method comprising: storing volatile data in nonvolatile memory; over a time interval, periodically refreshing the volatile data by (i) reading the volatile data from the nonvolatile memory and (ii) rewriting the volatile data to the nonvolatile memory; determining a number of errors in the volatile data that is read during the periodic refresh of the volatile data; and based, at least in part, on the number of errors that is determined, modifying the time interval. The method may also comprise decreasing the time interval if the number of errors is determined to be greater than an error threshold value.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
designating a portion of a nonvolatile memory as a wear-out portion of the nonvolatile memory, in response to the portion of the nonvolatile memory being error-prone beyond a particular threshold; storing volatile data in the wear-out portion of the nonvolatile memory; over a time interval, periodically refreshing the volatile data in the wear-out portion of the nonvolatile memory by (i) reading the volatile data from the wear-out portion of the nonvolatile memory and (ii) rewriting the volatile data to the wear-out portion of the nonvolatile memory; determining a number of errors in the volatile data that is read during the periodic refresh of the volatile data; and based, at least in part, on the number of errors that is determined, modifying the time interval.