Downgrade memory apparatus, and method for accessing a downgrade memory

Abstract

A method for accessing a downgrade memory and a downgrade memory apparatus are provided. The downgrade memory apparatus comprises at least one management unit and a controller. The management unit comprises a plurality of blocks, each block having a plurality of pages, and each page having a plurality of sectors, the downgrade memory having a plurality of non-accessible sectors. The controller is configured to parse a write command corresponding to a special block, to select at least one accessible sector according to a status information of the special block and to program the write command to the special block, wherein the status information indicates at least one non-accessible sector in the special block. Thereby the method and the apparatus of downgrade memory may as well omit the non-accessible sectors as enhance the usage memory capacity in accordance with the status information.

1 . A method for accessing a downgrade memory including a plurality of blocks, each block having a plurality of pages, and each page having a plurality of sectors, the downgrade memory having a plurality of non-accessible sectors, the method comprising the steps of:
 programming an initial write command to the blocks;   generating status information by programming an initial read command to the blocks after the blocks have been written; and   marking at least one block as a special block having at least one of the non-accessible sectors in response to the status information for a follow-up accessing, wherein the status information indicates the at least one of the non-accessible sectors of the at least one block.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the initial write command comprises a predetermined pattern. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the predetermined pattern includes data assigned to be written to each of the pages. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the status information is generated by comparing the predetermined pattern with read status of sectors in response to the initial read command. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein accessible sectors are selected in accordance with the status information 
     
     
         6 . A method for accessing a downgrade memory including a plurality of blocks, each block having a plurality of pages, and each page having a plurality of sectors, the downgrade memory having a plurality of non-accessible sectors, the method comprising the steps of:
 parsing a write command corresponding to a special block having at least one of the non-accessible sectors;   selecting accessible sectors according to status information of the special block; and   programming the write command to the accessible sectors, wherein the status information indicates at least one of the non-accessible sectors of the blocks.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the write command comprises a predetermined pattern. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the predetermined pattern includes data assigned to be written to each of the pages. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the status information is generated by comparing the predetermined pattern with read status of sectors in response to the initial read command. 
     
     
         10 . A downgrade memory apparatus, comprising:
 at least one management unit, comprising a plurality of blocks, each block having a plurality of pages, and each page having a plurality of sectors, wherein the sectors of the downgrade memory comprise a plurality of accessible sectors and a plurality of non-accessible sectors; and   a controller, being configured to:
 generate status information by programming an initial read command to the blocks; and 
 mark at least one block as a special block having at least one of the non-accessible sectors in response to the status information, wherein the status information indicates at least one of the non-accessible sectors of the blocks. 
   
     
     
         11 . The downgrade memory apparatus in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to program an initial write command to the plurality of blocks, the initial write command comprising a predetermined pattern. 
     
     
         12 . The downgrade memory apparatus in accordance with  claim 11  wherein the predetermined pattern includes data assigned to be written to each of the pages. 
     
     
         13 . The downgrade memory apparatus in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to generate the status information by comparing the predetermined pattern with read status of sectors in response to the initial read command. 
     
     
         14 . The downgrade memory apparatus in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to select accessible sectors in accordance with the status information.