Methods and systems for autonomous memory searching

Abstract

Methods and systems operate to receive a plurality of search requests for searching a database in a memory system. The search requests can be stored in a FIFO queue and searches can be subsequently generated for each search request. The resulting plurality of searches can be executed substantially in parallel on the database. A respective indication is transmitted to a requesting host when either each respective search is complete or each respective search has generated search results.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of autonomous memory searching performed by a memory controller of a memory device, for searching a non-volatile memory of the memory device, the method comprising:
 processing a write command provided from a host to the memory device, wherein the write command is addressed to the memory device and includes a search request indicated by a predetermined bit in a logical block address field of the write command;   initiating a search of the memory in response to the write command, wherein the logical block address field of the write command further includes bits indicating information to initiate the search, such that the logical block address field in the write command includes the predetermined bit and additional bits in place of a logical block address; and   obtaining results of the search of the memory.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the write command includes an indication of a search criteria and a search key. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the search criteria includes one or more of: “equal to”, “less than”, “greater than”, “not equal to”, “less than or equal to”, “greater than or equal to”, “AND”, “OR”, or “NOT”. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined bit in the logical block address field further indicates search information is available to the memory device to perform the search request. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the results include an indication that the search has been completed or that search results have been found, and wherein when the search results have been found, the search results are provided from the memory in response to the indication. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein obtaining the indication that the search has been completed or that the search results have been found comprises obtaining an indication that the search has reached an end of a database stored in the memory. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein obtaining the indication that the search has been completed or that the search results have been found comprises obtaining an indication that buffers to provide the search results are full. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the search results from the memory comprises providing the search results in response to a read command to the memory device that causes the memory device to transmit back the search results. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the search results from the memory in comprises providing the search results in response to a command issued to the memory that indicates that the host is ready to receive the search results. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the write command includes a small computer system interface (SCSI) Write command, and wherein the command that indicates that the host is ready to receive the search results includes a SCSI Read command. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transmitting an indication, to the host, that the search has been completed or that search results have been found.   
     
     
         12 . A non-transitory device-readable storage medium, that provides instructions that, when executed by a memory controller of a memory device, performs autonomous memory searching of a non-volatile memory of the memory device, wherein the instructions cause the controller to perform operations comprising:
 processing a write command transmitted from a host to the memory device, wherein the write command is addressed to the memory device and includes a search request indicated by a predetermined bit in a logical block address field of the write command;   initiating a search of the memory in response to the write command, wherein the logical block address field of the write command further includes bits indicating information to initiate the search, such that the logical block address field in the write command includes the predetermined bit and additional bits in place of a logical block address; and   obtaining results of the search of the memory, the results including an indication that the search has been completed or that search results have been found.   
     
     
         13 . The storage medium of  claim 12 , wherein the write command includes an indication of a search criteria and a search key. 
     
     
         14 . The storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein the search criteria includes one or more of: “equal to”, “less than”, “greater than”, “not equal to”, “less than or equal to”, “greater than or equal to”, “AND”, “OR”, or “NOT”. 
     
     
         15 . The storage medium of  claim 12 , wherein when the search results have been found, the operations further comprise providing the search results from the memory in response to the indication. 
     
     
         16 . The storage medium of  claim 12 , wherein obtaining the indication that the search has been completed or that the search results have been found comprises obtaining an indication that the search has reached an end of a database stored in the memory. 
     
     
         17 . The storage medium of  claim 12 , wherein obtaining the indication that the search has been completed or that the search results have been found comprises obtaining an indication that buffers to provide the search results are full. 
     
     
         18 . The storage medium of  claim 12 , wherein providing the search results from the memory comprises providing the search results in response to a read command to the memory device that causes the memory device to transmit back the search results. 
     
     
         19 . The storage medium of  claim 12 , wherein providing the search results from the memory in comprises providing the search results in response to a command issued to the memory that indicates that the host is ready to receive the search results. 
     
     
         20 . The storage medium of  claim 19 , wherein the write command includes a small computer system interface (SCSI) Write command, and wherein the command that indicates that the host is ready to receive the search results includes a SCSI Read command. 
     
     
         21 . The storage medium of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 transmitting an indication, to the host, that the search has been completed or that search results have been found.   
     
     
         22 . A memory device, comprising:
 a non-volatile memory; and   a memory controller operably coupled to the non-volatile memory, the memory controller to perform operations comprising:
 processing a write command transmitted from a host to the memory device, wherein the write command is addressed to the memory device and includes a search request indicated by a predetermined bit in a logical block address field of the write command; 
 initiating a search of the memory in response to the write command, wherein the logical block address field of the write command further includes bits indicating information to initiate the search, such that the logical block address field in the write command includes the predetermined bit and additional bits in place of a logical block address; and 
 obtaining results of the search of the memory. 
   
     
     
         23 . The memory device of  claim 22 , wherein the write command includes an indication of a search criteria and a search key. 
     
     
         24 . The memory device of  claim 23 , wherein the search criteria includes one or more of: “equal to”, “less than”, “greater than”, “not equal to”, “less than or equal to”, “greater than or equal to”, “AND”, “OR”, or “NOT”. 
     
     
         25 . The memory device of  claim 22 , the operations further comprising:
 obtaining an indication that the search has been completed or that search results have been found; and   when the search results have been found, providing the search results from the memory in response to the indication.   
     
     
         26 . The memory device of  claim 25 , wherein obtaining the indication that the search has been completed or that the search results have been found comprises obtaining an indication that the search has reached an end of a database stored in the memory. 
     
     
         27 . The memory device of  claim 25 , wherein obtaining the indication that the search has been completed or that the search results have been found comprises obtaining an indication that buffers to provide the search results are full. 
     
     
         28 . The memory device of  claim 22 , wherein providing the search results from the memory comprises providing the search results in response to a read command to the memory device that causes the memory device to transmit back the search results. 
     
     
         29 . The memory device of  claim 22 , wherein providing the search results from the memory comprises providing the search results in response to a command issued to the memory that indicates that the host is ready to receive the search results. 
     
     
         30 . The memory device of  claim 29 , wherein the write command includes a small computer system interface (SCSI) Write command, and wherein the command that indicates that the host is ready to receive the search results includes a SCSI Read command. 
     
     
         31 . The memory device of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 transmitting an indication, to the host, that the search has been completed or that search results have been found.   
     
     
         32 . The memory device of  claim 22 , wherein the memory device is a solid state drive, and wherein the host is a computing device.