Managing Operational State Data in Memory Module

Abstract

The specification and drawings present a new apparatus and method for managing/configuring by the memory module controller storing operational state data for operating the memory module controller into an extended random access memory comprised in a memory module and in a host system memory of a host device during various operational modes/conditions of the memory module and the host system memory. Essentially, the memory module controller operated as a master for the data transfers as described herein. The operational state data typically comprises state information, a logical to physical (L2P) mapping table and register settings.

1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A memory module comprising:
 a memory; and   a memory module controller configured to:
 manage storage of data into a portion of random access memory in a host device that is allocated to the memory module; 
 initiate, in association with the memory module entering a powered down state or a sleep state, storing of a data subset of the data stored in the memory in the memory module into the portion of the random access memory in the host device; 
 receive, in association with a wake up from the powered down state or the sleep state of the memory module, a command or an attribute of a command from the host device indicating whether the memory module controller is permitted to initialize from the portion of the random access memory in the host device that is allocated to the memory module; and 
 initialize the memory module based at least in part on the command or the attribute of the command. 
   
     
     
         22 . The memory module of  claim 21 , wherein the data comprises operational state data of the memory module. 
     
     
         23 . The memory module of  claim 22 , wherein the operational state data comprises one or more of:
 state information;   a logical to physical mapping table; or   one or more register settings.   
     
     
         24 . The memory module of  claim 21 , wherein storing of the data subset into the portion of the random access memory in the host device comprises duplicating at least a portion of the data subset in both the memory in the memory module and the portion of the random access memory in the host device. 
     
     
         25 . The memory module of  claim 21 , wherein the memory module controller is further configured to:
 read at least a portion of the data subset from one or more of:
 the portion of the random access memory; or 
 the memory; and 
   initialize the memory module based at least in part on the at least the portion of the data subset.   
     
     
         26 . The memory module of  claim 21 , wherein the command or the attribute of the command from the host device overrides at least one setting of the memory module. 
     
     
         27 . The memory module of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 at least one register; and   wherein the memory module controller is further configured to:
 store, in the at least one register, at least one setting indicating whether the memory module is to initialize based on the data subset stored in the memory in the memory module or the portion of the random access memory in the host device. 
   
     
     
         28 . A method comprising:
 managing, by a memory module controller of a memory module, storage of data into a portion of random access memory in a host device that is allocated to the memory module;   initiating, in association with the memory module entering a powered down state or a sleep state, storing of a data subset of the data stored in a memory in the memory module into the portion of the random access memory in the host device;   receiving, in association with a wake up from the powered down state or the sleep state of the memory module, a command or an attribute of a command from the host device indicating whether the memory module controller is permitted to initialize from the portion of the random access memory in the host device that is allocated to the memory module; and   initializing the memory module based at least in part on the command or the attribute of the command.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the data comprises operational state data of the memory module. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the operational state data comprises one or more of:
 state information;   a logical to physical mapping table; or   one or more register settings.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein storing of the data subset into the portion of the random access memory in the host device comprises duplicating at least a portion of the data subset in both the memory in the memory module and the portion of the random access memory in the host device. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising:
 reading, by the memory module controller, at least a portion of the data subset from one or more of:
 the portion of the random access memory; or 
 the memory; and 
   initializing the memory module based at least in part on the at least the portion of the data subset.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the command or the attribute of the command from the host device overrides at least one setting of the memory module. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising:
 storing, by the memory module controller and in at least one register of the memory module, at least one setting indicating whether the memory module is to initialize based on the data subset stored in the memory in the memory module or the portion of the random access memory in the host device.   
     
     
         35 . A host device comprising:
 one or more processors; and   random access memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the host device to:
 allocate a portion of the random access memory to a memory module coupled to the host device; 
 receive, in association with the memory module entering a powered down state or a sleep state, a data subset of data stored in a memory of the memory module into the portion of the random access memory in the host device; and 
 send, in association with a wake up from the powered down state or the sleep state of the memory module, a command or an attribute of a command to the memory module indicating whether a memory module controller of the memory module is permitted to initialize from the portion of the random access memory in the host device that is allocated to the memory module. 
   
     
     
         36 . The host device of  claim 35 , wherein the data subset comprises operational state data of the memory module comprising one or more of:
 state information;   a logical to physical mapping table; or   one or more register settings.   
     
     
         37 . The host device of  claim 35 , wherein the command or the attribute of the command sent to the memory module indicates that the portion of the random access memory of the host device is available. 
     
     
         38 . The host device of  claim 37 , wherein the command or the attribute of the command is configured to define a setting of the memory module to indicate that the portion of the random access memory is enabled. 
     
     
         39 . The host device of  claim 35 , wherein the command or the attribute of the command sent to the memory module indicates that the portion of the random access memory of the host device is to be made unavailable, and wherein the instructions further configure the host device to:
 receive, from the memory module and at least partially in response to the command or the attribute of the command indicating that the portion of the random access memory is to be made unavailable, a retrieval request for at least a portion of the data subset stored in the portion of the random access memory; and   send, to the memory module and in response to the retrieval request, the portion of the data subset.   
     
     
         40 . The host device of  claim 39 , wherein the command or the attribute of the command is configured to define a setting of the memory module to indicate that the portion of the random access memory is disabled after the portion of the data subset is sent to the memory module.