Method of controlling clean-up of a solid state memory disk storing floating sector data

Claim 1

A method of initiating and controlling background clean-up of a solid state memory disk, the solid state memory disk including a processing unit, the processing unit allocating execution time for clean-up, the method comprising the steps of: a) enabling a clean-up state machine after completion of a write command, the clean-up state machine having a multiplicity of states, each state controlling the execution of a portion of clean-up, each state resetting a next state pointer to point to a next state; b) setting the next state pointer to an evaluation state for evaluating whether clean-up is necessary; c) executing a state pointed to by the next state pointer when the processing unit allocates execution time for clean-up, execution of each state taking no more than a selected maximum amount of execution time; and d) repeating step c) until a block of the solid state memory disk is cleaned-up.

Claim 2

A method of initiating and controlling background clean-up of a solid state memory disk, the solid state memory disk including a processing unit, the processing unit allocating execution time for clean-up, the method comprising the steps of: a) enabling a clean-up state machine after completion of a write command, the clean-up state machine having a multiplicity of states, each state controlling the execution of a portion of clean-up, each state resetting a next state pointer to point to a next state; b) setting the next state pointer to an evaluation state for evaluating whether clean-up is necessary; c) executing a state pointed to by the next state pointer when the processing unit allocates execution time for clean-up, execution of each state taking no more than a selected maximum amount of execution time; and d) repeating step c) until a block of the solid state memory disk is cleaned-up.

Claim 9

A method of initiating and controlling foreground clean-up of a solid state memory disk, the method comprising the steps of: a) enabling a first clean-up state machine if sufficient memory within the solid state memory disk cannot be allocated in response to a write command, the first clean-up state machine having a multiplicity of first clean-up state machine states, each of the first clean-up state machine states controlling the execution of a portion of clean-up of a first block, each of the first clean-up state machine states resetting a first next state pointer to point to a next first clean-up state machine state; b) enabling a second clean-up state machine if sufficient memory within the solid state memory disk cannot be allocated in response to a write command, the second clean-up state machine having a multiplicity of second clean-up state machine states, each of the second clean-up state machine states controlling the execution of a portion of clean-up of a second block, each of the second clean-up state machine states resetting a second next state pointer to point to a next second clean-up state machine state; c) setting the first next state pointer to an initial first clean-up state machine state for choosing the first block within the solid state memory disk to clean-up; d) setting the second next state pointer to an initial second clean-up state machine state for choosing the second block within the solid state memory disk to clean-up; e) executing each state pointed to by the first next state pointer until erasure of the first block begins; f) executing each state pointed to by the second next state pointer until erasure of the second block begins; and g) executing each state pointed to by the first next state pointer until clean-up of the first block is complete.

Claim 10

A method of initiating and controlling foreground clean-up of a solid state memory disk, the method comprising the steps of: a) enabling a first clean-up state machine if sufficient memory within the solid state memory disk cannot be allocated in response to a write command, the first clean-up state machine having a multiplicity of first clean-up state machine states, each of the first clean-up state machine states controlling the execution of a portion of clean-up of a first block, each of the first clean-up state machine states resetting a first next state pointer to point to a next first clean-up state machine state; b) enabling a second clean-up state machine if sufficient memory within the solid state memory disk cannot be allocated in response to a write command, the second clean-up state machine having a multiplicity of second clean-up state machine states, each of the second clean-up state machine states controlling the execution of a portion of clean-up of a second block, each of the second clean-up state machine states resetting a second next state pointer to point to a next second clean-up state machine state; c) setting the first next state pointer to an initial first clean-up state machine state for choosing the first block within the solid state memory disk to clean-up; d) setting the second next state pointer to an initial second clean-up state machine state for choosing the second block within the solid state memory disk to clean-up; e) executing each state pointed to by the first next state pointer until erasure of the first block begins; f) executing each state pointed to by the second next state pointer until erasure of the second block begins; and g) executing each state pointed to by the first next state pointer until clean-up of the first block is complete.

Claim 23

A method of forcing and controlling clean-up of a solid state memory disk, the solid state memory disk including a processing unit, the processing unit allocating execution time for clean-up, the method comprising the steps of: a) enabling a clean-up state machine in response to a force clean-up command, the clean-up state machine having a multiplicity of states, each state controlling the execution of a portion of clean-up, each state resetting a next state pointer to point to a next state; b) setting the next state pointer to an initial state for choosing a first block to clean-up; c) executing a state pointed to by the next state pointer when the processing unit allocates execution time for clean-up, execution of each state taking no more than a selected maximum amount of execution time; and d) repeating step c) until all states have been executed.

Claim 24

A method of forcing and controlling clean-up of a solid state memory disk, the solid state memory disk including a processing unit, the processing unit allocating execution time for clean-up, the method comprising the steps of: a) enabling a clean-up state machine in response to a force clean-up command, the clean-up state machine having a multiplicity of states, each state controlling the execution of a portion of clean-up, each state resetting a next state pointer to point to a next state; b) setting the next state pointer to an initial state for choosing a first block to clean-up; c) executing a state pointed to by the next state pointer when the processing unit allocates execution time for clean-up, execution of each state taking no more than a selected maximum amount of execution time; and d) repeating step c) until all states have been executed.

Claim 25

A method of forcing and controlling clean-up of a solid state memory disk, the solid state memory disk including a processing unit, the processing unit allocating execution time for clean-up, the method comprising the steps of: a) enabling a first clean-up state machine in response to a force clean-up command, the first clean-up state machine having a multiplicity of first clean-up state machine states, each of the first clean-up state machine states controlling the execution of a portion of clean-up of a first block, each of the first clean-up state machine states resetting a first next state pointer to point to a next first clean-up state machine state; b) enabling a second clean-up state machine in response to the force clean-up command, the second clean-up state machine having a multiplicity of second clean-up state machine states, each of the second clean-up state machine states controlling the execution of a portion of clean-up of a second block, each of the second clean-up state machine states resetting a second next state pointer to point to a next second clean-up state machine state; c) setting the first next state pointer to an initial first clean-up state machine state for choosing the first block within the solid state memory disk to clean-up; d) setting the second next state pointer to an initial second clean-up state machine state for choosing the second block within the solid state memory disk to clean-up; e) executing each of the first clean-up state machine states as it is pointed to by the first clean-up state machine next state pointer until a first erase state is reached; f) executing each of the second clean-up state machine states as it is pointed to by the second clean-up state machine next state pointer until a second erase state is reached; and g) executing each of the first clean-up state machine states as it is pointed to by the first clean-Up state machine next state pointer until the first block is cleaned up.

Claim 26

A method of forcing and controlling clean-up of a solid state memory disk, the solid state memory disk including a processing unit, the processing unit allocating execution time for clean-up, the method comprising the steps of: a) enabling a first clean-up state machine in response to a force clean-up command, the first clean-up state machine having a multiplicity of first clean-up state machine states, each of the first clean-up state machine states controlling the execution of a portion of clean-up of a first block, each of the first clean-up state machine states resetting a first next state pointer to point to a next first clean-up state machine state; b) enabling a second clean-up state machine in response to the force clean-up command, the second clean-up state machine having a multiplicity of second clean-up state machine states, each of the second clean-up state machine states controlling the execution of a portion of clean-up of a second block, each of the second clean-up state machine states resetting a second next state pointer to point to a next second clean-up state machine state; c) setting the first next state pointer to an initial first clean-up state machine state for choosing the first block within the solid state memory disk to clean-up; d) setting the second next state pointer to an initial second clean-up state machine state for choosing the second block within the solid state memory disk to clean-up; e) executing each of the first clean-up state machine states as it is pointed to by the first clean-up state machine next state pointer until a first erase state is reached; f) executing each of the second clean-up state machine states as it is pointed to by the second clean-up state machine next state pointer until a second erase state is reached; and g) executing each of the first clean-up state machine states as it is pointed to by the first clean-Up state machine next state pointer until the first block is cleaned up.