초록 ▼

A storage device or system provides to a host processor an estimation of a completion time of a storage operation. The completion time may be based on the duration of automatic storage operations, which are not administered by the host processor. The storage device includes a non-volatile memory and

A storage device or system provides to a host processor an estimation of a completion time of a storage operation. The completion time may be based on the duration of automatic storage operations, which are not administered by the host processor. The storage device includes a non-volatile memory and a controller. The storage system includes: a storage device having a non-volatile memory; and a controller module. The controller or controller module estimates the completion time of a storage operation and provides to the processor the estimated completion time before the storage operation completes.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A storage device for a processor included in a host device connected to the storage device, the storage device comprising: a non-volatile memory; anda controller operative to send data to said non-volatile memory and to retrieve data from said non-volatile memory in accordance with a storage comm

1. A storage device for a processor included in a host device connected to the storage device, the storage device comprising: a non-volatile memory; anda controller operative to send data to said non-volatile memory and to retrieve data from said non-volatile memory in accordance with a storage command from said processor, wherein said controller is configured to collect host device data describing a current status of the host device and storage device data describing a current status of the storage device, to estimate a completion time of a storage operation associated with said storage command based upon said host device data and said storage device data, to begin estimating said completion time after receipt of said storage command and after execution of said storage operation begins, to complete said estimating before said execution ends, and to provide to the processor said estimated completion time,wherein the host device data includes at least one of battery status and current processor usage, andwherein the storage device data includes anticipated automatic memory operations. 2. The storage device of claim 1, wherein said controller is operative to perform calculations to estimate said completion time only when the storage device is otherwise idle, and to provide said estimated completion time to the processor before a preset time. 3. The storage device of claim 1, wherein said controller is operative to perform calculations to estimate said completion time only when the storage device is otherwise idle. 4. The storage device of claim 1, wherein said controller is operative to provide said estimated completion time before a pre-defined time interval has elapsed since receiving said storage command. 5. The storage device of claim 1, wherein said controller is operative to begin estimating said completion time when the storage device is otherwise idle. 6. The storage device of claim 1, wherein said controller is operative to estimate said completion time based in part on an anticipated wear leveling operation. 7. The storage device of claim 1, wherein said controller is operative to estimate said completion time based in part on an anticipated garbage collection operation. 8. The storage device of claim 1, wherein said controller is operative to estimate said completion time based in part on an anticipated power-fail protection operation. 9. The storage device of claim 1, wherein said controller is operative to estimate said completion time based in part on an anticipated defragmentation operation. 10. The storage device of claim 1, wherein said controller is operative to estimate said completion time based in part on an attribute of a specific storage area on the storage device. 11. The storage device of claim 1, wherein said non-volatile memory is a flash memory. 12. A storage system for a processor of a host, the storage system comprising: a storage device having a non-volatile memory; anda controller module operative to send data to said non-volatile memory and to retrieve data from said non-volatile memory in accordance with a storage command from said processor, wherein said controller is configured to collect host device data describing a current status of the host device and storage device data describing a current status of the storage device, to estimate a completion time of a storage operation associated with said storage command based upon said host device data and said storage device data, to begin estimating said completion time after receipt of said storage command and after execution of said storage operation begins, to complete said estimating before said execution ends, and to provide to the processor said estimated completion time,wherein the host device data includes at least one of battery status and current processor usage, andwherein the storage device data includes anticipated automatic memory operations. 13. The storage system of claim 12, wherein said controller module is operative to perform calculations to estimate said completion time only when the storage device is otherwise idle, and to provide said estimated completion time to the processor before a preset time. 14. The storage system of claim 12, wherein said controller module is operative to perform calculations to estimate said completion time only when the storage device is otherwise idle. 15. The storage system of claim 12, wherein said controller module resides in the host. 16. The storage system of claim 12, wherein said controller module is operative to provide said estimated completion time before a pre-defined time interval has elapsed since receiving said storage command. 17. The storage system of claim 12, wherein said controller module is operative to begin estimating said completion time when said storage device is otherwise idle. 18. The storage system of claim 12, wherein said controller module is operative to estimate said completion time based in part on an anticipated wear leveling operation. 19. The storage system of claim 12, wherein said controller module is operative to estimate said completion time based in part on an anticipated garbage collection operation. 20. The storage system of claim 12, wherein said controller module is operative to estimate said completion time based in part on an anticipated power-fail protection operation. 21. The storage system of claim 12, wherein said controller module is operative to estimate said completion time based in part on an anticipated defragmentation operation. 22. The storage system of claim 12, wherein said controller module is operative to estimate said completion time based in part on an attribute of a specific storage area on said storage device. 23. The storage system of claim 12, wherein said non-volatile memory if a flash memory.