US 12,334,176 B2
Identifying unusable memory blocks based on zeros-ones imbalance in memory readouts
Assaf Shappir, Ganey Tikva (IL); Ruby Mizrahi, Tel Mond (IL); Nir Tishbi, Kfar Saba (IL); and Itamar Atiya, Kiryat Tivon (IL)
Assigned to Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed by APPLE INC., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed on Jun. 26, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/340,906.
Prior Publication US 2024/0428877 A1, Dec. 26, 2024
Int. Cl. G11C 29/52 (2006.01); G11C 16/08 (2006.01); G11C 16/26 (2006.01); G11C 16/34 (2006.01)
CPC G11C 29/52 (2013.01) [G11C 16/08 (2013.01); G11C 16/26 (2013.01); G11C 16/3495 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A storage apparatus, comprising:
an interface, configured to communicate with a plurality of memory cells organized in multiple memory blocks; and
storage circuitry, configured to:
produce a given readout by reading data from a group of the memory cells in a given memory block, using a given read voltage;
calculate a given zeros-ones imbalance level of the given readout;
based on the given zeros-ones imbalance level, check whether the given readout level is zeros-ones balanced or unbalanced in accordance with a balance criterion; and
upon detecting that the given readout is zeros-ones unbalanced, mark the given memory block as suspected of being unusable.