Memory System and Method for Power Management for Reducing a Variable Credit Value By a Computed Consumed Energy Value for Each Corresponding Updated Cycle

Abstract

In one embodiment, a memory system is provided comprising at least one memory die, a sensor configured to sense an average amount of power consumed by the memory system over a time period, and a controller. The controller is configured to maintain a token bucket that indicates an amount of power currently available for memory operations in the at least one memory die and is further configured to reduce a number of tokens in the token bucket by an amount of power consumed over the time period as indicated by the average amount of power sensed by the sensor over the time period.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A memory system comprising:
 a memory; and   a controller in communication with the memory, wherein the controller is configured to:
 maintain a variable credit value that indicates an amount of energy currently available for memory operations, wherein for each update cycle of the variable credit value, the variable credit value is reduced by a computed consumed energy value for that update cycle; 
 receive a request to perform a memory operation; 
 determine if the variable credit value is greater than a minimum value required to perform the memory operation; and 
 grant the request to perform the memory operation only if it is determined that the variable credit value is greater than the minimum value. 
   
     
     
         2 . The memory system of  claim 1 , wherein the consumed energy is computed by determining a product of an update cycle duration and average sensed power. 
     
     
         3 . The memory system of  claim 1 , wherein the memory comprises a three-dimensional memory. 
     
     
         4 . The memory system of  claim 1 , wherein the memory system is embedded in a host. 
     
     
         5 . The memory system of  claim 1 , wherein the memory system is removably connected to a host. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , the memory system is part of a storage module having at least one additional memory system. 
     
     
         7 . A memory system comprising:
 means for maintaining a variable credit value that indicates an amount of energy currently available for memory operations in a memory system;   means for receiving a request to perform a memory operation;   means for performing the memory operation;   means for determining an amount of energy consumed in performing the memory operation; and   means for adjusting the variable credit value based on the determined amount of energy consumed in performing the memory operation.   
     
     
         8 . The memory system of  claim 7 , wherein the amount of energy consumed in performing the memory operation is determined by a memory die in which the memory operation was performed. 
     
     
         9 . The memory system of  claim 7 , wherein the amount of energy consumed in performing the memory operation is determined by a controller in the memory system after the controller receives, from a memory die in the memory system, an indication of an amount of time spent by the memory die in performing the operation. 
     
     
         10 . The memory system of  claim 7 , wherein the amount of energy consumed in performing the memory operation is determined by a controller in the memory system after the controller receives, from a memory die in the memory system, an indication of a number of programming loops used by the memory die in performing the operation. 
     
     
         11 . The memory system of  claim 7 , wherein the amount of energy consumed in performing the memory operation is determined by a controller timing how long it took to perform the memory operation. 
     
     
         12 . The memory system of  claim 7  further comprising means for reducing the variable credit value by a first amount prior to performing the memory operation, wherein the first amount is different from the determined amount of energy consumed in performing the memory operation, and wherein, after the memory operation is performed, the variable credit value is adjusted upward if the first amount is greater than the determined amount and is adjusted downward if the first amount is less than the determined amount. 
     
     
         13 . The memory system of  claim 7  further comprising means for performing the memory operation only after determining that the variable credit value is greater than a minimum value. 
     
     
         14 . The memory system of  claim 7  further comprising a three-dimensional memory. 
     
     
         15 . The memory system of  claim 7 , wherein the memory system is embedded in a host. 
     
     
         16 . The memory system of  claim 7 , wherein the memory system is removably connected to a host. 
     
     
         17 . The memory system of  claim 7 , wherein each of the means is implemented comprises a controller in the memory system. 
     
     
         18 . The memory system of  claim 7 , the memory system is part of a storage module having at least one additional memory system. 
     
     
         19 . A memory system comprising:
 means for maintaining a variable credit value that indicates an amount of energy currently available for memory operations, wherein for each update cycle of the variable credit value, the variable credit value is reduced by a computed consumed energy value for that update cycle;   means for receiving a request to perform a memory operation;   means for determining if the variable credit value is greater than a minimum value required to perform the memory operation; and   means for grant the request to perform the memory operation only if it is determined that the variable credit value is greater than the minimum value.   
     
     
         20 . The memory system of  claim 19  further comprising a three-dimensional memory.