DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Drawings
The drawings received on 07/31/2024 have been accepted by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-4, 9-12 & 17-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Zhou et al (US20240029802).
Regarding claim 1, Zhou discloses a system(FIG 1; 101), comprising: a memory device(104); and a processing device(102), operatively coupled with the memory device(102 couped to 104), to perform operations comprising: receiving a request to perform a read disturb scan for a block of the memory device(FIG 3; 331), wherein the block is partially programmed; determining whether the block is asymmetric(FIG 2;[0026] discloses comprising a die 222, having regions, wherein part of the region is more asymmetric e.g., parts of regions distance that are close from the center 224) ; responsive to determining the block is asymmetric(FIG 2; [0026] determining which region is further out from center 224), identifying a target section of the block(FIG 2; [0026] 222-5 being the further out from the center 224); and executing the read disturb scan on an unprogrammed wordline of the target section (FIG 3; [0028-0030] discloses performing a read disturb operation on region with pa particular window size of data, wherein the read disturb operation is initiated to correct errors that where a read to one row of memory cells impacts the vts of unread memory cells in different rows of memory in same block).
Regarding claim 2, Zhou discloses wherein the block determined to be asymmetric comprises a plurality of sections, and wherein each section comprises memory cells corresponding to a different physical block in the memory device (FIG 2-4; [0026-0032] discloses 222 die comprising A-E sections, each comprising e.g., performing the read disturb operation the memory die within the window size 445, suggests plurality of memory dies comprising memory cells).
Regarding claim 3, Zhou discloses wherein the block comprises a top section and a bottom section (FIG 2; 222 comprising top and bottom section).
Regarding claim 4, Zhou discloses wherein the block comprises a top section, a middle section, and a bottom section (FIG 2; 222 comprising top, middle and bottom section).
Regarding claim 9, Zhou discloses a method, comprising: receiving a request to perform a read disturb scan for a block of a memory device(FIG 1 & 3; 331), wherein the block is partially programmed; determining whether the block is asymmetric (FIG 2;[0026] discloses comprising a die 222, having regions, wherein part of the region is more asymmetric e.g., parts of regions distance that are close from the center 224); responsive to determining the block is asymmetric(FIG 2; [0026] determining which region is further out from center 224), identifying a target section of the block FIG 2; [0026] 222-5 being the further out from the center 224); and executing the read disturb scan on an unprogrammed wordline of the target section(FIG 3; [0028-0030] discloses performing a read disturb operation on region with particular window size of data, wherein the read disturb operation is initiated to correct errors that where a read to one row of memory cells impacts the vts of unread memory cells in different rows of memory in same block).
Regarding claim 10, Zhou discloses wherein the block determined to be asymmetric comprises a plurality of sections, and wherein each section comprises memory cells corresponding to a different physical block in the memory device(FIG 2-4; [0026-0032] discloses 222 die comprising A-E sections, each comprising e.g., performing the read disturb operation the memory die within the window size 445, suggests plurality of memory dies comprising memory cells).
Regarding claim 11, Zhou discloses wherein the block comprises a top section and a bottom section(FIG 2; 222 comprising top and bottom section).
Regarding claim 12, Zhou discloses wherein the block comprises a top section, a middle section, and a bottom section(FIG 2; 222 comprising top, middle and bottom section).
Regarding claim 17, Zhou discloses a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform operations comprising: comprising: receiving a request to perform a read disturb scan for a block of a memory device(FIG 1 & 3; 331), wherein the block is partially programmed; determining whether the block is asymmetric (FIG 2;[0026] discloses comprising a die 222, having regions, wherein part of the region is more asymmetric e.g., parts of regions distance that are close from the center 224); responsive to determining the block is asymmetric(FIG 2; [0026] determining which region is further out from center 224), identifying a target section of the block FIG 2; [0026] 222-5 being the further out from the center 224); and executing the read disturb scan on an unprogrammed wordline of the target section(FIG 3; [0028-0030] discloses performing a read disturb operation on region with particular window size of data, wherein the read disturb operation is initiated to correct errors that where a read to one row of memory cells impacts the vts of unread memory cells in different rows of memory in same block).
Regarding claim 18, Zhou discloses Zhou discloses wherein the block determined to be asymmetric comprises a plurality of sections, and wherein each section comprises memory cells corresponding to a different physical block in the memory device (FIG 2-4; [0026-0032] discloses 222 die comprising A-E sections, each comprising e.g., performing the read disturb operation the memory die within the window size 445, suggests plurality of memory dies comprising memory cells).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 5, 13 & 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhou et al in view of Miller et al (US20200004465).
Regarding claim 5, Zhou discloses wherein identifying the target section of the block comprises (FIG 2; [0026] 222).
However, Zhou does not disclose obtaining an identifier of a last-written page (LWP) of the block; and identifying the target section corresponding to the identifier of the LWP in the memory device.
In the same field of endeavor, Miller discloses obtaining an identifier of a last-written page (LWP) of the block; and identifying the target section corresponding to the identifier of the LWP in the memory device (FIG 5-6; [0072] discloses 520 memory device, and determining last written physical page is less than a threshold S606).
Zhou and Miller are analogous art because they are all directed to a non-volatile memory device, and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success by modify Zhou to include Miller because they are from the same field of endeavor.
Therefore, it would be obvious to include the teachings of Miller in the teachings of Zhou for the benefits avoiding a high-power consumption and incorrectly programmed during a programming operation of the non-volatile memory device [0014 Miller].
Regarding claim 13, Zhou discloses wherein identifying the target section of the block comprises (FIG 2; [0026] 222).
However, Zhou does not disclose obtaining an identifier of a last-written page (LWP) of the block; and identifying the target section corresponding to the identifier of the LWP in the memory device.
In the same field of endeavor, Miller discloses obtaining an identifier of a last-written page (LWP) of the block; and identifying the target section corresponding to the identifier of the LWP in the memory device (FIG 5-6; [0072] discloses 520 memory device, and determining last written physical page is less than a threshold S606).
Zhou and Miller are analogous art because they are all directed to a non-volatile memory device, and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success by modify Zhou to include Miller because they are from the same field of endeavor.
Therefore, it would be obvious to include the teachings of Miller in the teachings of Zhou for the benefits avoiding a high-power consumption and incorrectly programmed during a programming operation of the non-volatile memory device [0014 Miller].
Regarding claim 19, Zhou discloses wherein identifying the target section of the block comprises (FIG 2; [0026] 222).
However, Zhou does not disclose obtaining an identifier of a last-written page (LWP) of the block; and identifying the target section corresponding to the identifier of the LWP in the memory device.
In the same field of endeavor, Miller discloses obtaining an identifier of a last-written page (LWP) of the block; and identifying the target section corresponding to the identifier of the LWP in the memory device (FIG 5-6; [0072] discloses 520 memory device, and determining last written physical page is less than a threshold S606).
Zhou and Miller are analogous art because they are all directed to a non-volatile memory device, and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success by modify Zhou to include Miller because they are from the same field of endeavor.
Therefore, it would be obvious to include the teachings of Miller in the teachings of Zhou for the benefits avoiding a high-power consumption and incorrectly programmed during a programming operation of the non-volatile memory device [0014 Miller].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-8, 14-16 & 20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Kim et al (US20240020037 FIG 3; discloses identified if last write WL is greater than a threshold in step 312).
Sheperek et al (US20220115079 FIG 1 & 8).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MUNA A TECHANE whose telephone number is (571)272-7856. The examiner can normally be reached 571-272-7856.
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/MUNA A TECHANE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2827
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