Patent ID: 11966626
Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Field: Computer technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 14:
15. A flash storage device, comprising:
a flash memory having non-volatile memory cells organized into blocks, wherein the blocks are switchable between a multi-bit mode for storing data in the non-volatile memory cells and a single-bit mode for storing the data in the non-volatile memory cells, wherein the blocks in the single-bit mode have a lower data storage density and a higher write endurance than the blocks in the multi-bit mode;
means for monitoring an amount of data written to the blocks of the flash memory;
means for receiving a command;
based, at least in part, on receiving the command, means for determining whether the amount of data written to the blocks is greater than a threshold amount of data;
based, at least in part, on determining that the amount of data written to the blocks is greater than the threshold amount of data, means for notifying a host of an option to switch one or more of the blocks from the multi-bit mode to the single-bit mode for storing data at the flash storage device;
means for calculating a new terabyte written (TBW) rating of the flash storage device based, at least in part, on the one or more blocks being switched from the multi-bit mode to the single-bit mode; and
means for notifying the host of the new TBW rating of the flash storage device.