Patent ID: 9361984
Filing Date: 2016-06-07
CPC Classification: G06F,G11C

Claim Text:
1. A Flash-based memory system having a backup power source, comprising: a printed circuit board (PCB); a plurality of Flash memory devices mounted to the PCB, each Flash memory device having a physical memory space that is divided into blocks, each block being further divided into pages, each page representing an individually addressable memory location on which memory operations are performed, multiple memory locations being erased at the same time in one-block groupings; a Flash controller mounted to the PCB and communicating independently with each Flash memory device to perform the memory operations; a power circuit mounted to the PCB and providing power to the Flash memory devices, the power being provided from a primary power source during normal operation of the Flash-based memory system and from a backup power source when the primary power source falls below a predefined level, the backup power source including a charge storage device and charging circuitry configured to charge the charge storage device; and a central processing unit (CPU) mounted to the PCB and coupled to the power circuit and the Flash controller, the CPU configured to perform one or more test procedures on the charge storage device and provide an indication of a charge storage capacity of the charge storage device, the one or more test procedures comprising: disabling the charging circuitry from charging the charge storage device; obtaining a first voltage measurement from the charge storage device; applying a predefined load to the charge storage device; obtaining a second voltage measurement from the charge storage device; waiting a predefined amount of time; and obtaining a third voltage measurement from the charge storage device; wherein the CPU provides an indication of the charge storage capacity of the charge storage device by providing at least one of a capacitance C of the charge storage device and an equivalent series resistance (ESR) of the charge storage device based on one or more of the first, second, and third voltage measurements.