Abstract:
Storage apparatus can support various memory units with different standards based on the method which drives the power control-and-switch circuit in the power management unit according to a control signal caused by the ID code of a memory unit to control the second booster for further increasing the level of the external voltage or control the second regulator for further regulating or decreasing the level of the external voltage.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a storage apparatus, and more particularly to a non-volatile storage apparatus and a control method thereof. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   In  FIG. 1 , a block diagram of the power management unit of the previous invention is shown. According to the detection voltage that is predeterminedly stored in the voltage detector  114 , the power management unit  110  controls the booster  112  to increase the external voltage V EXT , controls the regulator  111  to regulate or reduce the external voltage V EXT  for further supply to the memory unit. Wherein, the detection voltage is higher than the minimum operating voltage of the memory unit and lower than the operating voltage V DD  thereof. 
   However, each memory unit includes an individual range of operating voltage. Hence, if the non-volatile storage apparatus uses memory units of various standards and adjusts the external voltage VEXT via only the fixed and detection voltage, the power management unit  110  will not support the memory units of various standards. In this case, it is limited to using the non-volatile storage apparatus. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an object of the present invention that the non-volatile storage apparatus can support various memory units of different standards. 
   It is another object of the present invention that the non-volatile storage apparatus still operates smoothly when the external voltage is out of the voltage range that the memory unit supports. 
   It is another object of the present invention that the non-volatile storage apparatus uses an identification code for each memory unit of various standards to adjust the second operating voltage. 
   It is another object of the present invention that the power management unit-increases, regulates or reduces the external voltage based on a control signal and a detection signal to supply the memory unit, wherein the control signal is affected by the identification code of the memory unit, and the external voltage affects the detection signal. 
   In order to achieve the above objects, the present invention provides a non-volatile storage apparatus that includes a power management unit, a memory unit and a control unit. The power management unit receives an external voltage and adjusts the external voltage based on a control signal for further producing a first operating voltage and a second operating voltage. The memory unit works via the second operating voltage and stores digital information. The control unit is driven by the first operating voltage, uses the external voltage to adjust the voltage level of an external signal between an application device and the non-voltage storage apparatus to adapt to the external voltage, and uses the second operating voltage to adjust the voltage level of an internal signal between the control unit and the memory unit to adapt to the second operating voltage. 
   Furthermore, the control unit produces the control signal via an identification code stored in the memory unit. Hence, the power management unit can adjust the second operating voltage for further driving the memory unit via the adjusted second operating voltage to work normally. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above and further advantages of this invention may be better understood by referring to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a system block diagram that illustrates the best embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram that illustrates the non-volatile storage apparatus of the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram of the power management unit of the present invention; and 
       FIG. 4  is a flow chart of the non-volatile storage apparatus verifying the memory unit to adjust the second operating voltage, of the present invention. 
   

   The drawings will be described further in connection with the following detailed description of the present invention. 
   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   In  FIG. 2 , a block diagram that illustrates the non-volatile storage apparatus of the present invention is shown. The non-volatile storage apparatus  20  includes a storage controller  21  and a memory unit  22 . The storage controller  21  connects to an application device  10  outside the non-volatile storage apparatus  20 . The storage controller  21  receives an external voltage V S  supplied to the non-volatile storage apparatus  20 , and digital signals are transmitted between the application device  10  and the storage controller  21 . The memory unit  22  connects to the storage controller  21  to store the digital data outputted by the application device  10 . The memory unit  22  can be a non-volatile memory unit and includes at least one non-volatile memory. The external voltage V S  is the power supply voltage for the non-volatile storage apparatus  20 . 
   The storage controller  21  includes a power management unit  210  and a control unit  220 . The power management unit  210  connects to the application device  10  and memory unit  22  and adjusts the external voltage V S  to adapt to the memory unit  22  based on the standards of the memory unit  22  and the control signal V C  that is outputted by the control unit  220 . That is, the external voltage has to be adjusted to be the second operating voltage V OP2 . The power management unit  210  can regulate the external voltage V S  to supply the control unit  220 , that is, the power management unit  210  can produce a first operating voltage V OP1 . 
   The control unit  220  includes a system interface  221 , a processing device  222  and a memory interface  223 . The system interface  221  connects to the application device  10 . The memory interface  223  connects to the memory unit  22 . The processing device  222  connects to the system interface  221  and the memory interface  223 . The processing device  222  processes the data interchange between the memory unit  22  and the application device  10  according to the control program in the control unit  220 . 
   However, the second operating voltage V OP2  is different to the external voltage V S , so the voltage level V INT  of the internal signal between the memory unit  22  and the memory interface  223  may be larger than the voltage level V EXT  of the external signal between the application device  10  and the system interface  221 . Hence, the system interface  221  has to use the external voltage V S  as the external reference voltage V ER  and needs to adjust the voltage level V EXT  of the external signal to adapt to the external voltage V S . Moreover, the memory interface  223  has to use the second operating voltage V OP2  as the internal reference voltage V IR  and needs to adjust the voltage level V INT  of the internal signal to adapt to the second operating voltage V OP2 . 
   On the other hand, memory units from different manufacturers include various standards, that is, each memory unit owns an individual identification code. 
   In  FIG. 3 , a block diagram of the power management unit of the present invention is shown. The power management unit  210  includes a first regulator  211 , a second booster  212 , a second regulator  213 , a voltage detection unit  214 , and a power control and switching unit  215 . All of the first and second regulators  211  and  213 , the second booster  212  and the voltage detection unit  214  connect to the application device  10 . The power control and switching unit  215  connects the control unit  220  and the memory unit  22 . 
   The first regulator  211  regulates or reduces the external voltage V S  provided by the application device  10  to produce a first operating voltage V OP1  for further supplying the first operating voltage V OP1  to the control unit  220 . The second regulator  213  is controlled by the power control and switching unit  215  and regulates or reduces the external voltage V S  to produce a second operating voltage V OP2  for further supplying the second operating voltage V OP2  to the memory unit  22  and the control unit  220 . The voltage detection unit  214  detects the external voltage V S  to produce a detection signal that is the reference for the power control and switching unit  215 . The power control and switching unit  215  receives the external voltage V S  from the second booster  212  or the second regulator  213  to produce the second operating voltage V OP2  according to the control signal V C  outputted by the control unit  220 , and the detection signal outputted by the voltage detection unit  214 . Moreover, the power control and switching unit  215  determines whether the external V S  has to be increased, regulated or reduced. 
   In  FIG. 4 , a flow chart in which the non-volatile storage apparatus identifies the memory unit to adjust the second operating voltage, of the present invention is shown. Firstly, if the non-volatile storage apparatus  20  connects to the application device  10  and is driven, the application device  10  will begin supplying the external voltage V S  to the non-volatile storage apparatus  20  (S 310 ). 
   Next, the first regulator  211  in the power management unit  210  receives the external voltage V S  and adjusts the external voltage V S  to become the first operating voltage V OP1 . The control unit  220  operates according to the first operating voltage V OP1 , processes the data interchange between the application device  10  and the memory unit  22 , adjusts the voltage level V INT  of the internal signal to adapt to the second operating voltage V OP2  and adjusts the voltage level V EXT  of the external signal to the external voltage V S  (S 320 ). 
   If the power management unit  210  supplies the first operating voltage V OP1  to the control unit  220 , the control unit  220  will output a control signal V C  to the power control and switching unit  215 . Then, the power control and switching unit  215  drives the second regulator  213  to adjust the external voltage V S  according to the control signal V C  and the detection signal to be the minimum second operating voltage V OP2  that the non-volatile storage apparatus  20  supports, for further supplying the minimum second operating voltage V OP2  to the memory unit  22  (S 330 ). However, every memory unit  22  from each different supplier includes an exclusive standard thereof. That is, the memory interface  223  includes an exclusive identification code. Hence, after receiving the minimum second operating voltage V OP2 , the memory unit  220  transmits the identification code thereof to the memory interface  223  in the control unit  22  (S 340 ). 
   The control unit  220  further determines whether the identification code can be verified so as to identify some information of the memory unit  22 , such as the manufacturer, the product standard, etc (S 350 ). If the identification code cannot be verified or is identified as a random code, the second operating voltage V OP2  will not be sufficient for the memory unit  22  to work, and the control unit  220  will determine whether the second operating voltage V OP2  is the maximum voltage that the non-volatile storage apparatus  20  can support (S 352 ). 
   If the second operating voltage V OP2  is not the maximum voltage, that is, the non-volatile storage apparatus  20  can support the standard of the memory unit  22 , the control unit  220  will produce a new control signal V C  to the power control and switching unit  215  according to the above verifying result. The power control and switching unit  215  can control the second booster  212  to increase the external voltage V S  for further updating the second operating voltage V OP2 . In this case, the memory interface  223  can continuously try to obtain the correct identification code (S 354 ). 
   If the second operating voltage V OP2  is the maximum voltage, that is, the non-volatile storage apparatus  20  cannot support the standard of the memory unit  22 , the control unit  220  will stop the process of verifying the identification code of the memory unit  22 , and the power management unit  210  will not set the second operating voltage V OP2  correctly to supply the memory unit  22  (S 380 ). 
   On the other hand, if the identification code is verified, that is, the non-volatile storage apparatus  20  can support the standard of the memory unit  22 , the second operating voltage V OP2  will be sufficient for the memory unit  22  to work, and the control unit  220  will provide a new control signal V C  to the power control and switching unit  215  according to the verifying result in this case. The power control and switching unit  215  further controls the second booster  212  or the second regulator  213  to adjust the external voltage V S  for further producing the suitable second operating voltage V OP2  (S 360 ). 
   Actually, if the external voltage V S  is lower than the range of the second operating voltage V OP2  that is sufficient for the memory unit  22  to work, the power control and switching unit  215  will control the second booster  212  to increase the external voltage V S  for further producing a further higher second operating voltage V OP2 . If the external voltage V S  is in the range of the second operating voltage V OP2  that is sufficient for the memory unit  22  to work, the power control and switching unit  215  will control the second regulator  213  to regulate the external voltage V S . If the external voltage V S  is higher than the range of the second operating voltage V OP2  that is sufficient for the memory unit  22  to work, the power control and switching unit  215  will control the second regulator  213  to reduce the external voltage V S  for further producing a further lower second operating voltage V OP2 . 
   Finally, if the last second operating voltage V OP2  is in the range of the second operating voltage that is sufficient for the memory unit  22  to work, the control unit  220  will close the process for verifying the identification code (S 370 ). 
   An advantage of the present invention is that the non-volatile storage apparatus can support various memory units of different standards. 
   Another advantage of the present invention is that the non-volatile storage apparatus still operates smoothly when the external voltage is out of the voltage range that the memory unit supports. 
   Another advantage of the present invention is that the non-volatile storage apparatus uses an identification code for each memory unit of various standards to adjust the second operating voltage. 
   Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the power management unit increases, regulates or reduces the external voltage based on a control signal and a detection signal to supply the memory unit, wherein the control signal is affected by the identification code of the memory unit, and the external voltage affects the detection signal. 
   The description above only illustrates specific embodiments and examples of the invention. The invention should therefore cover various modifications and variations made to the herein-described structure and operations of the invention, provided they fall within the scope of the invention as defined in the following appended claims.