Patent ID: 7441071

Claim:
A non-volatile memory storage system, comprising: a memory configured to store a storage system firmware; a non-volatile memory cell array; and a processor in communication with the memory and the non-volatile memory cell array, the processor being configured to execute the storage system firmware stored in the memory, the storage system firmware comprising program instructions for, receiving a write command to write a plurality of data to the non-volatile memory cell array, asserting a busy signal, copying a portion of a plurality of valid data from one or more first blocks of the non-volatile memory cell array to a second block of the non-volatile memory cell array for a garbage collection time period, writing the plurality of data to a phased garbage collection block that spans a single logical group of the non-volatile memory cell array, converting the phased garbage collection block to an update block of the non-volatile memory cell array, and releasing the busy signal before a timeout period.