Method and apparatus for protecting data stored in flash memory
US5594686A · kind A · utility
26Cited by
2References
20Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 29, 1995 |
| Grant date | Jan 14, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 29, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11C16/225
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus for protecting data stored in a nonvolatile memory. First, a locking signal is initiated to indicate to the memory that write and erase operations are to be prevented. Next, in response to this locking signal, the supply voltage that supports write and erase operations in the memory is lowered below a threshold value. In doing so, protection circuitry that is contained within the memory prevents write and erase operations in the memory.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.