Patent · US Expired

Memory system using flash memory and method of controlling the memory system

US5737742A · kind A · utility

173Cited by
0References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 27, 1995
Grant dateApr 7, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 27, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C16/349
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A memory system includes a flash memory having a plurality of individually erasable physical blocks, table section for holding the relationship in correspondence between the logical blocks allocated by the allocation section and the physical blocks first counting and managing section for counting and managing write counts of the respective logical blocks, first classifying section for classifying the logical blocks into a plurality of groups on the basis of the respective write counts of the logical blocks, erasure section for erasing data in a physical block allocated to a logical block to produce a free physical block, second counting and managing section for counting and managing the erasure counts of the respective physical blocks, second classifying section for classifying the physical blocks into a plurality of groups on the basis of the respective erasure counts of the physical blocks, control section for allocating the respective logical blocks to the physical blocks; and managing section for managing free physical blocks which are not allocated to any logical blocks, wherein the allocation control section performs an exchanging process as required which comprises the steps…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.