Identification and verification of a sector within a block of mass storage flash memory
US5838614A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 19, 1997 |
| Grant date | Nov 17, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 19, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F2212/7201
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus is disclosed for identifying a block being stored within flash memory devices using a cluster address for each block, the block being selectively erasable and having one or more sectors, the cluster address being stored in one of the sectors of the block. In an alternative embodiment, the cluster address is stored in at least two different sectors within the same block for ensuring that the information last written to the block is valid. Further disclosed is a novel way to use a defect flag for each block stored within the flash memory device for efficiently identifying non-defective blocks upon system power-up.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.