Patent · US Expired

Block management for mass storage

US6567307B1 · kind B1 · utility

186Cited by
74References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 28, 2002
Grant dateMay 20, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 28, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F2212/7201
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention includes a nonvolatile memory system comprising nonvolatile memory for storing sector information, the nonvolatile memory being organized into blocks with each block including a plurality of sectors, each sector identified by a logical block address and for storing sector information. A controller is coupled to the nonvolatile memory for writing sector information to the latter and for updating the sector information, wherein upon updating sector information, the controller writes to the next free or available sector(s) of a block such that upon multiple re-writes or updating of sector information, a plurality of blocks are substantially filled with sector information and upon such time, the controller rearranges the updated sector information in sequential order based on their respective logical block addresses thereby increasing system performance and improving manufacturing costs of the controller.

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