Method and apparatus for storing non-volatile configuration information
US6687815B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 1, 2000 |
| Grant date | Feb 3, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 1, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11C16/20
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method implemented in a computer system for storing non-volatile configuration information (NVCI), wherein NVCI is stored in one or more active segments of a segmented flash memory. The NVCI consists of a series of key-value pairs. When the computer system is started, the key-value pairs are read from the active segment, beginning with the least recently stored and ending with the most recently stored. The key-value pairs are inserted into a hash table, with later-read key-value pairs replacing earlier-read key-value pairs of the same key. Write accesses to the NVCI are made to both the hash table and the active segment of flash memory. When an active segment of the flash memory is filled to a threshold capacity, current key-value pairs stored in the hash table are written to a new flash memory segment, which then becomes the active segment.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.