Patent · US Expired

Method for storing and reading data in a multilevel nonvolatile memory, and architecture therefor

US6816407B2 · kind B2 · utility

19Cited by
11References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateSep 26, 2002
Grant dateNov 9, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 26, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C11/5642
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

According to the multilevel programming method, each memory location can be programmed at a non-binary number of levels. The bits to be stored in the two locations are divided into two sets, wherein the first set defines a number of levels higher than the non-binary number of levels. During programming, if the first set of bits to be written corresponds to a number smaller than the non-binary number of levels, the first set of bits is written in the first location and the second set of bits is written in the second location; if it is greater than the non-binary number of levels, the first set of bits is written in the second location and the second set of bits is written in the first location. The bits of the first set in the second location are stored in different levels with respect to the bits of the second set.

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