Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for setting operational information of a non-volatile memory

US7120050B2 · kind B2 · utility

4Cited by
4References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 26, 2005
Grant dateOct 10, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 26, 2025

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C2029/4402
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A verify sense amplifier (19) reads data from a non-volatile memory cell to be rewritten. The readout data is compared to expected data in a comparator circuit (21). Upon completion of rewriting, the comparator circuit (21) outputs a match signal MCH. A selector (23) outputs a decode signal STR(i) or SWP(i) indicative of a volatile data retaining unit (25), in correspondence with the non-volatile memory cell MC to be rewritten. According to a verify instruction signal PGV/ERV, the readout data read by the verify sense amplifier (19) is stored in the volatile data retaining unit (25). Control is performed with a match signal MCH instead of the verify instruction signal PGV/ERV, thereby storing the data in the volatile data retaining unit (25) upon completion of rewriting. Therefore, there is no need to re-read operational information from the non-volatile storage.

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