Patent · US Expired

Nonvolatile memory

US7197613B2 · kind B2 · utility

13Cited by
3References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 26, 2003
Grant dateMar 27, 2007
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 3, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C2229/723
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

It is aimed to detect, notify, and save an abnormal area in semiconductor memory for greatly improving reliability. An inside of semiconductor memories provided for a memory card comprises a user area, a substitution area, an area substitution information storage area, and a management area. An inside of semiconductor memories comprises a user area, a substitution area, and a management area. The user area is a data area a user can use. The substitution area is substituted when an error occurs in the user area. The area substitution information storage area stores area substitution area information. The management area stores substitution information. The information processing section performs substitution on two levels as follows. When detecting an operation indicating a symptom of failure in a semiconductor memory area, the information processing section performs area substitution during an idle state of the memory card. When detecting a faulty operation in an area, the information processing section immediately performs area substitution.

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