Methods for the management of erase operations in non-volatile memories
US7624239B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 14, 2005 |
| Grant date | Nov 24, 2009 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 6, 2026 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F2212/7205
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The present invention presents a number of improvements for managing erase processes in non-volatile memory. Such memory systems typically manage the memory by logically organize the basic unit of physical erase (erase block) into composite logical groupings (meta-blocks or logical group), where an erase block generally consists of a number of sectors. When an erase command is received, the specified sectors are checked against the memory system's control data. If the specified sectors span any full logical grouping, the full logical groupings can each be treated as a whole and erased according to one process (such as performing a true, physical erase), while other sectors are “logically” erased at the sector level by standard techniques.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.