Patent · US Active

Automatic defect management in memory devices

US8151163B2 · kind B2 · utility

18Cited by
347References
42Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 3, 2007
Grant dateApr 3, 2012
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 10, 2028

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F11/1068
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method for storing data in a memory (28) that includes analog memory cells (32) includes identifying one or more defective memory cells in a group of the analog memory cells. An Error Correction Code (ECC) is selected responsively to a characteristic of the identified defective memory cells. The data is encoded using the selected ECC and the encoded data is stored in the group of the analog memory cells. In an alternative method, an identification of one or more defective memory cells among the analog memory cells is generated. Analog values are read from the analog memory cells in which the encoded data were stored, including at least one of the defective memory cells. The analog values are processed using an ECC decoding process responsively to the identification of the at least one of the defective memory cells, so as to reconstruct the data.

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