Patent · US Active

Flash memory controller having configuring unit for error correction code (ECC) capability and method thereof

US8161354B2 · kind B2 · utility

10Cited by
7References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateOct 16, 2008
Grant dateApr 17, 2012
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 16, 2031

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C16/349
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A flash memory controller includes a control unit, a buffer, an error correction code (ECC) module, and a configuring unit. The flash memory has a data area for storing the data content and a first spare area for storing a first ECC value corresponding to the data content. The ECC module utilizes the data content for generating a second ECC value and comparing the second ECC value with the first ECC value to determine whether the data content comprises a plurality of errors. The configuring unit computes the amount of the errors to determine whether the amount of the errors exceeds a predetermined threshold. If The configuring unit configures the data area and assigns a portion of the data area to be a second spare area. The first and the second spare area are associated with the ECC capability to allow the ECC module to correct the errors.

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