Flash memory device having memory partitions and including an embedded general purpose operating system for booting a computing device
US8510542B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 1, 2008 |
| Grant date | Aug 13, 2013 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 25, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F2212/7204
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Methods and apparatus involve booting a computing device from a flash device. The flash device has memory partitions, including a read-only and a read/write partition. The read-only includes an operating system for use by the computing device and defines an initial system state. The read/write is configured to store a delta from the initial system state. Upon booting the computing device subsequent to an initial boot, the delta and the initial system state together define the whole system state. In other features, a write engine from the read-only partition tracks changes to the initial system state and writes some, but not all of the changes back to the read/write partition thereby minimizing a number of writes to the flash memory. In this manner, the speed of the flash memory can be used to quickly boot/reboot a computing device, while avoiding the wear limits associated with writing to flash devices.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.