ExpressCard with On-Card Flash Memory with Shared Flash-Control Bus but Separate Ready Lines
First Claim
1. An ExpressCard comprising:
- an ExpressCard connector for mating with a host ExpressCard connector on a host;
a first flash-memory chip for storing data;
a second flash-memory chip for storing data;
a controller chip, coupled to the ExpressCard connector, for controlling communication to the host through the ExpressCard connector;
a first flash-memory channel between the controller chip and the first flash-memory chip, the first flash-memory channel having a first data bus for communicating data between the controller chip and the first flash-memory chip;
a second flash-memory channel between the controller chip and the second flash-memory chip, the second flash-memory channel having a second data bus for communicating data between the controller chip and the second flash-memory chip;
a shared control bus between the controller chip and the first and second flash-memory chips;
a first response line from the first flash-memory chip to the controller chip for indicating completion of an operation by the first flash-memory chip; and
a second response line from the second flash-memory chip to the controller chip for indicating completion of an operation by the second flash-memory chip, whereby the ExpressCard has two channels to the first and second flash-memory chips but a shared control bus to the first and second flash-memory chips.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An ExpressCard contains flash memory. The ExpressCard has an ExpressCard connector that plugs into a host, such as a personal computer, digital camera, or personal digital assistant (PDA). A controller chip on the ExpressCard uses a pair of differential Universal-Serial-Bus (USB) data lines in the connector to communicate with the USB host, or can use PCI Express, Firewire, or other protocols. One or more flash-memory chips on the ExpressCard are controlled by a flash-memory controller in the controller chip. Two or more channels of a flash bus have a shared control bus but separate ready lines. The separate ready lines allow flash-memory chips in the two channels to finish operations at different times.
296 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An ExpressCard comprising:
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an ExpressCard connector for mating with a host ExpressCard connector on a host;
a first flash-memory chip for storing data;
a second flash-memory chip for storing data;
a controller chip, coupled to the ExpressCard connector, for controlling communication to the host through the ExpressCard connector;
a first flash-memory channel between the controller chip and the first flash-memory chip, the first flash-memory channel having a first data bus for communicating data between the controller chip and the first flash-memory chip;
a second flash-memory channel between the controller chip and the second flash-memory chip, the second flash-memory channel having a second data bus for communicating data between the controller chip and the second flash-memory chip;
a shared control bus between the controller chip and the first and second flash-memory chips;
a first response line from the first flash-memory chip to the controller chip for indicating completion of an operation by the first flash-memory chip; and
a second response line from the second flash-memory chip to the controller chip for indicating completion of an operation by the second flash-memory chip, whereby the ExpressCard has two channels to the first and second flash-memory chips but a shared control bus to the first and second flash-memory chips. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A flash-storage ExpressCard comprising:
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connector means for connecting to a host;
controller means for performing control functions;
flash-memory means for storing data in non-volatile memory;
a first channel between the controller means and the flash-memory means, the first channel having a first data bus and a first ready means for indicating when a first flash-memory chip in the flash-memory means is busy;
a second channel between the controller means and the flash-memory means, the second channel having a second data bus and a second ready means for indicating when a second flash-memory chip in the flash-memory means is busy;
shared control bus means for sending flash control signals to flash-memory means;
flash-control means, in the controller means, for generating the flash control signals to the shared control bus means; and
serial control means, in the controller means, for serially communicating with the host through the connector means. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. An interleaved flash ExpressCard comprising:
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an ExpressCard connector for plugging into a host;
a controller chip that has a microprocessor core, a program memory, a buffer memory, a serial controller, and a flash controller;
a first flash-memory chip in a first channel;
a second flash-memory chip in the first channel;
a third flash-memory chip in the first channel;
a fourth flash-memory chip in the first channel;
a shared control bus having a write-enable signal, a read-enable signal, and latch-enable signals generated by the flash controller in the controller chip and driven to the first, second, third, and fourth flash-memory chips;
a first data bus between the controller chip and the first and third flash-memory chip;
a first shared ready signal generated by the first flash-memory chip and the second flash-memory chip and driven to the controller chip;
a second data bus between the controller chip and the second and fourth flash-memory chip; and
a second shared ready signal generated by the third flash-memory chip and the fourth flash-memory chip and driven to the controller chip;
a first chip select generated by the controller chip and connected to the first and second flash-memory chip;
a second chip select generated by the controller chip and connected to the third and fourth flash-memory chip;
wherein the serial controller in the controller chip is a Universal-Serial-Bus (USB) controller that communicates to the host using a pair of differential USB data signals in the ExpressCard connector, or the serial controller in the controller chip is a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) Express controller, a Firewire controller, a serial ATA controller, or a serial small-computer system interface (SCSI) controller;
wherein access to the first and third flash-memory chips is interleaved;
wherein access to the second and fourth flash-memory chips is interleaved.
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20. An interleaved dual-channel flash ExpressCard comprising:
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an ExpressCard connector for plugging into a host;
a controller chip that has a microprocessor core, a program memory, a buffer memory, a serial controller, and a flash controller;
a first flash-memory chip in a first channel;
a second flash-memory chip in a second channel;
a third flash-memory chip in the first channel;
a fourth flash-memory chip in the second channel;
a first shared control bus having a write-enable signal, a read-enable signal, and latch-enable signals generated by the flash controller in the controller chip and driven to the first and third flash-memory chips;
a first data bus between the controller chip and the first and third flash-memory chip;
a first ready signal generated by the first flash-memory chip and driven to the controller chip;
a third ready signal generated by the third flash-memory chip and driven to the controller chip;
a second shared control bus having a write-enable signal, a read-enable signal, and latch-enable signals generated by the flash controller in the controller chip and driven to the second and fourth flash-memory chips;
a second data bus between the controller chip and the second and fourth flash-memory chip; and
a second ready signal generated by the second flash-memory chip and driven to the controller chip; and
a fourth ready signal generated by the fourth flash-memory chip and driven to the controller chip;
wherein the serial controller in the controller chip is a Universal-Serial-Bus (USB) controller that communicates to the host using a pair of differential USB data signals in the ExpressCard connector, or the serial controller in the controller chip is a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) Express controller, a Firewire controller, a serial ATA controller, or a serial small-computer system interface (SCSI) controller, wherein access to the first and third flash-memory chips is interleaved;
wherein access to the second and fourth flash-memory chips is interleaved.
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Specification