MICROCOMPUTER WITH BUILT-IN FLASH MEMORY, METHOD FOR WRITING DATA TO BUILT-IN FLASH MEMORY OF MICROCOMPUTER, AND PROGRAM FOR WRITING DATA TO FLASH MEMORY

• US 20160275011A1
• Filed: 09/25/2014
• Published: 09/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kyoto Software Research, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Kyoto Software Research, Inc.
• Inventors: TANAKA, Yasuyuki
• Application Number:
  US14/412,398
• Publication Number:
  US 20160275011A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/006 Identification G06F11/2289 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0246 in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/122 of the least frequently used [LFU] type, e.g. with individual count value
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/16 Protection against loss of memory contents contains no material, see G06F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/1028 Power efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/1032 Reliability improvement, data loss prevention, degraded operation etc
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7201 Logical to physical mapping or translation of blocks or pages
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7202 Allocation control and policies
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7204 Capacity control, e.g. partitioning, end-of-life degradation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7207 management of metadata or control data
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A microcomputer with a built-in flash memory includes two memory blocks that are sequentially updated. Each of the memory blocks includes block management information and a plurality of slots that store data. The block management information includes an update counter that indicates order in which data has been updated. Each of the plurality of slots has updated data and a write complete flag (WCM) indicating that writing of the updated data to the slot has been completed. Data in the plurality of slots is updated in predetermined order. The microcomputer further includes memory block detection means (S14) for detecting the most recently updated memory block based on the update counters of the two memory blocks; and slot detection means (S15 to S17) for detecting the most recent slot in which writing of data has been completed most recently in view of the predetermined order and the write complete flag in the memory block detected by the memory block detection means.

Claims

1. A microcomputer with a built-in flash memory, comprising:

two memory blocks that are configured to be sequentially updated, wherein

each of said memory blocks includes block management information and a plurality of slots that store data,

said block management information includes an update counter that indicates an order in which data has been updated,

each of said plurality of slots has updated data and a write complete flag for indicating that writing of said updated data to said slot has been completed, and

data in said plurality of slots is updated in a predetermined order, said microcomputer further comprising;

memory block detection means for detecting the most recently updated memory block based on said update counters of said two memory blocks; and

slot detection means for detecting the most recent slot in which writing of data has been completed most recently in view of said predetermined order and said write complete flag in said memory block detected by said memory block detection means.

2. The microcomputer with the built-in flash memory according to claim 1, wherein

said memory block is configured to have a predetermined format,

said memory block has a format complete flag for indicating that said memory block has been configured to have said predetermined format, and

said block management information includes said format complete flag.

3. The microcomputer with the built-in flash memory according to claim 1, wherein

said memory block has an erase complete flag for indicating that erasure of said memory block has been completed, and

said block management information includes said erase complete flag.

4. The microcomputer with the built-in flash memory according to claim 1, wherein

said memory block has a predetermined size of user data, and

said block management information includes said size of said user data.

5. The microcomputer with the built-in flash memory according to claim 1, wherein

said block management information includes a bit-inverted counter obtained by bit-inverting said update counter.

6. A method for writing data to a built-in flash memory of a microcomputer including two memory blocks that are configured to be sequentially updated, wherein

each of said memory blocks includes block management information and a plurality of slots that store data,

said block management information includes an update counter that indicates an order in which data has been updated,

each of said plurality of slots has updated data and a write complete flag for indicating that writing of said updated data to said slot has been completed, and

data in said plurality of slots is updated in a predetermined order, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting the most recently updated memory block based on said update counters of said two memory blocks; and

detecting the most recent slot in which writing of data has been completed most recently in view of said predetermined order and said write complete flag in said memory block detected in said detection step.

7. A program for writing data to a built-in flash memory of a microcomputer including two memory blocks that are configured to be sequentially updated, wherein

each of said memory blocks includes block management information and a plurality of slots that store data,

said block management information includes an update counter that indicates an order in which data has been updated,

each of said plurality of slots has updated data and a write complete flag for indicating that writing of said updated data to said slot has been completed, and

data in said plurality of slots is updated in a predetermined order, said microcomputer is caused to execute said program comprising the steps of:

detecting the most recently updated memory block based on said update counters of said two memory blocks; and

detecting the most recent slot in which writing of data has been completed most recently in view of said predetermined order and said write complete flag in said memory block detected in said detection step.