Selecting erase method based on type of power supply for flash EEPROM
First Claim
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1. A flash ROM management apparatus comprising:
- managing means for forming a plurality of storage blocks each consisting of a data area and a management area corresponding to the data area in a flash ROM, storing state information indicating a storage state of the data area of each storage block in the management area of the storage block, and managing access to said flash ROM on the basis of the state information;
first erasing means for extracting, from one erase block of said flash ROM, on the basis of the state information, a storage block in which valid data exists in the data area, moving contents of the extracted storage block, and erasing the erase block;
second erasing means for extracting, from a plurality of erase blocks, on the basis of the state information, storage blocks in which valid data exists in the data area, moving contents of the extracted storage blocks to a storage area including a random access memory, and erasing the erase blocks; and
executing means for selecting one of said first erasing means and said second erasing means and executing an erase operation on the basis of the type of power supply of an apparatus into which said flash ROM is incorporated.
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Abstract
A flash ROM has a plurality of blocks each consisting a data area and a management area. A first erasing method extracts a valid block from the flash ROM, moves the contents of the block, and erases the block. A second erasing method extracts valid storage blocks, moves the contents of the blocks to a random access memory, and erases the blocks. The first or second erasing method is selected based on the type of power supply of the apparatus into which the flash ROM is incorporated.
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Citations
7 Claims
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1. A flash ROM management apparatus comprising:
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managing means for forming a plurality of storage blocks each consisting of a data area and a management area corresponding to the data area in a flash ROM, storing state information indicating a storage state of the data area of each storage block in the management area of the storage block, and managing access to said flash ROM on the basis of the state information; first erasing means for extracting, from one erase block of said flash ROM, on the basis of the state information, a storage block in which valid data exists in the data area, moving contents of the extracted storage block, and erasing the erase block; second erasing means for extracting, from a plurality of erase blocks, on the basis of the state information, storage blocks in which valid data exists in the data area, moving contents of the extracted storage blocks to a storage area including a random access memory, and erasing the erase blocks; and executing means for selecting one of said first erasing means and said second erasing means and executing an erase operation on the basis of the type of power supply of an apparatus into which said flash ROM is incorporated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A flash ROM management method comprising:
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a managing step of forming a plurality of storage blocks each consisting of a data area and a management area corresponding to the data area in a flash ROM, storing state information indicating a storage state of the data area of each storage block in the management area of the storage block, and managing access to said flash ROM on the basis of the state information; a first erasing step of extracting, from one erase block of said flash ROM, on the basis of the state information, a storage block in which valid data exists in the data area, moving contents of the extracted storage block, and erasing the erase block; a second erasing step of extracting, from a plurality of erase blocks, on the basis of the state information, storage blocks in which valid data exists in the data area, moving contents of the extracted storage blocks to a storage area including a random access memory, and erasing the erase blocks; and an executing step of selecting one of said first erasing step and said second erasing step and executing an erase operation on the basis of the type of power supply of an apparatus into which said flash ROM is incorporated. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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7. A computer control apparatus for controlling a computer by reading out a predetermined program from a memory medium, wherein said memory medium comprises:
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code for managing forming a plurality of storage blocks each consisting of a data area and a management area corresponding to the data area in a flash ROM, storing state information indicating a storage state of the data area of each storage block in the management area of the storage block, and ranging access to said flash ROM on the basis of the state information; first erasing code for extracting, from one erase block of said flash ROM, on the basis of the state information, a storage block in which valid data exists in the data area, moving contents of the extracted storage block, and erasing the erase block; second erasing code for extracting, from a plurality of erase blocks, on the basis of the state information, storage blocks in which valid data exists in the data area, moving contents of the extracted storage blocks to a storage area including a random access memory, and erasing the erase blocks; and code for selecting one of said first erasing code and said second erasing code and executing an erase operation on the basis of the type of power supply of an apparatus into which said flash ROM is incorporated.
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Specification