Method for storing digital information in write-once memory array

• US 6,584,541 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2000
• Issued: 06/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matrix Semiconductor, Inc. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Moore, Christopher R., Tringali, Joseph J., Bosch, Derek J., Vyvoda, Michael A., Friedman, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Robertson, David L.
• Application Number:
  US09/727,229
• Publication Number:
  US 20020065983A1
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 711/103
• US Class Current: 711/103
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 17/00 Read-only memories programmable only once; Semi-permanent stores, e.g. manually-replaceable information cards

Abstract

An acquisition/playback device and a memory device including a solid-state write-once memory array are used to acquire and display digital information such as digital images, voice, music, or the like. Prior to display or other presentation, the digital information is stored in a re-writable memory. After the digital information has been displayed or otherwise presented to the user for review, the user then elects whether to store the digital information in the write-once memory array. Depending upon the user election, the digital information is either stored in the write-once memory array, or erased from the re-writable memory without being stored in the write-once memory array. In this way the limited storage capacity of the write-once memory array is preserved for digital information that is of long-term interest to the user. Similarly, an acquisition/playback device itself can review the digital information stored in the re-writable memory and determine whether to commit that file to the write-once memory or to discard the file from the re-writable memory.

Claims

1. An acquisition/playback device comprising:

a re-writable digital memory;

a mode selection switch controllable by a user to select a first mode of operation or a second mode of operation;

a controller in communication with the mode selection switch;

wherein, in response to the first mode of operation being selected, the controller;

(a) stores digital information acquired by the acquisition/playback device in the re-writable digital memory as a stored digital file;

(b) presents at least part of the stored digital file for user review; and

(c) performs one of the two following acts;

(1) in response to a first user command, selectively stores at least part of the stored digital file in a solid-state, write-once memory array of a modular, portable memory device coupled with the acquisition/playback device;

(2) in response to a second user command, clears the stored digital file from the re-writable digital memory without storing any part of the stored digital file in a solid-state, write-once memory array of a modular, portable memory device coupled with the acquisition/playback device; and

wherein, in response to the second mode of operation being selected, the controller stores digital information acquired by the acquisition/playback device in a solid-state, write-once memory array of a modular, portable memory device coupled with the acquisition/playback device without receiving an additional user command.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the memory device comprises a memory card.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the acquisition/playback device comprises a digital camera, and wherein the digital information encodes at least one image.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the acquisition/playback device comprises a sensor.