Executing applications from a semiconductor nonvolatile memory

• US 7,904,897 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2002
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Numonyx BV (Micron Technology, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rudelic, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Ted T
• Application Number:
  US10/215,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20040031031A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,134 Days
• Field of Search: 717120-122, 717168-178
• US Class Current: 717/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44573 Execute-in-place [XIP]

Abstract

A processor-based device (e.g., a wireless device) may include a processor and a semiconductor nonvolatile memory to directly execute an application (e.g., an execute-in-place application) using an associated database. Within a flash memory, in one embodiment, an executable program may be separately stored in a non-fragmented manner from a resident database that includes program management information for use in an execution that does not involve a random access memory, saving time and resources.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a wireless-enabled computing device including a controller;

a dipole antenna operably couplable to the wireless-enabled computing device; and

a semiconductor nonvolatile memory operably couplable to said controller and said dipole antenna to store an executable program in a non-fragmented manner separately from an associated database that includes program management information and execute the executable program based on the program management information in response to an update indication, linking the associated database to the executable program in said semiconductor nonvolatile memory.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein said semiconductor nonvolatile memory comprising:

meta-information in the program management information of the associated database;

an execute-in-place application in one or more objects for the executable program, each of said one or more objects to hold a portion of the executable program; and

a database engine to run the execute-in-place application at said semiconductor nonvolatile memory using a schema and one or more objects.

3. The communication system of claim 2, wherein said database engine is adapted to store said one or more objects in a binary format at a different location than the meta-information in the program management information of the associated database.