Flash memory device and method
First Claim
1. A memory device comprising:
- data storage locations;
a controller configured to copy a data set from a selected data storage location within the memory device;
a counter configured to count a number of times the data set is copied from the selected data storage location;
the controller also configured to copy the data set to an individual data storage location within the memory device;
(a) without error checking when the count does not exceed a threshold value, and(b) when the count exceeds the threshold value, after error checking and correction has been performed on the copy of the data set.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An improved flash memory device and method for improving the performance and reliability of a flash memory device is provided. According to one embodiment, a method for writing data to a memory device may include writing the data to a temporary storage location within the memory device before the data is copied to another location within the memory device, incrementing a count value to indicate that the data has been copied, and repeating the step of writing, if the count value is less than a threshold value. If the count value is greater than or equal to the threshold value, the method may write the data to an external memory controller, where the data is checked for errors and corrected if an error is found, before the data is copied to the other location within the memory device.
81 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A memory device comprising:
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data storage locations; a controller configured to copy a data set from a selected data storage location within the memory device; a counter configured to count a number of times the data set is copied from the selected data storage location; the controller also configured to copy the data set to an individual data storage location within the memory device; (a) without error checking when the count does not exceed a threshold value, and (b) when the count exceeds the threshold value, after error checking and correction has been performed on the copy of the data set. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for copying data in a memory device, the method comprising:
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in response to a copy command to copy data from a data location in the memory device, copying the data to a data buffer within the memory device, checking a copy count value, and incrementing the copy count value to indicate that the data has been copied from the data location to the data buffer; when the copy count value does not exceed a threshold value, copying the data from the data buffer to an individual data location within the memory device without error checking; and when the copy count value exceeds the threshold value, before copying the data to the individual data location within the memory device, checking the data for errors and correcting when an error is found. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A memory system, comprising:
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a memory device coupled to a memory controller external to the memory device; the memory device includes; an array of non-volatile storage cells; a data buffer configured to receive a set of data copied from a first location within the array of storage cells; a counter configured to provide a copy count of a number of times the set of data is copied from the first location; and a control unit configured to (a) forward the set of data from the data buffer to an individual location in the array of storage cells without error checking when the copy count does not exceed a threshold value equal to at least one, and (b) route the set of data from the data buffer to the memory controller when the copy count exceeds the threshold value; the memory controller includes; an error checking and correction unit configured to check for and to correct errors in the set of data routed to the memory controller and to copy the corrected set of data to the memory device data buffer for copying to the individual location in the array of storage cells. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification