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Memory management for an intelligent electronic device

  • US 9,063,181 B2
  • Filed: 12/28/2007
  • Issued: 06/23/2015
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An intelligent electronic device comprising:

  • a sensor configured for sensing an electrical parameter distributed to a load;

    an analog-to-digital converter coupled to the sensor, the analog-to-digital converter configured for converting an analog signal of the electrical parameter to digital data, wherein the digital data includes at least one log of the sensed electrical parameter;

    a flash memory device including a plurality of sectors, wherein the plurality of sectors are erased during manufacture of the intelligent electronic device;

    a random access memory (RAM) device; and

    a processing unit coupled to the analog-to-digital converter;

    wherein, after the plurality of sectors of the flash memory device are erased during manufacture of the intelligent electronic device, the RAM device creates a sector header;

    wherein, after creating the sector header and before the sensor is operated, the RAM device writes the sector header into each of the plurality of sectors of the flash memory device;

    wherein the processing unit is configured to receive the at least one log and store the at least one log in the flash memory device;

    wherein the processing unit is further configured to store the at least one log in at least one of the sectors of the flash memory device to equalize usage of each of the plurality of sectors over time;

    wherein the processing unit is further configured to assign a unique sequence number to each of the sector headers associated with the sectors within which the at least one log is stored, the unique sequence numbers being assigned by the processing unit in time sequence such that sorting the unique sequence numbers allows the processing unit to arrange the sectors in correct time sequence; and

    wherein the processing unit is further configured to construct a log directory for associating each of the plurality of sectors with each of the at least one log;

    wherein the processing unit is further configured to determine an error count for each of the plurality of sectors and select a next sector in which to save data based on the error count.

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