Memory device, electronic system, and methods associated with modifying data and a file of a memory device

• US 10,037,153 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2015
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Sepulveda, Frank J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Featherstone, Mark D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wu, Tony
• Application Number:
  US14/791,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20150324142A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,121 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1441 Resetting or repowering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0246 in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1727 Details of free space management performed by the file system saving storage space on storage systems G06F3/0608; management of blocks in storage devices G06F3/064
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1847 specifically adapted to static storage, e.g. adapted to flash memory or SSD
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1865 Transactional file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/1032 Reliability improvement, data loss prevention, degraded operation etc
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/2022 Flash memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0643 Management of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0679 Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]

Abstract

A memory device, system and method of editing a file in a non-volatile memory device is described. The memory device includes a controller and a memory array configured to copy an existing first file into a second file during editing and to maintain the first file while applying edits to the second file. When editing is completed, a first cluster pointer of the first file is redirected to point at the first cluster of the second file that has been edited.

Claims

1. A method of modifying data in a memory device, the method comprising:

generating, with a controller, a modified file copy of an existing file stored in the memory device, the existing file having a first starting pointer pointing to a first entry of a file allocation table, the modified file copy having a second starting pointer pointing to a second entry of the file allocation table, wherein the second starting pointer is generated regardless of whether data of the modified file copy is modified; and

reassociating, with the controller, the first starting pointer to point to the second entry after completion of generating the modified file copy.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the modified file copy includes modifying a file copy of the existing file while the second starting pointer is being maintained to point to the second entry, and prior to the first starting pointer being reassociated to point to the second entry.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein reassociating the first starting pointer to point to the second entry includes reconfiguring a root directory entry for the existing file such that the first starting pointer points to the second entry of the file allocation table.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein modifying the file copy includes editing the file copy during an editing process.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the editing process includes altering at least one cluster associated with the file copy.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, prior to the editing process, the at least one cluster is a copy of a corresponding cluster associated with the existing file.

7. A method of modifying a data of a memory device, the method comprising:

generating, with a controller, a modified file copy of an existing file stored in the memory device, the existing file having a first starting pointer pointing to a first location of a file allocation table, the modified file copy having a second starting pointer pointing to a second location of the file allocation table; and

reassociating, with the controller, the first starting pointer to point to the second location while maintaining the second starting pointer to point to the second location at least until the first starting pointer has been reassociated to point to the second location regardless of whether initial data of the modified file copy is modified.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first location of the file allocation table and the second location of the file allocation table are located within a single file allocation table.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein generating the modified file copy includes:

creating a file copy of the existing file;

modifying the file copy during an editing process; and

leaving the existing file unedited during the editing process of the file copy.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the file allocation table includes additional locations corresponding to additional data of the existing file.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the editing process includes altering data in the file copy.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein leaving the existing file unedited during the editing process of the file copy includes leaving the additional locations corresponding to the additional data of the existing file intact during the editing process of the file copy.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein creating the file copy includes copying data clusters of the existing file and generating a new data cluster for each data cluster copied from the existing file.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein altering data includes at least one of editing, writing, programming, erasing, and resetting data in the file copy.

15. A memory controller of a memory device, the controller configured to:

generate a modified file copy of an existing file stored in a file system of the memory device, the existing file having a first starting pointer pointing to a first location of a file allocation table and the modified file copy having a second starting pointer pointing to a second location of the file allocation table;

reassociate a first starting pointer to point from the first location to the second location of the file allocation table after the modified file copy has been generated, wherein the first location corresponds to an initial data of the existing file, and the second location corresponds to an initial data of the modified file copy; and

maintain a second starting pointer to point to the second location prior to the first starting pointer being reassociated to point to the second location regardless of whether the initial data of the modified file copy is modified.

16. The controller of claim 15, further comprising a control state machine configured to perform the acts of generating, reassociating, and maintaining.

17. The controller of claim 15, wherein the first starting pointer and the second starting pointer are stored in a root directory area of a file system.

18. The controller of claim 15, wherein the file allocation table area includes:

a first record identifying how clusters making up the existing file are linked together; and

a second record identifying how clusters making up the modified file copy are linked together.

19. The controller of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to generate the modified file copy by performing an editing process to alter data in a file copy of the existing file.

20. The controller of claim 15, wherein the controller is internal to the memory device.

21. The controller of claim 15, wherein the controller is a memory controller external to the memory device.

22. The controller of claim 19, wherein the editing process includes at least one act selected from the group consisting of editing, writing, programming, erasing, and resetting data in the file copy.

23. The controller of claim 20, wherein the controller is a control state machine.