Partial permanent write protection of a memory card and partially permanently write protected memory card

• US 20060018154A1
• Filed: 07/08/2005
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Memory Technologies LLC (Pendrell Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Hyvonen, Jani, Ahvenainen, Marko T., Mylly, Kimmo A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,827,370 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 365/185.40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1433 for a module or a part of a module

Abstract

This invention relates to a method permanently write protecting a portion of a memory card. According to the invention a bit indicating permanent write protection or permanent write protection of a portion of the memory card is set in the specific data register of the memory card to indicate that all the write protect groups protected with write protecting command are permanently write protected. In another embodiments of the invention special commands are used to control the write protection of the portion of the memory card. This invention also relates to a partially permanently write protected memory card. The invention further relates to an electronic device, a software, a system and a module utilizing the method of the invention.

Claims

1. A method for achieving permanent write protection in a part of memory of a memory card, characterized in that it comprises:

identifying a bit in a specific data register of said memory card,

setting said bit to have a certain predefined value that causes a write protection command to mean permanent write protection of part of the memory of said memory card and simultaneously an allowance of use of another part of said memory,

writing a piece of information to said memory of said memory card, and

executing the write protection command concerning that said part of said memory in which said piece of information was written.

2. A method for achieving permanent write protection in a part of memory of a memory card according to the claim 1, characterized in that,

in the step of identifying a bit in a specific data register of the memory card is identified a bit indicating permanent write protection of the said memory card, and

setting said bit to have a certain predefined value causes write protection command to mean permanent write protection of all the write protection groups of the memory of said memory card and simultaneously an allowance of use of another part of said memory.

3. A method for achieving permanent write protection in a part of memory of a memory card according to the claim 1, characterized in that, it further comprises:

identifying a bit indicating a segment size to be protected in the units of write protect groups in a specific data register of said memory card, and

setting said bit indicating the segment size to have a certain predefined value.

4. A method for achieving permanent write protection in a part of memory of a memory card according to the claim 1, characterized in that,

setting said bit to have a certain predefined value causes the write protection command to mean permanent write protection of all of a plurality of write protect groups of the memory of said memory card and simultaneously an allowance of use of another part of said memory.

5. A method for achieving permanent write protection in a part of memory of a memory card according to the claim 2, characterized in that, it further comprises:

identifying a bit indicating the segment size to be protected in the units of write protect groups in a specific data register of said memory card, and

setting said bit indicating the segment size to have a certain predefined value.

6. A method for achieving permanent write protection in a part of memory of a memory card according to the claim 1, characterized in that,

in the step of executing a write protection command is executed a permanent partial write protection command concerning that part of the memory in which the piece of information was written.

7. A method for achieving permanent write protection in a part of memory of a memory card according to the claim 4, characterized in that, it further comprises:

identifying a bit indicating the segment size to be protected in the units of write protect groups in a specific data register of said memory card, and

setting said bit indicating the segment size to have a certain predefined value.

8. A method for achieving permanent write protection in a part of memory of a memory card according to the claim 1, characterized in that,

in the step of executing a write protection command is executed an editable portion setting command defining an editable portion of the memory of said memory card.

9. A method for achieving permanent write protection in a part of memory of a memory card according to the claim 8, characterized in that, it further comprises:

data editing commands are directed to a portion set with the editable portion setting command.

10. A method for achieving permanent write protection in a part of memory of a memory card according to the claim 1, characterized in that, the memory card is a multimedia card (MMC).

17. A device for permanently write protecting a portion of a memory card, the device comprising a user interface, central processor and internal memory, characterized in that, the device uses the method of claim 1.

18. A device for permanently write protecting a portion of a memory card according to the claim 17, characterized in that, the device conforms physically and electronically with the standards of the memory card in use.

19. A device for permanently write protecting a portion of a memory card according to the claim 17, characterized in that, the memory card protected with the device is a multimedia card (MMC).

20. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for permanently write protecting a portion of a memory card, characterized in that, the computer-readable medium comprises steps according to the method of claim 1.

21. A computer-readable medium for permanently write protecting a portion of a memory card according to the claim 20, characterized in that, the memory card is a multimedia card (MMC).

22. A system for permanently write protecting a portion of a memory card, the system comprising a device and a memory card characterized in that, the device uses the method of claim 1.

23. A system for permanently write protecting a portion of a memory card according to the claim 22, characterized in that, the system conforms physically and electronically with standards of the memory card in use.

24. A system for permanently write protecting a portion of a memory card according to claim 22, characterized in that, the memory card is a multimedia card (MMC).

25. A module for permanently write protecting a portion of a memory card, characterized in that, the module uses the method of claim 1.

26. A module for permanently write protecting a portion of a memory card according to the claim 25, characterized in that, the memory card protected with the system is a multimedia card (MMC).

11. A partially permanently write protected memory card comprising contact pads, an interface driver, a card interface controller, data registers (OCR, CID, RCA, DSR, CSD), a power on detection and memory core interface, characterized in that, the memory card further comprises a memory core comprising at least two different memory technologies.

12. A partially permanently write protected memory card according to the claim 11, characterized in that, the memory card further comprises an additional data register.

13. A partially permanently write protected memory card according to the claim 11, characterized in that, one of the different memory technologies is a primary memory technology and other memory technologies are secondary memory technologies, the primary memory technology being active at the power up.

14. A partially permanently write protected memory card according to the claim 11, characterized in that, the secondary memory technologies are accessed after reading of the additional data register.

15. A partially permanently write protected memory card according to the claim 11, characterized in that, the different memory technologies are separated into different physical addresses.

16. A partially permanently write protected memory card according to the claim 11, characterized in that, the different memory technologies are separated by chip enabling.