Method and apparatus for using a one-time or few-time programmable memory with a host device designed for erasable-rewriteable memory

• US 8,209,476 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2010
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SanDisk 3D LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Moore, Christopher S., Jeday, Adrian, Fruin, Matt, Yang, Chia, Bosch, Derek
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai, Tuan V.
• Application Number:
  US12/917,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20110047416A1
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: 711/100, 711/103, 711/118, 711/154, 711/200, 711/202, 711/206
• US Class Current: 711/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1068 in sector programmable memories, e.g. flash disk G06F11/1072 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0238 Memory management in non-volatile memory, e.g. resistive RAM or ferroelectric memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/1032 Reliability improvement, data loss prevention, degraded operation etc
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/1036 Life time enhancement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/2142 using write-once memory, e.g. OTPROM
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7201 Logical to physical mapping or translation of blocks or pages
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7207 management of metadata or control data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0661 Format or protocol conversion arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0679 Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/08 from or to individual record carriers, e.g. punched card , memory card, integrated circuit [IC] card or smart card

Abstract

The embodiments described herein can be used to enable one-time or few-time programmable memories to work with existing consumer electronic devices (such as those that work with flash—an erasable, non-volatile memory) without requiring a firmware upgrade, thereby providing backwards compatibility while minimizing user impact. As such, these embodiments are a viable way to bridge one-time or few-time programmable memories with existing consumer electronic devices that have flash card slots. These embodiments also allow future consumer electronic devices to be designed without updating firmware to include a file system customized for a one-time or few-time programmable memory.

Claims

1. A memory device comprising:

a memory array storing a file system structure; and

a controller in communication with the memory array, wherein the controller is operative to generate an error in response to an attempt to write data to an address above an address of the file system structure;

wherein the attempt to write data to the address above the address of the file system structure is made in response to a command to format the memory device.

2. The memory device of claim 1, wherein the file system structure comprises a file allocation table.

3. The memory device of claim 1, wherein the memory array comprises a one-time programmable memory array.

4. The memory device of claim 1, wherein the memory array comprises a few-time programmable memory array.

5. The memory device of claim 1, wherein the memory array comprises a three-dimensional memory array.