System and method for emulating many time programmable memory

• US 9,465,559 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2015
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TEGO LLC
• Original Assignee: TEGO LLC
• Inventors: Butler, Timothy P., Berrios, Javier, Beckhardt, Steve, Hamlin, Robert W., Moore, Larry, Puleston, David, Mats, Leonid
• Primary Examiner(s): Bee, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mahase, Pameshanand
• Application Number:
  US14/874,972
• Publication Number:
  US 20160210084A1
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0604 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0679 Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0722 comprising an arrangement for testing the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/073 Special arrangements for circuits, e.g. for protecting identification code in memory protection against unauthorised use of computer memory G06F12/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10198 setting parameters for the interrogator, e.g. programming parameters and operating modes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for emulating multiple-time programmable memory utilizing one-time programmable memory, the memory comprising a plurality of one time programmable (OTP) memory locations for storing information, the plurality of OTP memory locations configured to operate as a single emulated many time programmable (eMTP) memory location, wherein the plurality of OTP memory locations operating as an eMTP memory location are associated with one address, the one address readable and writable.

Claims

1. A method of emulating multiple-time programmable memory utilizing one-time programmable memory, comprising:

providing a memory comprising a plurality of one time programmable (OTP) memory locations for storing information, the plurality of OTP memory locations configured to operate as a single emulated many time programmable (eMTP) memory location, wherein the plurality of OTP memory locations operating as an eMTP memory location are associated with one address, the one address readable and writable.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

writing new information to be stored in the plurality of OTP memory locations operating as an eMTP memory location through a protocol, wherein successive write operations write to a new OTP memory location respectively.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a set of the OTP memory locations grouped into a virtual segment, the virtual segment comprising a plurality of memory words associated to it for storing written information more than once.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein information written to the virtual segment is actually written to the physical location of the set of the OTP memory locations grouped into a virtual segment.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein plurality of memory words is a fixed number, and wherein can be written to the segment up to as many times as the fixed number.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the memory is in communication with an RF communication facility.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein communicating the information is through the RF communication facility.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein N number of the plurality of OTP memory locations are configured to provide a write depth of N for the eMTP memory location, where the first time information is written to the eMTP memory location, the information is written to a first of the N number of the plurality of OTP memory locations and thereafter each new information written to the eMTP memory location is stored in a memory location of the N number of the plurality of OTP memory locations successive to the memory location of the N number of the plurality of OTP memory locations last used to write information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein information stored in each of the plurality of OTP memory locations is tracked such that the most updated information is retrieved from the eMTP memory location in response to a retrieval command.

10. A system comprising:

a plurality of one time programmable (OTP) memory locations for storing information, the plurality of OTP memory locations configured to operate as a single emulated many time programmable (eMTP) memory location, wherein the plurality of OTP memory locations operating as an eMTP memory location are associated with one address, the one address readable and writable.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

writing new information to be stored in the plurality of OTP memory locations operating as an eMTP memory location through a protocol, wherein successive write operations write to a new OTP memory location respectively.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a set of the OTP memory locations grouped into a virtual segment, the virtual segment comprising a plurality of memory words associated to it for storing written information more than once.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein information written to the virtual segment is written to the physical location of the set of the OTP memory locations grouped into a virtual segment.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein plurality of memory words is a fixed number, and wherein can be written to the segment up to as many times as the fixed number.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the memory is in communication with an RF communication facility.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein communicating the information is through the RF communication facility.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein N number of the plurality of OTP memory locations are configured to provide a write depth of N for the eMTP memory location, where the first time information is written to the eMTP memory location, the information is written to a first of the N number of the plurality of OTP memory locations and thereafter each new information written to the eMTP memory location is stored in a memory location of the N number of the plurality of OTP memory locations successive to the memory location of the N number of the plurality of OTP memory locations last used to write information.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein information stored in each of the plurality of OTP memory locations is tracked such that the most updated information is retrieved from the eMTP memory location in response to a retrieval command.