Error detection/correction and fault detection/recovery – Pulse or data error handling – Digital data error correction
Reexamination Certificate
2005-01-04
2005-01-04
Baker, Stephen M. (Department: 2133)
Error detection/correction and fault detection/recovery
Pulse or data error handling
Digital data error correction
Reexamination Certificate
active
06839875
ABSTRACT:
A method for performing error correction on data read from a multistate memory array, by encoding data read from each memory element of the array, detecting an error in the encoded data from one memory element, and correcting the error by changing X bits of the encoded data (preferably X=1), and a multistate memory system for performing the method. Preferably the system is a circuit in which each memory element is a flash memory cell. The invention enables implementation of error detection and correction while requiring storage of fewer ECC check bits (with the data of interest) than the number of ECC check bits that would need to be stored in accordance with the prior art. In accordance with the invention, a data bit is read from each memory cell by asserting a signal having a signal value in a value range, where the value range is a member of a sequence of non-overlapping value subranges LiHi, where N is the number of states of each memory element, and N is equal to at least 3, and the value subranges are determined by values Liand Hisatisfying L1<H1<L2<H2< . . . <LN<HN. Each value subrange LiHiincludes values xi, where Li<xi<Hi.
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Baker Stephen M.
Micro)n Technology, Inc.
Schwegman Lundberg Woessner & Kluth P.A.
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