Static information storage and retrieval – Read/write circuit – Bad bit
Reexamination Certificate
2009-01-05
2011-10-18
Luu, Pho M (Department: 2824)
Static information storage and retrieval
Read/write circuit
Bad bit
C365S201000, C365S210100, C365S185090, C365S185110, C711S103000, C711S154000, C711S156000
Reexamination Certificate
active
08040744
ABSTRACT:
Techniques for the management of spare blocks in re-programmable non-volatile memory system, such as a flash EEPROM system, are presented. In one set of techniques, for a memory partitioned into two sections (for example a binary section and a multi-state section), where blocks of one section are more prone to error, spare blocks can be transferred from the more error prone partition to the less error prone partition. In another set of techniques for a memory partitioned into two sections, blocks which fail in the more error prone partition are transferred to serve as spare blocks in the other partition. In a complementary set of techniques, a 1-bit time stamp is maintained for free blocks to determine whether the block has been written recently. Other techniques allow for spare blocks to be managed by way of a logical to physical conversion table by assigning them logical addresses that exceed the logical address space of which a host is aware.
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Bennett Alan David
Gorobets Sergey Anatolievich
Zilberman Eugene
Bui Tha-o
Davis , Wright, Tremaine, LLP
Luu Pho M
SanDisk Technologies Inc.
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