Memory device and method for transforming between non-power-of-2 levels of multilevel memory cells and 2-level data bits

1. A memory device, comprising:

a read or write circuit including a plurality of circuit subsets, each circuit subset comprising a plurality of multi-level memory cells each having a number of levels not matching 2 n with n being an integer; and

a first circuit configured for combining the levels of at least two of the memory cells into a set of combined states and for transforming between at least a subset of 2 n combinations of the set of combined states and states of n two-level data bits to apply at least one of the two-level data bits for at least one of error detection and error correction.

2. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein all multi-level memory cells have the same number m of levels.

3. The memory device of claim 2 , wherein the number m of levels is three.

4. The memory device of claim 3 , wherein six multi-level memory cells together correspond to 9 two-level data bits.

5. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of multi-level memory cells are non-volatile memory cells.

6. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the first circuit is adapted for read operations.

7. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the first circuit is adapted for at least a write operation.

8. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the first circuit includes one or more logic devices.

9. A method for operating a memory device having a plurality of multi-level memory cells each in turn having a number of levels not matching 2 n with n being a non-zero integer, the method comprising:

combining the levels of at least two of the memory cells into a set of combined states; and

transforming between at least a subset of 2 n combinations of the set of combined states and n two-level data bits to apply at least one of the two-level data bits for at least one of error detection and error correction.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein all multi-level memory cells have the same number m of levels.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the number m of levels is three.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein six multi-level memory cells together correspond to 9 two-level data bits.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of multi-level memory cells are non-volatile memory cells.

14. A resistively switching memory device, comprising:

a read or write circuit including a plurality of circuit subsets, each circuit subset comprising a plurality of multi-level memory cells each having a number of levels not matching 2 n with n being an integer; and

a circuit configured for combining the levels of at least two of the memory cells into a set of combined states and for transforming between at least a subset of 2 n combinations of the set of combined states and states of n two-level data bits to apply at least one of the two-level data bits for at least one of error detection and error correction.

15. The memory device of claim 14 , wherein all multi-level memory cells have the same number m of levels, wherein the number m of levels is three, and wherein six multi-level memory cells together correspond to 9 two-level data bits.

16. The memory device of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of multi-level memory cells are phase change random access memory cells.

17. The memory device of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of multi-level memory cells are conductive bridging random access memory cells.

18. The memory device of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of multi-level memory cells are magnetoresistive random access memory cells.

19. A memory device, comprising:

a read or write circuit including a plurality of circuit subsets, each circuit subset comprising a plurality of multi-level memory cells each having a number of levels not matching 2 n with n being an integer; and

means for combining the levels of at least two of the memory cells into a set of combined states and for transfonning between at least a subset of 2 n combinations of the set of combined states and states of n two-level data bits to apply at least one of the two-level data bits for at least one of error detection and error correction.