IP Library Granted Patent US 7,949,822
Granted Patent B2
US 7,949,822 · App. 12/555,574 · Granted May 24, 2011

Storage capacity status

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,949,822
App. No.
12/555,574
Granted
May 24, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

In one embodiment of the present invention, a memory device is disclosed to include memory organized into blocks, each block having a status associated therewith and all of the blocks of the nonvolatile memory having collectively a capacity status associated therewith and a display for showing the capacity status even when no power is being applied to the display.

Claims (28)

1. A memory device configured to be coupled to a host system, the memory device comprising:

a memory having a capacity status associated therewith; and

a non-volatile display for indicating a quantity of memory available for programming in response to the capacity status, the non-volatile display indicating the quantity after being removed from a host power supply and without an internal power supply coupled to the non-volatile display.

2. The memory device of claim 1 wherein the device is configured to calculate the capacity status.

3. The memory device of claim 1 wherein the capacity status indicates remaining memory capacity of the memory.

4. The memory device of claim 3 wherein the remaining memory capacity of the memory is remaining capacity in percent of one of original capacity or total capacity.

5. The memory device of claim 1 wherein the memory device is configured to display the capacity status upon a request to display.

6. The memory device of claim 1 wherein the host system is configured to store a file structure indicating memory available for storage in the memory device.

7. The memory device of claim 1 wherein the non-volatile display is comprised of at least one of: electronic ink, liquid crystal displays, or light emitting diodes.

8. The memory device of claim 7 wherein the non-volatile display changes color to reflect the capacity status.

9. A memory system comprising:

a host configured to accept a non-volatile memory device; and

a memory device coupled to the host including,

a memory having an associated capacity status; and

a non-volatile display for indicating a change in the capacity status of the memory by a change in color wherein the non-volatile display is configured to indicate the change in capacity status after being uncoupled from the host and without an internal power supply coupled to the non-volatile display.

10. The memory system of claim 9 wherein calculation of the capacity status is performed by the device after reading a file structure from the host.

11. The memory system of claim 9 wherein the host is configured to calculate the capacity status.

12. The memory system of claim 9 wherein the capacity status is indicative of either the number of blocks remaining to be programmed or the number of blocks that are not programmed.

13. A method for displaying information regarding capacity status of a memory device of a memory system comprising:

determining capacity status information for memory in the memory device;

displaying the capacity status information on a non-volatile display wherein the non-volatile display is configured to display the capacity status information without a power supply after being removed from the memory system.

14. The method of claim 13 and further including the memory device receiving updates from a host regarding the capacity status.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the updates are transmitted by the host after each write operation that modifies the capacity status information.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein calculating the capacity is performed by a host of the memory system.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the capacity status information is determined by a host of the memory system and transmitted to the memory device.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the capacity status information represents a quantity of either an unprogrammed quantity of memory or a programmed quantity of memory.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein determining the capacity status information is performed by the memory device by reading a file structure maintained by a host of the memory system.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the host determines the capacity status information in response to obsolete or deleted data.

Assignments (7)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 12, 2019
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.; MICRON SEMICONDUCTOR PRODUCTS, INC.
Reel/Frame 051028/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 9, 2019
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 050937/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 23, 2018
From: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 047243/0001 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REPLACE ERRONEOUSLY FILED PATENT #7358718 WITH THE CORRECT PATENT #7358178 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 038669 FRAME 0001. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECURITY INTEREST. Recorded Jun 8, 2017
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 043079/0001 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 2, 2016
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 038954/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 12, 2016
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 038669/0001 →
MERGER Recorded Mar 25, 2011
From: LEXAR MEDIA, INC.
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 026024/0131 →