IP Library Granted Patent US 8,635,397
Granted Patent B2
US 8,635,397 · App. 13/070,186 · Granted Jan 21, 2014

Data writing method and system

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,635,397
App. No.
13/070,186
Granted
Jan 21, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A data writing method for writing data to a flash memory includes writing an initial value to the data storage area, determining whether or not the writing of the initial value is performed normally based on a write flag, writing data to the data storage area when the writing is performed normally, and erasing a block including the data storage area when the writing is not performed normally. An initial value is written to the data storage area before writing data, so that whether or not an error correction code storage area contains the initial value may be confirmed. An erase operation of the block is performed only when the error correction code storage area does not contain the initial value, so that the number of times of erasure of the block may be reduced and the life of the product may be increased.

Claims (32)

1. A data writing method for writing data to a flash memory including a data storage area and an error correction code storage area, the method comprising:

writing an initial value to the data storage area;

determining, based on a write flag, whether or not the writing of the initial value is performed normally;

writing data to the data storage area when the writing is performed normally; and

erasing a block including the data storage area when the writing is not performed normally.

2. The data writing method according to claim 1 , wherein

N-bit wide data is written to the flash memory, N being a positive integer, and

one address is given to the data storage area having a 2N-bit width.

3. The data writing method according to claim 2 , wherein

based on data stored in the data storage area having the 2N-bit wide, an error correction code to be stored in the error correction code storage area corresponding to the data storage area is calculated.

4. The data writing method according to claim 1 , wherein

the N-bit wide data is written to the flash memory, N being a positive integer, and

the initial value has N bits.

5. The data writing method according to claim 4 , wherein

the N is 16 and the initial value is hexadecimal FFFF.

6. A system, comprising:

a CPU;

a flash memory including a data storage area and an error correction code storage area; and

a flash memory control circuit controlling the flash memory based on an instruction from the CPU, wherein

the flash memory control circuit:

performs writing of an initial value to the data storage area;

determines, based on a write flag, whether or not the writing of the initial value is performed normally;

writes data to the data storage area when the writing is performed normally; and

erases a block including the data storage area when the writing is not performed normally.

7. The system according to claim 6 , further comprising a data bus having an N-bit wide coupled between the flash memory and the flash memory control circuit, N being a positive integer, wherein

the flash memory control circuit writes data to the data storage area corresponding to one address via the data bus more than once.

8. The system according to claim 7 , wherein

the flash memory control circuit, based on data stored in the data storage area having the 2N-bit wide, calculates an error correction code to be stored in the error correction code storage area corresponding to the data storage area.

9. The system according to claim 6 , further comprising a data bus having an N-bit wide coupled between the flash memory and the flash memory control circuit, N being a positive integer, wherein

the initial value having N bits is written to the data storage area.

10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein

the N is 16 and the initial value is hexadecimal FFFF.

Assignments (9)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 15, 2022
From: CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
To: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES LLC
Reel/Frame 059721/0467 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 16, 2022
From: MUFG UNION BANK, N.A.
To: CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION; SPANSION LLC
Reel/Frame 059410/0438 →
ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 5, 2019
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
To: MUFG UNION BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 051209/0721 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE FOLLOWING NUMBERS 6272046,7277824,7282374,7286384,7299106,7337032,7460920,7519447 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 039676 FRAME 0237. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECURITY INTEREST. Recorded Oct 16, 2018
From: CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING
Reel/Frame 047797/0854 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 15, 2016
From: CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 039676/0237 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 2, 2015
From: SPANSION, LLC
To: CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 036052/0016 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT COLLATERAL Recorded Dec 30, 2014
From: BARCLAYS BANK PLC
To: SPANSION LLC; SPANSION INC.; SPANSION TECHNOLOGY INC.; SPANSION TECHNOLOGY LLC
Reel/Frame 034715/0305 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 11, 2013
From: FUJITSU SEMICONDUCTOR LIMITED
To: SPANSION LLC
Reel/Frame 031205/0461 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 25, 2011
From: KODAMA, TETSUHIRO
To: FUJITSU SEMICONDUCTOR LIMITED
Reel/Frame 026020/0688 →