Device and method for treating a state of a memory

A memory comprising:

• a plurality of pages, each comprising memory cells for storing data and generation information associated with the page;
• and
• a device for treating a state, resulting from incomplete writing or erasing of data, of a memory having memory cells organized in a plurality of pages with which there is respectively associated generation information indicating a programming time of the page, comprising a unit for determining generation information from the generation information of the plurality of pages to obtain determined generation information, wherein the determined generation information indicates a programming time of the plurality of pages which is not the oldest programming time;
• a page determination unit for determining a page from the plurality of pages which includes an inconsistency to obtain a determined page;
• a selection unit for selecting a further page from the plurality of pages to obtain a selected page;
• a marking unit for marking the selected page to obtain a marked page;
• a providing unit for providing new generation information based on the determined generation information;
• a reading unit for reading data from the marked page;
• and a writing unit for writing the data read from the marked page and the new generation information to the determined page.

A method for treating a state, resulting from incomplete writing or erasing of data, of a memory having memory cells organized in a plurality of pages, wherein each page comprises generation information indicating a programming time of the page, the method comprising the steps of:

• determining generation information from the generation information of the plurality of pages to obtain determined generation information, wherein the determined generation information indicates a programming time of the plurality of pages which is not the oldest programming time;
• determining a page from the plurality of pages which includes an inconsistency to obtain a determined page, wherein the inconsistency results from the incomplete writing or erasing of data;
• selecting a further page from the plurality of pages to obtain a selected page;
• marking the selected page to obtain a marked page;
• providing new generation information based on the determined generation information;
• reading data from the marked page;
• and
• writing the data read from the marked page and the new generation information to the determined page.

A method for treating a state, resulting from incomplete erasing of a page of a memory, of a memory having memory cells organized in a plurality of pages, each page being associated with generation information indicating a programming time of the page and comprising a marking bit, the method comprising the steps of:

• determining a page whose marking bit is set;
• determining generation information from the generation information of the plurality of pages to obtain determined generation information, wherein the determined generation information indicates a programming time of the plurality of pages which is not the oldest programming time;
• determining a page including an inconsistency to obtain a determined page, wherein the inconsistency results from the incomplete erasing of data;
• providing new generation information based on the determined generation information;
• erasing the page including an inconsistency;
• reading data from the marked page;
• and
• writing the data read from the marked page and the new generation information to the determined page including the inconsistency.

A method for treating a state, resulting from incomplete writing or erasing of data, of a memory having memory cells organized in a plurality of pages, wherein each page comprises generation information indicating a programming time of the page, and wherein each page comprises a first marking bit and a second marking bit indicating the incomplete writing or erasing, the method comprising the steps of:

• determining a marked page whose second marking bit is set;
• determining generation information from the generation information of the plurality of pages to obtain determined generation information, wherein the determined generation information indicates a programming time of the plurality of pages which is not the oldest programming time;
• determining a page including an inconsistency to obtain a determined page, wherein the inconsistency results from the incomplete writing or erasing of data;
• providing new generation information based on the determined generation information;
• reading data from the marked page whose second marking bit is set;
• writing the data read from the marked page whose second marking bit is set and the new generation information to the determined page;
• setting the first marking bit of the determined page;
• providing further new generation information based on the new generation information;
• reading data from the determined page after writing the data read from the marked page whose second marking bit is set to the determined page and after setting the first marking bit;
• and
• writing the data read from the determined page and the further new generation information to the marked page whose second marking bit is set.

A computer program with a program code for performing a method for treating a state, resulting from incomplete writing or erasing of data, of a memory having memory cells organized in a plurality of pages, wherein each page comprises generation information indicating a programming time of the page, when the program runs on a computer, the method comprising the steps of determining generation information from the generation information of the plurality of pages to obtain determined generation information, wherein the determined generation information indicates a programming time of the plurality of pages which is not the oldest programming time;

• determining a page from the plurality of pages which includes an inconsistency to obtain a determined page, wherein the inconsistency results from the incomplete writing or erasing of data;
• selecting a further page from the plurality of pages to obtain a selected page;
• marking the selected page to obtain a marked page;
• providing new generation information based on the determined generation information;
• reading data from the marked page;
• and writing the data read from the marked page and the new generation information to the determined page.

A computer program with a program code for performing a method for treating a state, resulting from incomplete erasing of a page of a memory, of a memory having memory cells organized in a plurality of pages, each page being associated with generation information indicating a programming time of the page and comprising a marking bit, when the program runs on a computer, the method comprising the steps of determining a page whose marking bit is set;

• determining generation information from the generation information of the plurality of pages to obtain determined generation information, wherein the determined generation information indicates a programming time of the plurality of pages which is not the oldest programming time;
• determining a page including an inconsistency to obtain a determined page, wherein the inconsistency results from the incomplete erasing of data;
• providing new generation information based on the determined generation information;
• erasing the page including an inconsistency;
• reading data from the marked page;
• and writing the data read from the marked page and the new generation information to the determined page including the inconsistency.

A computer program with a program code for performing a method for treating a state, resulting from incomplete writing or erasing of data, of a memory having memory cells organized in a plurality of pages, wherein each page comprises generation information indicating a programming time of the page, and wherein each page comprises a first marking bit and a second marking bit indicating the incomplete writing or erasing, when the program runs on a computer, the method comprising the steps of determining a marked page whose second marking bit is set;

• determining generation information from the generation information of the plurality of pages to obtain determined generation information, wherein the determined generation information indicates a programming time of the plurality of pages which is not the oldest programming time;
• determining a page including an inconsistency to obtain a determined page, wherein the inconsistency results from the incomplete writing or erasing of data;
• providing new generation information based on the determined generation information;
• reading data from the marked page whose second marking bit is set;
• writing the data read from the marked page whose second marking bit is set and the new generation information to the determined page;
• setting the first marking bit of the determined page;
• providing further new generation information based on the new generation information;
• reading data from the determined page after writing the data read from the marked page whose second marking bit is set to the determined page and after setting the first marking bit;
• and writing the data read from the determined page and the further new generation information to the marked page whose second marking bit is set.