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AssigneesSunDisk Corporation, Western Digital Corporation
InventorsJohn S. Mangan, Robert D. Norman, Jeffrey Craig, Richard Albert, Anil Gupta, Jeffrey D. Stai, Karl M. J. Lofgren
Estimating the term…
A file structure employed in a flash electrically erasable and programmable read only memory ("EEPROM") system and aspects of forming and using certain data fields within such a file structure. An array of rows and columns of EEPROM memory cells is divided into blocks of cells that are separately addressable for the purpose of erasing an entire block of cells at the same time. Each block contains several rows of cells with certain columns thereof storing a sector of data, typically 512 bytes of data, and other columns of cells within the same rows being used as spare cells to replace any defective sector data cells and store overhead (header) information about the block and the data sector. Such overhead information includes pointers to locations of any defective sector data cells within the block, whether the block has been mapped out in favor of another block, error correction codes for the sector data and the header information, and other similar types of information.
A method of utilizing an array of flash EEPROM cells organized into word line rows and bit line columns with cells interposed thereinbetween, such that each cell is addressable by a row and a column, comprising the steps of:
A method of utilizing an array of flash EEPROM cells organized into word line rows and bit line columns with cells interposed thereinbetween, such that each cell is addressable by a row and a column, comprising said steps of:
In an array of EEPROM cells organized into word line rows and bit line columns with cells interposed thereinbetween, individually addressable by designating a row and a column, and arranged in a plurality of non-overlapping blocks, wherein said plurality of non-overlapping blocks are individually formed of a plurality of successive columns in a plurality of adjacent rows of cells, and accessible by unique block addresses for the purpose of simultaneously erasing all of the cells in an addressed block, said array of EEPROM cells including a file structure within individual blocks which minimizes the effects of any column defects within its individual block, said file structure comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.