Method for operating a flash memory

Abstract

A method for operating a Flash memory having a plurality of memory blocks. In a first method, data is written to a memory block having less than the predetermined threshold of memory remaining. Any remaining data is written to a memory block having the largest amount of memory remaining. In a second method, data is written to a memory block having a least amount of memory remaining when an average of the memory used in each block falls below the predetermined threshold. Any remaining data is also written to a memory block having the largest amount of memory remaining. A block erase is performed on a memory block by first copying any data to be saved to a copy block of the Flash memory. Each memory block has an identifying code. An identifying code of the copy block is changed to an identifying code of the memory block. A block erase is then performed on the memory block and the identifying code of the memory block is changed to the identifying code of the copy block.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.