File memory device using flash memories, and an information processing system using the same

A method for storing file data in a file memory device which stores file data through a data bus into a parallel arrangement of memory element groups each having a unit erasure block size greater than a data bus width of said file memory device and a data access width smaller than the data bus width of said file memory device, said method comprising steps of:

• dividing file data, that includes at least one unit storage data block, into combined blocks including a combination of arbitrary unit storage data blocks;
• at a time of storing the combined blocks in said file memory device, combining arbitrarily data on the data bus in terms of a unit data size equal to the data access width;
• making the arbitrarily combined data correspond to an arbitrary combination of memory element groups equal in number to the unit data size;
• and
• making each of the combined blocks correspond to any of the arbitrary combinations of memory element groups.

A file memory device, including a parallel arrangement of memory element groups each having a unit erasure block size greater than a data bus width of said file memory device and a data access width smaller than the data bus width of said file memory device, and operating to read and write file data through said data bus, said file memory device comprising:

• file division means for dividing file data that includes at least one unit storage data blocks, into combined blocks including a combination of arbitrary unit storage data blocks;
• data division means for dividing data on the data bus into arbitrary combinations of unit data having the data access width;
• memory element division means for dividing the memory element groups in accordance with the data division performed by said data division means;
• and
• control means for controlling the storing of the combined blocks of the divided file data in said file memory device such that each divided data provided by said data division means corresponds to one of the memory element groups divided by said memory element division means and the contents of each combined block is stored in one of arbitrary combinations of the memory element groups.

A file memory device for storing file data through a data bus into a parallel arrangement of memory element groups having a unit erasure block size greater than a data bus width of said file memory device and a data access width smaller than a data bus width of said file memory device, said file memory device comprising:

• file division means for dividing file data, that includes at least one unit storage data blocks block, into combined blocks that include a combination of arbitrary unit storage data blocks;
• data division means for dividing data on the data bus into an arbitrary combination of data having a unit size equal to the data access width;
• memory element division means for dividing the memory element groups in accordance with the data division performed by said data division means;
• control means for controlling storing of the combined blocks of the divided file data in said file memory device such that each divided data provided by said data division means corresponds to one of the memory element groups divided by said memory element division means and contents of each combined block is stored in one of arbitrary combinations of the memory element groups;
• storage control means for storing, in said memory element groups as file control information, a manner of division of said file division means, a manner of division of said data division means, a manner of division of said memory element division means, and a manner of control of said control means;
• and
• means for reading out file information in accordance with said manner of division data stored file control information.

A file memory device for reading and writing file data through a data bus of X-bit width in a parallel arrangement of memory element groups having a unit erasure block size greater than X bits and a data access width of Y bits (Y=X/P, where P being an integer greater than one), said file memory device comprising:

• file division means for dividing a file that includes at least one unit storage data block into a combination of arbitrary unit storage data blocks which lie in a range between 1 and P;
• data division means for dividing X-bit data on the data bus into Y-bit data of Q in number (Q=X/Y, data is not divided when Q=1) at a time of storing the data blocks divided by said file division means;
• memory element division means for dividing the memory elements into groups of Q in number;
• control means for making each of the divided data of Q in number correspond to one of the divided memory element groups, and storing the file data in the memory element groups such that contents of an arbitrary unit storage data block corresponds to a same memory element group;
• storage means for storing for each file a manner of division of said file division means, a manner of division of said data division means, a manner of division of said memory element groups, and a manner of control of said control means;
• and
• means for reading out file information in accordance with storage information stored in said storage means.

A flash memory based file memory device for storing file data through a data bus of X bits in flash memory elements each having a unit erasure block size greater than X bits and a data access width of Y bits (Y=X/P, where P is an integer greater than one), said file memory device comprising:

• a flash memory device formed of P sets of flash memory element groups that can be accessed concurrently;
• data division means for dividing data on the X-bit data bus into at least P parts;
• data distribution means having at least a first function of making the divided Y-bit data of P in number correspond to one set of the flash memory groups, and a second function of making each Y-bit data of P in number correspond to separate sets of the flash memory groups;
• and
• control means for controlling said data distribution means such that one of said first and second functions is selected depending on a number of units storage blocks of a file to be accessed.

An information unit comprising:

• central processing means for processing programs and data;
• clock signal generation means for driving said central processing means;
• file memory means including a flash memory as a storage medium;
• file storage control means for controlling the access to said flash memory of said file memory means;
• wherein said file storage control means receives a clock signal generated by said clock signal generation means or a signal that is synchronous with said clock signal so that said central processing means and said file storage control means operate synchronously to transact file data;
• wherein said file storage control means includes means of producing a status signal indicative of amid-process or end-of-process of file data if said central processing means and said file memory means have different data access widths, said central processing means includes means of halting the process until the end of file data processing in response to said status signal indicative of amid-process, and said file storage control means includes data bit width control means for adjusting the number of data bits treated by said file storage control means so that the number of data bits coincides with the processing data bit width of said central processing means;
• and
• said data bit width control means operating on said central processing means to halt based on the status signal indicative of amid-process during a time period that is needed for equalizing said data bit widths, so that data having a consistent width is transacted.

An information processing apparatus comprising:

• central processing means for processing programs and data;
• clock signal generation means for driving said central processing means;
• file memory means including a parallel arrangement of memory element groups each having a unit erasure block size grater than a data bus width of said file memory means and a data access width smaller than the data bus width of said file memory means, including:
• file division means for dividing file data, that includes at least one unit storage data block, into combined blocks that include a combination of arbitrary unit storage data blocks,
• data distribution means for combining arbitrarily data on the data bus into a unit data size which is equal to the data access width, and for making the arbitrarily combined data correspond to an arbitrary combination of memory element groups equal in number to the unit data size;
• and
• control means for controlling said data distribution means such that each combined block is stored in said file memory means by being correspondent to one of the arbitrary combinations of memory element groups.

A file memory device including a parallel arrangement of memory element groups each having a unit erasure block size greater than a data bus width of said file memory device and a data access width smaller than the data bus width of said file memory device, said file memory device comprising:

• file division means for dividing file data that consists of unit storage data blocks into combined blocks that consists of a combination of arbitrary unit storage data blocks;
• data distribution means for combining arbitrarily data on the data bus to include a multiple of unit data sizes each equal to the data access width, and making the combined arbitrary data correspondent to an arbitrary combination of memory element groups each having said data access width, so that the number of the unit data sizes included in the combined arbitrary data is equal to the number of the combined memory element groups;
• and
• control means for controlling said data distribution means such that each combined block is stored in said file memory device by being correspondent to one of the arbitrary combinations of memory element groups.

A file storage method for a file memory device which stores file data through a data bus into a parallel arrangement of memory element groups each having a unit erasure block size greater than a data bus width of said file memory device and a data access width smaller than the data bus width of said file memory device, said method comprising the steps of:

• dividing file data that consists of unit storage data blocks into combined blocks consisting of a combination of arbitrary unit storage data blocks;
• at a time of storing the combined blocks in said file memory device, combining arbitrarily data on the data bus to include a multiple of unit data sizes each equal to the data access width, and making the combined arbitrary data correspondent to an arbitrary combination of memory element groups each having said data access width, so that the number of the unit data sizes included in the combined arbitrary data is equal to the number of the combined memory element groups;
• and
• making each of the combined blocks correspondent to any of the arbitrary combinations of memory element groups.

A file memory device including a parallel arrangement of memory element groups each having a unit erasure block size greater than a data bus width of said file memory device and a data access width smaller than the data bus width of said file memory device, and operating to read and write file data through a data bus, said file memory device comprising:

• file division means for dividing file data that consists of unit storage data blocks into combined blocks consisting of a combination of arbitrary unit storage data blocks;
• data division means for dividing data on the data bus into arbitrary combinations of unit data sizes each having the data access width;
• memory element division means for dividing said parallel arrangement of memory element groups into arbitrary combinations of memory element groups so that the number of the divided memory element groups is equal to the number of the arbitrary combinations formed by dividing the data by said data division means;
• and
• control means for controlling storing of the combined blocks of the divided file data in said file memory device such that each divided data provided by said data division means is correspondent to one of the arbitrary combinations formed by dividing said parallel arrangement of the memory element groups by said memory element division means, and contents of each combined block is stored in one of arbitrary combinations of the memory element groups.

A file memory device for storing file data through a data bus into a parallel arrangement of memory element groups each having a unit erasure block size greater than the data bus width of said file memory device and a data access width smaller than a data bus width of said file memory device, said file memory device comprising:

• file division means for dividing file data that consists of unit storage data blocks into combined blocks that consist of a combination of arbitrary unit storage data blocks;
• data division means for dividing data on the data bus into arbitrary combinations of unit data sizes each having the data access width;
• memory element division means for dividing said parallel arrangement of memory element groups into arbitrary combinations of memory element groups so that the number of the divided memory element groups is equal to the number of the arbitrary combinations formed by dividing the data by said data division means;
• control means for controlling storing of the combined blocks of the divided file data in said file memory device such that each divided data provided by said data division means is correspondent to one of the arbitrary combinations formed by dividing said parallel arrangement of the memory element groups by said memory element division means, and contents of each combined block is stored in one of arbitrary combinations of the memory element groups;
• storage control means for storing, in said memory element groups or another storage device as file control information, a result of division of said file division means, a result of division of said data division means, a result of division of said memory element division means and a result of control of said control means;
• and
• means of reading out file information in accordance with stored file control information.

A file memory device for reading and writing file data through a data bus of X-bit width in a parallel arrangement of memory element groups each having a unit erasure block size greater than X bits and a data access width of Y bits (Y=X/P, where P is an integer greater than one, said file memory device comprising:

• file division means for dividing file data that consists of unit storage data blocks into a combination of an arbitrary number of unit storage data blocks 1 through P;
• data division means for dividing X-bit data on the data bus into Y-bit data of Q in number (Q≦X/Y;
• data is not divided when Q=1) at a time of storing the data blocks formed by said file division means;
• memory element division means for dividing said parallel arrangement of memory elements into arbitrary combinations of Q in number;
• control means for making each of the divided data of Q in number correspondent to one of the arbitrary combinations formed by dividing the parallel arrangement of memory elements by said memory element dividing means, and storing the file data in the memory element groups such that contents of a combination of unit storage data block corresponds to one of the arbitrary combinations of memory element groups;
• storage means for storing for each file a result of division of said file division means, a result of division of said data division means, a result of division of said memory element groups and a result of control of said control means;
• and
• means of reading out file information in accordance with storage information stored in said storage means.

A flash memory based file memory device for storing file data through a data bus of X bits in flash memory elements having a unit erasure block size greater than X bits and a data access width of Y bits (Y=YX/P, where P is an integer greater than one), said file memory device comprising:

• a flash memory device formed of P sets of flash memory element groups that can be accessed concurrently;
• data division means for dividing data on the X-bit data bus into P parts or less;
• data distribution means having at least a first function of making each Y-bit data of P in number correspondent to one set of the flash memory groups and a second function of making each Y-bit data of P in number correspondent to separate sets of the flash memory groups;
• and
• control means for controlling said data distribution means such that one of said first and second functions is selected depending on a number of unit storage data blocks of a file to be accessed.