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US 8,782,493 B2Granted
Correcting data in a memory
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorsBrady L. Keays, Shuba Swaminathan, William H. Radke
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods of correcting data in a memory, and memories adapted to correct data, include prioritizing error correction of the read data in response to locations and likely states of known bad or questionable data positions of a segment of a memory array selected for reading.
Claims20
A memory comprising:
- a memory array containing a plurality of memory cells arranged into a plurality of segments;
- and
- a record of locations and likely states of known bad or questionable data positions in the plurality of segments;
- wherein the memory is adapted to read data and associated ECC codes from a selected segment of the memory array, and to error check the read data utilizing the associated ECC codes;
- and
- wherein the memory is adapted, when the error check detects an error in the read data, to prioritize error correction of the read data in response to the locations and likely states of the known bad or questionable data positions of the selected segment.
3 more elements
A memory comprising:
- a memory array containing a plurality of memory cells arranged into a plurality of segments;
- and
- a record of locations and likely states of known bad or questionable data positions in the plurality of segments;
- wherein the memory is adapted to read data and associated ECC codes from a selected segment of the memory array, and to error check the read data utilizing the associated ECC codes;
- and
- when the error check detects an error in the read data:
- wherein the memory is adapted to evaluate versions of the read data with states of the known bad or questionable data positions other than their likely states against the associated ECC codes until a particular version of the read data evaluates as correct;
- and
- wherein the memory is adapted, when no version of the read data with states of the known bad or questionable data positions other than their likely states evaluates as correct, to invoke error correction to include evaluation of data positions of the selected segment other than the known bad or questionable data positions.
6 more elements
A method of correcting data in a memory, comprising:
- reading data and associated ECC codes from a selected memory segment of a memory;
- reading locations and likely states of any known bad or questionable data positions of the selected memory segment;
- checking the read data utilizing the associated ECC codes;
- and
- when an error is detected in the read data:
- prioritizing error correction of the read data in response to the locations and likely states of the known bad or questionable data positions of the selected segment.
3 more elements
A method of correcting data in a memory, comprising:
- reading data and associated ECC codes from a selected memory segment of a memory;
- reading locations and likely states of any known bad or questionable data positions of the selected memory segment;
- checking the read data utilizing the associated ECC codes;
- and
- when an error is detected in the read data:
- error checking versions of the read data by evaluating different versions of the read data in one or more ECC checks with the associated ECC codes for one or more states of two or more possible data states of each of the known bad or questionable data positions of the selected segment other than the corresponding likely state of each of the known bad or questionable data positions of the selected segment;
- when particular states of the known bad or questionable data positions result in a particular version of the read data that correctly evaluates in an ECC check with the associated ECC codes, correcting the read data to correspond to the particular version of the read data prior to transferring the read data from the memory;
- and
- when no states of the known bad or questionable data positions result in a version of the read data that correctly evaluates in an ECC check with the associated ECC codes, invoking error correction to include evaluation of data positions of the selected segment other than the known bad or questionable data positions.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.