Method for copying data in reprogrammable non-volatile memory

In a memory system comprising a controller part and a memory part, the memory part including a programmable non-volatile memory array, a method for relocating data from a first location of the memory array to a second location of the memory array wherein the data comprises a user data portion and an overhead portion, the method comprising:

• reading the data from the first location into a register on the memory part;
• determining in the controller part whether to perform an error detection and correction operation on said data, wherein said determining is performed without transferring a copy of the user data portion to the controller part;
• in response to determining that an error detection and correction operation be performed on said data, transferring a copy of said user data portion to the controller part while maintaining said data in the register;
• and
• performing an error correction and detection operation on the user data portion in the controller part,
• wherein the method further comprises:
• setting a flag value based on whether the user data portion has been corrected as part of said performing an error detection and correction operation;
• and
• if the flag value is set to indicate that said user data portion has been corrected, transferring the corrected user data portion back to the register and subsequently writing the contents of register to the second memory location.

In a memory system comprising a controller part and a memory part, the memory part including a programmable non-volatile memory array, a method for relocating data from a first location of the memory array to a second location of the memory array wherein the data comprises a user data portion and an overhead portion, the method comprising:

• reading the data from the first location into a register on the memory part;
• determining in the controller part whether to perform an error detection and correction operation on said data, wherein said determining is performed without transferring a copy of the user data portion to the controller part;
• in response to determining that an error detection and correction operation not be performed on said data, writing the data from the register to the second location without the transfer of the copy of the user data portion to the controller part;
• and
• in response to determining that an error detection and correction operation be performed on said data, transferring a copy of said user data portion to the controller part while maintaining said data in the register and performing an error correction and detection operation on the user data portion in the controller part,
• wherein the method further comprises:
• setting a flag value based on whether the user data portion has been corrected as part of said performing an error detection and correction operation;
• and
• if the flag value is set to indicate that said user data portion has been corrected, transferring the corrected user data portion back to the register and subsequently writing the contents of register to the second memory location.