Method for processing a non-volatile memory, in particular a memory of the EEPROM type, for the storage then the extraction of information, and corresponding memory device

A method comprising:

• receiving data bits;
• generating control bits from the data bits to form an initial digital word, the initial digital word including the data bits and the control bits;
• after generating the control bits, modifying a bit of the initial digital word to obtain a modified digital word, wherein digital information is embedded in the modified digital word based upon the location of the modified bit relative to other bits of the modified digital word;
• and
• storing the modified digital word in a memory.

A system comprising:

• error correction code circuitry associated with a memory plane, the error correction circuitry configured to generate an initial digital word including data bits and control bits;
• a modification circuit configured to modify one bit of the initial digital word to generate a modified digital word;
• the memory plane configured to store the modified digital word;
• a circuit configured to enable and disable the error correction code circuitry;
• and
• a comparison circuit configured to receive from the memory plane a recovered modified digital word, the recovered modified digital word being the modified digital word read from the memory plane with the error correction code circuitry disabled, and to receive from the memory plane a recovered initial digital word, the recovered initial digital word being the modified digital word read from the memory plane with the error correction code circuitry enabled, and for comparing the recovered modified digital word and the recovered initial digital word, and to determine from the comparison a location of the modified bit, relative the other bits.