US Patent No: 5,809,558

Number of patents in Portfolio can not be more than 2000

Method and data storage system for storing data in blocks without file reallocation before erasure

Stats

ATTORNEY / AGENT: (SPONSORED)
 

Importance

Loading Importance Indicators... loading....

Abstract

A memory management method is provided for a nonvolatile memory having a plurality of blocks each of which can be electrically erased and programmed. A data file to be stored in the nonvolatile memory is received. A number of blocks that are available for data storage are located from the plurality of blocks. The data file is stored in a first block of the number of blocks if the size of the data file is smaller than the total storage space of the first block. The data file is stored in the first block and a second block of the number of blocks if the size of the data file is larger than the total storage space of the first block but smaller than the total storage space of the first and second blocks. Unoccupied space of the first or second block by the data file is not used to store other data files such that no file reallocation operation is needed when the first or second block is to be erased. A data storage system having an erasable and programmable memory and a memory management program is also described.

Loading the Abstract Image... loading....

First Claim

Related Publications

Loading Related Publications... loading....

Patent Owner(s)

Patent OwnerAddressTotal Patents
INTEL CORPORATIONSANTA CLARA, CA24345

International Classification(s)

  • [Classification Symbol]
  • [Patents Count]

Inventor(s)

Inventor Name Address # of filed Patents Total Citations
Levy, Markus A Citrus Heights, CA 9 708
Matthews, Walter S Folsom, CA 8 439

Cited Art

Patent Info (Count) # Cites Year
 
SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES INC. (2)
5,200,959 Device and method for defect handling in semi-conductor memory 352 1989
5,270,979 Method for optimum erasing of EEPROM 281 1991
 
TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED (2)
4,775,932 Computer memory system with parallel garbage collection independent from an associated user processor 120 1984
4,797,810 Incremental, multi-area, generational, copying garbage collector for use in a virtual address space 82 1986
 
KABUSHIKI KAISHA MEIDENSHA (1)
4,896,262 Emulation device for converting magnetic disc memory mode signal from computer into semiconductor memory access mode signal for semiconductor memory 206 1985
 
KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA (1)
4,800,520 Portable electronic device with garbage collection function 179 1986
 
PITNEY BOWES INC. (1)
4,802,117 Method of preserving data storage in a postal meter 88 1985

Patent Citation Ranking

Forward Cites

Patent Info (Count) # Cites Year
 
MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC. (57)
5,953,737 Method and apparatus for performing erase operations transparent to a solid state storage system 79 1998
6,374,337 Data pipelining method and apparatus for memory control circuit 114 1999
6,202,138 Increasing the memory performance of flash memory devices by writing sectors simultaneously to multiple flash memory devices 135 2000
7,102,671 Enhanced compact flash memory card 10 2000
6,411,546 Nonvolatile memory using flexible erasing methods and method and system for using same 70 2000
6,978,342 Moving sectors within a block of information in a flash memory mass storage architecture 66 2000
6,397,314 Increasing the memory performance of flash memory devices by writing sectors simultaneously to multiple flash memory devices 81 2000
6,957,295 File management of one-time-programmable nonvolatile memory devices 49 2002
6,757,800 Increasing the memory performance of flash memory devices by writing sectors simultaneously to multiple flash memory devices 62 2002
6,801,979 Method and apparatus for memory control circuit 11 2002
6,950,918 File management of one-time-programmable nonvolatile memory devices 47 2002
6,587,382 Nonvolatile memory using flexible erasing methods and method and system for using same 53 2002
7,340,581 Method of writing data to non-volatile memory 31 2002
7,254,724 Power management system 9 2002
7,185,208 Data processing 6 2002
7,000,064 Data handling system 43 2002
7,231,643 Image rescue system including direct communication between an application program and a device driver 5 2003
6,973,519 Card identification compatibility 48 2003
7,167,944 Block management for mass storage 11 2003
8,171,203 Faster write operations to nonvolatile memory using FSInfo sector manipulation 0 2003
7,111,140 Increasing the memory performance of flash memory devices by writing sectors simultaneously to multiple flash memory devices 28 2004
7,215,580 Non-volatile memory control 35 2004
7,464,306 Status of overall health of nonvolatile memory 11 2004
7,594,063 Storage capacity status 5 2004
7,275,686 Electronic equipment point-of-sale activation to avoid theft 0 2004
7,725,628 Direct secondary device interface by a host 23 2005
7,400,549 Memory block reallocation in a flash memory device 0 2005
7,370,166 Secure portable storage device 14 2005
7,523,249 Direct logical block addressing flash memory mass storage architecture 5 2005
7,441,090 System and method for updating data sectors in a non-volatile memory using logical block addressing 12 2005
7,263,591 Increasing the memory performance of flash memory devices by writing sectors simultaneously to multiple flash memory devices 8 2006
7,549,013 Increasing the memory performance of flash memory devices by writing sectors simultaneously to multiple flash memory devices 9 2006
7,424,593 Increasing the memory performance of flash memory devices by writing sectors simultaneously to multiple flash memory devices 10 2006
7,551,510 Memory block reallocation in a flash memory device 1 2006
7,734,862 Block management for mass storage 0 2007
8,166,488 Methods of directly accessing a mass storage data device 0 2007
7,944,762 Non-volatile memory control 5 2007
7,681,057 Power management of non-volatile memory systems 5 2007
8,386,695 Methods and apparatus for writing data to non-volatile memory 0 2008
7,865,659 Removable storage device 1 2008
7,908,426 Moving sectors within a block of information in a flash memory mass storage architecture 1 2008
7,743,290 Status of overall health of nonvolatile memory 0 2008
7,774,576 Direct logical block addressing flash memory mass storage architecture 0 2009
8,078,797 Increasing the memory performance of flash memory devices by writing sectors simultaneously to multiple flash memory devices 0 2009
8,072,816 Memory block reallocation in a flash memory device 0 2009
7,949,822 Storage capacity status 1 2009
7,917,709 Memory system for data storage and retrieval 1 2009
8,090,886 Direct secondary device interface by a host 1 2010
8,019,932 Block management for mass storage 0 2010
8,032,694 Direct logical block addressing flash memory mass storage architecture 0 2010
8,151,041 Removable storage device 0 2010
8,135,925 Methods of operating a memory system 0 2011
8,296,545 Storage capacity status 0 2011
8,208,322 Non-volatile memory control 0 2011
8,250,294 Block management for mass storage 0 2011
8,316,165 Direct secondary device interface by a host 0 2011
8,397,019 Memory for accessing multiple sectors of information substantially concurrently 0 2011
 
SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES INC. (29)
7,877,539 Direct data file storage in flash memories 3 2005
7,627,733 Method and system for dual mode access for storage devices 6 2005
7,480,766 Interfacing systems operating through a logical address space and on a direct data file basis 7 2005
7,814,262 Memory system storing transformed units of data in fixed sized storage blocks 0 2005
7,529,905 Method of storing transformed units of data in a memory system having fixed sized storage blocks 27 2005
7,877,540 Logically-addressed file storage methods 1 2005
8,291,151 Enhanced host interface 0 2005
7,793,068 Dual mode access for non-volatile storage devices 1 2005
7,769,978 Method and system for accessing non-volatile storage devices 2 2005
8,055,832 Management of memory blocks that directly store data files 0 2006
7,581,057 Memory system with management of memory blocks that directly store data files 2 2006
7,558,905 Reclaiming data storage capacity in flash memory systems 0 2006
7,450,420 Reclaiming data storage capacity in flash memories 26 2006
7,949,845 Indexing of file data in reprogrammable non-volatile memories that directly store data files 0 2006
7,669,003 Reprogrammable non-volatile memory systems with indexing of directly stored data files 2 2006
7,558,906 Methods of managing blocks in nonvolatile memory 2 2006
7,552,271 Nonvolatile memory with block management 21 2006
7,610,437 Data consolidation and garbage collection in direct data file storage memories 0 2006
7,590,794 Data operations in flash memories utilizing direct data file storage 0 2006
7,590,795 Flash memory systems utilizing direct data file storage 0 2006
7,562,181 Flash memory systems with direct data file storage utilizing data consolidation and garbage collection 2 2006
8,209,461 Configuration of host LBA interface with flash memory 0 2006
8,166,267 Managing a LBA interface in a direct data file memory system 0 2006
8,046,522 Use of a direct data file system with a continuous logical address space interface and control of file address storage in logical blocks 0 2006
7,917,686 Host system with direct data file interface configurability 0 2006
7,739,444 System using a direct data file system with a continuous logical address space interface 2 2006
8,209,516 Method and system for dual mode access for storage devices 0 2010
7,984,233 Direct data file storage implementation techniques in flash memories 1 2010
8,214,583 Direct file data programming and deletion in flash memories 2010
 
KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA (6)
7,016,228 Semiconductor storage device having page copying function 0 2003
7,180,778 Semiconductor storage device having page copying function 3 2005
7,082,054 Semiconductor storage device having page copying function 1 2005
7,130,217 Semiconductor storage device having page copying function 1 2006
7,315,473 Semiconductor storage device having page copying function 3 2006
7,596,027 Semiconductor storage device having page copying function 0 2007
 
INTEL CORPORATION (2)
6,412,040 Method of performing reliable updates in a symmetrically blocked nonvolatile memory having a bifurcated storage architecture 34 2000
7,174,416 Method of performing reliable updates in a symmetrically blocked nonvolatile memory having a bifurcated storage architecture 1 2003
 
ALCATEL USA SOURCING, L.P. (1)
5,907,854 Flash memory file system for writing data files without rewriting an entire volume 29 1996
 
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION (1)
6,021,415 Storage management system with file aggregation and space reclamation within aggregated files 296 1997
 
LEXAR MICROSYSTEMS, INC. (1)
6,728,851 Increasing the memory performance of flash memory devices by writing sectors simultaneously to multiple flash memory devices 68 2002
 
MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. (1)
6,772,955 Memory card 33 2002
 
MOTOROLA MOBILITY LLC (1)
6,588,674 Memory management method and smartcard employing same 0 2001
 
NEC CORPORATION (1)
6,446,140 Data input/output device, data input/output method and storage medium 26 1999
 
NETWORK APPLIANCE, INC. (1)
7,418,465 File system block reservation manager 1 2003
 
NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD. (1)
6,598,114 Electronic control unit including flash memory and method and apparatus for storing control data group into flash memory 34 2001
 
OBERTHUR CARD SYSTEMS SA (1)
6,484,937 Method for storing data in a chip card rewritable memory 97 1999
 
PITNEY BOWES INC. (1)
6,629,317 Method for providing for programming flash memory of a mailing apparatus 2 1999
 
SANDISK CORPORATION (1)
7,747,837 Method and system for accessing non-volatile storage devices 5 2005
 
Storage Technology Corporation (1)
7,810,012 Format for randomized data block in a storage device 2 2003