Sony Corporation

Junko Sasaki

Kenichi Nakanishi

Takumi Okaue

Nobuhiro Kaneko

Hideaki Okubo

Shigeo Araki

Toshinori Nakamura

Kenichi Satori

Hideaki Bando

Osamu Nagata

Takahiro Fukushige

Kunihiko Miura

Kensuke Hatsukawa

A nonvolatile-memory controlling method is disclosed which continuously accesses a plurality of memory banks structured so as to have each memory bank accessible independently. The method comprises the steps of: in a busy cycle of one of the plurality of memory banks being accessed, issuing access information to a second memory bank for access thereto; bringing the second memory bank into a selected state while the access information is being issued to the second memory bank using a selection signal for controlling a selected state and an unselected state for any one of the plurality of memory banks; bringing the memory bank in the busy cycle into an unselected state while the access information is being issued; and accessing the plurality of memory banks continuously based on the access information issued to the second memory bank in the busy cycle of one of the memory banks being accessed and in keeping with the selection signal for controlling the second memory bank.

Nonvolatile memory controlling method and nonvolatile memory controlling apparatus

A memory device and controlling method for nonvolatile memory are provided. The memory device and the controlling method for a nonvolatile memory are provided by which, where a file management system wherein there is a tendency that lower logic addresses are used frequently like the MS-DOS is adopted, physical blocks of a flash memory are used in an averaged fashion and the life of the flash memory can be elongated thereby.

Memory device and controlling method for elongating the life of nonvolatile memory

This invention provides a memory card () that is to be used as a storage medium in a host apparatus that can record and reproduce data. The memory card has a first memory (-), a second memory (-), a first switch () for changing over one memory to the other, and a second switch () for connecting and disconnecting an insertion/removal detecting terminal INS. The first and second switches work as a slide switch () provided on the housing is operated. The first switch has a contact for selecting the first memory, a contact for selecting the second memory, and a contact located between these two contacts, for selecting neither memory. The second switch connects the terminal INS to the ground while the first switch remains connected to the contact for selecting the first memory or the contact for selecting the second memory. The second switch opens the terminal INS while the first switch remains connected to the contact for selecting neither memory.

Data storage apparatus that includes a plurality of nonvolatile memories in which no data is erased after the data storage apparatus is removed from a host apparatus

A data storage device including a non-volatile semiconductor memory and an attribute information storage unit. In an attribute information storage unit of the data storage device, there are stored the number of sectors in one block and the information indicating the logical address of a sector lying at a block boundary. A host device, on which is mounted the data storage device, grasps the number of clusters that make up one block in the data storage device and the location of the leading cluster position of the block and records the data on the block basis.

Data storage apparatus detachably mounted to a host apparatus

The invention provides a data storage device and a method of updating management information, capable of dealing with management information in a highly reliable manner so that information is not easily lost when an error occurs. File management information such as a FAT serving as address management information in a flash memory is stored in a management information area of the memory, a pair of blocks is assigned as blocks for use to store data of the FAT, and writing of updated FAT information is performed by alternately using the two blocks of the block pair such that previous FAT information is retained in one of the two blocks of the block pair, and updated FAT information is written in the other block of the block pair, whereby, even when an error occurs in the middle of the process of writing the updated management information, a process using the retained previous FAT information is possible.

Data storage device, method for updating management information in data storage device, and computer program

A block correlation table includes block addresses of unusable block portions in an irreversibly writeable memory and includes addresses of associated substitute block portions in the irreversibly writeable memory. A request for data stored at a logical address is received from a host processor. A physical address in the irreversibly writeable memory is calculated from the logical address using a fixed mathematical relation. The physical address is compared with the block addresses in the block correlation table. When the physical address does not match any of the block addresses in the table, the irreversibly writeable memory is referenced to read data stored at the physical address, and when the physical address matches one of the block addresses in the table, the irreversibly writeable memory is referenced to read data stored at the address of its associated substitute block portion. The read data is transmitted to the host processor.

Data managing method for memory apparatus

A removable memory card detachably mounted to a host device. The memory card includes a non-volatile semiconductor memory in which data recorded in the memory is erased as a block of a predetermined data volume. An interface for inputting/outputting data between the data storage device and said host device, and a controller for controlling file management in the semiconductor memory in response to a command from said host device over said interface is also used. Parameters for recording file management data are stored in a system information storage unit. The controller records the file management data in the semiconductor memory when supplied with an initialization command from said host device.

Detachably mounted removable data storage device

An electronic device, information processing device, and adapter device enabling smooth internal circuit switching and other operations are provided. In the electronic device, the serial interfaceand parallel interfaceare connected via a data busto the registerand data buffer, and this data bufferis connected to an ECC circuit. The register, data bufferand ECC circuitare connected to the memoryvia a memory interface and sequencer circuit. The registeris connected to the controller, and data input and output is controlled. The interfacesandare switched by means of control signals from this controller. That is, switching between these interfacesandis performed through discrimination, by the controller, of a portion of the data written to the register

Electronic device, information processing device, adapter device, and information exchange system

A data read request for a logical address Nis supplied from a host system to a memory apparatus. A data processing portion calculates a physical block number Ncorresponding to the logical address Nusing a logical-physical conversion criterion value Nand a logical-physical conversion multiplier Nof the mapping reference information. By referencing an unusable block correlation table, it is determined whether the physical block number Nrepresents an unusable block. When the physical block number Nrepresents an unusable block, a substitute block number replaces the physical block number N. The data located at the physical block number Nor at the substitute block number is then read from a memory portion. The read data is supplied from the data processing portion to a communicating portion which supplies the read data to the host system.

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Tokyo, Japan

Junko Sasaki