Mediatek Corporation

Mediatek Incorporation

Ping-Sheng Chen

Shih-Hsin Chen

Li-Chun Tu

Shih-Ta Hung

Pao-Ching Tseng

Hung-Cheng Kuo

Ching-Wen Hsueh

Sung-Yang Wu

Ying-Che Hung

Yi-Chuan Chen

Hsin-Cheng Chen

Tse-Hong Wu

Po-Ching Lu

Tai-Liang Lin

Chao-Yi Wu

Chia-Wen Lee

Wei-Hsiang Tseng

KuanYu Lai

Yen-Cheng Lin

Bo-Ching Lu

Ping-Cheng Sung

The invention provides a nonvolatile memory controller. In one embodiment, the nonvolatile memory controller receives new data for writing a nonvolatile memory from a host, and comprises a signature calculating circuit, a signature buffer, a signature comparison circuit, a data comparison circuit, and a nonvolatile memory interface circuit. The signature calculating circuit calculates a first signature according to the new data. The signature buffer outputs a second signature corresponding to old data stored in the nonvolatile memory, wherein the old data has the same logical address as that of the new data. The signature comparison circuit determines whether the first signature is identical to the second signature. The nonvolatile memory interface circuit writes the new data to the nonvolatile memory when the first signature is determined to be different from the second signature by the signature comparison circuit.

Nonvolatile memory controller and method for writing data to nonvolatile memory

The invention provides a method for data recovery. In one embodiment, a memory comprises a plurality of pages for data storage. First, first data is obtained from a host. A first page for storing the first data is then selected from the pages of the memory. A start page link indicating the first page is then stored in the memory. The first data, a first page link indicating a next page, and first FTL fragment data corresponding to the first page are then written into the first page. Next data is then obtained from the host. The next data, a next page link indicating a subsequent page, and FTL fragment data corresponding to the next page are written into the next page.

Method for data recovery for flash devices

A controller for recovering disc management information is provided. The controller controls a pickup head unit to search the TDMAs for readable disc management information which is included in an in-use TDMA of the TDMAs; then determines whether a piece of information associated with an inconsistency flag of the readable disc management information is reliable. When the controller detects that the piece of information is unreliable, the controller determines at least a detection condition according to the information which is included in the readable disc management information and the in-use TDMA, and controls the pickup head unit to detect the recording medium to determine an update on the piece of information associated with the inconsistency flag under at least a detection condition. The controller generates update disc management information according to the readable disc management information and the update on the piece of information associated with the inconsistency flag.

Controller for recovering disc management information of a recording medium

An optical disc drive is provided, mainly comprising a buffer, a processor and a driving module for accessing an optical disc. The optical disc drive receives a plurality of write commands. Each write command comprises a data block and a destination address. The buffer buffers data blocks to be recorded to the optical disc with corresponding write commands in either a random mode or a sequential mode. The processor schedules a recording operation based on the write commands, and selectively switches the buffer to the random mode or to the sequential mode based on arrangements of data blocks buffered in the buffer. The driving module is controlled by the processor to perform the recording operation, whereby the data blocks are recorded to the optical disc when a start recording condition is met. Specifically, the start recording condition varies with the random or sequential modes.

Buffer management method and optical disc drive

A method for recovering disc management information of a recording medium. (a) When the recording medium is not closed, a readable TDMS which is included in an in-use TDMA of TDMAs of the recording medium and is readable is searched for. (b) It is determined whether a piece of information associated with an inconsistency flag of the readable TDMS is reliable. (c) If the associated piece of information is unreliable, at least a detection condition is determined according to the information included in the readable TDMS and the in-use TDMA. (d) A detection procedure, constrained by the at least the detection condition, is performed on the recording medium for determining an update on the piece of information associated with the inconsistency flag. (e) An update TDMS is generated according to the readable TDMS and the update on the piece of information associated with the inconsistency flag.

Method for recovering management information of a recording medium and apparatus therefor

A data managing method for an optical disc drive writing data into an optical disc having defects is provided. The optical disc has a user data area and a spare area. The optical disc drive includes a first buffering space and a second buffering space. The data managing method includes: when the first buffering space receives a data corresponding to a defect, not suspending the first buffering space from receiving the user data, and transferring the data, corresponding to the defect and in the first buffering space, to the second buffering space; and when data amount in the second buffering space reaches a predetermined value, suspending the optical disc drive from writing data in the first buffering space into the user data area, and driving the optical disc drive to write data in the second buffering space into the spare area.

Data managing method for an optical disc drive writing user data into an optical disc having defects

A method is provided for simultaneously loading and executing program code in a circuit system. The circuit system includes a plurality of memory devices, a microprocessor, and a loading circuit. The method includes dividing the program code into a plurality of code divisions and utilizing the microprocessor to execute at least a code division when the loading circuit loads any other code division into a memory device of the plurality of memory devices.

Memory management method for simultaneously loading and executing program codes

A data managing method for an optical disc drive writing user data into an optical disc having defects. The data managing method includes: determining whether to suspend a first buffering space from receiving the user data according to an amount of data stored in a second buffering space; when the first buffering space receives data corresponding to a defect of the optical disc, not suspending the first buffering space from reading the user data, and transferring the data corresponding to the defect in the first buffering space to a second buffering space; and when an amount of data stored in the second buffering space reaches a predetermined value, suspending the optical disc drive from writing data stored in the first buffering space into a user data area, and driving the optical disc drive to write data stored in the second buffering space into the spare area.

A memory module of an electrical apparatus has a normal firmware section. A method for determining correctness of program code in the memory module includes making a value stored in at least one specific address match a first rule; providing a inspection instruction; and determining whether the value stored in at least one specific address matches the first rule or not according to the inspection instruction. The electrical apparatus executes the inspection instruction at power-on in order to determine correctness of the program code in the normal firmware section.

Method for updating firmware via determining program code

A weighted defect estimating apparatus and a related method for determining a defect estimation value are disclosed. The weighted defect detecting apparatus includes: a defect detecting unit for generating a defect value when a defect in a predetermined region of an optical disc is detected; a weighting circuit, electrically connected to the defect detecting unit, to generate a weighted defect value according to the defect value and a weighting factor corresponding to a location of the defect on the optical disc; and a computing module, electrically connected to the weighting circuit, for computing the defect estimation value according to a plurality of weighted defect values corresponding to the predetermined region.

Defect estimation apparatus and related method

When an optical storage drive executes a control procedure or operation, a method of handling an interrupt request includes utilizing the optical storage drive to receive an interrupt request from a control circuit; checking whether the interrupt request is a read command; if the interrupt request is a read command, checking whether data indicated by the read command is in a buffer; and if the indicated data in the buffer, transferring the corresponding data to the control circuit from the buffer to respond to the interrupt request.

Method for handling interrupt request in optical storage drive

A non-volatile memory is installed in an electronic device. A method for updating a firmware code stored in a non-volatile memory includes: providing an updating control unit having a command set; providing the updating control unit with a trigger signal to enable at least one command of the command set; and utilizing the updating control unit to read/write the non-volatile memory according to the enabled command to update the firmware code. Wherein each command of the command set is a memory read/write command. The method further includes updating at least one command of the command set in real time. The present invention further provides an electronic device corresponding to the method.

Method and related device for updating firmware code stored in non-volatile memory

A method of searching a new writable address (NWA) for an optical recordable medium includes providing an optical pickup head and setting a first search starting point thereof; determining if NWA is located at the latest track and setting a search finishing point of the optical pickup head; setting a second search starting point as the distance between the search finishing point and the first search starting point is less than a first predetermined block time duration; decoding the stored digital information and lasting the step of decoding for a third predetermined block time from the first search starting point; and detecting whether a run-out block has been decoded during an N block time duration, wherein said N block time duration is less than said third predetermined block time duration, and determining said new writable address.

Method of searching new writable address for optical recordable medium

A microcontroller with expandable memory banks has a microprocessor, a plurality of memory banks with only one page for storing interrupt service routines(ISR), a memory bank control circuit connected to the microprocessor, and a multiplexer for connecting the microprocessor with the plurality of memory banks. The memory bank control circuit generates a selection signal according to an interrupt signal and a microprocessor interrupt service routine execution end signal. The multiplexer outputs a page selection signal from the microprocessor or outputs a predetermined page selection signal according to the output signal from the memory bank control circuit.

Microcontroller with dedicated memory bank for servicing interrupts

A control chip for updating firmware in an optical disk drive by hardware. The control chip includes a microprocessor for controlling actions of the optical disk drive, a decoder controlled by the microprocessor and connected to an external buffer memory and a host interface, a controller controlled by the microprocessor and connected to the decoder to receive control signals and data of the optical disk drive, an extra memory connected to the microprocessor for storing an update program routine, a DMA unit controlled by the microprocessor to read data from the external buffer memory, and a macro unit controlled by the microprocessor to receive data output from the DMA unit and to write the data into the non-volatile memory. Because the firmware is updated into the flash memory in the hardware architecture, the speed is fast and the microprocessor can execute other works while updating.

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Chia-Yi Hsien, Taiwan

Ping-Sheng Chen