Renesas Technology Corp.

Hitachi, Ltd.

Renesas Electronics Corporation

Shinya Iguchi

Motoyasu Tsunoda

Junichi Maruyama

Tatsuya Ishii

Kenji Kozakai

Takeshi Nakamura

Takashi Totsuka

Takashi Tsunehiro

Nagamasa Mizushima

Kunihiro Katayama

Kazuo Nakamura

Koji Doi

Haruji Ishihara

Yoshiaki Morimoto

Jun Maeoka

Motoaki Satoyama

For a nonvolatile memory permitting electrical writing and erasing of information to be stored, such as a flash memory, the load on the system developer is to be reduced, and it is to be made possible to avoid, even if such important data for the system as management and address translation information are damaged, an abnormal state in which the system becomes unable to operate. The nonvolatile memory is provided with a replacing function to replace a group of memory cells including defective memory cells which are incapable of normal writing or erasion with a group of memory cells including no defective memory cell, a numbers of rewrites averaging function to grasp the number of data rewrites in each group of memory cells and to so perform replacement of memory cell groups that there may arise no substantial difference in the number of rewrites among a plurality of memory cell groups, and an error correcting function to detect and correct any error in data stored in the memory array, wherein first address translation information deriving from the replacing function and second address translation information deriving from the numbers of rewrites averaging function are stored in respectively prescribed areas in the memory array, and the first address translation information and second address translation information concerning the same memory cell group are stored in a plurality of sets in a time series.

Nonvolatile memory

A storage device includes a tamper-resistant module and a flash memory. In correspondence with a command, a CPU inside the tamper-resistant module judges the security of data received from the outside, then recording the data as follows: High-security and small-capacity data is recorded into a memory inside the tamper-resistant module. High-security and large-capacity data is encrypted, then being recorded into the flash memory. Low-security data is recorded as it is into the flash memory. This recording method permits large-capacity data to be stored while ensuring a security (i.e., a security level) corresponding thereto.

Storage device including a non-volatile memory

An electronic notice-board system for allowing information to be contributed to an electronic notice board. A first short-distance communication device carries out communication with the mobile terminal located in a predetermined communication range and a second communication device exchanges data with the mobile terminal after the user of the mobile terminal has been authenticated. Similarly, the mobile terminal also has a short-distance communication device for carrying out communication with the electronic notice board located in a predetermined communication range and a second communication device for exchanging data with the electronic notice board after the user of the mobile terminal has been authenticated. Since users of the electronic notice board must be close by, it is possible to avoid improper use of the electronic notice board by any user located a long distance away from the electronic notice board.

Terminal for information processing

A memory apparatus having a volatile memory for storing data from a host, a nonvolatile memory capable of storing the data stored in the volatile memory, and electrically deleting the data, and a control circuit for controlling data transfer between the volatile memory and the nonvolatile memory. A capacity of a data storage area of the volatile memory is larger than that of a data storage area of the nonvolatile memory.

Transferring data between volatile and non-volatile memories based on system parameters using a controller

Nonvolatile memory with control circuit adapted to distinguish between command signal interface specifications and having an error correction function

A license hub including a hub apparatus to which one or more apparatus and devices can be electrically connected, and a safe storage device for storing therein keys used to decode the encrypted contents data is added to the existing system to construct a license network. A controller of the license network acquires the information of various kinds of apparatuses and devices which are electrically connected to the license hub, and determines automatically the apparatus and/or the device suitable for executing the processing when carrying out the playback of contents or movement of the key to execute these processings.

Hub apparatus with copyright protection function

For a nonvolatile memory permitting electrical writing and erasing of information to be stored, such as a flash memory, the load on the system developer is to be reduced, and it is to be made possible to avoid, even if such important data for the system as management and address translation information are damaged, an abnormal state in which the system becomes unable to operate. The nonvolatile memory is provided with a replacing function to replace a group of memory cells including defective memory cells which are incapable of normal writing or erasion with a group of memory cells including no defective memory cell, a numbers of rewrites averaging function to grasp the number of data rewrites in each group of memory cells and to so perform replacement of memory cell groups that there may arise no substantial difference in the number of rewrites among a plurality of memory cell groups, and an error correcting function to detect and correct any error in data stored in the memory array.

Growing community of inventors

Fujisawa, Japan

Shinya Iguchi