Renesas Technology Corp.

Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi Ulsi Systems Co., Ltd.

Hitachi Vlsi Engineering Corp.

Hitachi Ulsi Engineering Corp.

Other

Renesas Electronics Corporation

Solid State Storage Solutions LLC

Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha

Emergence Memory Solutions, Inc.

Yasuhiro Nakamura

Shigemasa Shiota

Hiroyuki Goto

Hirofumi Shibuya

Fumio Hara

Takayuki Tamura

Akinori Matsuo

Kazuyuki Miyazawa

Takeshi Wada

Motoki Kanamori

Atsushi Shiraishi

Atsushi Shikata

Masashi Watanabe

Shigeru Tanaka

Shinsuke Asari

Hitoshi Miwa

Takeshi Furuno

Masashi Wada

Hideo Kasai

Chiaki Kumahara

Chiaki Shinagawa

Hidefumi Odate

Satoshi Yoshida

Toshihiro Tanaka

Kunihiro Katayama

Kazuyoshi Oshima

Atsushi Ohba

Takayuki Yoshitake

Makoto Obata

Wada Masashi

The present invention provides a memory system which contributes to improvement in efficiency of a data process accompanying a memory access. A memory system has a rewritable nonvolatile memory, a buffer memory, and a controller. The controller controls, in response to an access request from an external apparatus, first data transfer between the controller and the external apparatus, second data transfer between the controller and the nonvolatile memory, and third data transfer between the controller and the buffer memory, controls transfer from the controller to the buffer memory in the third data transfer and transfer from the buffer memory to the controller in a time sharing manner, and enables the first data transfer or the second data transfer to be performed in parallel with the transfer carried out in the time sharing manner.

Memory system with improved efficiency of data transfer between host, buffer, and nonvolatile memory

A memory card includes a non-volatile memory, a memory controller for controlling the operation of the memory card. The memory controller is capable of providing an interface with outside according to a predetermined protocol, and performs error detection and correction of the memory information at regular time intervals or at the timing of connection of electric power supply, independently of reading out the memory information according to external access request. Therefore, it is possible to improve reliability of data retention in the non-volatile memory without the host device reading out the memory information from the non-volatile memory of the memory card.

Memory card and memory controller

The service life of memory cards is to be substantially elongated against the occurrence of faulty blocks. A control logic searches blocks in a nonvolatile memory cell array for any acquired fault on the basis of a fault-inviting code in a management information section. If any faulty block is detected, the faulty block will be subjected to write/read comparison of data to judge whether or not the data in the block are normal. Any block determined to be normal will undergo rewriting of its fault-inviting code and registered as a normal block. Further, the registered block is stored into a write management table in the management area as a writable block. This enables an essentially normal block judged faulty on account of an erratic error or some other reason to be restored.

Memory apparatus which provides notification of memory capacity

A memory system contributes to improvement in efficiency of a data process accompanying a memory access. The memory system has a rewritable nonvolatile memory, a buffer memory, and a controller. The controller controls, in response to an access request from an external apparatus, first data transfer between the controller and the external apparatus, second data transfer between the controller and the nonvolatile memory, and third data transfer between the controller and the buffer memory, controls transfer from the controller to the buffer memory in the third data transfer and transfer from the buffer memory to the controller in a time sharing manner, and enables the first data transfer or the second data transfer to be performed in parallel with the transfer carried out in the time sharing manner.

Memory system comprising a controller managing independent data transfer between input-output terminal, synchronous dynamic random access memory, and flash memory

Memory card apparatus configured to provide notification of memory capacity

Memory storage device having a nonvolatile memory and memory controller with error check operation mode

The invention intends to provide a memory card conforming to an HS-MMC mode in a standard of a multimedia card, while securing compatibility of both standards of the multimedia card and an SD card. In a normal MMC mode, the data is outputted at a fall edge of a clock signal. A frequency of the clock signal is about 20 MHz. When the data is outputted at the fall edge of the clock signal, data output is in time for a next clock signal. When a parameter '1' is set to a timing register provided in a host interface, the memory card is transitioned into the HS-MMC mode. In the HS-MMC mode, a clock signal frequency is increased to about 52 MHz. Here, the data is outputted at the rise edge of the clock signal, whereby the data output is brought in time for the rise edge of the next clock signal.

Memory card conforming to a multiple operation standards

The present invention is directed to suppress data loss caused by power shut-down during a rewriting process and to shorten time required to make a depletion check. A nonvolatile memory apparatus includes a rewritable nonvolatile memory and a card controller. The nonvolatile memory has a physical address area corresponding to a logical address and a save area. In response to a data rewrite instruction on a required logical address, the card controller stores data in a predetermined physical address area corresponding to the logical address to the save area and rewrites the data stored in the physical address area. When rewriting of the physical address area is incomplete, the card controller rewrites the data in the physical address area with the data stored in the save area. Thus, data loss caused by the power shut-down can be suppressed by data backup, and it is sufficient to make the depletion check in two places of the save area and the physical address area.

Nonvolatile memory apparatus which prevents destruction of write data caused by power shutdown during a writing process

A memory system is provided which contributes to improvement in efficiency of a data process accompanying a memory access. A memory system has a rewritable nonvolatile memory, a buffer memory, and a controller. The controller controls, in response to an access request from an external apparatus, first data transfer between the controller and the external apparatus, second data transfer between the controller and the nonvolatile memory, and third data transfer between the controller and the buffer memory, controls transfer from the controller to the buffer memory in the third data transfer and transfer from the buffer memory to the controller in a time sharing manner, and enables the first data transfer or the second data transfer to be performed in parallel with the transfer carried out in the time sharing manner.

Memory system with parallel data transfer between host, buffer and flash memory

A memory card and a microcomputer with nonvolatile memory wherein operation under two different types of power supply specifications achieved are provided. A MultiMediacard includes a flash memory and with the flash memory. When the controller judges the level of supply voltage supplied from host equipment, operates as follows: the controller judges whether detecting point corresponding to voltage level 1.8V system been exceeded. After the judgment of excess, the controller judges whether detecting point corresponding to the voltage level system has been exceeded. When the 1.8V system, flash memory to operate the controller causes the 1.8v-system operation mode without driving regulators voltage level shifters. When the supply voltage level 3.3V system, the controller drives the regulators and the level shifters convert the voltage level causes the flash memory operate the 3.3V-system operation mode.

Memory card and data processing system

This invention realizes separate control for each memory area. A memory unit is structured by including a semiconductor memory device capable of memorizing information, the aforementioned memory device is divided into plural memory areas logically and also management table, which is capable of controlling separately each aforementioned memory area for accessing from the outside, is tabled, control information, which prohibits accessing the prescribed memory area of the aforementioned plural memory areas, is provided in the aforementioned management information, and it is prohibited to access the specified memory area from the outside in accordance with control information.

Non-volatile data storage system and data storaging method

A memory card and a microcomputer with nonvolatile memory wherein operation under two different types of power supply specifications is achieved are provided. A MultiMediaCard includes a flash memory and a controller which controls the operation associated with the flash memory. When the controller judges the level of supply voltage supplied from host equipment, it operates as follows: the controller judges whether detecting point corresponding to the voltage level of 1.8V system has been exceeded. After the judgment of excess, the controller judges whether detecting point corresponding to the voltage level of 3.3V system has been exceeded. When the supply voltage is at the voltage level of 1.8V system, the controller causes the flash memory to operate in the 1.8V-system operation mode without driving regulators or level shifters. When the supply voltage is at the voltage level of 3.3V system, the controller drives the regulators and the level shifters to convert the voltage level and causes the flash memory to operate in the 3.3V-system operation mode.

Memory system with improved efficiency of data transfer between host, buffer and nonvolatile memory

Growing community of inventors

Tachikawa, Japan

Yasuhiro Nakamura