The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 15, 1998
Filed:
Oct. 16, 1995
Mickey Lee Fandrich, Placerville, CA (US);
Richard Joseph Durante, Citrus Heights, CA (US);
Geoffrey Alan Gould, El Dorado Hills, CA (US);
Timothy Wade Goodell, Elk Grove, CA (US);
Intel Corporation, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
A method of prioritizing program and erase commands received in an operation queue for a memory includes the step of storing a placeholder erase command in the operation queue. Subsequent erase commands are absorbed by 1) storing the subsequent erase command in the operation queue; 2) setting a corresponding status indicator for the block designated by the subsequent erase command; and 3) removing the subsequent erase command from the operation queue, wherein the subsequent erase command becomes an absorbed erase command. If a program command that designates a same block as any one of the placeholder and absorbed erase commands is stored in the operation queue, then 1) the same block is erased; 2) the status indicator for the same block is cleared, if the same block is associated with the absorbed command; 3) the program command is executed; and 4) the program command is removed from the operation queue. If the program command does not designate a same block as any one of the placeholder and absorbed erase commands, then 1) the program command is executed; and 2) the program command is removed from the operation queue. In either case, the method then returns to continue absorbing subsequently received erase commands. This allows more erase commands to be queued for execution than what the depth of the operation queue otherwise permits.