EP0569040A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Memory card device
Assignee: Toshiba Corp
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Filing: 1993-05-10
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2013-05-10
Abstract
Abstract This invention provides a memory card device using an EEPROM (16) as a semiconductor memory. When a data write-in defective area is detected in the storage area of the EEPROM (16), a space area is retrieved from the storage area of the EEPROM (16) as a relieving area and data to be written into the data write-in defective area is written into the relieving area. Then, when the relieving area becomes full and a data write-in defective area is detected in the storage area of the EEPROM (16), another space area is retrieved from the storage area of the EEPROM (16) as a new relieving area and data to be written into the data write-in defective area is written into the new relieving area.
Inventors
- 👤 Kazuo c/o Int. Property Division Konishi
- 👤 Shimpei c/o Int. Property Division Yoshioka
- 👤 Koji c/o Int. Property Division Maruyama
- 👤 Tomoyuki c/o Int. Property Division Maekawa
- 👤 Toshiaki c/o Int. Property Division Sato
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 13:28
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11C; G11C29/00; G11C29/70; G11C29/76; G11C29/765
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
132 words
A memory card device using an EEPROM (16) as a semiconductor memory, characterized by comprising: relieving means for retrieving a space area as a data relieving area from the storage area of the EEPROM (16) in a case where a data write-in defective area is detected in the storage area of the EEPROM (16), writing data to be written into the data write-in defective area in the data relieving area, retrieving another space area as a data relieving area from the storage area of the EEPROM (16) in a case where the former data relieving area becomes full and a data write-in defective area is detected in the storage area of the EEPROM (16), and writing data to be written into the data write-in defective area in the new data relieving area.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
60 words
The memory card device according to claim 1, characterized in that said relieving means includes a control table for setting a position of the data write-in defective area in the storage area of the EEPROM (16) to correspond to a position of the data relieving area in which data to be written into the data write-in defective area is written.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
58 words
The memory card device according to claim 2, characterized in that said relieving means has a first pointer (S) whose content is updated each time the data relieving area is prepared in the storage area of said EEPROM (16) and which indicates the number of the data relieving areas prepared in the storage area of said EEPROM (16).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
63 words
The memory card device according to claim 2, characterized in that said relieving means has a second pointer (T) whose content is updated each time the data relieving area is prepared in the storage area of said EEPROM (16) and which indicates the remaining storage capacity which is not used in the data relieving area in the storage area of said EEPROM (16).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
The memory card device according to claim 2, characterized in that the storage area of said EEPROM (16) is divided into a plurality of reference areas each having the same constant capacity.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
The memory card device according to claim 5, characterized in that said relieving means determines the reference area as a data write-in defective area when the data write-in defective area is detected in the reference area.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
57 words
The memory card device according to claim 6, characterized in that said relieving means retrieves a preset number of successive space areas as the data relieving area and writes data to be written into the reference area which is determined to be the data write-in defective area into a space reference area in the data relieving area.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
81 words
The memory card device according to claim 7, characterized in that said control table sets a position of the reference area which is determined to be the data write-in defective area to correspond to a position of the data relieving area in which data to be written into the reference area is written and sets the reference area which is not determined to be a data write-in defective area to correspond to data indicating whether data is already stored or not.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
62 words
The memory card device according to claim 7, characterized in that said relieving means creates a preset number of successive space reference areas by transferring data stored in a reference area to another space reference area when a preset number of successive space reference areas for constructing the data relieving area cannot be retrieved in the storage area of said EEPROM (16).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
62 words
The memory card device according to claim 7, characterized in that said relieving means provides a new data relieving area adjacent to an already prepared data relieving area in the storage area of said EEPROM (16) when said already prepared data relieving area becomes full and a data write-in defective reference area is detected in the storage area of said EEPROM (16).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
56 words
The memory card device according to claim 3, 4, 8, 9, or 10, characterized in that said reference area is a block constructed by several kilo-bytes and the operation of writing data in to the block is effected by repeatedly effecting the data write-in operation in the unit of page constructed by several hundreds of bytes.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
64 words
The memory card device according to claim 2, characterized in that an attribute area in which data indicating attribute information of data written into the reference area is stored is provided in the storage area of said EEPROM (16) and the remaining storage capacity of the storage area of said EEPROM (16) into which data can be written is written into the attribute area.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
78 words
The memory card device according to claim 12, characterized in that the remaining storage capacity written into the attribute area is reduced according to the capacity of the data write-in defective area and the capacity of the data relieving area when the data write-in defective area is detected in the storage area of said EEPROM (16) by said relieving means and data to be written into the data write-in defective area is written into the data relieving area.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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