Abstract: A still image memory device includes an imaging unit, a nonvolatile memory unit that includes a first memory area and a second memory area, and a control unit that controls the nonvolatile memory unit. The control unit includes a first processing unit that stores, in the first memory area, the image data output from the imaging unit; a second processing unit that, based on memory status of the first memory area, reads and compresses image data selected from a plurality of image data stored in the first memory area, stores compressed image data in the second memory area, and destroys the image data selected from the plurality of image data stored in the first memory area; and a third processing unit that, based on memory status of the second memory area, destroys compressed image data selected from a plurality of compressed image data stored in the second memory area.

Abstract: A memory controller that has an error correction number correspondence table that stores an error threshold level in correspondence with an error correction number; an error threshold level storage section that stores an error threshold level for each block; an uncorrected number measurement section that measures an uncorrected number of an error correction for each block; an error threshold level modification section that, each time an uncorrected number of a certain block exceeds a predetermined number, modifies the error threshold level of the block; an encoder that performs encoding processing of data stored in memory cells belonging to each block with an error correction number that is based on an error threshold level and the error correction number correspondence table; and a decoder that performs decoding processing of data.

Abstract: A nonvolatile memory system comprises a nonvolatile memory having a plurality of data areas; and a memory controller operative to control read and write operations to the nonvolatile memory. The memory controller successively executes read/write operations to plural sectors within a selected data area in the nonvolatile memory in accordance with a command and a sector count and sector address fed from a host device.

Abstract: A memory controller includes logical-physical address conversion table, an access number storing section configured to store the number of accesses to read out data from a memory cell in association with a logical address, a storage state checking section configured to check a storage state of data stored in the memory cell at every predetermined number of accesses, and a refresh processing section configured to perform refresh processing to restore the data stored in the memory cell if the storage state of the data is in a predetermined degraded state.

Abstract: A memory system includes a nonvolatile memory including a plurality of memory cells, each memory cell being configured to store n levels (n is a natural number of not less than 3) in accordance with a threshold voltage, and a converter which encodes input data in the form of a bit string, records the encoded data in the nonvolatile memory, and limits a difference between levels which adjacent memory cells can take to not more than a predetermined level lower than the n levels.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus has a multi-valued NAND nonvolatile memory including a plurality of word lines and a plurality of memory cells connected to the respective word lines. Each memory cell has a plurality of threshold voltages, and is divided into a first and a second storage area. A program code is stored in the first storage area, and user data is stored in the second storage area. The apparatus also includes a volatile memory to which the program code is transferred from the multi-valued NAND nonvolatile memory. The apparatus further includes a CPU connected to the volatile memory and configured to operate based on the program code transferred to the volatile memory.

Abstract: In a memory cell array, a plurality of memory cells each of which stores a plurality of bits are connected to a plurality of word lines and a plurality of bit lines and are arranged in a matrix. Control portions read a threshold level of a second memory cell adjacent to a first memory cell in the memory cell array, determine a correction level according to the threshold level read from the second memory cell, add the determined correction level to a read level of the first memory cell, and then read the threshold level of the first memory cell. A storage portion stores the correction level.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus has a multi-valued NAND nonvolatile memory including a plurality of word lines and a plurality of memory cells connected to the respective word lines. Each memory cell has a plurality of threshold voltages, and is divided into a first and a second storage area. A program code is stored in the first storage area, and user data is stored in the second storage area. The apparatus also includes a volatile memory to which the program code is transferred from the multi-valued NAND nonvolatile memory. The apparatus further includes a CPU connected to the volatile memory and configured to operate based on the program code transferred to the volatile memory.

Abstract: A nonvolatile memory system comprises a nonvolatile memory having a plurality of data areas; and a memory controller operative to control read and write operations to the nonvolatile memory. The memory controller successively executes read/write operations to plural sectors within a selected data area in the nonvolatile memory in accordance with a command and a sector count and sector address fed from a host device.

Abstract: A communication line is connected to first and second chips, and held at a first signal level. A monitor circuit changes a signal level of the communication line from the first signal to a second signal level while one of the first and second chips uses a current larger than a reference current. When the signal level of the communication line is the second signal level, the other of the first and second chips is controlled to a wait state that does not transfer to an operating state of using a current larger than the reference current.

Abstract: A storage device includes a decryption section, non-volatile memory, and an encryption section. The decryption section decrypts externally input encrypted data. The non-volatile memory records data decrypted by the decryption section. The encryption section encrypts and outputs decrypted data read out from the non-volatile memory.

Abstract: A communication line is connected to first and second chips, and held at a first signal level. A monitor circuit changes a signal level of the communication line from the first signal to a second signal level while one of the first and second chips uses a current larger than a reference current. When the signal level of the communication line is the second signal level, the other of the first and second chips is controlled to a wait state that does not transfer to an operating state of using a current larger than the reference current.

Abstract: In a person retrieval apparatus, a plurality of extraction processing sections each extract personal biometric information from images taken by a plurality of cameras. A quality determination section determines a quality of each piece of biometric information extracted by the extraction processing sections. A reliability level setting section sets a reliability level to each piece of biometric information on the basis of the quality determined by the quality determination section. The biometric information extracted by the extraction processing sections and the reliability level set by the reliability level setting section are stored in a memory. In this state, in the person retrieval apparatus, the face retrieval section performs person retrieval processing on each piece of biometric information stored in the memory in descending order of the reliability level corresponding to each piece of biometric information.

Abstract: A memory system includes a NAND-type flash memory which includes a plurality of memory cells and can store one-bit, two-bit or more data in one memory cell, and a duplicating-converting circuit configured to duplicate input data by assigning the input data to a predetermined threshold level and another threshold level different from the predetermined threshold level. Moreover, the memory system includes a controller configured to control to store the data duplicated by the duplicating-converting circuit, in the NAND-type flash memory.

Abstract: A memory system including a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device and a controller. The memory device includes a plurality of word lines; and a plurality of memory cells each connected to a corresponding one of the word lines and each having N threshold voltages for storing multi-valued level, where N is a natural number of 4 or greater; wherein stored data in each of the plurality of memory cells constitutes a plurality of pages, at least only a part of multi-value level is used for storing data, a data “1” is always written to a lower page, a “0” or “1” binary data is written to an upper page, the same data is written in each of the pages when writing in the nonvolatile memory device, and only part of the pages to which the same data is written is accessed when reading out the nonvolatile memory device.

Abstract: A data writing method is disclosed. In a memory system comprising a NAND flash memory and a controller which controls the memory, the memory system storing data provided from a host to the NAND flash memory, the data writing method comprises a steps of specifying a column address in which a column failure which has occurred in the NAND flash memory by the controller, and a step of, during writing into the NAND flash memory, writing data of a first logic level into a memory cell which corresponds to the specified column address regardless of write data provided from the controller.

Abstract: A memory controller for writing data in a first semiconductor memory including a plurality of memory cells having series-connected current paths and charge storage layers includes a host interface which configured to be receivable of first data from a host apparatus, a second semiconductor memory which temporarily holds second data, and an arithmetic unit which generates the second data in accordance with the state of the first semiconductor memory, temporarily holds the second data in the second semiconductor memory, and writes the first and second data in the first semiconductor memory. When writing the second data, the arithmetic unit does not select a word line adjacent to a select gate line, and selects a word line not adjacent to the select gate line.

Abstract: A method of writing data to a semiconductor memory device with memory cells, each of which stores data defined by threshold voltage thereof in a non-volatile manner, the device having first and second memory cells disposed adjacent to each other to be sequentially written in this order, the method including: performing a first data write operation for writing data defined by a threshold voltage lower than a desired threshold voltage into the first memory cell; performing a second data write operation for writing data into the second memory cell; and performing a third data writing operation for writing data defined by the desired threshold voltage into the first memory cell.

Abstract: A nonvolatile memory system comprises a nonvolatile memory having a plurality of data areas; and a memory controller operative to control read and write operations to the nonvolatile memory. The memory controller successively executes read/write operations to plural sectors within a selected data area in the nonvolatile memory in accordance with a command and a sector count and sector address fed from a host device.

Abstract: In a memory cell array, a plurality of memory cells each of which stores a plurality of bits are connected to a plurality of word lines and a plurality of bit lines and are arranged in a matrix. Control portions read a threshold level of a second memory cell adjacent to a first memory cell in the memory cell array, determine a correction level according to the threshold level read from the second memory cell, add the determined correction level to a read level of the first memory cell, and then read the threshold level of the first memory cell. A storage portion stores the correction level.