Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A non-volatile storage device (1) has non-volatile memory units (FARY0 to FARY3), buffer units (BMRY0 to BMRY3) and a control unit (CNT), and the control unit can control a first access processing between an outside and the buffer unit and a second access processing between the non-volatile memory unit and the buffer unit upon receipt of directives from the outside separately from each other. The control unit can independently carry out an access control over the non-volatile memory unit and the buffer unit in accordance with the directives sent from the outside, respectively. Therefore, it is possible to set up next write data to the buffer unit simultaneously with the erase operation of the non-volatile memory unit or to output once read storage information to the buffer unit at a high speed as in a cache memory operation in accordance with the directive sent from the outside.

Abstract: In response to a read command received by a system interface unit for accessing a plurality of blocks of data stored in said non-volatile semiconductor memory, a controller carries out selective read operations of blocks of data to two memories from the non-volatile semiconductor memory. The controller also carries out parallel operations of data transferring a first block of data, which has already been subjected to error detection and error correction operations by an error correction unit, from one of the two memories to a host system via said system interface unit and of data transferring of a second block of data to be subjected to the error detection and error correction operation, from said non-volatile semiconductor memory to the other of the two memories.

Abstract: A non-volatile storage device (1) has non-volatile memory units (FARY0 to FARY3), buffer units (BMRY0 to BMRY3) and a control unit (CNT), and the control unit can control a first access processing between an outside and the buffer unit and a second access processing between the non-volatile memory unit and the buffer unit upon receipt of directives from the outside separately from each other. The control unit can independently carry out an access control over the non-volatile memory unit and the buffer unit in accordance with the directives sent from the outside, respectively. Therefore, it is possible to set up next write data to the buffer unit simultaneously with the erase operation of the non-volatile memory unit or to output once read storage information to the buffer unit at a high speed as in a cache memory operation in accordance with the directive sent from the outside.

Abstract: An electrically alterable non-volatile multi-level memory device and a method of operating such a device, which includes setting a status of at least one of the memory cells to one state selected from a plurality of states including at least first to fourth level states, in response to information to be stored in the one memory cell, and reading the status of the memory cell to determine whether the read out status corresponds to one of the first to fourth level states by utilizing a first reference level set between the second and third level states, a second reference level set between the first and second level states and a third reference level set between the third and fourth level states.

Abstract: A memory card has a plurality of non-volatile memories and a main controller for controlling the operation of the non-volatile memories. The main controller performs an access control to the non-volatile memories in response to an external access instruction, and an alternate control for alternating an access error-related storage area of the non-volatile memory with other storage area. In the access control, the speeding up of the data transfer between flash memories is achieved by causing the plurality of non-volatile memories to parallel access operate. In the alternation control, the storage areas is made alternative for each non-volatile memory in which an access error occurs.

Abstract: An electrically alterable non-volatile multi-level memory device and a method of operating such a device, which includes setting a status of at least one of the memory cells to one state selected from a plurality of states including at least first to fourth level states, in response to information to be stored in the one memory cell, and reading the status of the memory cell to determine whether the read out status corresponds to one of the first to fourth level states by utilizing a first reference level set between the second and third level states, a second reference level set between the first and second level states and a third reference level set between the third and fourth level states.

Abstract: A memory card has a plurality of non-volatile memories and a main controller for controlling the operation of the non-volatile memories. The main controller performs an access control to the non-volatile memories in response to an external access instruction, and an alternate control for alternating an access error-related storage area of the non-volatile memory with other storage area. In the access control, the speeding up of the data transfer between flash memories is achieved by causing the plurality of non-volatile memories to parallel access operate. In the alternation control, the storage areas is made alternative for each non-volatile memory in which an access error occurs.

Abstract: Disclosed herewith is a semiconductor processing system such as a card type electronic device, which can easily cope with an error caused by power shutoff that occurs when the card is ejected. The semiconductor processing system is provided with an interface control circuit and a processing circuit and receives operation power from an external device such as a card slot when it is inserted therein. According to a first aspect of the present invention for coping with an error caused by power shutoff that occurs when the card is ejected, the interface control circuit, when the card is ejected from the card slot, detects a potential change to occur at a first external terminal to be disconnected from a predetermined terminal of the card slot before the power supply from the card slot is shut off, then instructs the processing circuit that is active to perform an ending processing. The semiconductor processing system can end the processing by itself before the power supply stops completely.

Abstract: A storage device, including: a non-volatile semiconductor memory which is electrically erasable; a system interface coupled with an external host system; and a controller reading data from the non-volatile semiconductor memory and transmitting data to the host system via the system interface in response to a read command received by the system interface from the host system; and wherein the controller starts reading (N+n)th sector data from the non-volatile semiconductor memory, while the controller transmits Nth sector data that has been read from the non-volatile semiconductor memory to the host system via the system interface, in response to the read command for successive sector data.

Abstract: A nonvolatile memory has plural memory blocks, each having a plurality of sub memory blocks, and is capable of programming to a first sub memory block within a first memory block and a second sub memory block within a second memory block in parallel. The first sub memory block has a management area for storing a management information including linking information between the first sub memory block corresponding sub memory blocks of other memory blocks. A control circuit controls reading the linking information from the first sub memory block in accordance with address information, and programming to the first sub memory block in accordance with the address information and corresponding sub memory blocks by the linking information.

Abstract: High speed memory access and transparent error detection and correction using a single error correcting means are obtained. A host computer writes sector data in one of the first memory and second memory, and next sector data in the other of the first and second memory. Sector data is read out from one of the first memory and second memory to the host computer, and simultaneously, next sector data is read out from the other of the first memory and second memory, and error detection and correction performed in the error correcting means. During a next cycle, the sector data read out from one of the first memory and second memory is outputted to the host computer, and simultaneously, error detection and error correction of the next sector data read out from one of the first computer and second computer is performed in the error correcting means.

Abstract: A memory apparatus having a rewritable nonvolatile memory, and a control circuit. The memory apparatus brings logical addresses into correspondence with physical addresses of the nonvolatile memory and retains a piece of number-of-rewrites information for each logical address. The control circuit can perform a replacement process of a piece of memory information on the nonvolatile memory. In the replacement process, a given logical address judged to have a small number of rewrites based on the number-of-rewrites information is replaced so as to correspond to a different physical address and then data is transferred according to the replacement. Even when data of the logical address smaller in the number of rewrites is assigned to the different physical address, the number of rewrites of the region is still grasped as the number of rewrites of the logical address.

Abstract: A memory card has a plurality of non-volatile memories and a main controller for controlling the operation of the non-volatile memories. The main controller performs an access control to the non-volatile memories in response to an external access instruction, and an alternate control for alternating an access error-related storage area of the non-volatile memory with other storage area. In the access control, the speeding up of the data transfer between flash memories is achieved by causing the plurality of non-volatile memories to parallel access operate. In the alternation control, the storage areas is made alternative for each non-volatile memory in which an access error occurs.

Abstract: A nonvolatile memory has plural memory blocks, each having a plurality of sub memory blocks, and is capable of programming to a first sub memory block within a first memory block and a second sub memory block within a second memory block in parallel. The first sub memory block has a management area for storing a management information including linking information between the first sub memory block corresponding sub memory blocks of other memory blocks. A control circuit controls reading the linking information from the first sub memory block in accordance with address information, and programming to the first sub memory block in accordance with the address information and corresponding sub memory blocks by the linking information.

Abstract: Disclosed is a nonvolatile memory apparatus in which a nonvolatile memory and a controller are mounted and which realizes improved performance of read/write speeds and improved resistance to a retention error. A nonvolatile memory can store information of two bits or more, and can perform a first reading operation of outputting information read from a nonvolatile memory cell as 1-bit information and a second reading operation of outputting the read information as 2-bit information. A controller performs the first reading operation to read first information from the nonvolatile memory and performs the second reading operation to read second information. The reading speed of the first reading operation is faster than that of the second reading operation.

Abstract: In a card storage device containing a non-volatile memory and a buffer memory, the buffer memory includes a plurality of banks. Data is transferred sequentially from a host CPU to the banks of the buffer memory, data is transferred to the non-volatile memory from a bank that becomes full, a write operation is started when one unit of data to be written into the non-volatile memory at a time has been transferred and, without waiting for the data to be written, the next write data is transferred from the host CPU to a bank from which write data has been transferred.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A memory card has a plurality of non-volatile memories and a main controller for controlling the operation of the non-volatile memories. The main controller performs an access control to the non-volatile memories in response to an external access instruction, and an alternate control for alternating an access error-related storage area of the non-volatile memory with other storage area. In the access control, the speeding up of the data transfer between flash memories is achieved by causing the plurality of non-volatile memories to parallel access operate. In the alternation control, the storage areas is made alternative for each non-volatile memory in which an access error occurs.

Abstract: A storage medium includes a storage device for storing information, information required for encryption and encrypted information, and an I/F device for inputting and outputting information, information required for coding and store encrypted information in a storage device or from an external apparatus other than the storage device, and an encoding device for coding of information and decoding of encoded information. When outputting information stored inside the storage device, information is encoded using encryption key information, and along with obtaining the encoded information and obtaining the encoded encryption key information by using another encryption key. Both the encoded information and encoded encryption key information are output so that decoding the information without the storage medium is impossible.