Title:
METHOD FOR COUNTING BEYOND ENDURANCE LIMITATIONS OF NON-VOLATILE MEMORIES
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO2004068273
Kind Code:
A3
Abstract:
A digital counter (e.g., Fig. 1) that uses non-volatile memories (12, 14, 16, 18, ...) as storage cells, wherein the storage cells are sub-divided into two groups, one for the implementation of a rotary counter (20, 22) that keeps track of the less significant part of the count and a binary counter (10) that keeps track of the more significant part of the count. The rotary counter implements a counting method that maximizes the count that can be obtained before the endurance limit of the memory is reached by making sure that each change of state of each cell is recorded as one count and that all cells in the rotary counter experience two change of state in every cycle. The binary counter (10) records the number of cycles the rotary counter has gone through.
Inventors:
MALETSKY KERRY D
Application Number:
PCT/US2003/040000
Publication Date:
December 09, 2004
Filing Date:
December 16, 2003
Export Citation:
Assignee:
ATMEL CORP (US)
International Classes:
G06M3/00; G11C16/10; G11C16/34; H03K21/00; H03K21/40; H03K23/00; G06F; (IPC1-7): G06M3/00
Foreign References:
| US6249562B1 | 2001-06-19 |
Other References:
See also references of EP 1588320A4
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