Patent ID: 9659661
Date: 2017-05-23
CPC Classifications: G06F,G11C

Claim:
1. A method for operating an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), comprising: providing a plurality of data areas in the EEPROM associated with a corresponding plurality of memory addresses, respectively, wherein, during an erase operation a data area is in an uncertain state and, after completion of the erase operation, the data area is in an erased state, and wherein during a program operation, the data area is in an uncertain state and after completion of the program operation, the data area is in a valid state; wherein the method further comprises, in a single erase and program cycle: reading data in first and second data areas; determining that the first data area is in an erased state and the second data area is in a valid state; performing a program operation to store first data in the first data area; after completion of the program operation, setting the first data area to a valid state, and performing an erase operation in the second data area; and after completion of the erase operation, setting the second data area to an erased state.