Patent ID: 8082385
Filing Date: 2011-12-20
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method of extending the life of a segmented memory device, comprising: providing a segmented memory device having a plurality of user defined segments with each user defined segment having a starting and an ending address, and wherein the size and number of the user defined segments is user defined; incrementing a write counter count whenever a write operation to the memory device takes place; comparing the write counter count to a threshold number to determine that the threshold number of write operations has been reached or exceeded; copying data from a specified one of the user defined segments to a temporary storage location, where the temporary storage location is a reserved segment of the segmented memory device; shifting the starting and ending address of each user defined segment by a specified address increment; moving data stored in each user defined segment except the specified user defined segment by the specified address increment such that all data in the memory device has been shifted by the specified increment except for the data in the specified one of the user defined segments, wherein data at a last user defined segment is fragmented to wrap from an end of the memory device's addressable locations to a beginning of the memory device's addressable locations; copying the data from the specified one of the segments from the temporary storage location to a location in the segmented memory device shifted by the shift increment; and redefining the user defined segments of the segmented memory device so that the user definitions of the segments remain applicable to the size and number of user defined segments defined by the user, but a starting and an ending address and all addresses intermediate to the starting and ending addresses of each user defined segment being shifted by the specified increment.