Patent ID: 6212654
Filing Date: 2001-04-03
Classification: G11C,H03M

Abstract:
A method of storing information bits in an analog memory device, the device including a plurality of analog memory cells, the method comprising the steps of:coding at least a portion of a given set of b of the information bits to generate a corresponding set of coded bits including more than b bits, such that the portion of the information bits subject to the coding is transformed into corresponding coded bits in the set of coded bits;mapping the set of coded bits to one or more corresponding levels; andstoring each of the one or more levels in one of the analog memory cells;wherein the mapping step is configured to provide at least one of: (i) an increase in an effective storage capacity of at least a subset of the analog memory cells; and (ii) a decrease in a readout error probability of at least a subset of the analog memory cells; relative to an effective storage capacity and a readout error probability associated with storage of unmapped analog levels in the analog memory cells.