Patent ID: 7441067
Filing Date: 2008-10-21
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method of operating a system of erasable and re-programmable non-volatile memory cells organized into a plurality of physical blocks of a minimum number of memory cells that are simultaneously erasable and wherein incoming data are programmed into those of the plurality of physical blocks maintained as an erased block pool, comprising: identifying at least one of the plurality of physical blocks at a time other than those in the erased block pool for a wear leveling exchange, monitoring an operational parameter associated with programming data into those of the plurality of physical blocks maintained as an erased block pool, and in response to the monitored operational parameter reaching a preset threshold, exchanging the identified at least one of the plurality of physical blocks with a corresponding number of at least one of the physical blocks within the erased block pool, wherein monitoring the operational parameter includes monitoring a number of one or more times that erased pool blocks have been programmed with data since a previous wear leveling exchange, and wherein said method additionally comprises maintaining within the system indications of an average number of erase cycles individually experienced by the plurality of physical blocks, and wherein said exchanging occurs when a number of erase cycles experienced by the erased pool blocks exceeds said average number of erase cycles experienced by the plurality of physical blocks by a preset difference, wherein said preset difference is a positive number or zero.