Patent ID: 6145068
Filing Date: 2000-11-07
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A method for transferring data located as contents in a memory block having a memory block beginning address in a first memory in a computer to a non-volatile storage in the computer, comprising the steps of:examining a first page of the memory block;setting a flag to a first homogeneous-page value if the first page of the memory block contains bytes solely of a first byte value;setting the flag to a heterogeneous-page value if the first page of the memory block contains bytes of multiple values;transferring the flag to a buffer address in a buffer region in the first memory, and performing an incrementation of the buffer address, if the flag has the first homogeneous-page value;transferring at least the contents of the first page to the buffer address in the buffer region, and performing a series of incrementations of the buffer address during the transferring, if the flag has the heterogeneous-page value; andevaluating the buffer address after each of the incrementations of the buffer address, and if the buffer address is greater than or equal to a buffer ending address, transferring the contents of the buffer to the non-volatile storage and setting the buffer address equal to a beginning buffer address.