Patent ID: 6477616
Filing Date: 2002-11-05
Classification: G06F,G11B

Abstract:
A storage device comprising:a memory which includes a plurality of memory blocks, each of which stores data and belongs to one of a plurality of zones and to each of which a physical block address is assigned; and a controller which reads out data stored in the plurality of memory blocks and externally outputs the read data, wherein the memory block belonging to a predetermined zone includes a data arrangement memory storing a data arrangement table representing a correspondence between data stored in said memory and a logical address of one memory block storing the data, and wherein said controller includes a first table memory, includes a second table memory, creates a first address conversion table, which stores information representing the logical address and a physical address of the one memory block storing the data arrangement table, and stores the created table in said first table memory, externally acquires a logical address indicating the data arrangement table, specifies the physical address of the one memory block storing the data arrangement table based on said first address conversion table and the acquired logical address, in response to an externally-transmitted instruction, reads out the data arrangement table from the one memory block represented by the specified physical address, and externally sends the read data arrangement table, externally acquires a logical address indicating data to be read, and specifies one of the plurality of zones, to which a memory block represented by the logical address belongs, based on the acquired logical address, determines whether said second table memory stores a second address conversion table, which stores information representing a correspondence between the logical address and a physical address of the memory block belonging to the specified zone, and when determined that said second table memory does not store the second address conversion table, creates the second address conversion table, and also stores the created table in said second table memory, and specifies, as a physical address indicating data to be read, the physical address corresponding to the externally-acquired logical address, based on the second address conversion table, and reads out and output data stored in the memory block which the specified physical address represents.