Patent ID: 6792565
Filing Date: 2004-09-14
Classification: G11C

Abstract:
An address conversion device for a nonvolatile memory configured for electric data erasure, data writing, and data reading, and including a first memory region for general use, and a second memory region in substitution for any damaged address in the first memory region, the address conversion device, comprising:a table written, at an address corresponding to an address other than a damaged address in the first memory region of the nonvolatile memory, by address data relating to the first memory region, and, at an address corresponding to the damaged address in the first memory region of the nonvolatile memory, by address data in the second memory region in substitution for the damaged data wherein supplied address data is converted into address data stored at an address in the table corresponding to the supplied address data and then output, redundant data for conversion into the address data relating to the second memory region in substitution for the damaged address in the first memory region is written in a first specific block of the nonvolatile memory, and the address data relating to the second memory region in substitution for the damaged address in the first memory region is written at an address of the table corresponding to the damaged address in the first memory region, based on the redundant data, a program instruction for writing data into the table, using the redundant data, is stored in a second specific block of the nonvolatile memory, and the address data relating to the second memory region in substitution for the damaged address in the first memory region is written at an address of the table corresponding to the damaged address in the first memory region through execution of the program instruction, whereby separate redundant circuit is unnecessary, and the first memory region and the second memory region of the nonvolatile memory are respectively divided into a plurality of blocks.