Patent ID: 7562181

Claim:
A re-programmable non-volatile memory system having a plurality of blocks of memory cells that are individually erased prior to data being written therein, wherein: an inventory of a minimum number of erased blocks ready to have data stored therein are maintained, data of files logically addressed by unique file identifiers and offsets within the flies by the memory system are stored in the memory blocks by storing the received data of a first file as pages within one or more of the erased blocks that only partially fill a first one of the erased blocks, thereby leaving erased data storage capacity within the first partially filled block, and by storing the received data of a second file as pages within one or more of the erased blocks that only partially fill a second one of the erased blocks, thereby leaving erased data storage capacity within the second partially filled block, and consolidation of valid data from the partially filled first and second blocks into another one of the erased blocks is postponed until at least the inventory of the number of erased blocks is deemed insufficient to maintain the minimum number.