Patent ID: 7130857

Claim:
A method to access a memory unit, comprising: storing in a write mode of the memory unit a bit sequence comprising successive bit positions, each bit position having one of two bit values for a data value of a datum; and allocating at least one of the bit positions to a data set comprising a data field to store the datum, wherein one bit value in the bit sequence indicates that at least one of the bit positions allocated to the data set with one of the bit values comprises the data value in the data field to store the datum, the other bit value in the bit sequence indicates that the at least one of the bit positions allocated to the data set with the other of the bit values excludes the data value in the data field to store the datum, the method further comprises compressing the bit sequence by replacing successive data words where the one bit value occurs for a first number value that with two number values where a first number value indicates a number of words replaced, and a second number value indicates a number of succeeding uncompressed data words.