Patent ID: 7353325

Claim:
A method of managing operation of an EEPROM mass storage system divided into a number of groups of memory cells which are periodically rewritten with new data, comprising the steps of: monitoring a number of rewrite cycles directed at individual groups of memory cells, determining when a significant imbalance exists in a number of rewrite cycles directed at said individual groups of memory cells, wherein the imbalance determining step includes the steps of: identifying one of said individual groups of memory cells having a highest number of rewrite cycles, determining a total number of group rewrite cycles that the EEPROM mass storage system could accommodate if all of said individual groups of memory cells had the same number of rewrite cycles as said one individual group of memory cells, and comparing that total determined number with a total number of rewrite cycles actually directed to all of said individual groups of memory cells, and in response to such an imbalance, reassigning at least one of the individual groups of memory cells to receive data designated for at least another of the individual groups of memory cells in order to correct the imbalance during further rewrite cycles.