Patent ID: 8806302

Claim:
A data processing method in a semiconductor memory device including a plurality of memory cells, the data processing method comprising: arranging first data, which is to be programmed in a row and column of a nonvolatile memory device, in a row or column direction; encoding the first data to be programmed into a modulation code in the row or column direction; and programming the encoded data into pairs of adjacent memory cells from among the plurality of memory cells, the plurality of memory cells each storing a same number of bits, the encoded data being encoded such that, for each of the pairs of adjacent memory cells of the plurality of memory cells into which the encoded data is being programmed, the memory cells in the pair of adjacent memory cells are prevented from being programmed into first and second states, respectively, even if the first data is data that, if programmed into the plurality of memory cells before the encoding, would result in a pair of adjacent memory cells from among the plurality of memory cells being programmed into the first and second states, respectively.