Patent ID: 7366014

Claim:
In an electrically programmable memory including a plurality of memory cells arranged in individually-selectable memory cell sets each including at least one memory cell, a plurality of distinct memory cell programming states corresponding to a number N>=2 of data bits storable in each memory cell, wherein the data bits include at least a first data bits group and a second data bits group, the first data bits groups and, respectively, the second data bits groups stored in the memory cells of one of said individually-selectable memory cell sets forming at least a first memory page and a second memory page, respectively, the first and second memory pages being individually addressable, a programming method comprising: causing the memory cells of a selected memory cells set to be brought into a predetermined, starting programming state; receiving a target value for the first data bits groups of the memory cells of the selected memory cells set; receiving a target value for the second data bits groups of the memory cells of the selected memory cells set; after having received the target values of both the first and the second data bits groups, applying to the memory cells of the selected memory cells set a programming sequence adapted to cause the memory cells of the selected memory cells sets to be brought into a target programming state—jointly determined by the target values of the first and second data bits groups.