Patent ID: 7305403

Claim:
A method for calculating check sums for a pointer value in a given element of a first linked list in a memory in which a plurality of linked lists are stored, said method comprising the steps of: calculating a first check sum for checking the pointer value; calculating a second check sum based on contents of preceding elements of the first linked list and the number of preceding elements, said second check sum for checking whether the pointer value indicates one of the elements of the first list, the end of the first list, or neither one of the elements nor the end of the first list; and if the pointer value indicates one of the elements of the first list or the end of the first list, determining that address information in the pointer value is correct; and if the pointer value does not indicate one of the elements of the first list or the end of the first list, determining that address information in the pointer value is faulty, and preventing the element at the faulty address from being overwritten.