Patent ID: 8498152

Claim:
In a nonvolatile memory have memory cells accessible by word lines, said memory cells individually having threshold voltages each programmable into one of a first set of threshold voltage bands in a threshold window partitioned by a first set of reference thresholds, the first set of threshold voltage bands being coded by a first set of bits, a method of reading a current group of memory cells on a current word line, comprising: sensing the programmed threshold voltages of an adjacent group of memory cells on an adjacent word line to determine coupling levels due to charges stored in neighboring memory cells on individual memory cells in the current group on the current word line, the coupling levels including a substantially zero coupling level corresponding to substantially zero charges from neighboring memory cells; sensing the current group of memory cells by permuting a current word line voltage selected from the first set of reference thresholds and an adjacent word line voltage selected from a set of bias voltages obtained as a function of different associated coupling levels; obtaining the first set of bits when the bias voltage during the permutation corresponds to the substantially zero coupling level; obtaining a second set of bits when the bias voltage during the permutation corresponds to other than the substantially zero coupling level; and wherein: said permuting a current word line voltage selected from the first set of reference thresholds and an adjacent word line voltage selected from a set of bias voltages obtained as a function of different associated coupling levels is to iterate through each of the reference thresholds in the first set on the current word line after selecting a next one in the set of bias voltages on the adjacent word line until the set of bias voltages is exhausted.