Patent ID: 7545675

Claim:
A method for using non-volatile storage in a memory system having an external interface, comprising: receiving a power supply voltage on said external interface of said memory system; maintaining an intermediate voltage as a control gate voltage for an unselected non-volatile storage element in said memory system, said intermediate voltage is one of said power supply voltage or a regulated version of said power supply voltage, said intermediate voltage is different than zero volts and different than any read enable voltage that allows sensing of information about data stored in a selected non-volatile storage element; changing said control gate voltage for said unselected non-volatile storage element from said intermediate voltage to a first read enable voltage; maintaining a read voltage as a control gate voltage for said selected non-volatile storage element while said control gate voltage for said unselected non-volatile storage element is at said first read enable voltage; and sensing said information about said data stored in said selected non-volatile storage element in response to said read voltages as said control gate voltage for said selected non-volatile storage element.