Memory card and data rewriting method

Abstract

A controller 3 of a memory card is a provided with a command decoding circuit 6 for decoding commands issued by a host HT, a command enable register 8 in which the validity or invalidity of the received command, and a command detection signal generating circuit 7 for detecting a valid command on the basis of the result of decoding by the command decoding circuit 6 and a value set by the command enable register 8. If the command enable register 8 receives a validly set command, the command detection signal generating circuit 7 will supply a detection signal to a control unit 4 to execute processing prescribed for each command the command enable register 8 receives an invalidly set command, no detection signal will be supplied, and the command will be ignored.

1 - 7 . (cancelled)  
     
     
         8 . A memory card comprising: 
 a nonvolatile semiconductor memory, which includes a plurality of nonvolatile memory cells, capable of storing predetermined information; and    a controller for giving operational instructions to said nonvolatile semiconductor memory in accordance with externally issued commands,    wherein said controller comprises:    a command decoding unit for decoding externally issued commands;    a nonvolatile memory unit for storing the processing of a first group of commands;    a volatile memory unit;    a command setting unit for setting a validity or invalidity of each of said externally issued commands; and    a response control unit for generating a response on the basis of the result of decoding by said command decoding unit and controlling the supply of said response to said outside,    wherein said nonvolatile semiconductor memory has a first area in which usual data can be stored and a second area in which the processing of a second group of commands can be stored,    wherein the processing of the second group of commands, when such a second group of commands is stored in the second area of said nonvolatile semiconductor memory, is transferred to said volatile memory unit, and    wherein said command setting unit, after the validity or invalidity of the first group of commands stored in said nonvolatile memory unit has been set, sets the validity or invalidity of the second group of commands when the processing of such a second group of commands is stored in the second area of said nonvolatile semiconductor memory.    
     
     
         9 . The memory card according to  claim 8 , 
 wherein said controller further includes a first control unit and a second control unit,    wherein said first control unit supplies a predetermined signal to said second control unit according to said result of decoding, and    wherein said second control unit performs processing according to said predetermined signal.    
     
     
         10 . A memory card comprising: 
 a nonvolatile semiconductor memory, which includes a plurality of nonvolatile memory cells, capable of storing predetermined information; and    a controller for giving operational instructions to said nonvolatile semiconductor memory in accordance with externally issued commands,    wherein said controller comprises:    a nonvolatile memory unit for storing the processing of a first group of commands;    a volatile memory unit;    a command decoding unit for decoding externally issued commands, judging the index of said externally issued command, and supplying a decoded signal to a predetermined destination;    an index setting unit for setting index which indicates each of said externally issued command being a validity or invalidity;    a command detection signal generating unit for identifying from the decoded signal from said command decoding unit the index of said externally issued command, judging the validity or invalidity of the command of said identified index from data set in said index setting unit and, if said externally issued command is valid, executing response processing in accordance with said externally issued command, and supplying a detection signal to have processing prescribed in accordance with said externally issued command; and    a response control unit for generating a response on the basis of the result of decoding by said command decoding unit and controlling the supply of said response to said outside,    wherein said nonvolatile semiconductor memory has a first area in which usual data can be stored and a second area in which the processing of a second group of commands can be stored,    wherein the processing of the second group of commands, when such a second group of commands is stored in the second area of said nonvolatile semiconductor memory, is transferred to said volatile memory unit, and    wherein said index setting unit, after the validity or invalidity of the first group of commands stored in said nonvolatile memory unit has been set, sets the validity or invalidity of the second group of commands when the processing of such a second group of commands is stored in the second area of said nonvolatile semiconductor memory.    
     
     
         11 . The memory card according to  claim 8 , 
 wherein said controller further comprises:    a data detecting unit for detecting externally entered data forms;    a data form setting unit for setting data index which indicates data form of each said externally entered data being a validity or invalidity; and    a data detection signal generating unit for judging the validity or invalidity of said externally entered data on the basis of the result of detection by said data detecting unit and a value set by said data form setting unit, and supplying the result as a detection signal.    
     
     
         12 . The memory card according to  claim 8 , 
 wherein the setting of the validity or invalidity of each command can be made for each of said commands as desired on the basis of firmware data,    wherein a command requesting firmware data to be written in is accepted from said outside, and firmware data to be written in are received, and    write control is carried out to write said received firmware data into a predetermined area in said nonvolatile semiconductor memory.    
     
     
         13 . The memory card according to  claim 9 , 
 wherein said controller further comprises:    a data detecting unit for detecting externally entered data forms;    a data form setting unit for setting data index which indicates data form of each said externally entered data being a validity or invalidity; and    a data detection signal generating unit for judging the validity or invalidity of said externally entered data on the basis of the result of detection by said data detecting unit and a value set by said data form setting unit, and supplying the result as a detection signal.    
     
     
         14 . The memory card according to  claim 10 , 
 wherein said controller further comprises:    a data detecting unit for detecting externally entered data forms;    a data form setting unit for setting data index which indicates data form of each said externally entered data being a validity or invalidity; and    a data detection signal generating unit for judging the validity or invalidity of said externally entered data on the basis of the result of detection by said data detecting unit and a value set by said data form setting unit, and supplying the result as a detection signal.    
     
     
         15 . The memory card according to  claim 9 , 
 wherein the setting of the validity or invalidity of each command can be made for each of said commands as desired on the basis of firmware data,    wherein a command requesting firmware data to be written in is accepted from said outside, and firmware data to be written in are received, and    write control is carried out to write said received firmware data into a predetermined area in said nonvolatile semiconductor memory.    
     
     
         16 . The memory card according to  claim 10 , 
 wherein the setting of the validity or invalidity of each command can be made for each of said commands as desired on the basis of firmware data,    wherein a command requesting firmware data to be written in is accepted from said outside, and firmware data to be written in are received, and    write control is carried out to write said received firmware data into a predetermined area in said nonvolatile semiconductor memory.    
     
     
         17 . The memory card according to  claim 11 , 
 wherein the setting of the validity or invalidity of each command can be made for each of said commands as desired on the basis of firmware data,    wherein a command requesting firmware data to be written in is accepted from said outside, and firmware data to be written in are received, and    write control is carried out to write said received firmware data into a predetermined area in said nonvolatile semiconductor memory.    
     
     
         18 . The memory card according to  claim 13 , 
 wherein the setting of the validity or invalidity of each command can be made for each of said commands as desired on the basis of firmware data,    wherein a command requesting firmware data to be written in is accepted from said outside, and firmware data to be written in are received, and    write control is carried out to write said received firmware data into a predetermined area in said nonvolatile semiconductor memory.