Techniques for detecting and correcting errors in a memory device

Abstract

A technique for detecting and correcting errors in a memory device, in accordance with one embodiment, includes a data storage area arranged in a plurality of blocks, wherein each block contains a plurality of words. The memory device also includes an error detection/correction storage area for storing error detection/correction bytes corresponding to each word in each block and error detection words corresponding to each block.

1 . A memory device comprising:
 a first type of error information based on a first group of data; and   a second type of error information based on a second group of the data, wherein the second group is greater than the first group.   
     
     
         2 . The memory device of  claim 1 , wherein the first group is a word. 
     
     
         3 . The memory device of  claim 2 , wherein the second group is a block of words. 
     
     
         4 . The memory device of  claim 1 , wherein the first type of error information comprises error detection and correction information. 
     
     
         5 . The memory device of  claim 1 , wherein the second type of error information comprises error detection information. 
     
     
         6 . The memory device of  claim 1 , wherein the first type of error information comprises a byte of bits. 
     
     
         7 . The memory device of  claim 6 , wherein the second type of error information comprises a word of bytes. 
     
     
         8 . A method comprising:
 determining a first type of error information by using a first group of data;   determining a second type of error information by using a second group of the data, wherein the second group is greater than the first group; and   storing the first type of error information and the second type of error information in a memory.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the first group is a word. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the second group is a block of words. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the first type of error information comprises error detection and correction information. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the second type of error information comprises error detection information. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the first type of error information comprises a byte of bits. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the second type of error information comprises a word of bytes. 
     
     
         15 . A method comprising:
 detecting an error in data, wherein said detecting includes:
 using a first type of error information that is calculated from a first group of the data, and 
 using a second type of error information that is calculated from a second group of the data, wherein the second group is greater than the first group; and 
   correcting the error by using at least one of the first type of error information and the second type of error information.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first group is a word. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the second group is a block of words. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first type of error information comprises error detection and correction information. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the second type of error information comprises error detection information. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first type of error information comprises a byte of bits, and wherein the second type of error information comprises a word of bytes.