Method for addressing a memory card, a system using a memory card, and a memory card

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for addressing the memory locations of a memory card. There are several memory locations in a memory card for storing data, in which case in order to address a specific memory location an address is formed. At least one parameter is stored in the memory card, on the basis of which parameter the number of memory locations of a memory card can be calculated, and a specific number of bits is reserved for said at least one parameter. In the method, two or more memory locations are addressed with one address, and/or the number of bits that can be used in an address is increased. The invention also relates to a system and a memory card in which the method is applied.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system comprising:
 a memory card having several memory locations for storing data, and in which memory card is stored at least one parameter, 
 the system configured so that the number of memory locations of the memory card can be calculated on the basis of said at least one parameter, 
 the system configured so that a specific number of bits is reserved for said at least one parameter in the memory card, and 
 the system further configured to use an addressing data stored in the memory card, said addressing data being indicative of at least one addressing method supported, 
 wherein the addressing data indicates either a basic addressing method or an expanded addressing method, and 
 wherein the expanded addressing method enables the addressing of data in a larger number of memory locations than the basic addressing method. 
 
     
     
       2. The system according to  claim 1 , comprising at least one of the following:
 addressing two or more memory locations with one address;   increasing the number of bits that can be used in an address.   
     
     
       3. The system according to  claim 1 , comprising a device to which the memory card is connected, that the device comprises an interface provided with a card connection for connecting the memory card to the device, as well as a card control unit and a data transmission bus for transferring commands and data between the device and the memory card. 
     
     
       4. A device which comprises a card connection for connecting a memory card to the device, in which memory card there are several memory locations for storing data, and in which memory card is stored at least one parameter,
 the memory card configured so that the number of memory locations of the memory card can be calculated on the basis of said at least one parameter, 
 the memory card configured so that a specific number of bits is reserved for said at least one parameter, and 
 the device further comprising an address generator for addressing the memory locations of the memory card, said address generator being configured to use an addressing data stored in the memory card, said addressing data being indicative of at least one addressing method supported, 
 wherein the addressing data indicates either a basic addressing method or an expanded addressing method, and 
 wherein the expanded addressing method enables the addressing of data in a larger number of memory locations than the basic addressing method. 
 
     
     
       5. The device according to  claim 4 , comprising means for performing mobile communication functions. 
     
     
       6. A memory card comprising:
 several memory locations for storing data, and in which memory card is stored at least one parameter, the memory card configured so that the number of memory locations of the memory card can be calculated on the basis of said at least one parameter, 
 the memory card configured so that a specific number of bits is reserved for said at least one parameter, and 
 the memory card further configured to have stored therein an addressing data, said addressing data being indicative of at least one addressing method supported, 
 wherein the addressing data indicates either a basic addressing method or an expanded addressing method, and 
 wherein the expanded addressing method enables the addressing of data in a larger number of memory locations than the basic addressing method. 
 
     
     
       7. The memory card according to  claim 6 , comprising at least one of the following:
 addressing two or more memory locations with one address;   increasing the number of bits that can be used in an address.   
     
     
       8. The memory card according to  claim 6 , comprising a bus connection block for connecting the memory card to a device and for transferring data between the device and the memory card. 
     
     
       9. The memory card according to  claim 6 , wherein data is arranged to be stored and read in the memory card block-by-block. 
     
     
       10. The memory card according to  claim 9 , wherein the memory locations of one block are arranged to be addressed with one address. 
     
     
       11. The memory card according to  claim 6 , wherein the memory card is a memory card according to MultiMediaCard specifications. 
     
     
       12. A system comprising:
 a memory card having several memory locations for storing data, and in which memory card is stored at least one parameter, 
 the system having means for calculating the number of memory locations of the memory card on the basis of said at least one parameter, 
 the system having means for receiving a specific number of bits for said at least one parameter in the memory card, and 
 the system further having means for using an addressing data stored in the memory card, said addressing data being indicative of at least one addressing method supported, 
 wherein the addressing data indicates either a basic addressing method or an expanded addressing method, and 
 wherein the expanded addressing method enables the addressing of data in a larger number of memory locations than the basic addressing method. 
 
     
     
       13. A method for addressing the memory locations of a memory card, wherein at least some of said memory locations are for storing data, wherein in order to address a specific memory location the method comprises:
 forming an address, 
 storing at least one parameter in the memory card, 
 calculating the number of memory locations in the memory card based on said at least one parameter, 
 reserving a specific number of bits for said at least one parameter, and 
 using an addressing data stored in the memory card, said addressing data being indicative of at least one addressing method supported, 
 wherein the addressing data indicates either a basic addressing method or an expanded addressing method, and 
 wherein the expanded addressing method enables the addressing of data in a larger number of memory locations than the basic addressing method. 
 
     
     
       14. The method according to  claim 13 , comprising at least one of the following:
 addressing two or more memory locations with one address; increasing the number of bits that can be used in an address. 
 
     
     
       15. The method according to  claim 13 , comprising addressing two or more memory locations with one address, and storing in the memory card data on the number of memory locations to be addressed with one address. 
     
     
       16. The method according to  claim 13 , comprising storing data in the memory card and reading data from the memory card block-by-block. 
     
     
       17. The method according to  claim 16 , storing in the memory card three parameters, on the basis of which parameter the memory capacity of the memory card can be calculated, and that the first and the second parameter being indicative of the number of blocks, and the third parameter being indicative of the size of the blocks. 
     
     
       18. The method according to  claim 17 , comprising calculating the capacity of the memory card with the formula:
   BLOCKNR*BLOCK_LEN, 
 
       in which
   BLOCKNR=(C_SIZE +1)*2 C     —     SIZE     —     MULT+2    
   BLOCK_LEN=2 READ     —     BL     —     LEN.    
 
     
     
       19. The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the length of the first parameter is 12 bits, the length of the second parameter is three bits, and the length of the third parameter is four bits, and that of the values of the third parameter all the possible values can be used in indicating the memory capacity of the memory card. 
     
     
       20. The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the unit of the first parameter (C_SIZE) is kilobyte. 
     
     
       21. The method according to  claim 13 , comprising addressing one memory location with one address, determining a maximum length for the address transmitted to the memory card, and sending the address transmitted to the memory card in at least two parts in such a manner that the length of the address is greater than said maximum length. 
     
     
       22. The memory card according to claim 6, wherein the basic addressing method supports addressing only one memory location with one address. 
     
     
       23. The memory card according to claim 6, wherein the expanded addressing method supports a higher memory capacity than the basic addressing method. 
     
     
       24. The memory card according to claim 6, wherein the memory card is configured to use the basic addressing method if reading of the stored addressing data is unsuccessful. 
     
     
       25. The memory card according to claim 6, wherein the memory card is configured so that, if the addressing data indicates that the memory card supports the expanded addressing method, the memory card uses the expanded addressing method in response to a successful reading of the addressing data that indicates support of the expanded addressing method. 
     
     
       26. The memory card according to claim 6, further comprising a register for storing the addressing data. 
     
     
       27. The memory card according to claim 26, wherein the stored addressing data comprises one bit. 
     
     
       28. The memory card according to claim 6, wherein a significance of the at least one parameter according to the basic addressing method is different from a significance of the at least one parameter according to the expanded addressing method. 
     
     
       29. The memory card according to claim 6, further comprising a register for storing an indication of the number of memory locations addressed according to the expanded addressing method. 
     
     
       30. A memory card comprising:
 several memory locations for storing data, and in which memory card is stored at least one parameter, the memory card configured so that the number of memory locations of the memory card can be calculated on the basis of said at least one parameter,   the memory card configured so that a specific number of bits is reserved for said at least one parameter, and   the memory card further configured to have stored therein an addressing data, said addressing data being indicative of at least one addressing method supported,   wherein the addressing data indicates either a basic addressing method or an expanded addressing method,   wherein the expanded addressing method enables the addressing of data in a larger number of memory locations than the basic addressing method, and   wherein the memory card is configured so that, if the addressing data indicates that the memory card supports the expanded addressing method, the memory card uses the expanded addressing method in response to a successful reading of the addressing data that indicates support of the expanded addressing method.   
     
     
       31. A memory card comprising:
 several memory locations for storing data, and in which memory card is stored at least one parameter, the memory card configured so that the number of memory locations of the memory card can be calculated on the basis of said at least one parameter,   the memory card configured so that a specific number of bits is reserved for said at least one parameter, and   the memory card further configured to have stored therein an addressing data, said addressing data being indicative of at least one addressing method supported,   wherein the addressing data indicates either a basic addressing method or an expanded addressing method, and   wherein the memory card is configured so that, if the addressing data indicates that the memory card supports the expanded addressing method, the memory card uses the expanded addressing method in response to a successful reading of the addressing data that indicates support of the expanded addressing method.