Claims
- 1. A nonvolatile memory apparatus comprising:
a plurality of memories; and a processing unit; wherein one of said memories is a nonvolatile memory and is capable of receiving a plurality of operation commands from said processing unit, p1 wherein said nonvolatile memory operates an erase operation for erasing data stored therein in accordance with an erase command, included in said operation commands, received from said processing unit, and wherein said processing unit is capable of accessing other ones of said memories when said erase operation is being performed in said nonvolatile memory, after supplying said erase command to said nonvolatile memory.
- 2. A nonvolatile memory apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein said processing unit performs a polling to said nonvolatile memory for detecting whether said erase operation is completed or not.
- 3. A nonvolatile memory apparatus according to claim 2,
wherein said nonvolatile memory is enabled to operate a program operation for storing data in said nonvolatile memory received by a program command included in said operation commands.
- 4. A nonvolatile memory apparatus according to claim 3,
wherein said nonvolatile memory comprises a plurality of nonvolatile memory cells, wherein each of said nonvolatile memory cells has a threshold voltage within a plurality of threshold voltage distributions, wherein one of said threshold voltage distributions is indicative of an erase level to which said threshold voltage of a memory cell is moved to by said erase operation, and wherein at least one other one of said threshold voltage distributions is indicative of a program level to which said threshold voltage of a memory cell is moved to by said program operation.
- 5. A nonvolatile memory apparatus comprising:
a processing unit; a plurality of nonvolatile memories; and a input/output terminal, wherein said processing unit is capable of designating an erase operation to said nonvolatile memories for erasing data stored therein, wherein, for selective erasure, said processing unit designates said erase operation to a first nonvolatile memory for performing said erase operation in said first nonvolatile memory, wherein said processing unit is capable of inputting data from outside of said nonvolatile memory apparatus via said input/output terminal, and wherein said processing unit is capable of outputting data to outside of said nonvolatile memory apparatus via said input/output terminal.
- 6. A nonvolatile memory apparatus according to claim 5,
wherein said processing unit performs a polling to said nonvolatile memory for detecting whether said erase operation is finished or not.
- 7. A nonvolatile memory apparatus according to claim 6,
wherein said processing unit is capable of designating a program operation for storing data to said nonvolatile memories except when said erase operation is being performed in those memories.
Priority Claims (5)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
1-27271 |
Feb 1989 |
JP |
|
1-243603 |
Sep 1989 |
JP |
|
1-210262 |
Aug 1989 |
JP |
|
1-317477 |
Dec 1989 |
JP |
|
2-13614 |
Jan 1990 |
JP |
|
Parent Case Info
[0001] This application is a first continuation of application Ser. No. 09/829,053, filed Apr. 10, 2001, which, in turn, is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/425,041, filed October 19, 1999 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,259,629); which was a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/720,060, filed Sep. 27, 1996 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,016,273); which was a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/456,797, filed Jun. 1, 1995 (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,781,476); which was a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/249,899, filed May 26, 1994 (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,844,842); and which, in turn, was (1) a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/144,500, filed Nov. 2, 1993 (now abandoned), which was a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/474,994, filed Feb. 5, 1990 (now abandoned), and was (2) a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 07/888,447, filed May 28, 1992 (now abandoned), which was a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/567,391, filed Aug. 14, 1990 (now abandoned); and the contents of all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Continuations (8)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
09829053 |
Apr 2001 |
US |
Child |
10176318 |
Jun 2002 |
US |
Parent |
09425041 |
Oct 1999 |
US |
Child |
09829053 |
Apr 2001 |
US |
Parent |
08720060 |
Sep 1996 |
US |
Child |
09425041 |
Oct 1999 |
US |
Parent |
08456797 |
Jun 1995 |
US |
Child |
08720060 |
Sep 1996 |
US |
Parent |
08249899 |
May 1994 |
US |
Child |
08456797 |
Jun 1995 |
US |
Parent |
07474994 |
Feb 1990 |
US |
Child |
08144500 |
Nov 1993 |
US |
Parent |
07888447 |
May 1992 |
US |
Child |
08144500 |
Nov 1993 |
US |
Parent |
07567391 |
Aug 1990 |
US |
Child |
07888447 |
May 1992 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08144500 |
Nov 1993 |
US |
Child |
08249899 |
May 1994 |
US |