Flash Memory Data Disordering With ECC for Secure Firmware Access

The patent applies preliminary action by performing error correction encoding on data before it is written to flash memory. The controller encodes the data in advance, storing both the encoded data and error correction codes in the flash memory. This preliminary encoding ensures that when data is read back, any transmission errors can be automatically detected and corrected, thereby improving data security and reliability without requiring complex real-time processing during data access operations.

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the data packet into multiple segments or blocks, each of which is independently encoded with error correction codes. Instead of encoding the entire data packet as one large unit, the data is split into smaller manageable chunks. This segmentation reduces the processing time for each encoding operation while still providing comprehensive error protection across the entire data set, thereby balancing data integrity with processing efficiency.

The patent introduces an intermediary component in the form of a dedicated error correction module within the controller. This intermediary module automatically handles the complex tasks of encoding, dispersing, and encrypting data before it is stored in flash memory, and performs the reverse operations during data retrieval. By offloading these complex operations to a specialized intermediary component, the system enhances data protection while maintaining ease of operation for the end user, as the complexity is hidden within the controller's internal processing.