Selective error control coding in memory devices

Abstract

A method includes determining that a received data stream includes metadata and content, applying error control coding to the received metadata, disabling error control coding for the received content, and storing the metadata, the error control coding, and the content in a memory device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a storage device including a non-volatile memory and configured to receive a data stream including metadata and to identify the metadata in the data stream, the storage device further configured to apply error control coding to the metadata to provide metadata error control code and to store the data stream and the metadata error control code in the non-volatile memory.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the non-volatile memory comprises a circular buffer. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the storage device includes an error control coding module, the storage device configured to apply error control coding to the metadata using the error control coding module and to cause content of the data stream to bypass the error control coding module. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the storage device includes a first buffer configured to store content of the data stream and a second buffer configured to store the metadata. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the storage device includes a memory controller coupled to the non-volatile memory and configured to store the data stream and the metadata error control code in the non-volatile memory. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the storage device is further configured to disable error control coding responsive, at least in part, to receipt of the content. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the content comprises multimedia information. 
     
     
         8 . A method, comprising:
 selectively applying, with an error control module, error control coding to metadata of a data stream to provide error control encoded metadata; and   selectively applying error control coding to content of the data stream.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 storing the content and the error control encoded metadata in a frame buffer; and   storing the content and the error control encoded metadata in a circular buffer.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said storing the content and the error control encoded metadata in a circular buffer comprises storing the content and the error control encoded metadata at a head location of the circular buffer. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 determining whether the metadata includes an error.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising separating the data stream to provide the metadata and the content. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said selectively applying error control coding to content of the data stream comprises disabling error control coding. 
     
     
         14 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with instructions executable by a processor, the instructions comprising instructions for:
 selectively applying error control coding to metadata of a data stream; and   selectively applying error control coding to content of the data stream.   
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the data stream comprises multimedia information. 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the instructions for selectively applying error control coding to metadata of a data stream comprise instructions for selectively applying error control coding using a linear code. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions for selectively applying error control coding using a linear code comprise instructions for error control coding using a Hamming code, a Bose-Chaudhuri-Hocquenghem code, a Reed Solomon code, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for separating the data stream into the metadata and the content. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the instructions for selectively applying error control coding to content of the data stream comprise instructions for disabling error control coding. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the instructions for selectively applying error control coding to metadata of a data stream comprise instructions for selectively applying error control coding to metadata of a data stream to provide error control encoded metadata, wherein the instructions further include instructions for storing the error control encoded metadata and the content in a frame buffer.