"In other words the way I understood what was being told me that any "different hardware, firmware and especially software" that any manufacturer would have to add or change to make their product unique would change the power consumption of the battery."

e.Digital has an OS managed through a Microcontroller. The OS is software based having numerous API components....create a file, delete a file, rename a file, copy a file.....etc or file management. The count of API components was 24, don't know if that has been improved upon. Anyway, it has all the necessary components allowing for organizational features and security. Through toggled events of a user interface to microcontroller, passing varying voltage signal strengths make varying combinations of different APIs react.

IMO, it is the format(logical overlay) of memory, and the way it tracks/finds and organizes cell patterns through the API toggles, that is the most important aspect of the patents. They do it totally different than others do, they manipulate the logical overlay as one entity with the toggles. Doing this in flash(or any nonvolatile environment) they do not forward large files or portions of files(shadow or page) to other working memory. They do it within the nonvolatile environment, manipulating the cells(data segments) directly, or, discrete manipulation as they state it. This is patented!!, and in my opinion, can be utilized for more than user interface toggling events. Note on "they do not forward files(shadow or page)" in not having to do this, allows for a very fault tolerant system along with direct file segment editing.

Note: "and in my opinion, can be utilized for more than user interface toggling events."however, the developments from the user interface(patented) to Microcontroller, in toggling software API/hardware combinations, is very important.

The matrix of a memory, being, all its cells, relating to their address decoder, physical voltage signal connects for program or reset,.... such as 8bits(or cells) at a time....or other, are matched(or formatted) to the features of the API. Whatever the physical characteristics of the memory are, the OS will be set to, particulaly the high speed cache or burning element.

The OS, combined with hardware Microcontroller/ SRAM cache become... Firmware or controller. This controller can be mounted to a raw flash(or any memory) having a ROW read(NAND) or a ROW/COLUMN read(NOR), as it is stated in the claims, both are treated the same under the NAND environment or ROW read. All the operating system does is organize data under its formatted environment. (Note: to BL, if he reviewed the aspects of IC-312 of patent 5809336 and the way the memory is addressed...the similarity is here, to some extent. With that, I think you're fine where you are for some time, with regard to edigs patent infringement anyway)

e.Digital Firmware has the ability of low level API bios(such as interfacing to raw flash program/reset or/and other hardware devices) along with high level API file attributes of its own .nfs, or, altered to/for other OS attributes, where, it creates and manipulates for them under its patented environment....allowing great portability without the need of other firmware.

As far as the OS goes, they have covered the most important features to format a background environment(patented) and manipulate the physical cells...creating a main memory out of a nonvolatile memory.

Now comes their applications of recording, such as, audio or video. Other components are added in front of the OS...analog to digital converter, compression codec, etc. When you push(toggle) a particular device feature, varying software APIs(as opposed to ASIC) and associated components react. Any "different hardware, firmware and especially software" not capable under the above noted environment will burn power associated to their requirements.

doni