Patents Examined by Min Huang
  • Patent number: 11328784
    Abstract: A memory includes memory cells having two select transistors per cell. Each of the two select transistors are coupled to two different word lines with each word line being controlled by a separate addressable word line driver circuit. In some embodiments, providing two different word lines from two different word line drivers may provide for a memory where the word lines can apply different voltages based on the memory operation being performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: NXP USA, INC.
    Inventors: Padmaraj Sanjeevarao, Jon Scott Choy
  • Patent number: 11328753
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a read/write control circuit, a core circuit, and a data conversion circuit. The read/write control circuit generates a read strobe signal and a read address from an internal address/command signal based on an internal read command during a self-write operation, generates a write strobe signal after the read strobe signal is generated, and generates a write address from the internal address/command signal. The core circuit is synchronized with the read strobe signal to output read data stored in a bank selected by the read address and is synchronized with the write strobe signal to store write data into the bank or another bank which is selected by the write address. The data conversion circuit changes a pattern of the read data to generate the write data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Min O Kim, Min Wook Oh, Yeong Han Jeong
  • Patent number: 11322195
    Abstract: A computing device in some examples includes an array of memory cells, such as 8-transistor SRAM cells, in which the read bit-lines are isolated from the nodes storing the memory states such that simultaneous read activation of memory cells sharing a respective read bit-line would not upset the memory state of any of the memory cells. The computing device also includes an output interface having capacitors connected to respective read bit-lines and have capacitance that differ, such as by factors of powers of 2, from each other. The output interface is configured to charge or discharge the capacitors from the respective read bit-lines and to permit the capacitors to share charge with each other to generate an analog output signal, in which the signal from each read bit-line is weighted by the capacitance of the capacitor connected to the read bit-line. The computing device can be used to compute, for example, sum of input weighted by multi-bit weights.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Mahmut Sinangil
  • Patent number: 11322196
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for sensing a memory cell using lower offset, higher speed sense amplifiers are described. A sense amplifier may include an amplifier component that is configurable to operate in an amplifier mode or a latch mode. In some examples, the amplifier component may be configured to operate in the amplifier or latch mode by activating or deactivating switching components inside the amplifier component. When configured to operate in the amplifier mode, the amplifier component may be used, during a read operation of a memory cell, to pre-charge a digit line and/or amplify a signal received from the memory cell. When configured to operate in the latch mode, the amplifier component may be used to latch a state of the memory cell. In some cases, the amplifier component may use some of the same internal circuitry for pre-charging the digit line, amplifying the signal, and/or latching the state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Xinwei Guo, Daniele Vimercati
  • Patent number: 11322223
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes methods and apparatuses comprising a memory component having an independent structure and including an array of memory cells with associated decoding and sensing circuitry of a read interface, a host device coupled to the memory component through a communication channel, a JTAG interface in the array of memory cells, and an additional register in the JTAG interface. The additional register is configured to store a page address associated with the array of memory cells, the memory component is configured to load the page address at the power-on of the apparatus, and the host device is configured to perform a read sequence at the page address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Antonino Mondello, Alberto Troia
  • Patent number: 11315630
    Abstract: A pseudo-dual-port memory (PDPM) is disclosed that includes a first memory array bank and a second memory array bank of a plurality of memory array banks. The PDPM also includes parallel pin control logic circuitry configured to perform operations including taking a clock signal, a memory enable signal for a first port, a memory enable signal for a second port, a parallel pin control signal, and address signals for the first and the second memory array banks as inputs and generating a first internal clock and a second internal clock for performing operations corresponding to the first and the second memory array banks at the first port and the second port. A total number of memory array banks may be up to eight memory array banks and each including either a six-transistors (6-T) SRAM bit-cell or an eight-transistors (8-T) SRAM bit-cell in static random access memory architecture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Synopsys, Inc.
    Inventors: Praveen Kumar Verma, Rohan Makwana
  • Patent number: 11309049
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a Flash memory component having a structurally independent structure and coupled to a System-on-Chip through a plurality of interconnection pads, comprising: a memory array including a plurality of independently addressable sub arrays; sense amplifiers coupled to corresponding outputs of said sub arrays and coupled to a communication channel of said System-on-Chip; a scan-chain comprising modified JTAG cells coupled in parallel between the output of the sense amplifiers and said communication channel to allow performing read operations in a Direct Memory Access. A method for retrieving data from the memory component is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Alberto Troia, Antonino Mondello
  • Patent number: 11302388
    Abstract: A word line decoder for pseudo-triple-port memory is provided that includes a first logic gate for decoding a word line address to a first word line in a word line pair and a first word line clock signal. The decoder further includes a second logic gate for decoding a word line address to a second word line in the word line pair and a second word line clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Arun Babu Pallerla, Changho Jung
  • Patent number: 11295824
    Abstract: A memory controller and a storage device including the same are provided. The memory controller groups pages in a memory block into page groups of different classes according to bit error rates, and allocates a page to be programmed according to a reliability requirement of a logical block address (LBA).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: FADU Inc.
    Inventors: Hongseok Kim, Ilyong Jung, Youngnam Kim, EHyun Nam
  • Patent number: 11295808
    Abstract: A memory device includes a control logic circuit, a write data strobe signal divider, a data transceiver, and a memory cell array. The control logic circuit generates a reset signal before a write data strobe signal provided from a memory controller starts to toggle. The write data strobe signal divider generates internal write data strobe signals that toggle depending on toggling of the write data strobe signal, the internal write data strobe signals toggling with different phases, respectively. The control logic circuit initializes the internal write data strobe signals to given values in response to the reset signal. The data transceiver receives write data provided from the memory controller based on the internal write data strobe signals. The memory cell array stores the received write data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Byongmo Moon, Jihye Kim, Je Min Ryu, Beomyong Kil, Sungoh Ahn
  • Patent number: 11289162
    Abstract: An analog content addressable memory cell includes a match line, a high side, and a low side. The high side encodes a high bound on a range of values and includes a first three terminal memory device. The first three terminal memory device includes a first gate that sets a high voltage bound of the first three terminal memory device. Specifically, an input voltage applied at the first gate of the first memory device, if higher than the high voltage bound, turns the first memory device ON which discharges the match line. Similarly, the low side encodes a lower bound on a range of values and includes a second three terminal memory device. The second three terminal memory device includes a second gate that sets a low voltage bound of the second three terminal memory device. Specifically, an input voltage applied at the second gate of the second memory device, if lower than the low voltage bound, turns the first memory device ON which discharges the match line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
    Inventors: John Paul Strachan, Catherine Graves, Can Li
  • Patent number: 11276455
    Abstract: A memory device is provided. The memory device includes a memory bank configured to store data in one or more memory cells. The memory device further includes a sense amplifier and associated circuitry configured to detect a first threshold representative of a first external voltage ramping down during a power off of the memory device, and one or more switches triggered via the sense amplifier and associated circuitry to provide for a power off sequence for the memory bank based on using a second external voltage ramping down during the power off of the memory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Takamasa Suzuki, Yasushi Matsubara, John D. Porter, Ki-Jun Nam
  • Patent number: 11264094
    Abstract: An embodiment of a semiconductor apparatus may include technology to convert an analog voltage level of a memory cell of a multi-level memory to a multi-bit digital value, and determine a single-bit value of the memory cell based on the multi-bit digital value. Some embodiments may also include technology to track a temporal history of accesses to the memory cell for a duration in excess of ten seconds, and determine the single-bit value of the memory cell based on the multi-bit digital value and the temporal history. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Bruce Querbach, Christopher Connor
  • Patent number: 11262391
    Abstract: Methods and systems to detect power outage are provided herein. The system includes a Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) to periodically poll cable modems and determine cable modems of the plurality of cable modems that are offline based on the poll. The system correlates and aggregates locations of the cable modems that are offline to determine a geographic area where a percentage of the cable modems that are offline is higher than a predetermined threshold. A report is generated indicating a power outage in the geographic area when the percentage is above the predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: CSC Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Robert G. Lee, John Nicastro, Pragash Pillai, Brian Daniels
  • Patent number: 11264103
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method, according to one embodiment, includes: determining a current operating state of a block of memory. The block includes more than one type of page therein, and at least one read voltage is associated with each of the page types. The current operating state of the block is further used to produce a hybrid calibration scheme for the block which identifies a first subset of the read voltages, and a second subset of the read voltages. The read voltages in the second subset are further organized in one or more groupings. A unique read voltage offset value is calculated for each of the read voltages in the first subset, and a common read voltage offset value is also calculated for each grouping of read voltages in the second subset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Nikolaos Papandreou, Charalampos Pozidis, Nikolas Ioannou, Roman Alexander Pletka, Radu Ioan Stoica, Sasa Tomic, Timothy Fisher, Aaron Daniel Fry, Andrew D. Walls
  • Patent number: 11250922
    Abstract: A memory cell includes: a latch, powered by a first reference voltage and a second reference voltage different from the first reference voltage, and having a first connecting terminal and a second connecting terminal; a first programmable fuse, having a first terminal coupled to the first connecting terminal and a second terminal coupled to the second reference voltage; and a second programmable fuse, having a first terminal coupled to the second connecting terminal and a second terminal coupled to the second reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: AP Memory Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Owen Yuwen Li, Wen Liang Chen
  • Patent number: 11244717
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for write operation techniques for memory systems are described. In some memory systems, write operations performed on target memory cells of the memory device may disturb logic states stored by one or more adjacent memory cells. Such disturbances may cause reductions in read margins when accessing one or more memory cells, or may cause a loss of data in one or more memory cells. The described techniques may reduce aspects of logic state degradation by supporting operational modes where a host device, a memory device, or both, refrains from writing information to a region of a memory array, or inhibits write commands associated with write operations on a region of a memory array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhongyuan Lu, Christina Papagianni, Hongmei Wang, Robert J. Gleixner
  • Patent number: 11238919
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor storage device includes a first stacked portion including a first peripheral circuit and a second stacked portion above the first stacked portion. The second stacked portion including a memory cell, a word line connected to the memory cell, a bit line connected to the memory cell and the first peripheral circuit, and at least one of a second peripheral circuit connected to the bit line and a third peripheral circuit connected to the word line. The at least one of the second or third peripheral circuits including a field effect transistor having a channel layer containing an oxide semiconductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: KIOXIA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masaharu Wada
  • Patent number: 11237828
    Abstract: This application discloses a mechanism to securely store and compute with a matrix of numbers or any two-dimensional array of binary values in a storage entity called a matrix space. A matrix space is designed to store matrices or arrays of values into arrays of volatile or non-volatile memory cells with accessibility in two or three dimensions. Any row or column or line of storage elements in the storage entity is directly accessible for writing, reading, or clearing via row bit lines and column bit lines, respectively. The elements in rows of the arrays are selected or controlled for access using row address lines and the elements in columns of the arrays are selected or controlled for access using column address lines. Access control methods and mechanisms with keys to secure, share, lock, and unlock regions in the matrix space for matrices and arrays under the control of an operating system or a virtual-machine hypervisor by permitted threads and processes are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Inventor: Sitaram Yadavalli
  • Patent number: 11237983
    Abstract: A memory device includes; a memory area including a first memory area including first memory cells storing N-bit data and a second memory area including second memory cells storing M-bit data, where ‘M’ and ‘N’ are natural numbers and M is greater than N, and a controller configured to read data stored in the first memory area using a first read operation, read data stored in the second memory area using a second read operation different from the first read operation, and selectively store data in one of the first memory area and the second memory area based on a frequency of use (FOU) of the data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Taehyo Kim, Daeseok Byeon, Taehong Kwon, Chanho Kim, Taeyun Lee