Patents by Inventor Frederick A. Ware

Frederick A. Ware has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20230120661
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory system includes a first semiconductor memory die and a second semiconductor memory die. The first semiconductor memory die includes a primary data interface to receive an input data stream during write operations and to deserialize the input data stream into a first plurality of data streams, and also includes a secondary data interface, coupled to the primary data interface, to transmit the first plurality of data streams. The second semiconductor memory die includes a secondary data interface, coupled to the secondary data interface of the first semiconductor memory die, to receive the first plurality of data streams.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2022
    Publication date: April 20, 2023
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Amir Amirkhany, Suresh Rajan, Mohammad Hekmat, Dinesh Patil
  • Patent number: 11630607
    Abstract: Memory devices and a memory controller that controls such memory devices. Multiple memory devices receive commands and addresses on a command/address (C/A) bus that is relayed point-to-point by each memory device. Data is received and sent from these devices to/from a memory controller in a point-to-point configuration by adjusting the width of each individual data bus coupled between the individual memory devices and the memory controller. Along with the C/A bus are clock signals that are regenerated by each memory device and relayed. The memory controller and memory devices may be packaged on a single substrate using package-on-package technology. Using package-on-package technology allows the relayed C/A signals to connect from memory device to memory device using wire bonding. Wirebond connections provide a short, high-performance signaling environment for the chip-to-chip relaying of the C/A signals and clocks from one memory device to the next in the daisy-chain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventor: Frederick Ware
  • Patent number: 11625346
    Abstract: Memory controllers, devices, modules, systems and associated methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, an integrated circuit (IC) memory component is disclosed that includes a memory core, a primary interface, and a secondary interface. The primary interface includes data input/output (I/O) circuitry and control/address (C/A) input circuitry, and accesses the memory core during a normal mode of operation. The secondary interface accesses the memory core during a fault mode of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Kenneth L. Wright
  • Patent number: 11621030
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a memory device includes a memory core and input receivers to receive commands and data. The memory device also includes a register to store a value that indicates whether a subset of the input receivers are powered down in response to a control signal. A memory controller transmits commands and data to the memory device. The memory controller also transmits the value to indicate whether a subset of the input receivers of the memory device are powered down in response to the control signal. In addition, in response to a self-fresh command, the memory device defers entry into a self-refresh operation until receipt of the control signal that is received after receiving the self-refresh command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne F. Ellis, Wayne S. Richardson, Akash Bansal, Frederick A. Ware, Lawrence Lai, Kishore Ven Kasamsetty
  • Publication number: 20230101873
    Abstract: A memory module includes a substrate, plural memory devices, and a buffer. The plural memory devices are organized into at least one rank, each memory device having plural banks. The buffer includes a primary interface for communicating with a memory controller and a secondary interface coupled to the plural memory devices. For each bank of each rank of memory devices, the buffer includes data buffer circuitry and address buffer circuitry. The data buffer circuitry includes first storage to store write data transferred during a bank cycle interval (tRR). The address buffer circuitry includes second storage to store address information corresponding to the data stored in the first storage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Craig E. Hampel
  • Publication number: 20230101128
    Abstract: Memory controllers, devices, modules, systems and associated methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, an integrated circuit (IC) memory controller is disclosed. The IC memory controller includes a first controller command/address (C/A) interface to transmit first and second read commands for first and second read data to a first memory C/A interface of a first bank group of memory. A second command/address (C/A) interface transmits third and fourth read commands for third and fourth read data to a second memory C/A interface of a second bank group of memory. Receiver circuitry receives the first and second read data via a first data link interface and the third and fourth read data via the second data link interface. For a first operating mode, the first and second read data are received after respective first delays following transmission of the first and second read commands and at a first serialization ratio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventor: Frederick A. Ware
  • Publication number: 20230100348
    Abstract: A multi-rank memory system in which calibration operations are performed between a memory controller and one rank of memory while data is transferred between the controller and other ranks of memory. A memory controller performs a calibration operation that calibrates parameters pertaining to transmission of data via a first data bus between the memory controller and a memory device in a first rank of memory. While the controller performs the calibration operation, the controller also transfers data with a memory device in a second rank of memory via a second data bus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventors: Ian Shaeffer, Frederick A. Ware
  • Publication number: 20230086896
    Abstract: A memory component internally generates and stores the check bits of error detect and correct code (EDC). In a first mode, during a read transaction, the check bits are sent to the memory controller along with the data on the data mask (DM) signal lines. In a second mode, an unmasked write transaction is defined where the check bits are sent to the memory component on the data mask signal lines. In a third mode, a masked write transaction is defined where at least a portion of the check bits are sent from the memory controller on the data signal lines coincident with an asserted data mask signal line. By sending the check bits along with the data, the EDC code can be used to detect and correct errors that occur between the memory component and the memory controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2022
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Inventors: Frederick A. WARE, Brent S. HAUKNESS, Lawrence LAI
  • Patent number: 11609870
    Abstract: In a modular memory system, a memory control component, first and second memory sockets and data buffer components are all mounted to the printed circuit board. The first and second memory sockets have electrical contacts to electrically engage counterpart electrical contacts of memory modules to be inserted therein, and each of the data buffer components includes a primary data interface electrically coupled to the memory control component, and first and second secondary data interfaces electrically coupled to subsets of the electrical contacts within the first and second memory sockets, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus lnc.
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Christopher Haywood
  • Patent number: 11604645
    Abstract: An integrated circuit comprising a plurality of multiplier-accumulator circuits connected in series in a linear pipeline to perform a plurality of concatenated multiply and accumulate operations, wherein each multiplier-accumulator circuit of the plurality of multiplier-accumulator circuits includes: a multiplier to multiply first data by a multiplier weight data and generate a product data, and an accumulator, coupled to the multiplier of the associated multiplier-accumulator circuit, to add second data and the product data of the associated multiplier to generate sum data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Flex Logix Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Cheng C. Wang
  • Publication number: 20230073567
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a delay circuit and first and second interface circuits. The delay circuit delays a first timing signal by an internal delay to generate an internal timing signal. The first interface circuit communicates data to an external device in response to the internal timing signal. The second interface circuit transmits an external timing signal for capturing the data in the external device. An external delay is added to the external timing signal in the external device to generate a delayed external timing signal. The delay circuit sets the internal delay based on a comparison between the delayed external timing signal and a calibration signal transmitted by the first interface circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2022
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Ely Tsern, Brian Leibowitz, Jared Zerbe
  • Publication number: 20230075057
    Abstract: Bandwidth for information transfers between devices is dynamically changed to accommodate transitions between power modes employed in a system. The bandwidth is changed by selectively enabling and disabling individual control links and data links that carry the information. During a highest bandwidth mode for the system, all of the data and control links are enabled to provide maximum information throughout. During one or more lower bandwidth modes for the system, at least one data link and/or at least one control link is disabled to reduce the power consumption of the devices. At least one data link and at least one control link remain enabled during each low bandwidth mode. For these links, the same signaling rate is used for both bandwidth modes to reduce latency that would otherwise be caused by changing signaling rates. Also, calibration information is generated for disabled links so that these links may be quickly brought back into service.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2022
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Inventor: Frederick A. WARE
  • Patent number: 11600310
    Abstract: A lateral transfer path within an adjustable-width signaling interface of an integrated circuit component is formed by a chain of logic segments that may be intercoupled in different groups to effect the lateral data transfer required in different interface width configurations, avoiding the need for a dedicated transfer path per width configuration and thereby substantially reducing number of interconnects (and thus the area) required to implement the lateral transfer structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventor: Frederick A. Ware
  • Patent number: 11600349
    Abstract: Embodiments generally relate to integrated circuit devices having through silicon vias (TSVs). In one embodiment, an integrated circuit (IC) device includes a field of TSVs and an address decoder that selectably couples at least one of the TSVs to at least one of a test input and a test evaluation circuit. In another embodiment, a method includes selecting one or more TSVs from a field of TSVs in at least one IC device, and coupling each selected TSV to at least one of a test input and a test evaluation circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Vogelsang, William Ng, Frederick A. Ware
  • Publication number: 20230052220
    Abstract: In a chip-to-chip signaling system includes at least one signaling link coupled between first and second ICs, the first IC has an interface coupled to the signaling link and timed by a first interface timing signal. The second IC has an interface coupled to the signaling link and timed by a second interface timing signal that is mesochronous with respect to the first interface timing signal. The second IC further has phase adjustment circuitry that adjusts a phase of the second interface timing signal using a digital counter implemented with Josephson-junction circuit elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2022
    Publication date: February 16, 2023
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, John Eric Linstadt, Carl W. Werner
  • Patent number: 11573897
    Abstract: A hybrid memory module includes cache of relatively fast and durable dynamic, random-access memory (DRAM) in service of a larger amount of relatively slow and wear-sensitive flash memory. An address buffer on the module maintains a static, random-access memory (SRAM) cache of addresses for data cached in DRAM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventor: Frederick A. Ware
  • Patent number: 11573849
    Abstract: During system initialization, each data buffer device and/or memory device on a memory module is configured with a unique (at least to the module) device identification number. In order to access a single device (rather than multiple buffers and/or memory devices), a target identification number is written to all of the devices using a command bus connected to all of the data buffer devices or memory devices, respectively. The devices whose respective device identification numbers do not match the target identification number are configured to ignore future command bus transactions (at least until the debug mode is turned off.) The selected device that is configured with a device identification number matching the target identification number is configured to respond to command bus transactions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Giovannini, Catherine Chen, Scott C. Best, John Eric Linstadt, Frederick A. Ware
  • Patent number: 11567120
    Abstract: A semiconductor IC device comprises a timing circuit to transfer a timing signal, the timing circuit being configured to receive a first test signal and to effect a delay in the timing signal in response to the first test signal, the first test signal including a first timing event. The semiconductor IC device further comprises an interface circuit configured to transfer the data signal in response to the timing signal, the interface circuit being further configured to receive a second test signal and to effect a delay in the data signal in response to the second test signal, the second test signal including a second timing event that is related to the first timing event according to a test criterion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventor: Frederick A. Ware
  • Patent number: 11568919
    Abstract: The embodiments described herein describe technologies for using the memory modules in different modes of operation, such as in a standard multi-drop mode or as in a dynamic point-to-point (DPP) mode (also referred to herein as an enhanced mode). The memory modules can also be inserted in the sockets of the memory system in different configurations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Suresh Rajan, Scott C. Best
  • Publication number: 20230028438
    Abstract: A memory module is disclosed that includes a substrate, a memory device that outputs read data, and a buffer. The buffer has a primary interface for transferring the read data to a memory controller and a secondary interface coupled to the memory device to receive the read data. The buffer includes error logic to identify an error in the received read data and to identify a storage cell location in the memory device associated with the error. Repair logic maps a replacement storage element as a substitute storage element for the storage cell location associated with the error.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2022
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Ely Tsern