Patents by Inventor Michael F. Vincent

Michael F. Vincent 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).

  • Patent number: 6246619
    Abstract: A circuit for a DRAM is described which, when in test mode, notifies a tester when the self-refresh operation of a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) reaches various stages of completion. By signaling the tester when, i.e., ⅛, ¼, ½, etc. of the self-refresh cycle is reached, the amount of time needed for verification of the self-refresh oscillator frequency is reduced correspondingly by a factor of 8, 4, 2 etc. The signaling of a partial test time is achieved by adding self-refresh status logic circuits which decode the high order most significant bits of the refresh address counter. The activation of the third most significant bit signals completion of ⅛th of the self-refresh cycle, the activation of the second most significant bit signals completion of ¼th of the self-refresh cycle, the activation of the most significant bit signals completion of ½ of the self-refresh cycle, and deactivation of the most significant bit signals completion of the self-refresh cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2001
    Assignee: Vanguard International Semiconductor Corp.
    Inventors: Christopher Ematrudo, Jeffrey S. Earl, Michael C. Stephens, Jr., Luigi Ternullo, Jr., Michael F. Vincent