Addressing Patents (Class 365/230.01)
  • Patent number: 8848415
    Abstract: A three-dimensional array adapted for memory elements that reversibly change a level of electrical conductance in response to a voltage difference being applied across them. Memory elements are formed across a plurality of planes positioned different distances above a semiconductor substrate. Bit lines to which the memory elements of all planes are connected are oriented vertically from the substrate and through the plurality of planes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Sandisk 3D LLC
    Inventors: Roy E. Scheuerlein, Tianhong Yan
  • Publication number: 20140286118
    Abstract: A method for accessing a semiconductor device having a memory array, includes receiving a chip select signal, receiving a command signal and an address signal, receiving a verification signal, calculating an error signal based on the address signal, the command signal, and the verification signal, generating an internal chip select signal based on the received chip select signal if the error signal indicates no error, and generating an external alert signal if the error signal indicates an error.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Inventor: Chikara KONDO
  • Patent number: 8837205
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory storage device comprises an array of storage devices including a plurality of rows of the storage devices and a plurality of columns of the storage devices, a first plurality of write ports, a write select signal coupled to the write ports, a plurality of write port address lines coupled as input to each of the write ports, and a first plurality of word line select circuits coupled to receive an address signal and the write select signal for each of the write ports and to provide a single selected write word line signal to a respective one of the rows of the storage devices for one of the first plurality of write ports activated by the write select signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Perry H. Pelley, Ravindraraj Ramaraju, Andrew C. Russell
  • Patent number: 8830785
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory apparatus comprises first and second memory blocks each comprising semiconductor elements coupled to first and second local line groups, a first switching circuit configured to couple a first global line group to the first local line group of the first memory block in response to a block selection signal, a second switching circuit configured to couple a second global line group to the second local line groups of the first and second memory blocks in response to the block selection signal, and a third switching circuit configured to couple the first global line group to the first local line group of the second memory block in response to the block selection signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Sung Bo Shim, Sang Don Lee, Jong Woo Kim
  • Patent number: 8824236
    Abstract: A memory access control device including: a bit position information storage unit storing bit position information indicating one or more bit positions in a bit sequence of a predetermined length; a reading unit configured to attempt to read a bit sequence from the range specified by the logical address received by the logical address receiving unit, thereby receiving a first bit sequence from the external memory in units of the predetermined length, the first bit sequence being composed of bits that are larger in number than bits stored in the range specified by the logical address; a bit sequence extracting unit configured to extract one or more bit sequences from the first bit sequence at the one or more bit positions indicated by the bit position information in units of the predetermined length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Morimoto, Takashi Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 8825947
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to systems and methods for improving access to non-volatile solid-state storage systems. Embodiments described herein provide a physical chunk number (PCN), or a physical page number (PPN), by which a controller can access the next available chunks (or pages) in a programming sequence optimized by concurrency. By incrementing the PCN, the controller can program consecutive chunks in the optimized programming sequence. In one embodiment, the programming sequence is determined at the time of initial configuration and the sequence seeks to synchronize data programming and data sending operations in subcomponents of the storage system to minimize contention and wait time. In one embodiment, the PCN includes an index portion to a superblock table with entries that reference specific blocks within the subcomponents in a sequence that mirrors the optimized programming sequence, and a local address portion that references a particular chunk to be programmed or read.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Mei-Man L. Syu
  • Publication number: 20140241097
    Abstract: Methods of loading trim address and trim data pairs to a trim register array, and apparatus configured to perform such methods. The methods maintain a correspondence between the trim address and the trim data of each trim address and trim data pair in the trim register array. The trim address of a particular trim address and trim data pair corresponds to a storage location of a trim settings array containing trim settings used in performing operations on an array of memory cells. The trim data of the particular trim address and trim data pair corresponds to data to modify a value of the storage location of the trim settings array corresponding to the trim address of the particular trim address and trim data pair.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Inventors: Mark Hawes, Violante Moschiano
  • Publication number: 20140241098
    Abstract: A memory device may be provided which includes a memory cell array including a plurality of sub arrays each sub array having a plurality of memory cells connected to bit lines; an address buffer configured to receive a row address and a column address; and a column decoder configured to receive the column address from the address buffer and, for each of the sub arrays, to select a column selection line corresponding to the column address, from among a plurality of column selection lines, based on different offset values applied to the sub arrays, respectively. The selected column selection lines correspond to bit lines having different physical locations, respectively, according to the different offset values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong-Pil SON, Young-Soo SOHN, Chul-Woo PARK, Cheol-Heui PARK
  • Patent number: 8797822
    Abstract: A method for accessing a plurality of DRAM devices each having a plurality of banks, includes determining an operating mode for the plurality of DRAM devices, providing a chip selection address and a bank address with an active command to activate a first bank in a first one of the plurality of DRAM devices and, while the first bank in the first one of the plurality of DRAM devices is activated, one or more first banks in remaining DRAM devices of the plurality of DRAM devices are: not activated if the operating mode is determined to be a logical rank address mode, and possibly activated if the operating mode is determined to be a physical rank address mode, and subsequently providing at least a bank address with a column command to access the first bank in the first one of the plurality of DRAM devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: PS4 Luxco S.A.R.L.
    Inventor: Homare Sato
  • Patent number: 8797808
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a non-volatile memory unit; a data bus configured to transfer data outputted from the non-volatile memory unit; a selection signal generation unit configured to generate a plurality of selection signals based on a clock; and a plurality of latch sets configured to each be enabled in response to a selection signal that corresponds to the latch set among the selection signals and store the data transferred through the data bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Jeongsu Jeong
  • Publication number: 20140204687
    Abstract: A method and a system are provided for performing address-based memory access assist. An address is received for a memory access and a determination is made, based on the address, that access assist is enabled for at least one storage cell corresponding to the address. The access assist is applied to the at least one storage cell to perform the memory access.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2014
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Mahmut Ersin Sinangil, William J. Dally
  • Patent number: 8787101
    Abstract: Various embodiments include apparatus, systems, and methods having multiple dice arranged in a stack in which a defective cell may be replaced by a spare cell on the same die or a different die. Other embodiments are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Brent Keeth, Chris G. Martin, Troy A. Manning, Joe M. Jeddeloh, Timothy B. Cowles, Jim Rehmeyer, Paul A. LaBerge
  • Patent number: 8767484
    Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises a first region and a second region. The first region includes a plurality of memory cells each of which holds respective data and a plurality of sense amplifiers that respectively amplify the data in the plurality of memory cells, based on a first voltage. The second region is provided along one side of the first region and includes a first power supply generation circuit that generates the first voltage, based on a second voltage. The second voltage being supplied to the first power supply circuit by a first power supply interconnect extends on the first region in a first direction parallel to the one side of the first region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Inventors: Minoru Yamagami, Hisayuki Nagamine
  • Patent number: 8767470
    Abstract: Bit lines of a memory segment are read at substantially the same time by coupling a selected memory segment and, at some of the data lines of any intervening segments, to respective data caches. The bit lines of the unselected memory segments that are not used to couple the selected segment to the data caches can be coupled to their respective source lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Tomoharu Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20140177375
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include an apparatus, method, and system for integrating data processing logic with memory. An embodiment of a memory integrated circuit is designed to execute a task on the data in a memory array within a memory integrated circuit. The memory integrated circuit can include a memory array, a data access component, a data holding component, and a logic component. The data access component can be coupled to the memory array and configured to provide an address to the memory array. The data holding component can be coupled to the memory array and configured to temporarily store the data in the memory array located at the address. The logic component can be coupled to both the data access component and the data holding component, and be configured to execute a task using data received from the data holding component. The logic component can include combinational or sequential logic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: Spansion LLC
    Inventor: Mark A. McClain
  • Patent number: 8760956
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a data processing method and apparatus. According to the embodiments of the present invention, when it is found that a data hash value in a currently received data stream exceeds a preset first threshold, a part or all of data in the data stream is not deduplicated, and is directly stored, so as to prevent the data in the data stream from being dispersedly stored into a plurality of storage areas; instead, the part or all of the data is stored into a storage area in a centralized manner, so that a deduplication rate is effectively improved on the whole, particularly in a scenario of large data storage amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yanhui Zhong, Zongquan Zhang
  • Patent number: 8751734
    Abstract: A predetermined number of erasable blocks positioned at a start of a volume area in a semiconductor memory card are provided so as to include volume management information. A user area following the volume management information includes a plurality of clusters. A size of a partition control area from a master boot record & partition table sector to a partition boot sector is determined so that the plurality of clusters in the user area are not arranged so as to straddle erasable block boundaries. Since cluster boundaries and erasable block boundaries in the user area are aligned, there is no need to perform wasteful processing in which two erasable blocks are erased to rewrite one cluster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takuji Maeda, Teruto Hirota
  • Patent number: 8750059
    Abstract: A memory array has a plurality of rows. Each row of the plurality of rows includes a plurality of memory words. Each first bit of a plurality of first bits is associated with a memory word of the each row. A state of the each first bit indicates whether the memory word associated the each first bit has had an error. Each redundancy row of a plurality of redundancy rows includes a plurality of redundancy words. Each redundancy word is associated with a memory word. Each second bit of a plurality of second bits is associated with a redundancy word of the plurality of redundancy words of the each row of the plurality of redundancy rows. A state of the each second bit indicates whether the redundancy word associated with the each second bit has had an error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Cormac Michael O'Connell
  • Patent number: 8743649
    Abstract: A memory has memory cells in a matrix; a first selection unit selecting any of first signal lines in the memory cells, in response to an access request; a second selection unit selecting any of second signal lines in the memory cells, after the first selection unit starts operating; a first voltage generation unit generating a first power supply voltage supplied to the first selection unit; a second voltage generation unit generating a second power supply voltage supplied to the second selection unit, when a start-up signal is active; a switch short-circuiting first and second power supply lines, when a short-circuit signal is active; and a power supply voltage control unit which activates the start-up signal in response to the access request, activates the short-circuit signal after a predetermined time elapses since activation of the start-up signal, deactivates the short-circuit signal and the start-up signal after completion of access operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventor: Takahiko Sato
  • Patent number: 8743651
    Abstract: A memory includes a plurality of latching predecoders, each including a first transistor coupled between a power supply voltage and a latch and having a control electrode coupled to a clock signal; a second transistor coupled to the first transistor and having a control electrode coupled to a first address bit signal; a third transistor coupled to the second transistor and having a control electrode coupled to a second address bit signal; a fourth transistor coupled to the third transistor and having a control electrode coupled to a delayed and inverted version of the clock signal; a fifth transistor coupled between the fourth transistor and ground and having a control electrode coupled to the clock signal; and an output which provides a predecode value during a first portion of a clock cycle of the clock signal and a predetermined logic level during a second portion of the clock cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Hema Ramamurthy, Ravindraraj Ramaraju
  • Patent number: 8737123
    Abstract: A system includes a control chip and a plurality of command terminals receiving a plurality of command signals, respectively; a command decoder coupled to the command terminals, the command decoder being configured to output an internal command in response to the command signals; and a layer address buffer configured to output a layer address each time the command decoder outputs a row command as the internal command and outputs a column command as the internal command; and a plurality of core chips stacked with one another, each of the core chips being configured to receive the, row command and the layer address output together with the row command, to receive the column command and the layer address output together with the column command, and to free from receiving the command signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Inventor: Akira Ide
  • Patent number: 8737156
    Abstract: A solution is provided to flexibly choose a combination of flash memory devices to reduce the overall cost of the flash memory devices or increase the overall utilization of the flash memory devices, while satisfying the capacity requirements for the flash memory devices in a system design, wherein a decoding unit is used for determining which flash memory devices will be accessed and re-mapping incoming serial addressing bits, for accessing one flash memory device, into an outgoing serial addressing bits for accessing another flash memory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: ITE Tech. Inc.
    Inventor: Ching-Min Hou
  • Publication number: 20140140162
    Abstract: A memory device is provided including a cell array and a volatile storage device. The cell array may include a plurality of word lines, a plurality of bit lines, wherein a selection of a word line and bit line defines a memory cell address, and a non-volatile reserved word line for storing configuration information for the cell array. The volatile storage device is coupled to the cell array. The configuration information from the non-volatile reserved word line is copied to the volatile storage device upon power-up or initialization of the memory device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2012
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Jung Pill Kim, Taehyun Kim, Sungryul Kim
  • Patent number: 8730743
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes: a memory controller configured to determine whether a memory cell included in a semiconductor memory device is defective or not and extract a fail address having positional information of the defective memory cell, in a test mode; and a fail address storage unit configured to store the fail address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Yong Deok Cho
  • Publication number: 20140133259
    Abstract: The disclosed embodiments relate to components of a memory system that support error detection and correction by means of storage and retrieval of error correcting codes. In specific embodiments, this memory system includes a memory device, which further contains a memory bank. During operation, the memory device receives a request to concurrently access a data word at a first row in a first storage region of the memory bank and error information associated with the data at a second row in a second storage region of the memory bank. Moreover, the memory request includes a first row address identifying the first row and a second row address identifying the second row. Next, the memory device routes the first row address and the second row address to a first row decoder and a second row decoder in the memory bank, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2014
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: RAMBUS INC.
    Inventor: Richard E. Perego
  • Patent number: 8717820
    Abstract: A method for electrically programming a non-volatile memory in which a programming cycle includes prior addressing of memory cells from an initial address corresponding to a first row and a column of a memory plane. The method may include addressing the memory cells in a second consecutive row when the end of the first row is reached to store data on bits with consecutive and increasing addresses in two consecutive rows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Rousset) SAS
    Inventors: Francois Tailliet, Yvon Bahout
  • Publication number: 20140112048
    Abstract: Among other things, an n-bit ROM cell, such as a twin-bit ROM cell, and techniques for addressing one or more ROM cell portions of the n-bit ROM cell are provided. A twin-bit ROM cell comprises a first ROM cell portion adjacent to or substantially contiguous with a second ROM cell portion. The first ROM cell portion is associated with a first data bit value. The second ROM cell portion is associated with a second data bit value distinct from the first data bit value. Because the first ROM cell portion is adjacent to the second ROM cell portion, OD-to-OD spacing between the twin-bit ROM cell and an adjacent twin-bit ROM cell is increased to provide, for example, improved isolation, cell current, ROM speed, and VCCmin performance in comparison with single-bit ROM cells, while maintaining a substantially similar to pitch as the single-bit ROM cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2012
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
    Inventors: Ching-Wei Wu, Kuang Ting Chen, Cheng Hung Lee
  • Patent number: 8705276
    Abstract: A reading method of a semiconductor memory device having a multi-level memory cell includes the steps of: reading flag data indicating whether the most significant bit (MSB) of data programmed in the multi-level memory cell is programmed or not; storing the read flag data; reading the least significant bit (LSB) of the data programmed in the multi-level memory cell, based on the read flag data; and reading the MSB of the data programmed in the multi-level memory cell based on the stored flag data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Wan Seob Lee
  • Patent number: 8706999
    Abstract: A method of performing cascaded flashcopy (FC) including starting a flashcopy map when a target disk is already a source of an active FC map. A computer storage system includes a configuration that allows a flashcopy (FC) map to be started when a target disk is already the source of an active FC map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John P. Agombar, Christopher B. E. Beeken, Stephanie Machleidt
  • Publication number: 20140098597
    Abstract: A memory includes an array of memory cells that form rows and columns. The rows include memory cell pairs. The memory cells may include two cross-coupled inverters and two pass-devices that couple to alternate sides of the cross-coupled inverters. For a read operation, a wordline drive circuit selects one memory cell of the pair, the selected memory cell being an addressed memory cell while the remaining cell is an unaddressed memory cell. In response to a wordline enable signal, a pass gate in the addressed memory cell couples the addressed memory cell via a complement bitline to an evaluation gate that resolves the data from the read operation. During the read operation, the unaddressed memory cell couples via another pass gate to a true bitline that terminates without an evaluation gate to conserve energy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2013
    Publication date: April 10, 2014
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael Ju Hyeok Lee, Bao G. Truong
  • Patent number: 8693277
    Abstract: Such a device is disclosed that includes a first chip outputting a bank address signal and an active signal, and a plurality of second chips stacked on the first chip. Each of the second chips includes a plurality of memory banks each selected based on the bank address signal. Selected one or ones of the memory banks is brought into an active state in response to the active signal. Each of the second chips activates a local bank active signal when at least one of the memory banks included therein is in the active state. The first chip activates a bank active signal when at least one of the local bank active signals is activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Elpida Memory, Inc.
    Inventor: Junichi Hayashi
  • Patent number: 8687454
    Abstract: In a semiconductor storage apparatus, an internal address generation unit generates, when receiving successive first and second external addresses, from the second external address an internal address for selecting any of the memory cells connected to bit lines and word lines except the bit line and word line connected to a memory cell to be selected according to the first external address. When receiving the successive external addresses, a memory cell connected to the same bit line and word line is not continuously selected, and erroneous readout due to rewriting of a value of the memory cell in a non-selected state is suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Jin Abe, Osamu Ishibashi, Masahiro Ise
  • Publication number: 20140078850
    Abstract: An access detection section detects access to an access object circuit and outputs a signal which restricts switching the access object circuit from a first operation state to a second operation state (low power consumption operation state) in which power consumption is lower than power consumption in the first operation state (normal operation state) until no-access period which lasts from last access to next access reaches a first period. An operation control section controls operation of the access object circuit according to the output of the access detection section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2013
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: FUJITSU SEMICONDUCTOR LIMITED
    Inventor: Yasuyuki EGUCHI
  • Patent number: 8675442
    Abstract: A sacrificial memory bank is added to a block of regular banks in a memory to reduce dynamic power consumption of the memory. The sacrificial bank is accessed by a set of bit lines that is substantially shorter than corresponding bit lines extending through all of the regular memory banks. Memory read and write operations, which are addressed to one of the regular banks, are deliberately redirected to the sacrificial bank having the short bit lines. Tracking circuitry identifies the regular bank that was addressed for each location in the sacrificial bank. Data is moved from the sacrificial bank to a regular bank only when a new write operation does not match the bank of the previous write operation. Dynamic power is reduced because locality of reference causes access to the sacrificial bank without having to access a regular bank for most memory read and write operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Hari M. Rao
  • Patent number: 8670286
    Abstract: Memories, memory arrays, and methods for selectively providing electrical power to memory sections of a memory array are disclosed. A memory array can be operated by decoupling row decoder circuitry from receiving electrical power while the memory array is not being accessed. Portions of the memory array to be accessed are determined from external memory addresses and the row decoder for the portions of the memory array to be accessed are selectively provided with electrical power. The section of memory is then accessed. One such array includes memory section voltage supply rails having decoder circuits coupled to receive electrical power, and further includes memory section power control logic. The control logic selectively couples the memory section voltage supply rail to a primary voltage supply to provide electrical power to the memory section voltage supply rail in response to being selected based on memory addresses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Simon J. Lovett
  • Patent number: 8670275
    Abstract: The apparatuses and methods described herein may comprise a memory array formed on a semiconductor substrate and including a plurality of cells associated with a plurality of word lines. The memory array may comprise a plurality of sub-blocks including a first sub-block and a second sub-block. Each sub-block may comprise a memory cell portion of the plurality of memory cells associated with a corresponding word line portion of the plurality of word lines. The memory cell portions in the first and second sub-blocks may be independently addressable with respect to each other such that a second operation can be performed on at least one memory cell of the memory cell portion of the second sub-block responsive to suspending a first operation directed to at least one memory cell of the memory cell portion of the first sub-block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Emanuele Confalonieri
  • Patent number: 8671262
    Abstract: A memory and a method for controlling a memory including: a set of first memory blocks of identical size, intended to contain first words, a set of second memory blocks of identical size, intended to contain second words, the number of second words being identical to the number of first words, a third memory block identical to the first blocks, a fourth memory block identical to the second blocks, each memory address comprising a first portion identifying a same line in all blocks, and each first word of the third block identifying a free word from among the second words sharing a same second address portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Crolles 2) SAS
    Inventor: Cedric Minne
  • Patent number: 8665636
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, when a row address of a port A matches a row address of a port B, a memory cell is accessed only from the port A by controlling a word line potential of the port A based on a third clock, and data is exchanged between a bit line of the port A and the port A based on a first clock and data is exchanged between the bit line of the port A and the port B based on a second clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Toshikazu Fukuda
  • Patent number: 8644104
    Abstract: A memory system that includes a memory device and a memory bank. During operation, the memory device receives a request to concurrently access a data word at a first row in a first storage region of the memory bank and error information associated with the data at a second row in a second storage region of the memory bank. The memory request includes a first row address identifying the first row and a second row address identifying the second row. Next, the memory device routes the first row address and the second row address to a first row decoder and a second row decoder in the memory bank, respectively. Finally, the memory device uses the first row decoder to decode the first row address to access the first row and concurrently uses the second row decoder to decode the second row address to access the second row.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventor: Richard E. Perego
  • Patent number: 8638629
    Abstract: A memory apparatus is configured to generate refresh addresses with different values in response to one refresh command and an address, and perform a plurality of refresh operations with time differences in response to the refresh addresses. Herein, the refresh operations are performed within a refresh row cycle time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Sang Hui Kim, Ju Young Seo
  • Publication number: 20140022835
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory storage device for storing data including: a plurality of storage cells, each storage cell including an access control device configured to provide the storage cell with access to or isolation from a data access port in response to an access control signal. Access control circuitry includes: access switching circuitry configured to connect a selected access control line to a voltage source; and feedback circuitry configured to feedback a change in voltage on the access control line to the access switching circuitry. The access control circuitry is configured to respond to a data access request signal to access a selected storage cell connected to a corresponding selected access control line in response to the feedback circuitry providing a feedback signal indicating that the access control line voltage has attained a predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2012
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Applicant: ARM LIMITED
    Inventors: Betina HOLD, Kenza CHARAFEDDINE, Yves Thomas LAPLANCHE
  • Patent number: 8635418
    Abstract: A memory system is provided. In the system, there are first and second sets of dynamic random access memories (DRAMs) and a system register. Each DRAM has at least a first and a second addressable mode register, where the binary address of the second mode register is the inverted binary address of the first mode register. The system register has an input configured to be coupled to a controller, an output coupled to the first set of DRAMs via first address lines and an inverted output coupled to the second set of DRAMs via second address lines. The system register is configured to receive mode register set commands including address bits and configuration bits at the input and to output the mode register set commands non-inverted via the output to the first set of DRAMs and in inverted form via the inverted output to the second set of DRAMs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Deutschland GmbH
    Inventor: Ingolf E. Frank
  • Patent number: 8625382
    Abstract: Block-row decoders, memory block-row decoders, memories, methods for deselecting a decoder of a memory and methods of selecting a block of memory are disclosed. An example memory block-row decoder includes a plurality of block-row decoders, each of the block-row decoders having a decoder switch tree. Each block-row decoder is configured to bias a block select switch of the decoder switch tree with a first voltage while the block-row decoder is deselected and further configured to bias decoders switches of the decoder switch tree that are coupled to the block select switch with a second voltage while the block-row decoder is deselected, the second voltage less than the first voltage. An example method of deselecting a decoder of a memory includes providing decoder signals having different voltages to decoder switches from at least two different levels of a decoder switch tree while the decoder is deselected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Nicholas Hendrickson
  • Patent number: 8599640
    Abstract: A memory integrated circuit has control circuitry that accesses memory cells of the memory integrated circuit. The control circuitry is responsive to commands including a first command and a second command. The first command specifies a high order set of address bits. The second command specifies a low order set of address bits. The high order set of address bits and the low order set of address bits constitute a complete access address of the memory integrated circuit. The first command and the second command have different in command codes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Macronix International Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chun-Hsiung Hung, Kuen-Long Chang, Hsieh Ming Chih
  • Patent number: 8593899
    Abstract: To improve the access efficiency of a semiconductor memory that includes a plurality of memory chips. Based on a layer address, a bank address, and a row address received in synchronization with a row command, and a layer address, a bank address, and a column address received in synchronization with a column command, a memory cell selected by the row address and column address in a bank selected by the bank address included in a core chip selected by the chip address is accessed. This can increase the number of banks recognizable to a controller, thereby improving the memory access efficiency of the semiconductor device which includes the plurality of memory chips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Elpida Memory, Inc.
    Inventor: Akira Ide
  • Patent number: 8593865
    Abstract: A nonvolatile memory device comprises a memory cell array comprising a plurality of memory blocks, an address decoder that selects one of the memory blocks in response to an input address and generates a first control signal and a second control signal, a plurality of metal lines connected with the memory blocks and extending along a first direction, a plurality of pass transistors that connect the address decoder with a first subset of the metal lines connected with the selected memory block in response to the first control signal, and a plurality of ground transistors that supply a low voltage to a second subset of the metal lines connected with unselected memory blocks in response to the second control signal. The ground transistors have channels that extend along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Su-yong Kim, Doogon Kim
  • Patent number: 8588013
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes: a strobe clock generator configured to generate a strobe clock signal having a delay time controlled according to a plurality of test mode signals which are selectively enabled in response to a read signal or write signal; an internal address generator configured to latch an address in response to a first level of the strobe clock signal, and generate an internal address by decoding the address in response to a second level of the strobe clock signal; and an output enable signal generator configured to decode the internal address and generate output enable signals which are selectively enabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Shin Ho Chu
  • Patent number: 8588024
    Abstract: A static memory system with multiple memory cell that, in response to a reset signal, simultaneously resets or clears a segment of the memory cells in the memory. Clearing the entire memory or a portion thereof is accomplished by sequencing though a subset of address bits while asserting the reset signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: LSI Corporation
    Inventors: Manish Umedlal Patel, Vikash
  • Patent number: 8588017
    Abstract: A memory module can include a plurality of dynamic memory devices that each can include a dynamic memory cell array with respective regions therein, where the plurality of dynamic memory devices can be configured to operate the respective regions responsive to a command. A DRAM management unit can be on the module and coupled to the plurality of dynamic memory devices, and can include a memory device operational parameter storage circuit that is configured to store memory device operational parameters for the respective regions to affect operation of the respective regions responsive to the command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chul-woo Park, Young-hyun Jun, Joo-sun Choi, Hong-sun Hwang
  • Publication number: 20130286716
    Abstract: A method of operating a memory circuit compatible with dynamic random access memories (DRAM) and static random access memories (SRAM) is disclosed. The method includes selecting a word line (708) connected to a row of memory cells in response to a plurality of row address signals and selecting a plurality of columns (706,710) of memory cells in response to a plurality of column address signals. A first part (714) of the plurality of columns is selected in response to a first voltage applied to the selected word line. A second part (716) of the plurality of columns is selected in response to a second voltage applied to the selected word line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2013
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Inventor: Robert Newton Rountree