Patents Represented by Attorney Charles Shemwell
  • Patent number: 8344475
    Abstract: In a system having a memory device, an event is detected during system operation. The memory device is heated to reverse use-incurred degradation of the memory device in response to detecting the event. In another system, the memory device is heated to reverse use-incurred degradation concurrently with execution of a data access operation within another memory device of the system. In another system having a memory controller coupled to first and second memory devices, data is evacuated from the first memory device to the second memory device in response to determining that a maintenance operation is needed within the first memory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Ian P. Shaeffer, Gary B. Bronner, Brent S. Haukness, Kevin S. Donnelly, Frederick A. Ware, Mark A. Horowitz
  • Patent number: 8320202
    Abstract: A memory system having first and second memory devices and a termination component. A first signal line is coupled to the first memory device to provide first data, associated with a write command, to the first memory device, and a second signal line coupled to the second memory device to provide second data, associated with the write command, to the second memory device. A control signal path is coupled to the first and second memory devices and the termination component such that the write command propagating on the control signal path propagates past the first memory device and the second memory device before reaching the termination component. A third signal line is provided to convey a clock signal that indicates when the write command propagating on the control signal path is to be sampled by the first and second memory devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Ely K. Tsern, Richard E. Perego, Craig E. Hampel
  • Patent number: 8319855
    Abstract: A method for image acquisition and conversion includes low-pass filtering an image by an acquisition lens, producing from the low-pass filtered image, an up-sampled image with a first resolution with an up-sampling factor using a image sensor. The up-sampled image is converted into a multi-level image with a second resolution lower than the first resolution with an image processing circuit. The converting depends on the low-pass filtering of the lens and on the up-sampling factor. The method is adapted to gigapixel sensors and convention image sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Feng Yang, Yue Lu, Martin Vetterli
  • Patent number: 8295107
    Abstract: A plurality of control signals are asserted within an asynchronous integrated circuit memory device in response to each transition of a memory access initiation signal to effect pipelined memory access operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Ely K. Tsern, Craig E. Hampel, Donald C. Stark
  • Patent number: 8244691
    Abstract: Redundant data is removed from a volume of data by partitioning the volume of data into fixed-length input segments and, for each of the input segments, traversing nodes of a search tree in accordance with the value of a fixed-size portion of the input segment to determine if the search tree contains a pointer to a matching fixed-sized portion of a segment within a dictionary. If the search tree contains the pointer, the input segment is compared with the segment within the dictionary pointed to by the pointer, and a token representative of the segment within the dictionary is substituted for at least part of the input segment determined to match the segment within the dictionary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Infineta Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Karempudi V. Ramarao
  • Patent number: 8231996
    Abstract: Methods of cooling a battery pack comprising a large number of cells are disclosed in various embodiments. In one embodiment, one or more low thermal resistance heat pipes are used to transfer heat away from the battery pack. In another embodiment, the heat pipes are coupled to a cold plate cooled by circulating liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Atieva USA, Inc
    Inventors: Keith Howard, Sheau-Pyng Lin
  • Patent number: 8218382
    Abstract: In memory component having a write-timing calibration mode, control information that specifies a write operation is received via a first external signal path and write data corresponding to the write operation is received via a second external signal path. The memory component receives multiple delayed versions of a timing signal used to indicate that the write data is valid write data, and outputs signals corresponding to the multiple delayed versions of the timing signal to enable determination, in a memory controller, of a delay interval between outputting the control information on the first external signal path and outputting the write data on the second external signal path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventor: Frederick A. Ware
  • Patent number: 8214616
    Abstract: A memory controller is disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the memory controller may comprise a first transmitter to output first and second write commands synchronously with respect to a clock signal, a second transmitter to output first data using a first timing offset such that the first data arrives at a first memory device in accordance with a predetermined timing relationship with respect to a first transition of the clock signal, and a third transmitter to output second data suing a second timing offset such that the second data arrives at a second memory device in accordance with a predetermined timing relationship with respect to a second transition of the clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Ely K. Tsern, Richard E. Perego, Craig E. Hampel
  • Patent number: 8193573
    Abstract: A method of repairing a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device to eliminate defects includes monitoring a memory endurance indicator for a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device contained in a semiconductor package. It is determined whether that the memory endurance indicator exceeds a predefined limit. Finally, in response to determining that the memory endurance indicator exceeds the predefined limit, the device is annealed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Gary B. Bronner, Ming Li, Donald R. Mullen, Frederick Ware, Kevin S. Donnelly
  • Patent number: 8188762
    Abstract: A control component outputs to an integrated circuit device an indication to apply one of a plurality of controllable termination impedance configurations at a data input of the integrated circuit device. The indication causes the integrated circuit device to apply a first of the controllable termination impedance configurations at the data input during a first internal state of the integrated circuit device corresponding to the reception of write data on the data input, and causes the integrated circuit device to apply a second of the controllable termination impedance configurations at the data input during a second internal state of the integrated circuit device that follows the first internal state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Kyung Suk Oh, Ian P. Shaeffer
  • Patent number: 8143855
    Abstract: A battery system is split into first and second battery subsystems. When the first battery subsystem reaches a first discharge level, the first battery system is decoupled from output terminals of the battery system and the second battery subsystem is coupled to the output terminals of the battery system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Atieva, Inc.
    Inventor: Kerry Davis
  • Patent number: 8089298
    Abstract: In an integrated circuit device having dynamically selected on-die termination, a set of data inputs are coupled respectively to a set of termination circuits, each termination circuit having multiple controllable termination impedance configurations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Kyung Suk Oh, Ian P. Shaeffer
  • Patent number: 8078593
    Abstract: Redundant data is removed from a volume of data by partitioning the volume of data into fixed-length input segments and, for each of the input segments, traversing nodes of a search tree in accordance with the value of a fixed-size portion of the input segment to determine if the search tree contains a pointer to a matching fixed-sized portion of a segment within a dictionary. If the search tree contains the pointer, the input segment is compared with the segment within the dictionary pointed to by the pointer, and a token representative of the segment within the dictionary is substituted for at least part of the input segment determined to match the segment within the dictionary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Infineta Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Karempudi V. Ramarao
  • Patent number: 8059476
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are embodiments of an asynchronous memory device that use internal delay elements to enable memory access pipelining. In one embodiment, the delay elements are responsive to an input load control signal, and are calibrated with reference to periodically received timing pulses. Different numbers of the delay elements are configured to produce different asynchronous delays and to strobe sequential pipeline elements of the memory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Ely K. Tsern, Craig E. Hampel, Donald C. Stark
  • Patent number: 8045407
    Abstract: A memory controller with multiple delayed timing signals. Control information is provided by a first output driver circuit to a first signal path. Write data, associated with the control information, is provided by a second output driver circuit to a second signal path. Timing information is provided by a third output driver to a third signal path. Rising and falling edge transitions of the timing information indicate times at which subsequent symbols of the write data are valid on the signal path. The timing information is delayed with respect to the control information to account for a difference between a time that the control information takes to reach the destination device while traversing the first signal path and a time that the write data takes to reach the destination device while traversing the second signal path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventor: Frederick A. Ware
  • Patent number: 7924048
    Abstract: A memory controller that controls termination in a memory device. The memory controller includes a data interface, command/address interface and termination control output. The data interface outputs write data onto a data line coupled to a data input of the memory device, and the command/address interfaces outputs, onto a command/address path coupled to the memory device, information that indicates whether the write data is to be received within the memory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Kyung Suk Oh, Ian P. Shaeffer
  • Patent number: 7782082
    Abstract: In memory module having multiple data inputs to couple to signal lines of an external data path, multiple memory integrated-circuits (ICs) and a buffer IC, the buffer IC includes respective interfaces coupled to the data inputs and the memory ICs, a first termination circuit having a first load element and a first switch element to switchably couple the first load element to a first data input of the data inputs and a second termination circuit having a second load element and a second switch element to switchably couple the second load element to the first data input. The buffer IC further includes a configuration circuit to store, in response to control information from a memory controller, a first digital value and a second digital value, the first digital value being supplied to the first termination circuit to control an impedance of the first load element and the second digital value being supplied to the second termination circuit to control an impedance of the second load element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Kyung Suk Oh, Ian P. Shaeffer
  • Patent number: 7724590
    Abstract: A memory controller with multiple delayed timing signals. Control information is provided by a first output driver circuit to a first signal path. Write data, associated with the control information, is provided by a second output driver circuit to a second signal path. Timing information is provided by a third output driver to a third signal path. Rising and falling edge transitions of the timing information indicate times at which subsequent symbols of the write data are valid on the signal path. The timing information is delayed with respect to the control information to account for a difference between a time that the control information takes to reach the destination device while traversing the first signal path and a time that the write data takes to reach the destination device while traversing the second signal path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventor: Frederick A. Ware
  • Patent number: 7675441
    Abstract: A self-calibrating analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The ADC includes multiple component ADCs to generate respective digital representations of an input signal in response to respective timing signals that are offset in phase from one another, each component ADC having a gain setting that controls a magnitude of the digital representations. The ADC further includes correction circuitry to generate a plurality of fast-Fourier transforms (FFTs) that correspond to the digital representations of the input signal and to adjust the gain settings of the component ADCs and/or phase angles of the timing signals based on gain and phase errors indicated by the FFTs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Telegent Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Samuel Sheng, Weijie Yun
  • Patent number: 7660183
    Abstract: In a memory device having a memory core and a signal interface, receiving a command that specifies at least a portion of a memory access. During the memory access, transferring data between the memory core and the signaling interface, and transferring the data between the signaling interface and an external signal path, and prior to transferring the data between the signaling interface and the external signal path, receiving enable information to selectively enable at least a first memory resource and a second memory resource, wherein each of the first memory resource and the second memory resource performs a control function associated with the memory access.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Ely K. Tsern, Craig E. Hampel