Patents Represented by Attorney Skjerven, Morrill & Friel MacPherson, Franklin & Friel LLP
  • Patent number: 5969986
    Abstract: A memory architecture for a non-volatile analog or multiple-bits-per-cell memory includes multiple separate memory arrays and multiple read/write pipelines. The multiple read/write pipelines share a read circuit and/or a write circuit to reduce the circuit area of each pipeline and the circuit area of the memory as a whole. In one embodiment, a shared write circuit generates a programming voltage that changes with an input signal representing values to be written to the memory. Each pipeline includes a sample-and-hold circuit that samples the programming voltage when the pipeline begins a write operation. The write circuit can additionally generate a verify voltage that a second sample-and-hold circuit in each pipeline samples when starting a write operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Invox Technology
    Inventors: Sau C. Wong, Hock C. So