Patents Assigned to Rambus Inc.
  • Patent number: 11361839
    Abstract: A memory component and a controller communicate commands and data with each other The commands to activate and then access data, and the data itself, are all communicated between a controller and the memory component at different times. The controller and memory component each calculate a respective error detecting code (EDC) values on the activate command information (e.g., bank address and row address) and store them indexed by the bank address. When the memory component is accessed, retrieved EDC values are combined with EDC values calculated from the access command information, and the data itself. The memory component transmits its combined EDC value to the controller for checking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: John Eric Linstadt, Frederick A. Ware
  • Publication number: 20220172760
    Abstract: A memory device comprising a programmable command-and-address (CA) interface and/or a programmable data interface is described. In an operational mode, two or more CA interfaces may be active. In another operational mode, at least one, but not all, CA interfaces may be active. In an operational mode, all of the data interfaces may be active. In another operational mode, at least one, but not all, data interfaces may be active. The memory device can include circuitry to select: an operational mode; a sub-mode within an operational mode; one or more CA interfaces as the active CA interface(s); a main CA interface from multiple active CA interfaces; and/or one or more data interfaces as the active data interfaces. The circuitry may perform these selection(s) based on one or more bits in one or more registers and/or one or more signals received on one or more pins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2021
    Publication date: June 2, 2022
    Applicant: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Ian Shaeffer, Lawrence Lai, Fan Ho, David A. Secker, Wayne S. Richardson, Akash Bansal, Brian S. Leibowitz, Kyung Suk Oh
  • Patent number: 11347665
    Abstract: A method of transferring data between a memory controller and at least one memory module via a primary data bus having a primary data bus width is disclosed. The method includes accessing a first one of a memory device group via a corresponding data bus path in response to a threaded memory request from the memory controller. The accessing results in data groups collectively forming a first data thread transferred across a corresponding secondary data bus path. Transfer of the first data thread across the primary data bus width is carried out over a first time interval, while using less than the primary data transfer continuous throughput during that first time interval. During the first time interval, at least one data group from a second data thread is transferred on the primary data bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Hongzhong Zheng, Frederick A Ware
  • Patent number: 11349496
    Abstract: Memory controllers, devices and associated methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, a memory controller includes write circuitry to transmit write data to a memory device, the write circuitry includes a write error detection correction (EDC) encoder to generate first error information associated with the write data. Data bus inversion (DBI) circuitry conditionally inverts data bits associated with each of the write data words based on threshold criteria. Read circuitry receives read data from the memory device. The read circuitry includes a read EDC encoder to generate second error information associated with the received read data. Logic evaluates the first and second error information and conditionally reverse-inverts at least a portion of the read data based on the decoding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, John Eric Linstadt
  • Patent number: 11347587
    Abstract: Data and error correction information may involve accessing multiple data channels (e.g., 8) and one error detection and correction channel concurrently. This technique requires a total of N+1 row requests for each access, where N is the number of data channels (e.g., 8 data row accesses and 1 error detection and correction row access equals 9 row accesses.) A single (or at least less than N) data channel row may be accessed concurrently with a single error detection and correction row. This reduces the number of row requests to two (2)—one for the data and one for the error detection and correction information. Because, row requests consume power, reducing the number of row requests is more power efficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Miller, Stephen Magee, John Eric Linstadt
  • Patent number: 11347441
    Abstract: An memory component includes a memory bank and a command interface to receive a read-modify-write command, having an associated read address indicating a location in the memory bank and to either access read data from the location in the memory bank indicated by the read address after an adjustable delay period transpires from a time at which the read-modify-write command was received or to overlap multiple read-modify-write commands. The memory component further includes a data interface to receive write data associated with the read-modify-write command and an error correction circuit to merge the received write data with the read data to form a merged data and write the merged data to the location in the memory bank indicated by the read address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Thomas Vogelsang
  • Patent number: 11347608
    Abstract: A memory module is disclosed. The memory module includes a substrate, and respective first, second and third memory devices. The first memory device is of a first type disposed on the substrate and has addressable storage locations. The second memory device is also of the first type, and includes storage cells dedicated to store failure address information associated with defective storage locations in the first memory device. The third memory device is of the first type and includes storage cells dedicated to substitute as storage locations for the defective storage locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Brent S. Haukness, John Eric Linstadt, Scott C. Best
  • Patent number: 11349478
    Abstract: In an integrated circuit component having a command interface to receive commands, a data interface to receive write data during a write-data reception interval, and first and second registers, control circuitry within the integrated circuit component responds to one or more of the commands by storing within the first register and the second register, respectively, a first control value that specifies a first termination to be applied to the data interface during the write-data reception interval, and a second control value that specifies a second termination to be applied to the data interface after the write-data reception interval transpires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Kyung Suk Oh, Ian P. Shaeffer
  • Patent number: 11341067
    Abstract: A memory system includes a memory controller coupled to multiple memory devices. Each memory device includes an oscillator that generates an internal reference signal that oscillates at a frequency that is a function of physical device structures within the memory device. The frequencies of the internal reference signals are thus device specific. Each memory device develops a shared reference signal from its internal reference signal and communicates the shared reference signal to the common memory controller. The memory controller uses the shared reference signals to recover device-specific frequency information from each memory device, and then communicates with each memory device at a frequency compatible with the corresponding internal reference signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Scott C. Best, Ian Shaeffer
  • Patent number: 11341079
    Abstract: A device includes a transmitter coupled to a node, where the node is to couple to a wired link. The transmitter has a plurality of modes of operation including a calibration mode in which a range of communication data rates over the wired link is determined in accordance with a voltage margin corresponding to the wired link at a predetermined error rate. The range of communication data rates includes a maximum data rate, which can be a non-integer multiple of an initial data rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: RAMBUS INC.
    Inventors: Yohan U. Frans, Hae-Chang Lee, Brian S. Leibowitz, Simon Li, Nhat M. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 11340686
    Abstract: Embodiments generally relate to a memory device. In one embodiment, the memory device includes a clock receiver circuit that receives an external clock signal and provides an internal clock signal. The memory device also includes a delay-locked loop circuit (DLL) having an input, and a circuit that receives the internal clock signal. The circuit selects which pulses of the internal clock signal are applied to the input of the DLL, such that no more than two clock pulses selected from at least three consecutive pulses of the external clock signal are applied to the input of the DLL during a predetermined interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Dinesh Patil, Amir Amirkhany, Farrukh Aquil, Kambiz Kaviani, Frederick A. Ware
  • Patent number: 11340973
    Abstract: A controller includes a link interface that is to couple to a first link to communicate bi-directional data and a second link to transmit unidirectional error-detection information. An encoder is to dynamically add first error-detection information to at least a portion of write data. A transmitter, coupled to the link interface, is to transmit the write data. A delay element is coupled to an output from the encoder. A receiver, coupled to the link interface, is to receive second error-detection information corresponding to at least the portion of the write data. Error-detection logic is coupled to an output from the delay element and an output from the receiver. The error-detection logic is to determine errors in at least the portion of the write data by comparing the first error-detection information and the second error-detection information, and, if an error is detected, is to assert an error condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Yuanlong Wang, Frederick A. Ware
  • Patent number: 11341070
    Abstract: The embodiments described herein describe technologies of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) components for high-performance, high-capacity registered memory modules, such as registered dual in-line memory modules (RDIMMs). One DRAM component may include a set of memory cells and steering logic. The steering logic may include a first data interface and a second data interface. The first and second data interfaces are selectively coupled to a controller component in a first mode and the first data interface is selectively coupled to the controller component in a second mode and the second data interface is selectively coupled to a second DRAM component in the second mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Rambus, Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Ely Tsern, John Eric Linstadt, Thomas J. Giovannini, Kenneth L. Wright
  • Patent number: 11341086
    Abstract: An array of processing elements are arranged in a three-dimensional array. Each of the processing elements includes or is coupled to a dedicated memory. The processing elements of the array are intercoupled to their nearest neighbor processing elements. A processing element on a first die may be intercoupled to a first processing element on a second die that is located directly above the processing element, a second processing element on a third die that is located directly below the processing element, and the four adjacent processing elements on the first die. This intercoupling allows data to flow from processing element to processing element in the three directions. These dataflows are reconfigurable so that they may be optimized for the task. The data flows of the array may be configured into one or more loops that periodically recycle data in order to accomplish different parts of a calculation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Amogh Agrawal, Thomas Vogelsang, Steven C. Woo
  • Patent number: 11342929
    Abstract: Disclosed is a successive approximation register (SAR) analog to digital converter (ADC) that uses two or more comparators. This allows the output of one comparator to be latched while the other comparators are comparing and switching. Statistical measures are used to correct the offsets of one or more of the comparators. If a statistically significant mismatch in the number of 1's and 0's occurs in a subset of the bits, adjustments to the offsets of one or more of the comparators are made until there is roughly an equal number of 1 and 0 values. This can reduce or eliminate the need for dedicated offset correction cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth C. Dyer, Marcus Van Ierssel
  • Patent number: 11335430
    Abstract: Many error correction schemes fail to correct for double-bit errors and a module must be replaced when these double-bit errors occur repeatedly at the same address. This helps prevent data corruption. In an embodiment, the addresses for one of the memory devices exhibiting a single-bit error (but not the other also exhibiting a single bit error) is transformed before the internal memory arrays are accessed. This has the effect of moving one of the error prone memory cells to a different external (to the module) address such that there is only one error prone bit that is accessed by the previously double-bit error prone address. Thus, a double-bit error at the original address is remapped into two correctable single-bit errors that are at different addresses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher Haywood
  • Patent number: 11328764
    Abstract: Systems, among other embodiments, include topologies (data and/or control/address information) between an integrated circuit buffer device (that may be coupled to a master, such as a memory controller) and a plurality of integrated circuit memory devices. For example, data may be provided between the plurality of integrated circuit memory devices and the integrated circuit buffer device using separate segmented (or point-to-point link) signal paths in response to control/address information provided from the integrated circuit buffer device to the plurality of integrated circuit buffer devices using a single fly-by (or bus) signal path. An integrated circuit buffer device enables configurable effective memory organization of the plurality of integrated circuit memory devices. The memory organization represented by the integrated circuit buffer device to a memory controller may be different than the actual memory organization behind or coupled to the integrated circuit buffer device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Ian Shaeffer, Ely Tsern, Craig Hampel
  • Patent number: 11327831
    Abstract: A memory system employs an addressing scheme to logically divide rows of memory cells into separate contiguous regions, one for data storage and another for error detection and correction (EDC) codes corresponding to that data. Data and corresponding EDC codes are stored in the same row of the same bank. Accessing data and corresponding EDC code in the same row of the same bank advantageously saves power and avoids bank conflicts. The addressing scheme partitions the memory without requiring the requesting processor to have an understanding of the memory partition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, John E. Linstadt, Liji Gopalakrishnan
  • Patent number: 11327524
    Abstract: A memory controller having a data receiver to sample data at a sample timing using a strobe signal, wherein the data and the strobe signal are sent by a memory device in connection with a read operation initiated by the memory controller, and a strobe receiver to receive the strobe signal, wherein a phase of the strobe signal has a drift relative to a reference by an amount. The memory controller further having a monitoring circuit to monitor the strobe signal and determine the amount of the drift, and an adjustment circuit to update the sample timing of the data receiver based on the amount of drift determined by the monitoring signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Scott C. Best, Abhijit M. Abhyankar, Kun-Yung Chang, Frank Lambrecht
  • Patent number: 11323118
    Abstract: A combinational logic circuit includes input circuitry to receive a first input signal that transitions between upper and lower voltages of a first voltage domain, and to generate, in response to the transitions of the first input signal, a first localized signal that transitions between upper and lower voltages of a second voltage domain. The combinational logic circuit additionally includes output circuitry to generate a first output signal that transitions between the upper and lower supply voltages of the first voltage domain based at least in part on the transitions of the first localized signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, John Eric Linstadt