Patents Assigned to Rambus Inc.
  • Patent number: 11750359
    Abstract: An integrated circuit receiver is disclosed comprising a data receiving circuit responsive to a timing signal to detect a data signal and an edge receiving circuit responsive to the timing signal to detect a transition of the data signal. One of the data or edge receiving circuits comprises an integrating receiver circuit while the other of the data or edge sampling circuits comprises a sampling receiver circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventor: Jared L. Zerbe
  • Patent number: 11742855
    Abstract: Local on-die termination controllers for effecting termination of a high-speed signaling links simultaneously engage on-die termination structures within multiple integrated-circuit memory devices disposed on the same memory module, and/or within the same integrated-circuit package, and coupled to the high-speed signaling link. A termination control bus is coupled to memory devices on a module, and provides for peer-to-peer communication of termination control signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventor: Ian Shaeffer
  • Patent number: 11742277
    Abstract: Disclosed is an integrated circuit die of a memory buffer integrated circuit that is placed aggregately closer to the solder balls that connect to the input (i.e., host command/address—C/A) signals than the output solder balls (i.e., memory device C/A) signals. This decreases the length of the host C/A signals from the memory controller to the memory buffer device when the memory module is placed in a system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Shahram Nikoukary, Jonghyun Cho, Nitin Juneja, Ming Li
  • Patent number: 11742874
    Abstract: A voltage ladder is used to generate reference voltages. The voltage ladder is used by multiple digital-to-analog converters (DACs). In particular, the voltage ladder is used by multiple pulse-width modulation (PWM) DACs. Having multiple DACs utilize a common voltage ladder for their reference voltages reduces mismatched output voltages between DACs. Having multiple DACs utilize the common voltage ladder helps ensure that the reference voltages used by different DACs are not affected by process, voltage, and/or temperature variations in the reference voltages that would occur when using different voltage ladders for each DAC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Ravi Shivnaraine, Marcus Van Ierssel
  • Patent number: 11735287
    Abstract: A buffer circuit is disclosed. The buffer circuit includes a command address (C/A) interface to receive an incoming activate (ACT) command and an incoming column address strobe (CAS) command. A first match circuit includes first storage to store failure row address information associated with the memory, and first compare logic. The first compare logic is responsive to the ACT command, to compare incoming row address information to the stored failure row address information. A second match circuit includes second storage to store failure column address information associated with the memory, and second compare logic. The second compare logic is responsive to the CAS command, to compare the incoming column address information to the stored failure column address information. Gating logic maintains a state of a matching row address identified by the first compare logic during the comparison carried out by the second compare logic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Scott C. Best, John Eric Linstadt, Paul William Roukema
  • Patent number: 11735237
    Abstract: In a memory component having a command/address interface, timing interface and data interface, the command/address interface receives a first command/address value from a control component during a first interval and a second command/address value from the control component during a second interval. The timing interface receives a data strobe from the control component during the first interval and a data clock from the control component during the second interval, the data strobe departing from a parked voltage level to commence toggling at a time corresponding to reception of the first command/address value, and the data clock toggling throughout the second interval regardless of second command/address value reception-time. The data interface samples first write data corresponding to the first command/address value at times indicated by toggling of the data strobe, and samples second write data corresponding to the second command/address value at times indicated by toggling of the data clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventor: Torsten Partsch
  • Patent number: 11734106
    Abstract: A memory module is disclosed that includes a substrate, a memory device that outputs read data, and a buffer. The buffer has a primary interface for transferring the read data to a memory controller and a secondary interface coupled to the memory device to receive the read data. The buffer includes error logic to identify an error in the received read data and to identify a storage cell location in the memory device associated with the error. Repair logic maps a replacement storage element as a substitute storage element for the storage cell location associated with the error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Ely Tsern
  • Patent number: 11733870
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems having an integrated circuit device disposed within an integrated circuit package having a periphery, and within this periphery a transaction processor is configured to receive a combination of signals (e.g., using a standard memory interface), and intercept some of the signals to initiate a data transformation, and forward the other signals to one or more memory controllers within the periphery to execute standard memory access operations (e.g., with a set of DRAM devices). The DRAM devices may or may not be in within the package periphery. In some embodiments, the transaction processor can include a data plane and control plane to decode and route the combination of signals. In other embodiments, off-load engines and processor cores within the periphery can support execution and acceleration of the data transformations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: David Wang, Nirmal Saxena
  • Patent number: 11734208
    Abstract: A method of operation of a flash integrated circuit (IC) memory device is described. The flash IC memory device has an array of memory cells and an interface to receive control, address and data signals using an internal reference voltage. The method includes, at boot-up, initializing the internal reference voltage to a default voltage. At boot-up, the interface is operable to receive, using the internal reference voltage, signals having a first voltage swing at a first signaling frequency. The method includes receiving a first command that specifies calibration of the interface during a calibration mode. The calibration mode is used to calibrate the interface to operate at a second signaling frequency and receive signals having a second voltage swing. The second voltage swing is smaller than the first voltage swing and the second signaling frequency is higher than the first signaling frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Pravin Kumar Venkatesan, Liji Gopalakrishnan, Kashinath Ullhas Prabhu, Makarand Ajit Shirasgaonkar
  • Patent number: 11728835
    Abstract: An apparatus including a signal generation circuitry to provide a stream of digital signals carrying data. The apparatus includes a storage circuitry to provide a plurality of transmit levels corresponding to respective predetermined equalization levels; selection circuitry to select a transmit level from among the plurality of transmit levels based on the digital signals carrying data. Each of the plurality of transmit levels is a respective input signal to the selection circuitry. The apparatus includes a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) circuitry configured to receive the selected transmit level and convert the selected transmit level to an analog signal of the selected transmit level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus, Inc.
    Inventor: Kamran Farzan
  • Patent number: 11727982
    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: April 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Ian Shaeffer, Ely Tsern, Craig Hampel
  • Patent number: 11726920
    Abstract: A device includes a cache memory and a memory controller coupled to the cache memory. The memory controller is configured to receive a first read request from a cache controller over an interconnect, the first read request comprising first tag data identifying a first cache line in the cache memory, and determine that the first read request comprises a tag read request. The memory controller is further configured to read second tag data corresponding to the tag read request from the cache memory, compare the second tag data read from the cache memory to the first tag data received from the cache controller with the first read request, and if the second tag data matches the first tag data, initiate an action with respect to the first cache line in the cache memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Miller, Dennis Doidge, Collins Williams
  • Patent number: 11727966
    Abstract: A memory system includes a memory controller with a plurality N of memory-controller blocks, each of which conveys independent transaction requests over external request ports. The request ports are coupled, via point-to-point connections, to from one to N memory devices, each of which includes N independently addressable memory blocks. All of the external request ports are connected to respective external request ports on the memory device or devices used in a given configuration. The number of request ports per memory device and the data width of each memory device changes with the number of memory devices such that the ratio of the request-access granularity to the data granularity remains constant irrespective of the number of memory devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Richard E. Perego, Frederick A. Ware
  • Patent number: 11720485
    Abstract: A memory device having a DRAM core and a register stores first data in the register before receiving first and second memory access commands via a command interface and before receiving second data via a data interface. The memory device responds to the first memory access command by writing the first data from the register to the DRAM core and responds to the second memory access command by writing the second data from the data interface to the DRAM core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Sheffler, Lawrence Lai, Liang Peng, Bohuslav Rychlik
  • Patent number: 11714752
    Abstract: A hybrid volatile/non-volatile memory module employs a relatively fast, durable, and expensive dynamic, random-access memory (DRAM) cache to store a subset of data from a larger amount of relatively slow and inexpensive nonvolatile memory (NVM). A module controller prioritizes accesses to the DRAM cache for improved speed performance and to minimize programming cycles to the NVM. Data is first written to the DRAM cache where it can be accessed (written to and read from) without the aid of the NVM. Data is only written to the NVM when that data is evicted from the DRAM cache to make room for additional data. Mapping tables relating NVM addresses to physical addresses are distributed throughout the DRAM cache using cache line bits that are not used for data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, John Eric Linstadt, Christopher Haywood
  • Patent number: 11709525
    Abstract: A memory system in which a timing drift that would occur in distribution of a first timing signal for data transport in a memory device is determined by measuring the actual phase delays occurring in a second timing signal that has a frequency lower than that of the first timing signal and is distributed in one or more circuits mimicking the drift characteristics of at least a portion of distribution of the first timing signal. The actual phase delays are determined in the memory device and provided to a memory controller so that the phases of the timing signals used for data transport may be adjusted based on the determined timing drift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Jun Kim, Pak Shing Chau, Wayne S. Richardson
  • Patent number: 11711246
    Abstract: A driver circuit of a PAM-N transmitting device transmits a PAM-N signal via a communication channel, wherein N is greater than 2, and the PAM-N signal has N signal levels corresponding to N symbols. A PAM-N receiving device receives the PAM-N signal. The PAM-N receiving device generates distortion information indicative of a level of distortion corresponding to inequalities in voltage differences between the N signal levels. The PAM-N receiving device transmits to the PAM-N transmitting device the distortion information indicative of the level of the distortion. The PAM-N transmitting device receives the distortion information. The PAM-N transmitting device adjusts one or more drive strength parameters of the driver circuit of the PAM-N transmitting device based on the distortion information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventor: Reza Navid
  • Patent number: 11710520
    Abstract: A memory module with multiple memory devices includes a buffer system that manages communication between a memory controller and the memory devices. Each memory device supports an access mode and a low-power mode, the latter used to save power for devices that are not immediately needed. The module provides granular power management using a chip-select decoder that decodes chip-select signals from the memory controller into power-state signals that determine which of the memory devices are in which of the modes. Devices can thus be brought out of the low-power mode in relatively small numbers, as needed, to limit power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, James E. Harris
  • Patent number: 11709736
    Abstract: A memory system includes dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) components that include interconnected and redundant component data interfaces. The redundant interfaces facilitate memory interconnect topologies that accommodate considerably more DRAM components per memory channel than do traditional memory systems, and thus offer considerably more memory capacity per channel, without concomitant reductions in signaling speeds. The memory components can be configured to route data around defective data connections to maintain full capacity and continue to support memory transactions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth L. Wright, Frederick A. Ware
  • Patent number: 11705187
    Abstract: Described are memory modules that support different error detection and correction (EDC) schemes in both single- and multiple-module memory systems. The memory modules are width configurable and support the different EDC schemes for relatively wide and narrow module data widths. Data buffers on the modules support the half-width and full-width modes, and also support time-division-multiplexing to access additional memory components on each module in support of enhanced EDC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, John Eric Linstadt, Kenneth L. Wright