Patents Assigned to Rambus Inc.
  • Patent number: 11671522
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to memories used in server applications. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention provide a server that has memory management module that is connected to the processor using one or more DDR channels. The memory management module is configured to provide the processor local access and network access to memories on a network. There are other embodiments as well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher Haywood
  • Patent number: 11669379
    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: April 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Yuanlong Wang, Frederick A. Ware
  • Patent number: 11671286
    Abstract: A receiver utilizes loop-unrolled decision feedback equalization (DFE). For each sample, two comparators, each configured with different thresholds, sample an input signal. The output of one of these comparators is selected and used as the output of the receiver and may be optionally input to additional DFE circuitry. The output of the other (non-selected) comparator is used to adjust an input offset voltage of that same comparator. Adjustments to the offset voltages of the comparators may be based on a statistical analysis of the respective outputs of the two comparators when not selected. Adjustments to the offset voltages of the comparators may be based on comparisons between the respective outputs of the two comparators when not selected to the outputs of a reference comparator that has been calibrated for minimal or zero offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Mohammad Sadegh Jalali, Marcus Van Ierssel
  • Patent number: 11669124
    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: April 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Scott C. Best, Abhijit M. Abhyankar, Kun-Yung Chang, Frank Lambrecht
  • Patent number: 11664907
    Abstract: A method and system that provides for execution of a first calibration sequence, such as upon initialization of a system, to establish an operation value, which utilizes an algorithm intended to be exhaustive, and executing a second calibration sequence from time to time, to measure drift in the parameter, and to update the operation value in response to the measured drift. The second calibration sequence utilizes less resources of the communication channel than does the first calibration sequence. In one embodiment, the first calibration sequence for measurement and convergence on the operation value utilizes long calibration patterns, such as codes that are greater than 30 bytes, or pseudorandom bit sequences having lengths of 2N?1 bits, where N is equal to or greater than 7, while the second calibration sequence utilizes short calibration patterns, such as fixed codes less than 16 bytes, and for example as short as 2 bytes long.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Craig E. Hampel, Frederick A. Ware, Richard E. Perego
  • Patent number: 11663138
    Abstract: Memory pages are background-relocated from a low-latency local operating memory of a server computer to a higher-latency memory installation that enables high-resolution access monitoring and thus access-demand differentiation among the relocated memory pages. Higher access-demand memory pages are background-restored to the low-latency operating memory, while lower access-demand pages are maintained in the higher latency memory installation and yet-lower access-demand pages are optionally moved to yet higher-latency memory installation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Evan Lawrence Erickson, Christopher Haywood, Mark D. Kellam
  • Patent number: 11664332
    Abstract: A camouflaged application specific integrated circuit is disclosed. The camouflaged ASIC includes at least one camouflaged FinFET, which includes a substrate of a first conductivity type, a fin, disposed on the substrate, the fin including a source region of a second conductivity type, a drain region of the second conductivity type, and a channel region of the first conductivity type. The camouflaged application specific integrated circuit also includes a gate disposed over and substantially perpendicular to the channel region, forming one or more transistor junctions with the fin. In one embodiment, the substrate includes a punch through stop (PTS) region of the second conductivity type disposed between the fin and the substrate, the PTS region electrically shorting the source region of the fin to the drain region of the fin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: RAMBUS INC.
    Inventors: Lap Wai Chow, Bryan J. Wang, James P. Baukus, Ronald P. Cocchi
  • Patent number: 11665028
    Abstract: An integrated circuit equalizes a data signal expressed as a series of symbols. The symbols form data patterns with different frequency components. By considering these patterns, the integrated circuit can experiment with equalization settings specific to a subset of the frequency components, thereby finding an equalization control setting that optimizes equalization. Optimization can be accomplished by setting the equalizer to maximize symbol amplitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventor: Ramin Farjad-Rad
  • Patent number: 11664067
    Abstract: An integrated circuit device outputs a sequence of differently delayed calibration data timing signals to a DRAM component via a data-signal timing line as part of a timing calibration operation and then stores a delay value, based on at least one of the calibration data timing signals, that compensates for a difference in signal propagation times over the data-signal timing line and a command/address-signal timing line. After the timing calibration operation, the integrated circuit device outputs write data to the DRAM component and outputs a write data timing signal, delayed according to the delay value, to via the data-signal timing line to time reception of the first write data within the DRAM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventor: Frederick A. Ware
  • Patent number: 11657868
    Abstract: A memory is disclosed that includes a logic die having first and second memory interface circuits. A first memory die is stacked with the logic die, and includes first and second memory arrays. The first memory array couples to the first memory interface circuit. The second memory array couples to the second interface circuit. A second memory die is stacked with the logic die and the first memory die. The second memory die includes third and fourth memory arrays. The third memory array couples to the first memory interface circuit. The fourth memory array couples to the second memory interface circuit. Accesses to the first and third memory arrays are carried out independently from accesses to the second and fourth memory arrays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Scott C. Best, Ming Li
  • Patent number: 11657006
    Abstract: A memory device includes receivers that use CMOS signaling levels (or other relatively large signal swing levels) on its command/address and data interfaces. The memory device also includes an asynchronous timing input that causes the reception of command and address information from the CMOS level receivers to be decoded and forwarded to the memory core (which is self-timed) without the need for a clock signal on the memory device's primary clock input. Thus, an activate row command can be received and initiated by the memory core before the memory device has finished exiting the low power state. Because the row operation is begun before the exit wait time has elapsed, the latency of one or more accesses (or other operations) following the exit from the low power state is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventor: Frederick A. Ware
  • Patent number: 11657007
    Abstract: A multi-path fabric interconnected system with many nodes and many communication paths from a given source node to a given destination node. A memory allocation device on an originating node (local node) requests an allocation of memory from a remote node (i.e., requests a remote allocation). The memory allocation device on the local node selects the remote node based on one or more performance indicators. The local memory allocation device may select the remote node to provide a remote allocation of memory based on one or more of: latency, availability, multi-path bandwidth, data access patterns (both local and remote), fabric congestion, allowed bandwidth limits, maximum latency limits, and, available memory on remote node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Haywood, Evan Lawrence Erickson
  • Patent number: 11650944
    Abstract: A memory controller interfaces with one or more memory devices having configurable width data buses and configurable connectivity between data pins of the memory devices and data pins of the memory controller. Upon initialization of the memory devices, the memory controller automatically discovers the connectivity configuration of the one or more memory devices, including both individually selected and jointly selected devices. After discovering connectivity of the connected devices, the memory controller configures the memory devices according to the discovered connectivity and assigns unique addresses to jointly selected devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventor: John Eric Linstadt
  • Patent number: 11653476
    Abstract: The embodiments herein describe technologies of cryogenic digital systems with a first component located in a first non-cryogenic temperature domain, a second component located in a second temperature domain that is lower in temperature than the first cryogenic temperature domain, and a third component located in a cryogenic temperature domain that is lower in temperature than the second cryogenic temperature domain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, John Eric Linstadt, Thomas Vogelsang
  • Patent number: 11651823
    Abstract: A memory system includes an array of non-volatile memory cells and a memory controller having a first port to receive a program command that addresses a number of the memory cells for a programming operation, having a second port coupled to the memory array via a command pipeline, and configured to create a plurality of fractional program commands in response to the program command. Execution of each fractional program command applies a single program pulse to the addressed memory cells to incrementally program the addressed memory cells with program data, where the duration of the program pulse associated with each fractional program command is a selected fraction of the total programming time typically required to program the memory cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Brent S. Haukness, Ian Shaeffer, Gary Bela Bronner
  • Patent number: 11651801
    Abstract: A packaged semiconductor device includes a data pin, a first memory die, and a second memory die stacked with the first memory die. The first memory die includes a first data interface coupled to the data pin and a first memory core having a plurality of banks. The second memory die includes a second memory core having a plurality of banks. A respective bank of the first memory core and a respective bank of the second memory core perform parallel row access operations in response to a first command signal and parallel column access operations in response to a second command signal. The first data interface of the first die provides aggregated data from the parallel column access operations in the first and second die to the data pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventor: Yohan Frans
  • Patent number: 11645152
    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 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Raymond Miller, Stephen Magee, John Eric Linstadt
  • Patent number: 11646094
    Abstract: A memory controller generates error codes associates with write data and a write address and provides the error codes over a dedicated error detection code link to a memory device during a write operation. The memory device performs error detection, and in some cases correction, on the received write data and write address based on the error codes. If no uncorrectable errors are detected, the memory device furthermore stores the error codes in association with the write data. On a read operation, the memory device outputs the error codes over the error detection code link to the memory controller together with the read data. The memory controller performs error detection, and in some cases correction, on the received read data based on the error codes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, John Eric Linstadt
  • Patent number: 11646724
    Abstract: Disclosed is a system where indicators of the relative phase differences between combinations of clocks in a multi-phase clock system are developed and/or measured. These indicators convey information regarding which phase difference between a given pair of the clocks is greater than (or less than) the phase difference between another pair of the clocks. This information is used to sort/rank/order phase differences between the various combinations of pairs of clocks according to their phase differences. This ranking is used to select the pair of clocks to be adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Charles Walter Boecker, Roxanne Vu, Eric Douglas Groen
  • Patent number: 11646284
    Abstract: Semiconductor devices, packaging architectures and associated methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, a semiconductor device is disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor die having a first bonding surface that is formed with a first set of contacts patterned with a first connection pitch. A second semiconductor die has a second bonding surface that is formed with a second set of contacts patterned with a second connection pitch. The second set of contacts are further patterned with a paired offset. The second semiconductor die is bonded to the first semiconductor die such that the first set of contacts is disposed in opposed electrical engagement with at least a portion of the second set of contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Dongyun Lee, Ming Li