Patents Assigned to Rambus
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Patent number: 11677571Abstract: A physically unclonable function circuit (PUF) is used to generate a fingerprint value based on the uniqueness of the physical characteristics (e.g., resistance, capacitance, connectivity, etc.) of a tamper prevention (i.e., shielding) structure that includes through-silicon vias and metallization on the backside of the integrated circuit. The physical characteristics depend on random physical factors introduced during manufacturing. This causes the chip-to-chip variations in these physical characteristics to be unpredictable and uncontrollable which makes more difficult to duplicate, clone, or modify the structure without changing the fingerprint value. By including the through-silicon vias and metallization on the backside of the integrated circuit as part of the PUF, the backside of the chip can be protected from modifications that can be used to help learn the secure cryptographic keys and/or circumvent the secure cryptographic (or other) circuitry.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2017Date of Patent: June 13, 2023Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventor: Scott C. Best
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Patent number: 11677487Abstract: In a general aspect, a network transmission interface can include, within an egress data path, a physical coding sublayer (PCS) operating in a constant bitrate domain for transmitting data frames on a network link; a timestamp unit configured to insert timestamps in payloads of the frames; a transmission media access control (MAC) unit located at a boundary between the constant bitrate domain and a variable bitrate domain, configured to receive the frames at a variable bitrate, encapsulate the frames, and provide the encapsulated frames at a constant bitrate; a MAC layer security unit located downstream from the timestamp unit, configured to sign and optionally encrypt the payloads and expand each frame with a security tag and an integrity check value (ICV). The timestamp unit and the MAC layer security unit (26b) can both operate in the constant bitrate domain.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2021Date of Patent: June 13, 2023Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventor: Maksym Demchenko
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Patent number: 11677391Abstract: A latency controller within an integrated circuit device retimes command-stream-triggered control and timing signals into endpoint timing domains having respective time-varying phase offsets relative to a reference clock by iteratively estimating and logging the phase offsets independently of commands streaming into the integrated circuit device.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 2022Date of Patent: June 13, 2023Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Robert E. Palmer, Andrew M. Fuller, William F. Stonecypher
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Patent number: 11675657Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 15, 2022Date of Patent: June 13, 2023Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, John E. Linstadt, Liji Gopalakrishnan
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Patent number: 11671108Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 25, 2022Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Kenneth C. Dyer, Marcus Van Ierssel
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Patent number: 11671286Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 10, 2019Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Mohammad Sadegh Jalali, Marcus Van Ierssel
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Patent number: 11669379Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 25, 2022Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Yuanlong Wang, Frederick A. Ware
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Patent number: 11669124Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 7, 2022Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Scott C. Best, Abhijit M. Abhyankar, Kun-Yung Chang, Frank Lambrecht
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Patent number: 11671522Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 27, 2021Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventor: Christopher Haywood
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Patent number: 11664067Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 2, 2021Date of Patent: May 30, 2023Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventor: Frederick A. Ware
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Patent number: 11663138Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 6, 2021Date of Patent: May 30, 2023Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Evan Lawrence Erickson, Christopher Haywood, Mark D. Kellam
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Patent number: 11665028Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 23, 2021Date of Patent: May 30, 2023Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventor: Ramin Farjad-Rad
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Patent number: 11664907Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 13, 2022Date of Patent: May 30, 2023Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Craig E. Hampel, Frederick A. Ware, Richard E. Perego
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Patent number: 11657868Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 2, 2021Date of Patent: May 23, 2023Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Scott C. Best, Ming Li
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Patent number: 11657006Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 30, 2021Date of Patent: May 23, 2023Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventor: Frederick A. Ware
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Patent number: 11657007Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: May 28, 2021Date of Patent: May 23, 2023Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Christopher Haywood, Evan Lawrence Erickson
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Patent number: 11650944Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 23, 2021Date of Patent: May 16, 2023Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventor: John Eric Linstadt
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Patent number: 11651823Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 19, 2020Date of Patent: May 16, 2023Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Brent S. Haukness, Ian Shaeffer, Gary Bela Bronner
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Patent number: 11653476Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 27, 2021Date of Patent: May 16, 2023Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, John Eric Linstadt, Thomas Vogelsang
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Patent number: 11651801Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 28, 2020Date of Patent: May 16, 2023Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventor: Yohan Frans