Patents Assigned to Rambus
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Patent number: 10062421Abstract: A memory controller having a time-staggered request signal output. A first timing signal is generated while a second timing signal is generated having a first phase difference relative to the first timing signal. An address value is transmitted in response to the first timing signal and a control value is transmitted in response to the second timing signal, the address value and control value constituting portions of a first memory access request.Type: GrantFiled: June 17, 2017Date of Patent: August 28, 2018Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Ian P. Shaeffer, Bret Stott, Benedict C. Lau
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Patent number: 10056902Abstract: A memory control component outputs a memory write command to a memory IC and also outputs write data to be received via data inputs of the memory IC. Prior to reception of the write data within the memory IC, the memory control component asserts a termination control signal that causes the memory IC to apply to the data inputs a first on-die termination impedance during reception of the write data followed by a second on-die termination impedance after the write data has been received. The memory control component deasserts the termination control signal to cause the memory IC to apply no termination impedance to the data inputs.Type: GrantFiled: April 28, 2017Date of Patent: August 21, 2018Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Kyung Suk Oh, Ian P. Shaeffer
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Patent number: 10056130Abstract: A method of operation in a memory controller is disclosed. The method includes receiving a strobe signal having a first phase relationship with respect to first data propagating on a first data line, and a second phase relationship with respect to second data propagating on a second data line. A first sample signal is generated based on the first phase relationship and a second sample signal is generated based on the second phase relationship. The first data signal is received using a first receiver clocked by the first sample signal. The second data signal is received using a second receiver clocked by the second sample signal.Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 2015Date of Patent: August 21, 2018Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventor: Scott C. Best
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Patent number: 10057510Abstract: An infrared imaging system combines a low-resolution infrared camera with a high-resolution visible-light camera. Information extracted from images taken using the visible-light camera is combined with the low-resolution infrared images to produce an infrared image with enhanced spatial details. The process of extracting the information from the visible image adjusts the quantization level of the visible-light image to scale visible objects to match objects identified in the infrared image.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2015Date of Patent: August 21, 2018Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: David G. Stork, Patrick R. Gill
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Publication number: 20180235077Abstract: A structure for delivering power is described. In some embodiments, the structure can include conductors disposed on two or more layers. Specifically, the structure can include a first set of interdigitated conductors disposed on a first layer and oriented substantially along an expected direction of current flow. At least one conductor in the first set of interdigitated conductors may be maintained at a first voltage, and at least one conductor in the first set of interdigitated conductors may be maintained at a second voltage, wherein the second voltage is different from the first voltage. The structure may further include a conducting structure disposed on a second layer, wherein the second layer is different from the first layer, and wherein at least one conductor in the conducting structure is maintained at the first voltage.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 5, 2018Publication date: August 16, 2018Applicant: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Kyung Suk Oh, Ralf M. Schmitt, Yijiong Feng
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Patent number: 10050771Abstract: This disclosure provides a clock recovery circuit for a multi-lane communication system. Local clocks are recovered from the input signals using respective local CDR circuits, and associated CDR error signals are aggregated or otherwise combined. A global recovered clock for shared use by the local CDR circuits is generated at a controllable oscillation frequency as a function of a combination of the error signals from the plurality of receivers. A voltage- or current-controlled delay line can also be used to phase adjust the global recovered clock to mitigate band-limited, lane-correlated, high frequency jitter.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2017Date of Patent: August 14, 2018Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Masum Hossain, Brian Leibowitz, Jihong Ren
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Patent number: 10043560Abstract: Described are memory modules that support dynamic point-to-point extensibility using fixed-width memory die. The memory modules include data-width translators that allow the modules to vary the effective width of their external memory interfaces without varying the width of the internal memory interfaces extending between the translators and associated fixed-width dies. The data-width translators use a data-mask signal to selectively prevent memory accesses to subsets of physical addresses. This data masking divides the physical address locations into two or more temporal subsets of the physical address locations, effectively increasing the number of uniquely addressable locations in a given module. Reading temporal addresses in write order can introduce undesirable read latency. Some embodiments reorder read data to reduce this latency.Type: GrantFiled: March 3, 2014Date of Patent: August 7, 2018Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventor: Ian Shaeffer
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Patent number: 10042105Abstract: A lighting assembly includes a light guide and solid-state light emitters to edge-light the light guide, the light emitters arrayed along a transverse direction. The light guide includes two or more sets of optical elements of well-defined shape. Light output from the lighting assembly by the first and second set of optical elements have a first and a second light ray angle distribution, respectively. The optical elements are configured such that when measured in a plane perpendicular to the light guide and the transverse direction: 1) the first and second light ray angle distributions are significantly narrower than an omnidirectional output distribution; and 2) the peak of the second light ray angle distribution is displaced from the peak of the first light ray angle distribution.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2016Date of Patent: August 7, 2018Assignee: Rambus Delaware LLCInventor: Robert M. Ezell
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Patent number: 10044530Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) memory controller includes receiver circuitry to receive read data from a memory. The receiver circuitry includes equalization circuitry having at least one tap to apply data level equalization to the read data, and a tap weight adapter circuit. The tap weight adapter circuit adaptively generates a data level tap weight corresponding to the data level equalization from an edge analysis of previously received read data.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2016Date of Patent: August 7, 2018Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Brian S. Leibowitz, Hae-Chang Lee, Jihong Ren, Ruwan Ratnayake
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Patent number: 10031677Abstract: Disclosed herein are techniques for implementing high-throughput low-latency hybrid memory modules with improved data backup and restore throughput, enhanced non-volatile memory controller (NVC) resource access, and enhanced mode register setting programmability. Embodiments comprise a command replicator to generate sequences of one or more DRAM read and/or write and/or other commands to be executed in response to certain local commands from a non-volatile memory controller (NVC) during data backup and data restore operations. Other embodiments comprise an access engine to enable an NVC in a host control mode to trigger entry into a special mode and issue commands to access a protected register space. Some embodiments comprise a mode register controller to capture and store the data comprising mode register setting commands issued during a host control mode, such that an NVC can program the DRAM mode registers in an NVC control mode.Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2015Date of Patent: July 24, 2018Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Aws Shallal, Michael Miller, Stephen Horn
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Patent number: 10026666Abstract: Disclosed is a package-on-package (PoP) assembly comprises a two-tiered windowed ball grid array (BGA) and a system on a chip (SoC) package. Window openings in the two tiers of the BGA are of different sizes to allow for wirebond landing pads on the first tier. A DRAM die is mounted to the BGA flipped over (i.e., wirebond pads facing the BGA package.) The DRAM die is wirebonded through the window in the BGA. For multi-channel systems and higher memory capacity, the DRAM die will have low-cost through-silicon vias (TSVs) that connect to stacked DRAM die(s). The stacked DRAM dies may be offset or rotated to align active TSVs with passive TSVs thereby enabling unique connections to certain DRAM dies in the stack.Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2014Date of Patent: July 17, 2018Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Nitin Juneja, Wendemagegnehu Beyene, David A. Secker, Ely K. Tsern
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Patent number: 10026466Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a physical layer interface having a control timing domain and a data timing domain, and circuits that enable the control timing domain during a change in power conservation mode in response to a first event, and that enable the data timing domain in response to a second event. The control timing domain can include interface circuits coupled to a command and address path, and the data timing domain can include interface circuits coupled to a data path.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 2017Date of Patent: July 17, 2018Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Ian Shaeffer, Lei Luo, Liji Gopalakrishnan
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Patent number: 10027516Abstract: An on-chip AC coupled receiver with offset calibration. The receiver includes AC coupling circuitry to couple a differential input signal into a coupled differential signal having a first signal and a second signal. The receiver includes a first comparator to generate a first error signal indicative of whether a first reference signal is greater or smaller than a signal derived from the coupled differential signal. The receiver includes a second comparator to generate a second error signal indicative of whether a second reference signal is greater or smaller than the signal derived from the coupled differential signal. The receiver further includes feedback circuitry to adjust a voltage offset between the first signal and the second signal of the coupled differential signal based on the first error signal and the second error signal.Type: GrantFiled: April 28, 2017Date of Patent: July 17, 2018Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventor: Yikui Jen Dong
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Patent number: 10014860Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 21, 2017Date of Patent: July 3, 2018Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventor: Ian Shaeffer
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Patent number: 10014047Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: May 31, 2017Date of Patent: July 3, 2018Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, John Eric Linstadt, Kenneth L. Wright
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Patent number: 10008291Abstract: A controller includes an internal memory to store an address and a memory control unit operatively coupled with the internal memory. The memory control unit includes logic to identify a malfunctioning address of primary data storage elements within an external memory device, the external memory device being another semiconductor device separate from the controller, store the malfunctioning address in the internal memory, and transmit, to the external memory device, a command to initiate a repair of the malfunctioning address using redundant data storage elements and an indication of an address associated with the malfunctioning address.Type: GrantFiled: May 19, 2017Date of Patent: June 26, 2018Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Adrian E. Ong, Fan Ho
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Patent number: 10003479Abstract: A multi-phase partial response receiver supports various incoming data rates by sampling PrDFE output values at a selected one of at least two clock phases. The receiver includes a calibration circuit that performs a timing analysis of critical data paths in the circuit, and this analysis is then used to select the particular clock phase used to latch the output values. These techniques permit the multiplexer outputs from for each phase of the partial response receiver to directly drive selection of a multiplexer for the ensuing phase, i.e., by avoiding regions of instability or uncertainty in the respective multiplexer outputs.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2017Date of Patent: June 19, 2018Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Chintan S. Thakkar, Kun-Yung Chang, Ting Wu
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Patent number: 10003484Abstract: A signaling system includes a pre-emphasizing transmitter and an equalizing receiver coupled to one another via a high-speed signal path. The receiver measures the quality of data conveyed from the transmitter. A controller uses this information and other information to adaptively establish appropriate transmit pre-emphasis and receive equalization settings, e.g. to select the lowest power setting for which the signaling system provides some minimum communication bandwidth without exceeding a desired bit-error rate.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2017Date of Patent: June 19, 2018Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Jared L. Zerbe, Fred F. Chen, Andrew Ho, Ramin Farjad-Rad, John W. Poulton, Kevin S. Donnelly, Brian S. Leibowitz
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Patent number: 10001948Abstract: A buffer circuit (403) includes a primary interface (404), a secondary interface (405), and an encoder/decoder circuit (407A, 407B). The primary interface is configured to communicate on an n-bit channel, wherein n parallel bits on the n-bit channel are coded using data bit inversion (DBI). The secondary interface is configured to communicate with a plurality of integrated circuit devices on a plurality of m-bit channels, each m-bit channel transmitting m parallel bits without using DBI. And the encoder/decoder circuit is configured to translate data words between the n-bit channel of the primary interface and the plurality of m-bit channels of the secondary interface.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2014Date of Patent: June 19, 2018Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventor: Scott C. Best
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Patent number: 9997233Abstract: In a memory module having a buffer component, a plurality of data signaling paths and a plurality of memory dies each coupled to a respective one of the data signaling paths, the buffer component receives and stores a first configuration value that specifies a memory-die quantity N, where N is permitted to range from a first value corresponding to the quantity of the data signaling paths to at least one value less than the first value. The buffer component further receives a memory read command and enables, in accordance with the first configuration value, a quantity N of the memory dies to output read data in response to the memory read command.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2016Date of Patent: June 12, 2018Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, John Eric Linstadt, Kenneth L. Wright