Patents Assigned to Rambus
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Publication number: 20180013438Abstract: Embodiments of an integrated circuit (IC) comprising circuitry to determine settings for an injection-locked oscillator (ILO) are described. In some embodiments, an injection signal is generated based on a first clock edge of a reference clock signal, and is injected into an ILO. Next, one or more output signals of the ILO are sampled based on a second clock edge of the reference clock signal, and settings for the ILO are determined based on the samples. In some embodiments, a sequence of two or more time-to-digital (TDC) codes is generated based on a reference clock signal and a free-running ILO. In some embodiments, the TDC circuitry that is already present in a delay-locked loop is reused for determining the sequence of two or more TDC codes.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 23, 2017Publication date: January 11, 2018Applicant: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Jared L. Zerbe, Masum Hossain
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Patent number: 9865329Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 22, 2016Date of Patent: January 9, 2018Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Ian Shaeffer, Ely Tsern, Craig Hampel
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Patent number: 9864707Abstract: A memory controller accesses different types of memory devices running at different native rates through the use of a time division multiplexed bus. Data is transferred over the bus at one rate when accessing one type of memory device and at a different rate when accessing another type of memory device. In addition, the memory controller may provide control information (e.g., command and address information) to the different types of memory devices at different rates and, in some cases, time multiplex the control information on a shared bus.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2015Date of Patent: January 9, 2018Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventor: Ian Shaeffer
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Patent number: 9857520Abstract: A lighting assembly includes a light guide having opposed major surfaces between which light propagates by total internal reflection and a light input edge. The light assembly also includes a light engine. The light engine has a heat conductive armature having a receptacle for a portion of the light guide that includes the light input edge and a light source retained by and thermally coupled to the armature. The armature functions as a heat sink for dissipating heat generated by the light source. The light guide is mechanically retained in the receptacle, and the light guide and the armature cooperate to align the light input edge with the light source for inputting light from the light source into the light guide through the light input edge.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2014Date of Patent: January 2, 2018Assignee: Rambus Delaware LLCInventors: Jeffery R Parker, Timothy A McCollum, Martin E Ligas, Joseph Crookston, Fumitomo Hide, Alexey Titov, Ian Hardcastle
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Patent number: 9858216Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 6, 2016Date of Patent: January 2, 2018Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Scott C. Best, Ian Shaeffer
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Patent number: 9859899Abstract: A variable injection-strength injection-locked oscillator (ILO) is described. The variable injection-strength ILO can output an output clock signal based on an input clock signal. The variable injection-strength ILO can pause, restart, slow down, or speed up the output clock signal synchronously with respect to the input clock signal in response to receiving power mode information. Specifically, the variable injection-strength ILO can be operated under relatively strong injection when the input clock signal is paused, restarted, slowed down, or sped up.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2016Date of Patent: January 2, 2018Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Marko Aleksić, Brian S. Leibowitz
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Patent number: 9860089Abstract: A receiver includes a continuous-time equalizer, a decision-feedback equalizer (DFE), data and error sampling logic, and an adaptation engine. The receiver corrects for inter-symbol interference (ISI) associated with the most recent data symbol (first post cursor ISI) by establishing appropriate equalization settings for the continuous-time equalizer based upon a measure of the first-post-cursor ISI.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2016Date of Patent: January 2, 2018Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Hae-Chang Lee, Brian S. Leibowitz, Jade M. Kizer, Thomas H. Greer, Akash Bansal
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Patent number: 9859021Abstract: The disclosed embodiments relate to components of a memory system that support timing-drift calibration. In specific embodiments, this memory system contains a memory device (or multiple devices) which includes a clock distribution circuit and an oscillator circuit which can generate a frequency, wherein a change in the frequency is indicative of a timing drift of the clock distribution circuit. The memory device also includes a measurement circuit which is configured to measure the frequency of the oscillator circuit.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2015Date of Patent: January 2, 2018Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Yohan U. Frans, Wayne F. Ellis, Akash Bansal
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Patent number: 9851900Abstract: A multiple memory rank selection method and system assigns, based at least in part on decoding an assignment signal in a second command/address signal, a first terminal of a memory device to receive a first command/address signal and a second terminal of the memory device to receive the second command/address signal or assigns the first terminal of the memory device to receive the second command/address signal and the second terminal of the memory device to receive the first command/address signal. The multiple memory selection method and system decodes a selection signal encoded in the first command/address signal and enables the memory device based at least in part on the assignment signal and the selection signal.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2017Date of Patent: December 26, 2017Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, John Eric Linstadt
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Patent number: 9852105Abstract: An integrated circuit device includes a transmitter circuit including an output driver. The integrated circuit device includes a first register to store a value representative of a drive strength setting associated with the transmitter circuit such that the output driver outputs data in accordance with the drive strength setting. The integrated circuit device also includes a second register to store a value representative of an equalization setting associated with the transmitter circuit such that the output driver outputs data in accordance with the equalization setting. The integrated circuit device further includes a third register to store a value representative of a slew rate setting associated with the transmitter circuit such that the output driver outputs data in accordance with the slew rate setting.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 2016Date of Patent: December 26, 2017Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Mark A. Horowitz, Craig E. Hampel, Alfredo Moncayo, Kevin S. Donnelly, Jared L. Zerbe
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Patent number: 9847248Abstract: Multiple devices, including a first device and a second device, have operational circuitry and opposing first and second surfaces. First and second electrical contacts are formed at the first surface, while a third electrical contact is formed at the second surface opposite the first electrical contact. The first electrical contact is electrically connected to the operational circuitry, and the second electrical contact is electrically connected to the third electrical contact. The first device and the second device are subsequently stacked such that the first surface of the second device is located adjacent the second surface of the first device such that the first electrical contact of the second device is aligned with the third electrical contact of the first device. The first electrical contact of the second device is electrically connected to the third electrical contact of the first device.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 2014Date of Patent: December 19, 2017Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Ely K. Tsern, Ian P. Shaeffer
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Patent number: 9843315Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a delay circuit and first and second interface circuits. The delay circuit delays a first timing signal by an internal delay to generate an internal timing signal. The first interface circuit communicates data to an external device in response to the internal timing signal. The second interface circuit transmits an external timing signal for capturing the data in the external device. An external delay is added to the external timing signal in the external device to generate a delayed external timing signal. The delay circuit sets the internal delay based on a comparison between the delayed external timing signal and a calibration signal transmitted by the first interface circuit.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2012Date of Patent: December 12, 2017Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Ely Tsern, Brian Leibowitz, Jared Zerbe
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Patent number: 9841791Abstract: A rack unit configuration is described that includes a first printed circuit board (PCB) assembly interleaved with a second PCB assembly that is inverted with respect to the first PCB assembly. The configuration of the first PCB assembly and the second PCB assembly allow for increased component and power densities within computing systems, memory systems, etc. The increased density may be achieved while allowing sufficient mechanical clearance to allow easy component replacement and servicing (e.g., and hot pluggability). Power density may also be increased with PCB assemblies including nested and interleaved power modules.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2014Date of Patent: December 12, 2017Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Donald R. Mullen, Chi-Ming Yeung, David A. Secker
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Patent number: 9842630Abstract: A memory component includes a memory bank comprising a plurality of storage cells and a data interface block configured to transfer data between the memory component and a component external to the memory component. The memory component further includes a plurality of column interface buses coupled between the memory bank and the data interface block, wherein a first column interface bus of the plurality of column interface buses is configured to transfer data between a first storage cell of the plurality of storage cells and the data interface block during a first access operation and wherein a second column interface bus of the plurality of column interface buses is configured to transfer the data between the first storage cell and the data interface block during a second access operation.Type: GrantFiled: October 2, 2014Date of Patent: December 12, 2017Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Ely K. Tsern
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Patent number: 9841806Abstract: A memory load sharing system and method therefor. This system can include a platform VRM (Voltage Regulator Module) coupled to a memory channel with the platform VRM having a platform voltage input. One or more first memory modules can coupled to the platform VRM through the memory channel. Each of the first memory modules includes one or more plane connectors and a module connector, as well as a memory module VRM coupled to a module load sharing diode that is coupled to the one or more plane connectors of that first memory module. The platform VRM is coupled to a first platform load sharing diode that is coupled the plane connectors of each of the first memory modules. This platform is configured to support load sharing between the first memory modules and to provide a predetermined amount of power to each of the memory modules.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 2015Date of Patent: December 12, 2017Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventor: Chris Haywood
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Patent number: 9843309Abstract: A system for communicating information between circuits is described. A transmit circuit provides pulse-amplitude-modulation (PAM) signals via a communication channel to a receiver. A circuit in the receiver determines digital values from the received signals using a time-varying threshold voltage, which varies during the bit-time. This approach may compensate for inter-symbol interference (ISI) to increase the voltage and timing margins of the system.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2010Date of Patent: December 12, 2017Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Jared L. Zerbe, Brian S. Leibowitz, Qi Lin
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Publication number: 20170351627Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2015Publication date: December 7, 2017Applicant: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Ely Tsern, John Eric Linstadt, Thomas J. Giovannini, Kenneth L. Wright
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Patent number: 9836348Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 29, 2016Date of Patent: December 5, 2017Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Ely Tsern
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Patent number: 9836428Abstract: A memory controller and/or memory device control termination of a communication link in order to achieve power savings while reducing or eliminating unwanted reflections in the channel. Following transmission of data over the communication channel, termination is left enabled for a programmable time period beginning immediately following completion of the transmission. The time period is sufficiently long to allow the unwanted reflections to be absorbed by the termination. Following the time period, the termination is disabled for power savings.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2013Date of Patent: December 5, 2017Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Kyung Suk Oh, Pravin Kumar Venkatesan, Yohan Usthavia Frans
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Patent number: 9837132Abstract: The embodiments described herein describe technologies for memory systems. One implementation of a memory module includes multiple device sites coupled to the a data query (DQ) buffer component via data lines and coupled to a command and address (CA) buffer component via chip select (CS) lines. A first number of the CS lines between the CA buffer component and any combination of two or more of the multiple device sites is greater than a second number of the CS lines between the CA buffer component and a single one of the multiple device sites.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2014Date of Patent: December 5, 2017Assignee: Rambus, Inc.Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Suresh Rajan