Patents Assigned to Rambus
-
Patent number: 9794088Abstract: An on-chip AC coupled receiver with baseline wander compensation. The receiver may be used for either single ended or differential signals. The receiver includes an input terminal to receive an input signal. AC coupling circuitry is between the input terminal and a node and couples the input signal into a coupled signal at the node. A control loop senses low frequency signal content at the node and uses a linear buffer in adjusting the coupled signal at the node based on the low frequency signal content. The operation of the control loop compensates for potential baseline wander in the coupled signal. An input stage to recovers data from the coupled signal at the node.Type: GrantFiled: October 11, 2016Date of Patent: October 17, 2017Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventor: Yikui Jen Dong
-
Patent number: 9791492Abstract: An integrated circuit capable of on-chip jitter tolerance measurement includes a jitter generator circuit to produce a controlled amount of jitter that is injected into at least one clock signal, and a receive circuit to sample an input signal according to the at least one clock signal. The sampled data values output from the receiver are used to evaluate the integrated circuit's jitter tolerance.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2016Date of Patent: October 17, 2017Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Hae-Chang Lee, Jaeha Kim, Brian Liebowitz
-
Patent number: 9785500Abstract: A memory controller is operable in an error detection/correction mode in which N syndrome values apply to N data words of a data volume, respectively, but a single parity bit is shared across all N data words of the data volume.Type: GrantFiled: December 26, 2016Date of Patent: October 10, 2017Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Brian S. Leibowitz
-
Patent number: 9785365Abstract: The present invention is directed to memory systems. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention provide a memory system with a volatile memory, a persistent memory, and a controller. In a save operation, the controller copies contents of the volatile memory to the persistent memory as data units with their corresponding descriptor fields, where the descriptor fields include address information. In a restore operation, the controller copies data units from the persistent memory to their corresponding locations based on addresses stored at descriptor fields. There are other embodiments as well.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2015Date of Patent: October 10, 2017Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Aws Shallal, Collins Williams, Dan Kunkel, William Wolf
-
Patent number: 9785589Abstract: An integrated circuit device includes a transmitter circuit operable to transmit a timing signal over a first wire to a DRAM. The DRAM receives a first signal having a balanced number of logical zero-to-one transitions and one-to-zero transitions and samples the first signal at a rising edge of the timing signal to produce a respective sampled value. The device further includes a receiver circuit to receive the respective sampled value from the DRAM over a plurality of wires separate from the first wire. In a first mode, the transmitter circuit repeatedly transmits incrementally offset versions of the timing signal to the DRAM until sampled values received from the DRAM change from a logical zero to a logical one or vice versa; and in a second mode, it transmits write data over the plurality of wires to the DRAM according to a write timing offset generated based on the sampled values.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2016Date of Patent: October 10, 2017Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Jared LeVan Zerbe, Kevin S. Donnelly, Stefanos Sidiropoulos, Donald C. Stark, Mark A. Horowitz, Leung Yu, Roxanne Vu, Jun Kim, Bruno W. Garlepp, Tsyr-Chyang Ho, Benedict Chung-Kwong Lau
-
Publication number: 20170287571Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: August 17, 2015Publication date: October 5, 2017Applicant: Rambus IncInventors: Scott C. Best, John Eric Linstadt, Paul William Roukema
-
Patent number: 9780795Abstract: A source-synchronous clocking signal is sampled by an edge sampler triggered by a phase-adjusted version of the clocking signal. The output of the edge sampler is used as a phase-error indicator for a filtered feedback loop that aligns the phase-adjusted clocking signal to minimize, on average, the difference between the received source-synchronous clocking signal and the phase-adjusted version of the clocking signal minus the setup time of the sampler. This forms a delay-locked loop configuration. The phase adjustment information used to produce the aligned phase-adjusted clocking signal is then to produce a receiver clocking signal that is used to sample the source-synchronous data signal.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2014Date of Patent: October 3, 2017Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventor: Reza Navid
-
Patent number: 9778410Abstract: A lighting assembly includes a light guide to propagate light by total internal reflection and having a light output region on a major surface thereof. The lighting assembly also includes an optical adjuster having a major surface juxtaposed with and conforming to the light guide's major surface. The optical adjuster has a first region and a second region, the first region having a light modifying characteristic. The optical adjuster and light output region are variably positionable relative to one another to selectively apportion light emitted from the light output region between the first region and the second region. In this way, light apportioned to the first region is modified by the light modifying characteristic so that light output from the lighting assembly is modified based on relative positioning of the optical adjuster and the light guide.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2012Date of Patent: October 3, 2017Assignee: Rambus Delaware LLCInventors: Jeffrey R. Parker, Timothy A. McCollum, Fumitomo Hide, Alexey Titov, Ian Hardcastle
-
Patent number: 9780784Abstract: Described are on-die termination (ODT) systems and methods that facilitate high-speed communication between a driver die and a receiver die interconnected via one or more signal transmission lines. An ODT control system in accordance with one embodiment calibrates and maintains termination resistances and drive currents to produce optimal output swing voltages. Comparison circuitry employed to calibrate the reference resistance is also used to calibrate the drive current. Termination elements in some embodiments are divided into two adjustable resistive portions, both of which are designed to minimize capacitive loading. One portion is optimized to produce a relatively high range of adjustment, while the other is optimized for fine-tuning and glitch-free switching.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2016Date of Patent: October 3, 2017Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Huy M. Nguyen, Vijay Gadde, Benedict Lau
-
Patent number: 9778877Abstract: Memory devices and a memory controller that controls such memory devices. Multiple memory devices receive commands and addresses on a command/address (C/A) bus that is relayed point-to-point by each memory device. Data is received and sent from these devices to/from a memory controller in a point-to-point configuration by adjusting the width of each individual data bus coupled between the individual memory devices and the memory controller. Along with the C/A bus are clock signals that are regenerated by each memory device and relayed. The memory controller and memory devices may be packaged on a single substrate using package-on-package technology. Using package-on-package technology allows the relayed C/A signals to connect from memory device to memory device using wire bonding. Wirebond connections provide a short, high-performance signaling environment for the chip-to-chip relaying of the C/A signals and clocks from one memory device to the next in the daisy-chain.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2012Date of Patent: October 3, 2017Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventor: Frederick Ware
-
Patent number: 9772432Abstract: A sensing device with an odd-symmetry grating projects near-field spatial modulations onto a closely spaced photodetector array. Due to physical properties of the grating, the spatial modulations are in focus for a range of wavelengths and spacings. The spatial modulations are captured by the array, and photographs and other image information can be extracted from the resultant data. Used in conjunction with a converging optical element, versions of these gratings provide depth information about objects in an imaged scene. This depth information can be computationally extracted to obtain a depth map of the scene.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 2016Date of Patent: September 26, 2017Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Patrick R. Gill, David G. Stork
-
Patent number: 9772440Abstract: A modular light-emitting panel assembly has first and second light guides edge lit by respective light sources. Each light guide has a light input edge, opposed side edges, opposed major surfaces and a pattern of light extracting elements at at least one of the major surfaces. The light guides are juxtaposed with a side edge of the first light guide abutting a side edge of the second light guide at a seam and with the major surfaces nominally coplanar. Various embodiments of the panel assembly additionally include respective structures that reduce visibility of the seam when the light sources illuminate the panel assembly.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2016Date of Patent: September 26, 2017Assignee: Rambus Delaware LLCInventors: Timothy A. McCollum, Jeffery R. Parker, Gregg M Podojil
-
Patent number: 9768986Abstract: 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: July 13, 2016Date of Patent: September 19, 2017Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Chintan S. Thakkar, Kun-Yung Chang, Ting Wu
-
Patent number: 9767918Abstract: Volatile memory devices may be on a first memory module that is coupled to a memory controller by a first signal path. A nonvolatile memory device may be on a second memory module that is coupled to the first memory module by a second signal path. A memory transaction for the nonvolatile memory device may be transferred from the memory controller to at least one of the volatile memory devices using the first signal path and data associated with the memory transaction is to be written from at least one of the volatile memory devices to the nonvolatile memory device using the second signal path and a control signal. A defect circuit may generate the control signal in view of a detection of a defect in the nonvolatile memory device based on a comparison of a test value read from a memory location to a stored value.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2016Date of Patent: September 19, 2017Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Craig Hampel, Mark Horowitz
-
Patent number: 9768947Abstract: 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: October 31, 2016Date of Patent: September 19, 2017Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Masum Hossain, Brian Leibowitz, Jihong Ren
-
Patent number: 9755819Abstract: A receiver with clock phase calibration. A first sampling circuit generates first digital data based on an input signal, a sampling phase of the first sampling circuit controlled by a first clock signal. A second sampling circuit generates second digital data based on the input signal, a sampling phase of the second sampling circuit controlled by a second clock signal. Circuitry within the receiver calibrates the clocks in different stages. During a first calibration stage, a phase of the second clock signal is adjusted while the first digital data is selected for generating the output data. During a second calibration stage, a phase of the first clock signal is adjusted while the first digital data is selected for the output data path.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2016Date of Patent: September 5, 2017Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Marko Aleksić, Simon Li, Roxanne Vu
-
Patent number: 9753521Abstract: In an integrated circuit device that outputs data values during respective transmit intervals defined by transitions of a transmit clock, the phase of the transmit clock is shifted by half a transmit interval to enable a timing calibration operation. Thereafter, a sequence of data values is transmitted to another integrated circuit device in response to the phase-shifted transmit clock and a samples of the sequence of data values are received from the other integrated circuit device. The received samples are compared with the sequence of data values to determine a phase update value, including comparing at least one received sample with two adjacent data values within the sequence of data values, and the phase of the transmit clock is incrementally advanced or retarded according to the phase update value.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 2015Date of Patent: September 5, 2017Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Robert E. Palmer, John W. Poulton, Andrew M. Fuller
-
Patent number: 9749160Abstract: A transmitter for providing channel equalization that includes a first driver and second driver having a high pass filter. The first driver generates a first output signal representing a digital input signal. The second driver generates a second output signal representing a high pass filtered version of the digital input signal. The first and second output signals are summed to provide a third output signal that is channel equalized for transmission over a channel.Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 2015Date of Patent: August 29, 2017Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventor: John Wood Poulton
-
Patent number: 9746593Abstract: Described are imaging devices that employ patchworks of diffractive structures as focusing optics. Each diffractive structure best focuses light over a relatively narrow cone of incident angles, and provides suboptimal focusing for incident angles outside that cone. Different diffractive structures best focus different angular ranges, with the patchwork thus providing an overall focusable response for the relatively broad range of angles required to image a scene. Images can be captured without a lens, and cameras can be made smaller than those that are reliant on lenses and ray-optical focusing.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 2014Date of Patent: August 29, 2017Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Patrick R. Gill, David G. Stork, Jay A. Endsley
-
Patent number: 9747230Abstract: A memory system includes a two memory modules and a memory controller. The memory modules each include at least a first memory package corresponding to a first number of memory ranks (e.g. one memory rank) and a second memory package corresponding to a second number of memory ranks (e.g. two memory ranks) that is greater than the first number of memory ranks. For each module, the memory packages may be asymmetrically staggered such that one memory package is further from the memory controller than the other memory package. The memory controller is coupled to the memory packages of both modules via a common data line and generates control information for controlling the on-die termination (ODT) of the memory packages.Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2013Date of Patent: August 29, 2017Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Minghui Han, Amir Amirkhany, Ravindranath Kollipara, Ralf Michael Schmitt