Patents Examined by John P. Trimmings
  • Patent number: 7577887
    Abstract: A JTAG interface device capable of effectively debugging a mobile terminal by interfacing the mobile terminal with a JTAG emulator without an additional interface unit by allocating test pins of the JTAG emulator to some pins of a receptacle and then electrically connecting the test pins to the pins, and a method thereof. Accordingly, an operation for debugging the mobile terminal can be easily and effectively performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Bong-Su Kim
  • Patent number: 7574644
    Abstract: A method of diagnosing semiconductor device functional testing failures by combining deterministic and functional testing to create a new test pattern based on functional failure by determining the location of the type of error in the failing circuit. This is accomplished by identifying the failing vector during the functional test, observing the states of the failed device by unloading the values of the latches from the LSSD scan chain before the failing vector, generating a LOAD from the unloaded states of the latches, applying the generated LOAD as the first event of a newly created independent LSSD deterministic pattern, applying the primary inputs and Clocks that produced the failure to a correctly operating device, unloading the output of the correctly operating device to generate a deterministic LSSD pattern; and applying the generated deterministic LSSD pattern to the failing device to diagnose the failure using existing LSSD deterministic tools.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Donato Forlenza, Franco Molika, Phillip J. Nigh
  • Patent number: 7574634
    Abstract: A system and method to operate an electronic device, such as a memory chip, in a test mode using the device's built-in ODT (on die termination) circuit is disclosed. One or more test mode related signals, which include on-die signals and other relevant information, may be transferred from the integrated circuit of the electronic device to an external processor using the device's ODT circuit instead of the output data signal driver circuit. Therefore, no capacitive loading of output drivers occurs during test mode operations. Thus the speed of the output data path (i.e., the circuit path propagating non-test mode related signals from the electronic device to other external units in the system) is not affected by test mode operations, allowing a system designer to increase the speed of the data output path as much as desired. Further, deterioration in the quality of signals output from the output drivers is also avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Eric J. Stave
  • Patent number: 7574633
    Abstract: There is provided a test apparatus that tests a device under test including a plurality of data terminals and a clock output terminal, the test apparatus including a plurality of first variable delay circuits that delays a reference clock, a plurality of timing clock generating sections that outputs a timing clock having a phase obtained by shifting a phase of the delayed reference clock by a designated phase shift amount, a timing comparator that acquires a data signal in accordance with the timing clock, a plurality of second variable delay circuits that delays the timing clock, a plurality of phase comparators that outputs a phase shift amount according to a phase difference between a clock signal and the timing clock, a first adjusting section that adjusts a delay amount of the first variable delay circuit so that the timing comparator acquires a data signal based on the timing clock, and a second adjusting section that adjusts a delay amount of the second variable delay circuit so that the timing compara
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Advantest Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Sato, Noriaki Chiba, Tomohiro Uematsu
  • Patent number: 7571363
    Abstract: A phase comparator is used to test a device under test comprising an input/output (I/O) circuit by applying a signal to the device under test; extracting a phase signal from the phase comparator; and determining parametric information pertaining to the I/O circuit of the device under test from the phase signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hugh S. Wallace, Adrian Wan-Chew Seet, Klaus-Dieter Hilliges
  • Patent number: 7568141
    Abstract: The inputs to an embedded core, e.g., the core terminals, may not be directly connected to pins on the SoC. The lack of direct access to an embedded core's terminals may complicate testing of the embedded core. A test wrapper including boundary scan test (BST) cells may be used to test an embedded core. Dual function BST/ATPG (Automatic Test Pattern Generation) cells may be used to perform both BST and ATPG tests on embedded cores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignees: Intel Corporation, Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Sankaran M. Menon, Luis A. Basto, Tien Dinh, Thomas Tomazin, Juan G. Revilla
  • Patent number: 7568135
    Abstract: A system and method, including computer software, allows reading data from a flash memory cell. Voltages from a group of memory cells are detected. The group of memory cells have associated metadata for error detection, and each memory cell stores a voltage representing a data value selected from multiple possible data values. Each possible data value corresponds to one range of multiple non-overlapping ranges of analog voltages. Memory cells having uncertain data values are identified based on the detected voltages. Alternative data values for the memory cells having the uncertain data values are determined, and a combination of alternative data values is selected. An error detection test is performed using the metadata associated with the multiple memory cells and the selected combination of alternative data values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. Cornwell, Christopher P. Dudte
  • Patent number: 7565586
    Abstract: A method for operating a memory checker in a command monitoring architecture comprising at least two processing lanes comprises a first step of receiving a command to activate a first test mode. The first test mode comprises an initial step of inverting data read from a memory and inverting data written to the memory. Next, it is determined if there is a match between data associated with a first processing lane and retrieved by a second checker logic associated with a second processing lane and with data associated with a second processing lane and retrieved by a first checker logic associated with the first processing lane. A failure in the memory is determined if there is no match.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: Steven R. Thompson
  • Patent number: 7562276
    Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) comprises an embedded processor. An embedded in-circuit emulator (ICE) emulates at least one function of the embedded processor, performs at least one of testing and debugging on the IC, and generates testing results based on the at least one of the testing and the debugging. A serializer located on the IC receives the testing results from at least one of the embedded ICE and the embedded processor, serializes the testing results, and serially outputs the testing results from the IC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventors: Saeed Azimi, Son Ho
  • Patent number: 7558994
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for compressing test vector data for use in testing a logic product, wherein original test vector data is generated in the form of two or more sequences of bits including “care” bits and “don't care” bits. The test vector data is then compressed by comparing corresponding bits of two or more subsequent vectors and merging the two or more vectors into a single vector representative thereof if all of the corresponding bits of the two or more vectors are found to be compatible. Compatibility of two bits is achieved if they do not have specifically incompatible or opposite values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Hendrikus Petrus Elisabeth Vranken, Hendrik Dirk Lodewijk Hollmann
  • Patent number: 7558992
    Abstract: Embodiments of apparatuses and methods for reducing the soft error vulnerability of stored data are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes storage logic, determination logic, and selection logic. The determination logic is to determine a condition of a dataword. The storage logic includes logic to store a first portion of the dataword, a second portion of the dataword, and a result generated by the determination logic. The selection logic is to select, based on the contents of the storage logic to store the result, either the contents of the storage logic to store the second portion of the dataword, or a replacement value. The replacement value depends on the contents of a predetermined bit of the storage logic to store the first portion of the dataword.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Oguz Ergin, Osman Unsal, Xavier Vera, Antonio González
  • Patent number: 7559001
    Abstract: A command execution terminal includes an interactive graphical-user-interface (GUI) for sending commands to devices under test and to capture and display the command responses and maintaining a list of executed commands. The command execution terminal also provides functionality to create reusable device libraries of commands for a given device under test and to automate test case creation for device testing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: Sapphire Infotech Inc.
    Inventors: Manoj Betawar, Dinesh Goradia, Purnendu Narayan
  • Patent number: 7555689
    Abstract: Improved responses can be generated to scan patterns (e.g., test patterns) for an electronic circuit design having timing exception paths by more accurately determining the unknown values that propagate to observation points in the circuit, where the response is captured. For instance, the responses are determined more accurately by analyzing the effect of sensitizing a timing exception path during each time frame associated with a scan pattern. Path sensitization can be determined based on observing whether values injected at starting points of the timing exception paths due to signal transitions and glitches propagate to their end points. The response can be updated by masking the affected end points and propagating unknown values further in the circuit to determine whether they are captured at observation points of the circuit. For instance, the methods and systems described herein may result in reduced unknowns, improved test coverage and test compression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Inventors: Dhiraj Goswami, Kun-Han Tsai, Mark Kassab, Janusz Rajski
  • Patent number: 7555690
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention relate to a device for testing an integrated circuit. According to one embodiment, the device comprises a first connector coupled to receive a device under test and a second connector coupled to receive compressed test data by way of test equipment. The device also comprises a decompressor coupled to receive compressed test data, and provided decompressed test data to the device under test. Embodiments implementing two different clocks to improve the speed of testing integrated circuits are also disclosed. Various methods for coupling test signals to a device under test are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignee: XILINX, Inc.
    Inventors: Yi-Ning Yang, Arthur H. Khu, Jin-Feng Chou, Paul T. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 7549092
    Abstract: There is provided an output controller with a test unit, which can test an appropriate delay amount according to an operating frequency under a real situation. The output controller includes an initial synchronizing unit for outputting a first output enable signal when a read CAS signal is activated; a plurality of synchronizing units connected in series to output an output signal of a previous stage as an output enable signal in synchronization with a corresponding driving clock, a first stage of the synchronizing units receiving the first output enable signal; and a test unit for adjusting a delay amount of an input clock according to a test signal and outputting the driving clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2009
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Ji-Eun Jang
  • Patent number: 7549101
    Abstract: There is provided a clock transferring apparatus for synchronizing a pattern signal synchronized with a reference clock with a variable clock based on an oscillation source different from that of the reference clock, having a rate clock generating section for generating a rate clock whose number of pulses within a predetermined period is almost equal with a number of pulses of the variable clock within the predetermined period by thinning out the pulses within the reference clock, a pattern generating section for generating the pattern signal corresponding to the pulses of the rate clock and a FIFO memory that stores data of the pattern signal corresponding to the pulses of the rate clock and outputs the stored data corresponding to the pulses of the variable clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2009
    Assignee: Advantest Corporation
    Inventor: Noriaki Chiba
  • Patent number: 7543196
    Abstract: An apparatus for testing integrated circuits is disclosed. The apparatus for testing integrated circuits comprises an integrated circuit and a tester. The integrated circuit undergoing testing receives an input signal, and outputs an output signal from a first output terminal or a second output terminal according to a first pulse width of the input signal, and outputs an error signal according to a difference between the first pulse width and a second pulse width. The tester outputs the input signal according to the output signal and the error signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: Princeton Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Po Chang Chen
  • Patent number: 7543199
    Abstract: A test device that can improve test reliability is provided. In the test device, an error detecting unit detects an error of inputted test signals to generate an error flag, a normal test unit performs a test operation according to the test signals when the error flag is deactivated, and an error information providing unit indicates the error of the test signals when the error flag is activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Jae-Il Kim, Jae-Hyuk Im
  • Patent number: 7539913
    Abstract: Circuit and method for testing digital logic circuit modules of an integrated circuit chip. The circuit includes a storage device, a first multiplexing module and a selection device. The storage device stores first, second, third and fourth N-bit groups of a test pattern separately according to a loading signal and an address selection signal. The first multiplexing module is coupled to the storage device and a first digital logic circuit module, for parallel transmitting the first, second, third and fourth N-bit groups which will be received and executed by the first digital logic circuit module to parallel generate first, second and third M-bit groups. The selection device is coupled to the first digital logic circuit module for sequentially selecting one of the first, second and third M-bit groups to output a first test result according to the address selection signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Via Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Chien-Cheng Chang, Cheng-Yuan Wu
  • Patent number: 7536614
    Abstract: A method for testing memory in an integrated circuit device is disclosed. The method includes executing a test routine in a portion of the memory at a speed sufficient to fully test the memory cells, identifying faulty memory cells in the tested portion of the memory; writing an error map in another portion of the memory, the error map indicating the location of faulty memory cells found in the tested portion and, after executing the test routine and writing the error map, repairing at least some of the faulty memory cells using the error map. Once one portion of memory is tested, another portion is tested and a prior tested portion is used to write a new error map. Repairing, by analyzing the error map, is done at a slower speed than required for memory testing, allowing the use of a smaller logic section in the integrated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Integrated Device Technology, Inc
    Inventors: Siyad Chih-Hua Ma, Chao-Wen Iseng