Patents Examined by John P. Trimmings
  • Patent number: 7904768
    Abstract: A probing system for an integrated circuit device, which transmits a testing data/signal between an automatic test equipment (ATE) and an integrated circuit device, is disclosed. The probing system includes a test head having a first transceiving module. There is a test station having a test unit coupled to the test head to perform a test operation. A communication module has a second transceiving module configured to exchange data with the first transceiving module in a wireless manner. There is an integrated circuit device having a core circuit being tested, and a test module having a self-test circuit coupled to the core circuit and the communication module for performing the core circuit self-testing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: National Tsing Hua University
    Inventors: Cheng-Wen Wu, Chih-Tsun Huang, Yu-Tsao Hsing
  • Patent number: 7904763
    Abstract: A reception device configured to receive a signal of a transmitted bit string transmitted from a transmission device which transmits a bit string includes: a receiving unit arranged to receive a signal from the transmission device and output a received bit string corresponding to the transmitted bit string; a storing unit arranged to store an error rate table wherein said received bit string is correlated with an error rate of post-data which is data of one bit or greater received following the received bit string being in error; and an error correcting unit arranged to perform error correcting of the post-data of the received bit string.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Ryosuke Araki, Masato Kikuchi, Shunsuke Mochizuki, Masahiro Yoshioka, Masaki Handa, Takashi Nakanishi, Hiroshi Ichiki, Tetsujiro Kondo
  • Patent number: 7900112
    Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method of digital logic design and digital logic testing of logic under test, the logic including latches, the latches including measure latches, which are latches that measure focal faults more than other latches, and care bit latches, which are latches that require specific input values to test a fault, wherein a focal fault is a randomly selected untested fault in the logic under test, the method comprising generating test patterns for the logic under test; fault simulating the test patterns on the logic under test; ranking measure latches based on the number of focal faults they respectively measure; and tracing back a number of levels from at least some of the highest ranked measure latches and inserting test observe latches. Other methods and systems are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kenneth Pichamuthu, Prakash Venkitaraman, Andrew Ferko
  • Patent number: 7900099
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided. A common test-mode enable signal is received at two or more integrated circuit devices of an electronic system. A test mode of only an integrated circuit device of the two or more integrated circuit devices that was last to receive a valid command is enabled in response to the common test-mode enable signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Judy Wan, Benjamin Louie
  • Patent number: 7895484
    Abstract: A semiconductor device including a logic circuit and a test circuit is provided which comprises: a logic signal terminal that supplies a signal to the logic circuit; a latch circuit that latches a signal based on a synchronization signal from the test circuit; a first selection circuit that supplies an external signal from the logic signal terminal to one of the logic circuit and the latch circuit selectively based on a test mode signal; and a second selection circuit that supplies one of the external signal and a signal from the test circuit selectively to a memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Tanaka, Yuji Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 7895479
    Abstract: Systems, controllers and methods are disclosed, such as an initialization system including a controller that receives patterns of read data coupled from a memory device through a plurality of read data lanes. The controller is operable to detect any lane-to-lane skew in the patterns of read data received through the read data lanes. The controller then adjusts the manner in which the read data received through the read data lanes during normal operation are divided into frames. The controller can also couple patterns of command/address bits to the memory device through a plurality of command/address lanes. The memory device can send the received command/address bits back to the controller through the read data lanes. The controller is operable to detect any lane-to-lane skew in the patterns of command/address bits received through the read data lanes to adjust the manner in which the command/address bits coupled through the command/address lanes during normal operation are divided into frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: A. Kent Porterfield
  • Patent number: 7890830
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide a test signal generating apparatus which can generate a test signal for testing a device that dynamically change its operational state in response to a signal or the like. The test signal generating apparatus includes: a pattern storage unit 20 having patterns; a pattern selecting unit 23 for selecting a pattern from among the patterns; a test signal generating unit 25 for generating a test signal having a pattern selected by the pattern selecting unit 23, a trigger signal receiving unit 21 for receiving at least one trigger signal, and a pattern map storage unit 22 having a pattern map defining the number of repetitions for each pattern and a pattern corresponding to a test signal to be generated by the test signal generating unit after the test signal generating unit repeats the test signal on the basis of the number of repetitions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Anritsu Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Wada, Masahiko Dohi
  • Patent number: 7886206
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory test device and method thereof are provided. The example semiconductor memory test device may include a fail memory configured to store at least one test result of a memory under test, a mode selecting unit configured to output a selection signal for selecting a memory address protocol of the fail memory based upon which one of a plurality of test modes is active in the memory under test and an address arranging unit configured to arrange address signals to conform with the selected memory address protocol in response to the selection signal received from the mode selecting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Je-Young Park, Ki-Sang Kang
  • Patent number: 7882406
    Abstract: An apparatus comprising a processor and an internal memory. The processor may be configured to test an external memory using (i) a netlist and (ii) a testing program. The internal memory may be configured to store the testing program. The testing program may be downloadable to the internal memory independently from the storing of the netlist.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: LSI Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander E. Andreev, Anatoli A. Bolotov
  • Patent number: 7882409
    Abstract: Proposed are methods and apparatuses for synthesis of a new class of compressors called augmented multimode compactors, capable of achieving a flexible trade-off between compaction ratio, observability, control data volume and diagnostic properties in the presence of a large number of unknown values. The augmented multimode compactors reduce and/or completely avoid the X-masking effect in the compacted test responses. In addition, a requirement for constructing compactors is that any single error in the test response produces a unique erroneous signature within S consecutive shift cycles where the erroneous signature is calculated as a difference between the faulty signature and the fault-free signature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Synopsys, Inc.
    Inventor: Emil Gizdarski
  • Patent number: 7877659
    Abstract: Techniques are provided for modeling memory operations when generating test cases to verify multi-processor designs. Each memory operation has associated therewith a set of transfer attributes that can be referenced by a test generator. Using the transfer attributes, it is possible to generate a variety of interesting scenarios that handle read-write collisions and generally avoid reloading or resources. The model provides accurate result prediction, and allows write access restrictions to be removed from sensitive memory areas, such as control areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Felix Geller, Yehuda Naveh
  • Patent number: 7877668
    Abstract: When a host system outputs a read command to a memory controller, it measures a load count of a memory area on which a read access load is imposed. Then, when the host system judges that the load count of a memory area reaches a predetermined count, it causes the memory controller to perform an error detection on the memory area. Further, when the host system finds that an error occurs in the memory area, it causes the memory controller to perform an error correction on the memory area. This can avoid or reduce unintended rewriting due to repeated readouts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: MegaChips Corporation
    Inventor: Takahiko Sugahara
  • Patent number: 7865795
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for generating a random sequence of commands for a semiconductor device. The method generates random state transitions within a finite state machine model of the semiconductor device. A sequence of commands is determined which are associated to the generated random state transitions based on the finite state machine model of the semiconductor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Qimonda AG
    Inventors: Thomas Nirmaier, Wolfgang Spirkl
  • Patent number: 7865789
    Abstract: A system and method for verifying system-on-chip interconnect includes a first linear feedback shift register coupled to an output interface of a first system-on-chip component, a second linear feedback shift register instantiated in a second system-on-chip component, and a comparator coupled to the second linear feedback shift register and the input interface of the second system-on-chip. Another method for verifying includes generating a pseudo-random number sequence with the first linear feedback shift register and the second linear feedback shift register using an identical first initial state, and comparing an output of the first linear feedback shift register with an output of the second linear feedback shift register and reporting a miss-compare.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Serafino Bueti, Adam Courchesne, Kenneth J. Goodnow, Gregory J. Mann, Jason M. Norman, Stanley B. Stanski, Scott T. Vento
  • Patent number: 7861128
    Abstract: A scan element with self scan-mode toggle is described. In an example, the scan element is configured to automatically switch between a capture mode and a scan mode. In the capture mode, data is captured from logic under test. In the scan mode, the captured data is scanned out for testing. The scan elements each include a shift register that serves a dual purpose of providing control for determining when the scan element is to switch from the capture mode and the scan mode, as well as providing a location to store captured data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher T. Moore
  • Patent number: 7853846
    Abstract: A method for determining that failures in semiconductor test are due to a defect potentially causing a hold time violation in a scan cell in a scan chain, counting the number of potential defects, and, if possible, localizing, and ameliorating hold time defects in a scan chain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Verigy (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Stephen A. Cannon, Richard C. Dokken, Alfred L. Crouch, Gary A. Winblad
  • Patent number: 7853840
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device and methods thereof are provided. The example semiconductor memory device may include an internal address generating circuit operating in accordance with a first addressing protocol during normal operation and operating in accordance with a second addressing protocol during a test operation, the first addressing protocol associated with a first number of clock cycles for transferring a memory address and the second addressing protocol associated with a second number of clock cycles for transferring a memory address, the first number of clock cycles being greater than the second number of clock cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Min-Sang Park, Jeong-Don Lim, Youn-Sik Park
  • Patent number: 7853842
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device is capable of outputting calibration codes to an external circuit. The semiconductor memory device includes a data output control unit for controlling an output of data, a calibration code output control unit for transmitting calibration codes to determine a termination resistance value, a test mode signal generating unit for generating a test mode signal which is enabled in the test mode for outputting the calibration codes, and a test mode control unit for selectively outputting the data or the calibration codes in response to the test mode signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: Ki-Ho Kim, Ji-Eun Jang
  • Patent number: 7849373
    Abstract: Example embodiments relate to a method and system of testing a memory module having the process of receiving single ended input signals via differential input terminals through which differential pairs of packet signals may be received from a testing equipment, wherein a number of terminals of the testing equipment may be different from a number of terminals of the memory module, and testing memory chips of the memory module based on the single ended input signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seung-Man Shin, Byung-Se So, Seung-Jin Seo, You-Keun Han
  • Patent number: 7849387
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a quantum detector is provided to detect a vulnerability measure for a processor based on a processor metrics each associated with operation of a processor structure during a quantum, along with a controller to control an error mitigation unit based on the vulnerability measure. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Arijit Biswas, Niranjan Soundararajan, Shubhendu Mukherjee