Patents Examined by Son Dinh
  • Patent number: 10032516
    Abstract: Disclosed is a content addressable memory (CAM). The content addressable memory array includes a memory array and a data match module. The memory array includes multiple memory rows. Each memory row is configured to store a first data word and a second data word. The data match module includes a first match circuitry configured to compare a first match word to the first data word of a memory row, and to generate a first match output based on the comparison between the first match word and the first data word of the memory row. The data match module further includes a second match circuitry configured to compare a second match word to the second data word of the memory row, and to generate a second match output based on the comparison between the second match word and the second data word of the memory row.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: eSilicon Corporation
    Inventor: Dennis Dudeck
  • Patent number: 10031792
    Abstract: The present invention aims at providing a flash memory that can perform a refresh operation at an appropriate time before a read error occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoya Saito, Masamichi Fujito, Koichi Ando, Takashi Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 10031865
    Abstract: To suppress the degradation of memory cells in a non-volatile memory. A read processing unit performs a read process for reading read data from each of a plurality of memory cells on the basis of a first threshold. An error detection unit detects presence or absence of an error in the read data and specifies memory cells in which the error is present among the plurality of memory cells. A re-read processing unit performs a re-read process for reading data, as re-read data, from the specified memory cells on the basis of a second threshold different from the first threshold. A refresh processing unit rewrites, for a memory cell of which the re-read data has a different value from the read data among the specified memory cells, data with the re-read data as a refresh process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Haruhiko Terada, Lui Sakai, Hideaki Okubo, Keiichi Tsutsui
  • Patent number: 10032489
    Abstract: This disclosure provides a method and apparatus for detecting a transition of a memory cell current from a first state to a second state. An example apparatus includes a memory cell, a supplemental current source, a comparator, a reference voltage and a reference current source in a configuration that allows for real time detection of the transition of a memory cell. Detection of a memory cell current transition is captured when the output of the comparator transitions from one state to a second state in response to a sensing voltage exceeding the reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Yingchang Chen, Xiaoxia Wu
  • Patent number: 10031699
    Abstract: Technology for a system operable to write and read data from memory is described. The system can include memory and a memory controller. The memory controller can send an instruction to write data to a NVM address in the memory at a time of last write (TOLW). The memory controller can determine to read the data from the NVM address in the memory at read time. The memory controller can determine a read voltage to read the data from the NVM address in the memory at the read time. The read voltage can be determined based on a difference between the TOLW and the read time, and a modeled voltage drift for the NVM address over a period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Benjamin A. Graniello, Karthik Kumar
  • Patent number: 10026459
    Abstract: Examples of the present disclosure provide apparatuses and methods for storing a first element in memory cells coupled to a first sense line and a plurality of access line. The examples can include storing a second element in memory cells coupled to a second sense line and the plurality of access lines. The memory cells coupled to the first sense line can be separated from the memory cells coupled to the second sense line by at least memory cells coupled to a third sense line and the plurality of access lines. The examples can include storing the second element in the memory cells coupled to the third sense line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason T. Zawodny, Sanjay Tiwari, Richard C. Murphy
  • Patent number: 10026467
    Abstract: A microelectronic assembly can include an address bus comprising a plurality of signal conductors each passing sequentially through first, second, third, and fourth connection regions, and first and second microelectronic packages. The first microelectronic package can include first and second microelectronic elements, and the second microelectronic package can include third and fourth microelectronic elements. Each microelectronic element can be electrically coupled to the address bus via the respective connection region. An electrical characteristic between the first and second connection regions can be within a same tolerance of the electrical characteristic between the second and third connection regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Invensas Corporation
    Inventors: Zhuowen Sun, Yong Chen, Kyong-Mo Bang
  • Patent number: 10020252
    Abstract: Apparatuses for providing external terminals of a semiconductor device are described. An example apparatus includes: a pad formation area including a plurality of pads disposed at an edge of the apparatus; a peripheral circuit area including a plurality of circuit blocks coupled to a memory cell array, each circuit block of the plurality of circuit blocks including a via disposed at a side opposite to the pad formation area with respect to each circuit block; and a plurality of conductors, each conductor coupling the via to the corresponding pad, and crossing over, at least in part, an area in the peripheral circuit area that is outside the circuit block comprising the via.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuki Miura, Mieko Kojima
  • Patent number: 10019188
    Abstract: In a method for operating a NAND flash memory system, a temperature sensing device detects a decrease in temperature of the NAND flash memory system below a first threshold temperature level, and a clock control unit adjusts an operating condition for a memory access operation in response to detecting the decrease in the temperature below the first threshold temperature level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Woonjae Chung, HanShin Shin
  • Patent number: 10013197
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods related to a shift skip. An example apparatus comprises a plurality of sensing circuitries, comprising respective sense amplifiers and respective compute components. A controller is configured to, responsive to a mask data unit associated with a first sensing circuitry having a particular value, cause a data value to be shifted from a second sensing circuitry to a third sensing circuitry without shifting the data value to the first sensing circuitry, wherein the first sensing circuitry is physically located between the second sensing circuitry and the third sensing circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel B. Penney, Gary L. Howe, Harish N. Venkata
  • Patent number: 10013195
    Abstract: A memory module may include a plurality of memory groups configured to include a plurality of memory packages, respectively, and input/output data through input/output pins. The memory module may include a control circuit configured to activate one or more of the plurality of memory groups on a basis of an address signal. The memory module may include a multiplexer circuit configured to couple the memory group activated on the basis of the address signal to input/output buses of the memory module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Do Yun Lee, Min Chang Kim, Chang Hyun Kim, Jae Jin Lee, Hun Sam Jung
  • Patent number: 10014072
    Abstract: A diagnosis method executed by a processor includes receiving signal data at a timing of a first clock signal; setting a diagnosis period to perform a diagnosis of a memory with a predetermined period; executing a write operation and a read operation of the signal data on the memory at a timing of a second clock signal that is higher in rate than the first clock signal within the diagnosis period; executing at least one of operations included in the diagnosis of the memory using diagnosis data at a timing of the second clock signal during a period responsive to a difference between a number of first clock pulses of the first clock signal within the diagnosis period and a number of second clock pulses of the second clock signal within the diagnosis period; and diagnosing the memory by repeating the diagnosis period by a plurality of times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Nishimura, Yukio Suda, Satoshi Nemoto
  • Patent number: 10013211
    Abstract: A storage device may include a nonvolatile memory device, a buffer memory, and a controller. The controller may perform first accesses on the nonvolatile memory device using the buffer memory, collect access result information and access environment information of the first accesses in the buffer memory, and generate an access classifier that predicts a result of a second access to the nonvolatile memory device by performing machine learning based on the access result information and the access environment information collected in the buffer memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Donghwan Lee, Junjin Kong, Seongnam Kwon, Seungkyung Ro, Changkyu Seol, Hong Rak Son, Pilsang Yoon, Donggi Lee, Heewon Lee
  • Patent number: 10008275
    Abstract: A control method for a solid state storage device is provided. Firstly, an elapsed time period of the solid state storage device is counted when the solid state storage device is in a normal working state. Then, a read refresh operation is performed on a memory array of the solid state storage device at a first time interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignees: LITE-ON ELECTRONICS (GUANGZHOU) LIMITED, LITE-ON TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Win-San Khwa, Meng-Fan Chang, Jen-Chien Fu, Shuai-Fan Chen
  • Patent number: 10008263
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods, systems and devices for operation of dual non-volatile memory devices. In one aspect, a pair of non-volatile memory device coupled in series may be placed in complementary memory states any one of multiple memory states in write cycles by controlling a current and a voltage applied to terminals of the non-volatile memory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: ARM Ltd.
    Inventors: Azeez Bhavnagarwala, Robert Campbell Aitken
  • Patent number: 10002877
    Abstract: A three-dimensional (3D) semiconductor memory device includes a CMOS circuit structure including a plurality of column blocks each comprising a plurality of page buffer circuits, and a lower wiring structure and a memory structure sequentially stacked over the CMOS circuit structure. The memory structure overlaps a first circuit region of the CMOS circuit structure and does not overlap a second circuit region of the CMOS circuit structure, and the plurality of column blocks are contained within the first circuit region of the CMOS circuit structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jintaek Park, Youngwoo Park, Jaeduk Lee
  • Patent number: 9997219
    Abstract: A memory macro includes a first set of memory cells, a second set of memory cells, a third set of memory cells, a set of retention circuits and a set of conductive lines. The second set of memory cells arranged in a first row arranged in a second direction. The third set of memory cells arranged in a first column arranged in a first direction. The set of retention circuits is configured to supply a second voltage value of a second supply voltage to the first set of memory cells during a sleep operational mode. The set of retention circuits is responsive to a set of control signals, and arranged in a second column arranged in the first direction. The set of conductive lines extend in the second direction, and coupled to the set of retention circuits and the voltage supply node of the first set of memory cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Chien-Kuo Su, Cheng Hung Lee, Chiting Cheng, Hung-Jen Liao, Jonathan Tsung-Yung Chang, Yen-Huei Chen, Pankaj Aggarwal, Jhon Jhy Liaw
  • Patent number: 9996458
    Abstract: A non-volatile memory is arranged to have a plurality of sectors. Each sector of the plurality of sectors includes a plurality of record locations. A memory controller includes an erase counter, a failed sector flag, and a retired sector flag for each of the plurality of sectors. If a record location of a sector fails to program, another location in the sector is selected to be programmed. The failed sector flag is set if a predetermined number of selected record locations of the sector fails to program. If the failed sector flag is set for a particular sector twice, and an erase count is greater than a predetermined erase count, then the retired sector flag is set for the failed sector indicating the sector is to be permanently retired from use. A new sector of the plurality of sectors becomes the current active sector for record programming operations. The method for retiring a sector occurs dynamically, during operation of the non-volatile memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: NXP USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Fuchen Mu, Botang Shao
  • Patent number: 9997228
    Abstract: A refresh control device, and a memory device may be provided. The latch controller may include a first oscillator configured to generate a first oscillation signal, and a second oscillator configured to generate a second oscillation signal. The latch controller may be configured to receive a precharge signal and prevent the second oscillation signal from being synchronized with the precharge signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Jae Seung Lee, Chang Hyun Kim, Yo Sep Lee
  • Patent number: 9990979
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device is disclosed that can differentially control a driving ability and current consumption of the charge pump circuit according to operation state information of other memory die. The semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of charge pump circuits installed on a plurality of memory dies, and a pump managing circuit installed on each of the memory dies to control the charge pump circuits and receive operation state information with respect to other memory die to generate control signals for controlling the charge pump circuits on its own memory die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Minsang Park