Patents Examined by Steve Nguyen
  • Patent number: 8799726
    Abstract: A plurality of stacked memory device die and a logic circuit are connected to each other through a plurality of conductors. The stacked memory device die are arranged in a plurality of vaults. The logic circuit die serves as a memory interface device to a memory access device, such as a processor. The logic circuit die includes a plurality of link interfaces and downstream targets for transmitting received data to the vaults. The logic circuit die includes a packet builder and broadcaster configured to receive command, address and data signals over separate interfaces from a conventional tester, format the signals into a packet and broadcast the signals to a plurality of vaults.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph M. Jeddeloh
  • Patent number: 8799724
    Abstract: Methods and systems for storing data in a memory system with different levels of redundancy are disclosed. Methods and systems consistent with the present invention provide allow a redundancy level to be associated with received data, wherein associating the redundancy level of the data includes determining a desired level of protection for that data and determining the redundancy level based on the desired level of protection. A zone within a memory system is located that has a redundancy level that matches the redundancy level of the data, and the data is stored in the located zone with the desired redundancy level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventors: Tony Yoon, Pantas Sutardja
  • Patent number: 8775880
    Abstract: A memory repair mechanism for the memories clustered across the multiple power domains and can be switched on and off independent of each other, thereby enabling low power operation. Enhancements in the shared Fuse Wrapper Architecture enable sharing of a plurality of parallel links connecting the memory blocks of each power domains to the Shared Fuse Wrapper architecture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Intenational N.V.
    Inventors: Viraj Vikram Singh, Ashish Bansal, Rangarajan Ramanujam
  • Patent number: 8762818
    Abstract: System and methods for performing decoding error detection in a storage device are provided. Data bits of a data polynomial may be retrieved from a storage device. The data bits may be arranged in a first order. Error correction may be performed on the retrieved data bits of the data polynomial to produce an error polynomial based on error correction parity information encoded in the data polynomial. Bits of the error polynomial are arranged in a second order that is reverse to the first order. A first remainder of the error polynomial may be computed based on data bits corresponding to the data polynomial arranged in the second order. An error in the error polynomial may be detected based on the computed first remainder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventor: Fei Sun
  • Patent number: 8762813
    Abstract: A configurable coding system and method of multiple error correcting codes (ECCs) for a memory device or devices are disclosed. The system includes an ECC codec that selectively performs different error corrections with different parameters. The system also includes means for providing a selected parameter to the ECC codec for initializing the ECC codec. The parameter used for initializing the ECC codec is an error-free parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Skymedi Corporation
    Inventors: Yu-Shuen Tang, Chuang Cheng
  • Patent number: 8756467
    Abstract: Embodiments of integrated circuits include a first input interconnect, a second input interconnect, an output interconnect, a shift register, a select register, a test access port (TAP) controller, and select register decode circuitry. The TAP controller is coupled to the first input interconnect and the select register, and the TAP controller is configured to shift a select value provided on the first input interconnect into the select register. The select register decode circuitry is configured to control, based on the select value, which of a plurality of test data output signals are provided to the output interconnect, where the plurality of test data output signals includes a first test data output signal and a second test data output signal. The first test data output signal is provided by the shift register, and the second test data output signal is received from a second integrated circuit on the second input interconnect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph S. Vaccaro, Michael E. Stanley
  • Patent number: 8745460
    Abstract: An encoder and a decoder employ an encoding scheme corresponding to a parity check matrix which is derivable from a bipartite protograph formed of variable nodes and check nodes, with each variable node corresponding to a codeword symbol position. The protograph has a plurality of groups of nodes, each group of nodes comprising both variable nodes and check nodes. Each of the check nodes in a group is of degree 2 and has connections to two variable nodes in the same group. The protograph also has a plurality of check nodes of degree n, where n is the number of said plurality of groups, wherein each of the plurality of check nodes has a connection to a variable node in each group such that the symbol positions in a codeword are interleaved between the groups of nodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Ecole Nationale Superieure de l'Electronique et de SES Applications (ENSEA)
    Inventors: Alain Mourad, Charly Poulliat, David Declercq, Kenta Kasai
  • Patent number: 8738977
    Abstract: In a system including a processor and memory coupled to the processor, a method of device failure analysis includes the steps of: upon each error detected within a test series performed on a device, the processor storing within a table in the memory an address at which the error occurred in the device and storing a bit position of each failed bit corresponding to that address; for each unique address at which at least one error occurred, determining how many different bit positions corresponding to the address failed during the test series; and based on results of the test series, determining whether the device failed the test series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Agere Systems LLC
    Inventors: David A. Brown, James Thomas Kirk, David P. Sonnier, Chris R. Stone
  • Patent number: 8732539
    Abstract: A test system having a sub-system to sub-system bridge may be provided that utilizes the useful attributes of a plurality of circuit testing techniques, while reducing deficiencies associated with certain types of circuit testing. A bridged test system structure is utilized to facilitate circuit testing that is more effective and time efficient. The method analyzes performance data acquired by a first component for one or more circuits, and sends that performance data to a second test component. The second test component provides test signals to the circuits, using the performance date to enhance the use of the test signals, and also provides test response data for the circuits in response to the provided test signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Charles Lutz, Jason Speilvogel, Nicole Nall, Barron Cain, William Keyes, Gregory Irwin
  • Patent number: 8732538
    Abstract: A method and system for managing storage of one or more data blocks in a programmable data storage device is provided. A data storage controller partitions each of multiple data blocks into multiple sub data blocks comprising a number of bits based on one or more index value descriptors. The data storage controller generates transition vectors from each of the sub data blocks by applying one or more transition functions. The data storage controller encodes one of the transition vectors for each sub data block for obtaining a residual sub data block comprising a reduced number of bits, thereby resulting in increased bit space. The data storage controller generates a composite data block by merging each residual sub data block. The composite data block is configurable for writing to one or more regions in the programmable data storage device free from a disturbance caused by write operations to other regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: ICForm, Inc.
    Inventor: Senthil Kumar Krishnamoorthy
  • Patent number: 8719652
    Abstract: A method for managing a flash storage device includes initiating a read request and reading requested data from a first storage block of a plurality of storage blocks in the flash storage device based on the read request. The method further includes incrementing a read count for the first storage block and moving the data in the first storage block to an available storage block of the plurality of storage blocks when the read count reaches a first threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: STEC, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard A. Mataya, Po-Jen Hsueh, Mark Moshayedi
  • Patent number: 8707133
    Abstract: An interface device to interface a processing device and a memory device includes an error correcting code (ECC) encoder to calculate ECC bit(s) and to provide the ECC bit(s) to the processing device based at least in part on data provided by the memory device, thereby eliminating a need to store the ECC bits in the memory device. The interface device may include a parity encoder to provide parity bit(s) to the memory device as a function of data provided by the processing device, and a parity decoder to selectively modify the ECC bit(s) as a function of the data and parity bit(s) provided by the memory device. The ECC encoder may provide ECC bits, and the parity decoder may selectively modify the ECC bits provided to the processing device based on data provided by the memory device and parity bit(s) provided by the memory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: LSI Corporation
    Inventors: Sathappan Palaniappan, Dharmesh Kishor Tirthdasani, Romeshkumar Bharatkumar Mehta
  • Patent number: 8689088
    Abstract: A method for encoding data using a parity check matrix is disclosed. The method for encoding data using a parity check matrix comprises generating a fourth base matrix by applying a row permutation pattern and a column permutation pattern to rows and columns of a third base matrix, respectively, the third base matrix including a plurality of indexes, each of the plurality of indexes indicating a sub-matrix; generating the parity check matrix by replacing each index of the fourth base matrix with a corresponding sub-matrix; outputting an encoded bit stream by encoding an input bit stream using the generated parity check matrix; and permuting an order of sequences of the encoded bit stream according to an inverse of the column permutation pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Young Seob Lee, Min Seok Oh, Ji Wook Chung, Sang Gook Kim, Ki Hyoung Cho
  • Patent number: 8689070
    Abstract: Scan chain diagnosis techniques are disclosed. Faulty scan chains are modeled and scan patterns are masked to filter out loading-caused failures. By simulating the masked scan patterns, failing probabilities are determined for cells on a faulty scan chain. One or more defective cells are identified based upon the failing probability information. A noise filtering system such as the one based upon adaptive feedback may be adopted for the identification process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Mentor Graphics Corporation
    Inventors: Yu Huang, Wu-Tung Cheng, Ruifeng Guo, Ting-Pu Tai
  • Patent number: 8683231
    Abstract: A method begins by a processing module dispersed storage error encoding secret data in accordance with first dispersed storage error encoding parameters to produce at least one set of encoded secret slices and dispersed storage error encoding data in accordance with second dispersed storage error encoding parameters to produce a plurality of sets of encoded data slices. The method continues with the processing module determining an inter-dispersing function for outputting the sets of encoded secret slices and the plurality of sets of encoded data slices, and for a set of the plurality of encoded data slices: identifying at least one encoded data slice of the set of encoded data slices based on the inter-dispersing function, replacing the at least one encoded data slice with at least one encoded secret slice to produce a mixed set of encoded slices, and outputting the mixed set of encoded slices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Cleversafe, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary W. Grube, Timothy W. Markison
  • Patent number: 8656231
    Abstract: A memory device and method, such as a flash memory device and method, includes a memory having a plurality of nonvolatile memory cells for storing stored values of user data. The memory device and method includes a memory controller for controlling the memory. The memory controller includes an encoder for encoding user write data for storage of code values as the stored values in the memory. The encoder includes an inserter for insertion of an indicator as part of the stored values for use in determining when the stored values are or are not in an erased state. The memory controller includes a decoder for reading the stored values from the memory to form user read data values when the stored values are not in the erased state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventors: ChengKuo Huang, Siu-Hung Frederick Au
  • Patent number: 8615692
    Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product is disclosed that recycle digital assertions for analyzing the test vectors to quickly and accurately calculate the switching activity at each test clock pulse or scan cycle. According to some approaches, load vector data and unload vector data are analyzed to determine toggle counts and switching activity, without requiring simulation to be performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Assignee: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Rajesh Khurana, Krishna Chakravadhanula, Vivek Chickermane
  • Patent number: 8612831
    Abstract: A method begins by a processing module forward error correction (FEC) encoding data to produce FEC encoded data and dividing the FEC encoded data into a set of FEC encoded words. The method continues with the processing module generating integrity information based on the data and generating a word name for an FEC encoded word of the set of FEC encoded words. The method continues with the processing module affiliating an address of allocated address space of a dispersed storage memory with the word name and storing the integrity information, the word name, and the address. The method continues with the processing module creating a write command to store the FEC encoded word at the address in the dispersed storage memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Cleversafe, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary W. Grube, Timothy W. Markison
  • Patent number: 8607133
    Abstract: A data processing device acquires a first parameter value of a hardware component, and calculates a first prediction value of the first parameter using a prediction algorithm. If a difference of the first prediction value and the first parameter falls within a deviation range, the first parameter value is determined as a real value and is stored. Otherwise, the device acquires a second parameter value of the hardware component that follows the first parameter value, and calculates a second prediction value of the second parameter value. If a difference between the second prediction value and the second parameter value falls with a second deviation range, the first parameter value is determined as a real value and is stored. Otherwise, the first parameter value is determined as a false value and is abandoned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignees: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Le Zhang
  • Patent number: 8607111
    Abstract: An integrated circuit tester is described that utilizes methods of programming parallel coupled Algorithmic Pattern Generators (APGs) to generate test vector sequences and part commands with sub-instruction repeats. This enables simpler test programming and ease of test conversion to new part speed grades, steppings, or part designs. In one embodiment, a sub-instruction repeat is utilized to enable adjustment of the timing of test vector sequences and part commands sent to an integrated circuit device under test (DUT) so that the test can be adjusted for new part speed grades and/or steppings. In another embodiment, a sub-instruction repeats are utilized to enable adjustment of the timing of a memory device inputs, memory commands and test vector sequences so that the test can be adjusted for new memory device speed grades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Phillip Rasmussen, Charles Snodgrass