Patents Examined by Thien D Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9733305
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods for using a compliance model to determine compatibility of a channel with a bus's chip I/O circuitry at its ends. The method includes identifying at least one design criteria and obtaining boundary sets of frequency domain parameters for compliant signal channels known to achieve the design criteria. In certain embodiments, the boundary sets may be derived using a genetic algorithm. The method further includes verifying whether a particular signal channel is compliant by comparing values of frequency domain parameters for the particular channel to one or more of the boundary sets of frequency domain parameters for the known compliant channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wiren D. Becker, Daniel M. Dreps, Jose A. Hejase, Glen A. Wiedemeier, Si T. Win
  • Patent number: 9720042
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a testing system for a satellite payload includes a built-in testing component configured at a satellite, the built-in testing component comprising a built-in testing component input and a built-in testing component output, and a payload component configured at the satellite, the payload component comprising a payload component input communicatively connected to the built-in testing component output and a payload component output communicatively connected to the built-in testing component input, wherein the built-in testing component is configured to transmit a digital test signal from the built-in testing component output to the payload component input and receive a digital output signal at the built-in testing component input from the payload component output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Robert Conder Chiu, Robert Emerson Bolton, Payman Behboudikha, Philip Stewart Jaque
  • Patent number: 9711241
    Abstract: Embodiments contained in the disclosure provide a method for memory built-in self-testing (MBIST). The method begins when a testing program is loaded, which may be from an MBIST controller. Once the testing program is loaded MBIST testing begins. During testing, memory failures are determined and written to a failure indicator register. The writing to the failure indicator register occurs in parallel with the ongoing MBIST testing. An apparatus is also provided. The apparatus includes a memory data read/write block, a memory register, a memory addressor, and a memory read/write controller. The apparatus communicates with the memories under test through a memory address and data bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Ashutosh Anand, Shankarnarayan Bhat, Nikhil Sudhakaran, Praveen Raghuraman, Nishi Bhushan Singh, Anand Bhat, Abhinav Kothiala, Sanjay Muchini, Arun Balachandar, Devadatta Bhat
  • Patent number: 9686053
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods for testing channel compliance. The method generally includes identifying at least one design criteria and determining boundary sets of frequency domain parameters for compliant signal channels known to achieve the design criteria. The boundary sets may be used for verifying whether a particular signal channel is compliant by comparing values of frequency domain parameters for the particular channel to one or more of the boundary sets of frequency domain parameters for the known compliant channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wiren D. Becker, Daniel M. Dreps, Jose A. Hejase, Glen A. Wiedemeier, Si T. Win
  • Patent number: 9672939
    Abstract: Testing systems and methods, as well as memory devices using such testing systems and methods, may facilitate testing of memory devices using a read-modify-write test procedure. One such testing system receives a signal indicative of at least some of a plurality of bits of data read from an address differing from each other, and then masks subsequent write operations at the same address. Therefore, any address at which the bits of read data do not all have the same value may be considered to be faulty. Failure data from the test can therefore be stored in the same array of memory cells that is being tested.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael A. Shore
  • Patent number: 9673941
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide apparatus for testing channel compliance. The apparatus generally performs operations that includes identifying at least one design criteria and determining boundary sets of frequency domain parameters for compliant signal channels known to achieve the design criteria. The boundary sets may be used for verifying whether a particular signal channel is compliant by comparing values of frequency domain parameters for the particular channel to one or more of the boundary sets of frequency domain parameters for the known compliant channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wiren D. Becker, Daniel M. Dreps, Jose A. Hejase, Glen A. Wiedemeier, Si T. Win
  • Patent number: 9664741
    Abstract: Disclosed are a test apparatus and a test method for testing a plurality of blocks in a circuit, the plurality of blocks having identical structures. The test apparatus comprises: a comparing device, configured to collect output responses generated by the plurality of blocks by applying an excitation signal to the plurality of blocks in parallel, compare the output responses of the plurality of blocks to determine whether the output responses of the plurality of blocks are identical, and output results of the comparison of the comparing device; and a determining device, configured to receive the results of the comparison of the comparing device, and determine whether the plurality of blocks have a defect according to the results of the comparison of the comparing device. With the test apparatus and the test method, a process for testing the plurality of blocks having the identical structures may be simplified, and test efficiency may be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Fei Dong, Shu Gong, Hai Long Li, Yin Peng Lv, Liu Di Wang
  • Patent number: 9666301
    Abstract: An example scannable register file includes a plurality of memory cells and, a shift phase of a scan test shifts data bits from a scan input through the plurality of memory cells to a scan output. The shifting can be performed by, on each clock cycle, reading one of the plurality of memory cells to supply the scan out and writing one of the plurality of memory cells with the data bit on a scan input. To perform sequential reads and writes on each clock cycle, the scannable register can generate a write clock that, during the shift phase, is inverted from the clock used for functional operation. The write clock is generated without glitches so that unintended writes do not occur. Scannable register files can be integrated with scan-based testing (e.g., using automatic test pattern generation) of other modules in an integrated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Venugopal Boynapalli, Kashyap Ramachandra Bellur, Prabaharan Balu, Bilal Zafar, Alex Dongkyu Park, Sei Seung Yoon
  • Patent number: 9664737
    Abstract: A method for providing an on-chip variation determination and an integrated circuit utilizing the same are provided. The method includes: outputting, by a launch register circuit, a test data to the capture register circuit according to the first clock; receiving, by a capture register circuit, the test data from the launch register circuit according to the second clock; adjusting, by a control circuit, a first number of a first chain of delay elements to generate the first clock and a second number of a second chain of delay elements for the capture register circuit to just capture the test data to generate the second clock; and determining, by the control circuit, a path delay between the launch register circuit and the capture register circuit based on the first number of the first chain of delay elements and the second number of the second chain of delay elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: MEDIATEK INC.
    Inventors: Kok-Tiong Tee, Heng-Meng Liu, Yipin Wu
  • Patent number: 9653186
    Abstract: A memory-testing device for testing a memory is provided. The memory-testing device includes a testing circuitry and a register. The testing circuitry is coupled to the memory for testing performance of the memory. The register is coupled to the testing circuitry and inputted by a testing clock signal, wherein the testing clock signal is different from an original clock signal of the memory and/or the testing circuitry. The testing clock signal is utilized for adjusting the time when the memory-testing device latches data from the memory to decrease a timing slack of the memory-testing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: MEDIATEK INC.
    Inventors: Chin-Jung Su, Rei-Fu Huang
  • Patent number: 9638750
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide apparatus for using a compliance model to determine compatibility of a channel with a bus's chip I/O circuitry at its ends. The apparatus includes at least one processor and a memory coupled to the at least one processor. The processor is configured to: identify at least one design criteria; obtain boundary sets of frequency domain parameters for compliant signal channels known to achieve the design criteria; and verify whether a particular signal channel is compliant by comparing values of frequency domain parameters for the particular channel to one or more of the boundary sets of frequency domain parameters for the known compliant channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wiren D. Becker, Daniel M. Dreps, Jose A. Hejase, Glen A. Wiedemeier, Si T. Win
  • Patent number: 9619325
    Abstract: A method renews data in a flash memory which is organized in memory units and whose memory units which have been written to are error-protected using ECC words. The memory units which have been written to are test-read in regularly activated test-reading cycles, and either individual memory units which have been written to or all memory units which have been written to are renewed on the basis of the ECC error states which have occurred in a test-reading cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Hyperstone GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Roeder, Christoph Baumhof, Axel Mehnert, Franz Schmidberger
  • Patent number: 9612280
    Abstract: An integrated circuit 2 is provided with a serial scan chain. Disposed between at least some serial scan cells 32, 34 forming a serial scan chain there is provided a partial scan cells 36. These partial scan cells are arranged such that during a scan mode in which serial data is being shifted into and out of the serial scan cells, a fixed value is captured and stored into the partial scan cell 36. This avoids the presence of unknown data values within the signal paths between the functional logic 38, 40 which is to be tested.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: ARM Limited
    Inventor: Teresa Louise McLaurin
  • Patent number: 9606182
    Abstract: A system on chip (SOC) is provided. The system on chip (SOC) includes: at least one core including a plurality of scan chains operated by a trigger signal; a delay controller generating a delay target selection signal selecting at least one of the plurality of scan chains and a delay depth control signal indicating a delay depth of the trigger signal; and a delay signal generating unit delaying the trigger signal based on the delay target selection signal and the delay depth control signal and providing the delayed trigger signal to the plurality of scan chains.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dong-kwan Han, Ji-hye Kim
  • Patent number: 9608666
    Abstract: A decoder performs forward error correction based on quasi-cyclic regular column-partition low density parity check codes. A method for designing the parity check matrix reduces the number of short-cycles of the matrix to increase performance. An adaptive quantization post-processing technique further improves performance by eliminating error floors associated with the decoding. A parallel decoder architecture performs iterative decoding using a parallel pipelined architecture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: ClariPhy Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Damian Alfonso Morero, Mario Alejandro Castrillon, Matias German Schnidrig, Mario Rafael Hueda
  • Patent number: 9606858
    Abstract: A processing module encodes data using a dispersed storage error coding function to produce a set of encoded data slices and identifies storage units for storage of the set of encoded data slices. The processing module determines that a storage unit of the storage units is unavailable, where the storage unit is targeted to store an encoded data slice of the set of encoded data slices. The processing module selects a foster storage unit of the storage units for temporarily storing the encoded data slice. When the storage unit is available, the processing module transfers the encoded data slice from the foster storage unit to the storage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jason K. Resch, Andrew Baptist, Ilya Volvovski
  • Patent number: 9606176
    Abstract: Some embodiments provide an integrated circuit (“IC”) with a primary circuit structure. The primary circuit structure is for performing multiple operations that implement a user design. The primary circuit structure includes multiple circuits. The IC also includes a secondary monitoring structure for monitoring multiple operations. The secondary monitoring structure includes a network communicatively coupled to multiple circuits of the primary circuit structure. The secondary monitoring circuit structure is for analyzing the monitored operations and reporting on the analysis to a circuit outside of the IC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Marc Miller, Steven Teig, Jason Redgrave, Brad Hutchings, Danny Thom
  • Patent number: 9599672
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a scan chain, a clock divider circuit, and clock selection circuitry. The scan chain includes a plurality of dual edge flip flops, wherein each dual edge flip flop includes a data input, a scan input, a clock input, and data output. The clock divider circuit is coupled to receive a test clock and is configured to divide the test clock to provide a divided test clock. The clock selection circuitry has a first input coupled to receive the divided test clock, a second input coupled to receive a system clock, a control input coupled to receive a scan enable signal, and an output coupled to provide one of the divided test clock and the system clock as a clock signal to the clock inputs of the scan chain based on the scan enable signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: NXP USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Kumar Abhishek, Anurag Jindal, Nishant Madan, Mayank Tutwani
  • Patent number: 9588176
    Abstract: An integrated circuit may include user storage circuits and scan storage circuits. The scan storage circuits may store data from the user storage circuits and provide the data to a user interface during a read-back operation. The user storage circuits may store data from the scan storage circuits, which the scan storage circuits may have received from the user interface during a write-back operation. The scan storage circuits may be arranged in a scan chain and controlled by a local control circuit. The integrated circuit may include multiple local control circuits that each control a sector of the integrated circuit. The local control circuits may communicate with a global control circuit over a communication network, and the global control circuit may communicate with the user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Hutton, Sean Atsatt, James Ball, Dana How, Jeffrey Chromczak, Eng Ling Ho
  • Patent number: 9582354
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a processing unit and a memory. The processing unit is configured to encode a plurality of bits to obtain a plurality of encoded bits, the processing unit is configured to determine an inversion decision. When the inversion decision indicates that the subset of the encoded bits shall not be inverted, the processing unit is configured to store, as a stored word, bits of the first codeword into the memory. When the inversion decision indicates that the subset of the encoded bits shall be inverted, the processing unit is configured to invert each encoded bit of a subset of the encoded bits to obtain a second codeword and to store the second codeword into the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Thomas Kern, Karl Hofmann, Michael Goessel