Patents by Inventor Bruce Lee Morton

Bruce Lee Morton has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9530463
    Abstract: A first input of a sense amplifier is connected to a first bitline, a second input of the sense amplifier is connected to a second bitline, a third input of the sense amplifier is coupled to a third bitline. The sense amplifier provides at an output an indicator of a storage state of a memory cell connected to the first bitline based upon information provided to the sense amplifier via the first, second, and third bitlines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: TAGMATECH, LLC
    Inventor: Bruce Lee Morton
  • Patent number: 9099169
    Abstract: A first input of a sense amplifier is connected to a first bitline, a second input of the sense amplifier is connected to a second bitline, a third input of the sense amplifier is coupled to a third bitline. The sense amplifier provides at an output an indicator of a storage state of a memory cell connected to the first bitline based upon information provided to the sense amplifier via the first, second, and third bitlines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: TAGMATECH, LLC
    Inventor: Bruce Lee Morton
  • Patent number: 8514631
    Abstract: Determining that a first input of a sense amplifier is to receive information based upon a state of a storage cell during a first portion of a read cycle, and determining that a conductance at the first input is substantially equal to a conductance at a second input of the sense amplifier during the first portion. A plurality of NAND string modules are connected to a global bit line of a memory device that includes a memory column where a plurality of NAND strings and a buffer are formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Spansion LLC
    Inventors: Bruce Lee Morton, Michael VanBuskirk
  • Patent number: 8339873
    Abstract: A first input of a sense amplifier is connected to a first bitline, a second input of the sense amplifier is connected to a second bitline, a third input of the sense amplifier is coupled to a third bitline. The sense amplifier provides at an output an indicator of a storage state of a memory cell connected to the first bitline based upon information provided to the sense amplifier via the first, second, and third bitlines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Inventor: Bruce Lee Morton
  • Patent number: 8189410
    Abstract: A first input of a sense amplifier is connected to a first bitline, a second input of the sense amplifier is connected to a second bitline, a third input of the sense amplifier is coupled to a third bitline. The sense amplifier provides at an output an indicator of a storage state of a memory cell connected to the first bitline based upon information provided to the sense amplifier via the first, second, and third bitlines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Inventor: Bruce Lee Morton
  • Publication number: 20110235430
    Abstract: During first portion of a first read cycle determining that a first input of a sense amplifier is to receive information based upon a state of a storage cell during a first portion of a read cycle, and determining that a conductance at the first input is substantially equal to a conductance at a second input of the sense amplifier during the first portion. A plurality of NAND string modules are connected to a global bit line of a memory device that includes a memory column where a plurality of NAND strings and a buffer are formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2011
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Applicant: SPANSION LLC.
    Inventors: Bruce Lee Morton, Michael VanBuskirk
  • Patent number: 7983089
    Abstract: During first portion of a first read cycle determining that a first input of a sense amplifier is to receive information based upon a state of a storage cell during a first portion of a read cycle, and determining that a conductance at the first input is substantially equal to a conductance at a second input of the sense amplifier during the first portion. A plurality of NAND string modules are connected to a global bit line of a memory device that includes a memory column where a plurality of NAND strings and a buffer are formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Spansion LLC
    Inventors: Bruce Lee Morton, Michael VanBuskirk
  • Patent number: 7838342
    Abstract: During first portion of a first read cycle determining that a first input of a sense amplifier is to receive information based upon a state of a storage cell during a first portion of a read cycle, and determining that a conductance at the first input is substantially equal to a conductance at a second input of the sense amplifier during the first portion. A plurality of NAND string modules are connected to a global bit line of a memory device that includes a memory column where a plurality of NAND strings and a buffer are formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: Spansion LLC
    Inventors: Bruce Lee Morton, Michael VanBuskirk
  • Patent number: 7830716
    Abstract: During first portion of a first read cycle determining that a first input of a sense amplifier is to receive information based upon a state of a storage cell during a first portion of a read cycle, and determining that a conductance at the first input is substantially equal to a conductance at a second input of the sense amplifier during the first portion. A plurality of NAND string modules are connected to a global bit line of a memory device that includes a memory column where a plurality of NAND strings and a buffer are formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Spansion LLC
    Inventors: Bruce Lee Morton, Michael VanBuskirk
  • Publication number: 20090303798
    Abstract: During first portion of a first read cycle determining that a first input of a sense amplifier is to receive information based upon a state of a storage cell during a first portion of a read cycle, and determining that a conductance at the first input is substantially equal to a conductance at a second input of the sense amplifier during the first portion. A plurality of NAND string modules are connected to a global bit line of a memory device that includes a memory column where a plurality of NAND strings and a buffer are formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Applicant: Spansion LLC
    Inventors: Bruce Lee Morton, Michael VanBuskirk
  • Publication number: 20090303795
    Abstract: During first portion of a first read cycle determining that a first input of a sense amplifier is to receive information based upon a state of a storage cell during a first portion of a read cycle, and determining that a conductance at the first input is substantially equal to a conductance at a second input of the sense amplifier during the first portion. A plurality of NAND string modules are connected to a global bit line of a memory device that includes a memory column where a plurality of NAND strings and a buffer are formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Applicant: Spansion LLC
    Inventors: Bruce Lee Morton, Michael VanBuskirk
  • Publication number: 20090303793
    Abstract: During first portion of a first read cycle determining that a first input of a sense amplifier is to receive information based upon a state of a storage cell during a first portion of a read cycle, and determining that a conductance at the first input is substantially equal to a conductance at a second input of the sense amplifier during the first portion. A plurality of NAND string modules are connected to a global bit line of a memory device that includes a memory column where a plurality of NAND strings and a buffer are formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Applicant: Spansion LLC
    Inventors: Bruce Lee Morton, Michael VanBuskirk
  • Patent number: 6128224
    Abstract: A method for writing data to non-volatile memory (50) involves alternately applying programming and erase voltages to a control gate wordline of a memory cell. A write includes programming and erasing bits (30, 31, . . . , 32, 33) in the memory array (56). After writing, a verify erase (VE) operation and a verify program (VP) operation are performed to determine if multiple cycles are necessary. The method also permits refreshing data in the array without transferring the data onto a data bus for improved security. In one embodiment, a three transistor EEPROM is written by providing a high voltage to the drain select of the selected wordline, while providing a low voltage to the drain select of other wordlines. Programming and erase voltages are applied to the control gate wordline of the selected wordline in cycles until the write is complete. The memory cell structure allows isolation of each bit in the array to avoid adverse effects on neighbor bits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce Lee Morton, Michel Bron, Alexis Marquot, Graham Stout, Eric Boulian
  • Patent number: 6075727
    Abstract: A method for writing to a bit of a non-volatile memory (50) by alternately applying programming and erase voltages to a control gate wordline of a memory cell. A write includes programming and erasing bits (30, 31, . . . , 32, 33) in the memory array (56). Upon completion of the write operation a verify erase (VE) indication and a verify program (VP) indication are provided to a memory controller (58), which then determines if multiple cycles are necessary. The configuration of the memory cell allows isolation of each bit in the memory array to avoid effects of writes to neighbor bits. According to one embodiment, a three transistor EEPROM is written by providing a high voltage to the drain select of the selected wordline, while providing a low voltage to the drain select of other wordlines. Programming and erase voltages are applied to the control gate wordline of the selected wordline in cycles until the write is complete.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2000
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc
    Inventors: Bruce Lee Morton, Michel Bron, Alexis Marquot, Graham Stout
  • Patent number: 5754482
    Abstract: A memory (400) returns all bit lines to a predetermined voltage level optimum for subsequent fast sensing. The memory (400) includes precharge circuitry (106, 108, 110) which begins the precharge operation during the latching phase of a prior access. The precharge circuitry (106, 108, 110) precharges all bit lines, rather than a selected bit line, to the predetermined voltage level prior to address decoding. In order to prevent "walk-up", the memory (400) includes circuitry such as a switched capacitor (138, 140) which draws current from the bit lines to reduce the voltage on a bit line which drove a logic high level in an earlier cycle or which had an increased voltage due to capacitive cross-coupling to an adjacent bit line. The memory (400) may also include devices such as transmission gates (142, 144, 146) to couple together adjacent bit lines and thereby more evenly distribute the precharging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1998
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Yangming Su, Bruce Lee Morton, Chad Steven Gallun