Patents by Inventor Bruce Liikanen

Bruce Liikanen 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).

  • Publication number: 20220164263
    Abstract: An example memory sub-system includes a memory device and a processing device, operatively coupled to the memory device. The processing device is configured to detect a power-up state of the memory device following a power loss event; detect a read error with respect to data residing in a block of the memory device, wherein the block is associated with a current voltage offset bin; and perform temporal voltage shift (TVS)-oriented calibration for associating the block with a new voltage offset bin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2020
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Inventors: Bruce A. Liikanen, Shane Nowell, Steven Michael Kientz
  • Patent number: 11335425
    Abstract: A memory quality engine can improve the operation of a memory system by setting more effective operating parameters, disabling or removing memory devices unable to meet performance requirements, and providing evaluations between memory populations. These improvements can be accomplished by converting quality measurements of a memory population into CDF-based data, formulating comparisons of the CDF-based data to metrics for quality analysis, and applying the quality analysis. In some implementations, the metrics for quality analysis can use one or more thresholds, such as a system health threshold. Formulating the comparison to these metrics can include determining an area between a baseline frequency and a curve specified by the CDF-based data. In some implementations, this area can further be defined by a lowest frequency bound and/or can be compared as a ratio to an area of a rectangle that contains the CDF curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce A. Liikanen, Gerald L. Cadloni, David Miller
  • Publication number: 20220139460
    Abstract: A processing device establishes a first data group of memory cells of a memory sub-system and a second data group of memory cells of the memory sub-system. A first portion of the first data group is programmed at a threshold voltage level to set a first embedded data value. A second portion of the second data group of memory cells is programmed at the threshold voltage level offset by an offset voltage level to set a second embedded data value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2020
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Inventors: Bruce A. Liikanen, Michael Sheperek, Larry J. Koudele
  • Publication number: 20220137814
    Abstract: An example memory sub-system includes a memory device and a processing device, operatively coupled to the memory device. The processing device is configured to open a first block family associated with the memory device; assign a first cursor of a plurality of cursors of the memory device to the first block family; responsive to programming a first block associated with the first cursor, associate the first block with the first block family; open, while the first block family is open, a second block family associated with the memory device; assign a second cursor of the plurality of cursors of the memory device to the second block family; and responsive to programming a second block associated with the second cursor, associate the second block with the second block family.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Inventors: Shane Nowell, Michael Sheperek, Larry J. Koudele, Bruce A. Liikanen, Steve Kientz
  • Publication number: 20220122676
    Abstract: A program effective time (PET) for programming at least a portion of a plurality of memory cells based on one or more program step characteristics is determined. The determined PET and a target PET is compared. In response to the determined PET being different than the target PET, the one or more program step characteristics is adjusted to adjust the determined PET to the target PET.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Inventor: Bruce A. Liikanen
  • Patent number: 11309020
    Abstract: A processing device performs a multi-pass programming operation on the memory device resulting in first pass programming distributions and second pass programming distributions. One or more read level thresholds between the second pass programming distributions are changed. Responsive to changing the one or more read level thresholds between the second pass programming distributions, one or more read level thresholds between the first pass programming distributions are adjusted based on the changes to the one or more read level thresholds between the second pass programming distributions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Sheperek, Larry J. Koudele, Bruce A. Liikanen
  • Publication number: 20220115079
    Abstract: A measure associated with a characteristic of a die of a memory device is obtained. It is determined whether the measure satisfies a first criterion to group one or more die into a first die family. If it is determined that the measure satisfies the first criterion, the die is associated with the first die family.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2020
    Publication date: April 14, 2022
    Inventors: Michael Sheperek, Bruce A. Liikanen, Steve Kientz, Anita Ekren, Gerald Cadloni
  • Patent number: 11301382
    Abstract: A system includes a memory device and a processing device, operatively coupled to the memory device. The processing device is to perform operations including detecting a voltage of a power source for the memory device has dropped below a threshold voltage indicative of an imminent power loss and writing data to the memory device in response to the detecting. The operations further include measuring a characteristic of the data in response to detecting a power on of the memory device; determining an estimated amount of time for which the memory device was powered off based on results of the measuring; and in response to the estimated amount of time satisfying a first threshold criterion, updating a value for a temporal voltage shift of a block family of programmed data based on the estimated amount of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Sheperek, Bruce A. Liikanen, Steven Michael Kientz
  • Publication number: 20220108752
    Abstract: An example memory sub-system includes a memory device and a processing device, operatively coupled to the memory device. The processing device is configured to program a first block in a first die of the memory device and a second block in a second die of the memory device, wherein the first die and the second die are assigned to a die group; and associate the die group with a threshold voltage offset bin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2021
    Publication date: April 7, 2022
    Inventors: Michael Sheperek, Kishore Kumar Muchherla, Mustafa N. Kaynak, Vamsi Pavan Rayaprolu, Bruce A. Liikanen, Larry J. Koudele
  • Patent number: 11288009
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to read sample offset most probable bit operation associated with a memory component. A processing device performs a first read, a second read, and a third read of data from the memory component using a center value corresponding to a read threshold voltage value, a negative offset value, and a positive offset value, respectively. The processing device performs a most probable bit operation on the first set of data, the second set of data, and the third set of data to generate a most probable bit sequence corresponding to the data associated with the memory component. The processing device can store or output the generated most probable bit sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Sheperek, Bruce A. Liikanen
  • Publication number: 20220091741
    Abstract: An example memory sub-system includes a memory device and a processing device, operatively coupled to the memory device. The processing device is configured to initialize a block family associated with a memory device; initialize a timeout associated with the block family; initializing a low temperature and a high temperature using a reference temperature at the memory device; responsive to programming a block residing on the memory device, associate the block with the block family; and responsive to at least one of: detecting expiration of the timeout or determining that a difference between the high temperature and the low temperature is greater than or equal to a specified threshold temperature value, close the block family.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2021
    Publication date: March 24, 2022
    Inventors: Michael Sheperek, Kishore Kumar Muchherla, Mustafa N. Kaynak, Vamsi Pavan Rayaprolu, Bruce A. Liikanen, Peter Feeley, Larry J. Koudele, Shane Nowell, Steven Michael Kientz
  • Publication number: 20220083421
    Abstract: Several embodiments of systems incorporating memory components are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a memory system can include a memory component and a processing device configured to access quality metrics corresponding to memory regions of the memory component. In some embodiments, the processing device can compare the quality metrics to one or more memory management thresholds. In some embodiments, when the quality metrics meet and/or exceed a first threshold, a refresh operation can be scheduled and/or performed on a corresponding memory region. In these and other embodiments, when the quality metrics meet and/or exceed a second threshold, the memory region is retired and removed from an active pool of memory regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2021
    Publication date: March 17, 2022
    Inventors: Gerald L. Cadloni, Bruce A. Liikanen
  • Publication number: 20220084596
    Abstract: A first current bin boundary for a first voltage bin on a first target die of a set of dies at a memory device is identified by accessing a block family metadata table including an entry for each block family of a memory device. The first current bin boundary corresponds to a first block family associated with the first voltage bin. A first bin boundary offset between the first block family and a second block family corresponding to a first new bin boundary for the first voltage bin is determined. The first bin boundary is determined based on a calibration scan performed for the first voltage bin. A first new bin boundary for the first voltage bin is determined on each die of the set of dies based on the first bin boundary offset.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Publication date: March 17, 2022
    Inventors: Michael Sheperek, Bruce A. Liikanen, Steve Kientz
  • Publication number: 20220076763
    Abstract: An example memory sub-system includes a memory device and a processing device, operatively coupled to the memory device. The processing device is configured to identify a set of embedded servo cells stored on the memory device; determine a read voltage offset by performing read level calibration based on the set of embedded servo cells; and apply the read voltage offset for reading a memory page associated with the set of embedded servo cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2021
    Publication date: March 10, 2022
    Inventors: Larry J. Koudele, Bruce A. Liikanen, Michael Sheperek
  • Publication number: 20220066639
    Abstract: An example memory sub-system includes a memory device and a processing device, operatively coupled to the memory device. The processing device is configured to perform operations comprising opening a block family associated with the memory device; initialize a timer associated with the block family; assigning a plurality of cursors to the block family; responsive to programming a first block associated with a first cursor of the memory device, associating the first block with the block family; responsive to programming a second block associated with a second cursor of the memory device, associating the second block with the block family; and responsive to detecting expiration of the timer, closing the block family.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2020
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Inventors: Michael Sheperek, Bruce A. Liikanen, Peter Feeley, Larry J. Koudele, Shane Nowell, Steven Michael Kientz
  • Patent number: 11264116
    Abstract: Several embodiments of systems incorporating memory sub-systems are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a memory sub-system can include a memory component and a processing device configured to perform a background scan on a memory region of the memory component. In some embodiments, the background scan includes generating a bit error count (BEC) of a codeword saved on the memory region and saving statistical information corresponding to the BEC of the codeword to a histogram statistics log. In some embodiments, when the BEC of the codeword is greater than a BEC threshold, a refresh operation is scheduled for the memory region and/or logged. In these and other embodiments, when one or more error recovery error correction code (ECC) operations do not correct bit errors in the codeword, a refresh and/or retirement operation is schedule for the memory region and/or is logged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerald L. Cadloni, Bruce A. Liikanen
  • Publication number: 20220059181
    Abstract: Disclosed is a system including a memory device having a plurality of physical cells and a processing device, operatively coupled with the memory device, to perform operations that include selecting, responsive to detecting a power event, a subset of a plurality of memory cells of the memory device, the memory device being characterized by auxiliary read metadata identifying one or more read offsets for each of the plurality of memory cells, the one or more read offsets representing corrections to read signals applied to the respective memory cell during a read operation. The operations further include performing one or more diagnostic read operations for each of the subset of the plurality of memory cells of the memory device and modifying the auxiliary read metadata by updating the one or more read offsets for at least some of the plurality of memory cells of the memory device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Inventors: Michael Sheperek, Bruce A. Liikanen, Steven Michael Kientz
  • Publication number: 20220059179
    Abstract: Disclosed is a system that comprises a memory device and a processing device, operatively coupled with the memory device, to perform operations that include, responsive to detecting a triggering event, selecting a family of memory blocks of the memory device, the selected family being associated with a set of bins, each bin associated with a plurality of read voltage offsets to be applied to base read voltages during read operations. The operations performed by the processing device further include calibration operations to determine data state metric values characterizing application of read voltage offsets of various bins. The operations performed by the processing device further include identifying, based on the determined data state metrics, a target bin and associating the selected family with the target bin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Inventors: Michael Sheperek, Bruce A. Liikanen, Steven Michael Kientz
  • Publication number: 20220057935
    Abstract: A system comprising a memory device and a processing device, operatively coupled to the memory device. The processing device is to perform operations including initializing a block family associated with the memory device and measuring an opening temperature of the memory device at initialization of the block family. Responsive to programming a page residing on the memory device, the operations further include associating the page with the block family. The operations further include determining a temperature metric value by integrating, over time, an absolute temperature difference between the opening temperature and an immediate temperature of the memory device. The operations further include closing the block family in response to the temperature metric value being greater than or equal to a specified threshold temperature value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2020
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Inventors: Michael Sheperek, Larry J. Koudele, Bruce A. Liikanen, Steven Michael Kientz
  • Publication number: 20220057934
    Abstract: A includes a memory device and a processing device, operatively coupled to the memory device. The processing device is to: initialize a block family associated with the memory device; initialize a timer at initialization of the block family; and aggregate temperature values received from sensor(s) of the memory device over time to generate an aggregate temperature. Responsive to programming a page residing on the memory device, the processing device associates the page with the block family. The processing device closes the block family in response to the aggregate temperature being greater than a first temperature value and the timer reaching a first time value. The processing device closes the block family in response to the aggregate temperature being less than or equal to the first temperature value and the timer reaching a second time value that is greater than the first time value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2020
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Inventors: Michael Sheperek, Larry J. Koudele, Bruce A. Liikanen, Steven Michael Kientz, Kishore Kumar Muchherla