Patents by Inventor Craig E. Hampel

Craig E. Hampel 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: 12373333
    Abstract: Improvements are disclosed for “leveling” or averaging out more evenly the number of activate/precharge cycles seen by the rows of a memory component, so that one or more particular rows are not excessively stressed (relative to the other rows). In one embodiment, a memory controller includes remapping facilities arranged to move data stored in a physical row from RPK to RPK? and modify the mapping from logical row RLK while minimizing impact on normal read/write operations. Remapping operations may be scheduled relative to refresh or other maintenance operations. Remapping operations may be conditionally deferred so as to minimize performance impact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2024
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2025
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Craig E. Hampel
  • Patent number: 12327042
    Abstract: Technologies for securing dynamic random access memory contents to non-volatile memory in a persistent memory module are described. One persistent memory module includes an inline memory encryption (IME) circuit that receives a data stream from a host, encrypts the data stream into encrypted data, and stores the encrypted data in DRAM. A management processor transfers the encrypted data from the DRAM to persistent storage memory responsive to a signal associated with a power-loss or power-down event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2025
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Taeksang Song, Evan Lawrence Erickson, Craig E. Hampel
  • Patent number: 12298848
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for detecting and correcting address errors in a memory system. In the memory system, a memory device generates an error-detection code based on an address transmitted via an address bus and transmits the error-detection code to a memory controller. The memory controller transmits an error indication to the memory device in response to the error-detection code. The error indication causes the memory device to remove the received address and prevent a memory operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2024
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2025
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Ian Shaeffer, Craig E. Hampel
  • Patent number: 12299285
    Abstract: A buffer integrated circuit (IC) chip is disclosed. The buffer IC chip includes host interface circuitry to receive a request from at least one host. The request includes at least one command to perform a memory compression operation on first uncompressed data that is stored in a first memory region. Compression circuitry, in response to the at least one command, compresses the first uncompressed data to first compressed data. The first compressed data is transferred to a second memory region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2025
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Evan Lawrence Erickson, Christopher Haywood, Craig E. Hampel
  • Publication number: 20250139026
    Abstract: A memory module includes a substrate, plural memory devices, and a buffer. The plural memory devices are organized into at least one rank, each memory device having plural banks. The buffer includes a primary interface for communicating with a memory controller and a secondary interface coupled to the plural memory devices. For each bank of each rank of memory devices, the buffer includes data buffer circuitry and address buffer circuitry. The data buffer circuitry includes first storage to store write data transferred during a bank cycle interval (tRR). The address buffer circuitry includes second storage to store address information corresponding to the data stored in the first storage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2024
    Publication date: May 1, 2025
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Craig E. Hampel
  • Publication number: 20240385974
    Abstract: Space in a memory is allocated based on the highest used precision. When the maximum used precision is not being used, the bits required for that particular precision level (e.g., floating point format) are transferred between the processor and the memory while the rest are not. A given floating point number is distributed over non-contiguous addresses. Each portion of the given floating point number is located at the same offset within the access units, groups, and/or memory arrays. This allows a sequencer in the memory device to successively access a precision dependent number of access units, groups, and/or memory arrays without receiving additional requests over the memory channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2024
    Publication date: November 21, 2024
    Inventors: Thomas VOGELSANG, Craig E. HAMPEL
  • Publication number: 20240370331
    Abstract: A random access memory device includes memory cells in each row for storing metadata related to accesses to that row. These metadata dedicated memory cells may store counter values that may be updated (e.g., incremented or decremented) when certain events occur (e.g., activate row—ACT, column read—CAS, error detected, etc.). Which events cause an update of the metadata stored in a row, and under what conditions related to the metadata/count value (e.g., threshold, match, threshold value, etc.) cause further action to be taken (e.g., alert controller, set mode register, etc.) are configurable by a controller. Additional functions related to the metadata/counters are also configurable such as scanning counter values to determine the row address with highest or lowest value and pattern matching (e.g., process identification match/mismatch).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2024
    Publication date: November 7, 2024
    Inventors: Taeksang SONG, John Eric LINSTADT, Steven C. WOO, Craig E. HAMPEL, Brent Steven HAUKNESS, Christopher HAYWOOD
  • Patent number: 12130757
    Abstract: A memory module includes a substrate, plural memory devices, and a buffer. The plural memory devices are organized into at least one rank, each memory device having plural banks. The buffer includes a primary interface for communicating with a memory controller and a secondary interface coupled to the plural memory devices. For each bank of each rank of memory devices, the buffer includes data buffer circuitry and address buffer circuitry. The data buffer circuitry includes first storage to store write data transferred during a bank cycle interval (tRR). The address buffer circuitry includes second storage to store address information corresponding to the data stored in the first storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Craig E. Hampel
  • Publication number: 20240296088
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for detecting and correcting address errors in a memory system. In the memory system, a memory device generates an error-detection code based on an address transmitted via an address bus and transmits the error-detection code to a memory controller. The memory controller transmits an error indication to the memory device in response to the error-detection code.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2024
    Publication date: September 5, 2024
    Inventors: Ian Shaeffer, Craig E. Hampel
  • Publication number: 20240232064
    Abstract: Improvements are disclosed for “leveling” or averaging out more evenly the number of activate/precharge cycles seen by the rows of a memory component, so that one or more particular rows are not excessively stressed (relative to the other rows). In one embodiment, a memory controller includes remapping facilities arranged to move data stored in a physical row from RPK to RPK? and modify the mapping from logical row RLK while minimizing impact on normal read/write operations. Remapping operations may be scheduled relative to refresh or other maintenance operations. Remapping operations may be conditionally deferred so as to minimize performance impact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2024
    Publication date: July 11, 2024
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Craig E. Hampel
  • Patent number: 12026104
    Abstract: Space in a memory is allocated based on the highest used precision. When the maximum used precision is not being used, the bits required for that particular precision level (e.g., floating point format) are transferred between the processor and the memory while the rest are not. A given floating point number is distributed over non-contiguous addresses. Each portion of the given floating point number is located at the same offset within the access units, groups, and/or memory arrays. This allows a sequencer in the memory device to successively access a precision dependent number of access units, groups, and/or memory arrays without receiving additional requests over the memory channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Vogelsang, Craig E. Hampel
  • Patent number: 11928020
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for detecting and correcting address errors in a memory system. In the memory system, a memory device generates an error-detection code based on an address transmitted via an address bus and transmits the error-detection code to a memory controller. The memory controller transmits an error indication to the memory device in response to the error-detection code. The error indication causes the memory device to remove the received address and prevent a memory operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Ian Shaeffer, Craig E. Hampel
  • Patent number: 11899571
    Abstract: Improvements are disclosed for “leveling” or averaging out more evenly the number of activate/precharge cycles seen by the rows of a memory component, so that one or more particular rows are not excessively stressed (relative to the other rows). In one embodiment, a memory controller includes remapping facilities arranged to move data stored in a physical row from RPK to RPK? and modify the mapping from logical row RLK while minimizing impact on normal read/write operations. Remapping operations may be scheduled relative to refresh or other maintenance operations. Remapping operations may be conditionally deferred so as to minimize performance impact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Craig E. Hampel
  • Publication number: 20240020249
    Abstract: Described are motherboards with memory-module sockets that accept legacy memory modules for backward compatibility or accept a greater number of configurable modules in support of increased memory capacity. The configurable modules can be backward compatible with legacy motherboards. Equipped with the configurable modules, the motherboards support memory systems with high signaling rates and capacities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2023
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Ely Tsern, John Eric Linstadt, Thomas J. Giovannini, Craig E. Hampel, Scott C. Best, John Yan
  • Publication number: 20240012565
    Abstract: A buffer integrated circuit (IC) chip is disclosed. The buffer IC chip includes host interface circuitry to receive a request from at least one host. The request includes at least one command to perform a memory compression operation on first uncompressed data that is stored in a first memory region. Compression circuitry, in response to the at least one command, compresses the first uncompressed data to first compressed data. The first compressed data is transferred to a second memory region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2023
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: Evan Lawrence Erickson, Christopher Haywood, Craig E. Hampel
  • Publication number: 20240012709
    Abstract: A multi-host processing system may access memory devices (e.g., memory modules, memory integrated circuits, etc.) via memory nodes having memory controllers. The memory controllers may be configured to use more than one error control scheme when accessing the same memory devices. The selection of the error control scheme may be made based on the interface receiving the memory transaction request. The selection of the error control scheme may be made based on information in the memory transaction request. The selection of the error control scheme may be made based on the fabric physical address and a lookup table or address range registers. The selection of the error control scheme may be made based on the memory device physical address and a lookup table or address range registers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2021
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: Craig E. HAMPEL, John Eric LINSTADT
  • Publication number: 20230388028
    Abstract: A method and system that provides for execution of a first calibration sequence, such as upon initialization of a system, to establish an operation value, which utilizes an algorithm intended to be exhaustive, and executing a second calibration sequence from time to time, to measure drift in the parameter, and to update the operation value in response to the measured drift. The second calibration sequence utilizes less resources of the communication channel than does the first calibration sequence. In one embodiment, the first calibration sequence for measurement and convergence on the operation value utilizes long calibration patterns, such as codes that are greater than 30 bytes, or pseudorandom bit sequences having lengths of 2N?1 bits, where N is equal to or greater than 7, while the second calibration sequence utilizes short calibration patterns, such as fixed codes less than 16 bytes, and for example as short as 2 bytes long.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2023
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Inventors: Craig E. Hampel, Frederick A. Ware, Richard E. Perego
  • Publication number: 20230376249
    Abstract: A micro-threaded memory device. A plurality of storage banks are provided, each including a plurality of rows of storage cells and having an access restriction in that at least a minimum access time interval must transpire between successive accesses to a given row of the storage cells. Transfer control circuitry is provided to transfer a first amount of data between the plurality of storage banks and an external signal path in response to a first memory access request, the first amount of data being less than a product of the external signal path bandwidth and the minimum access time interval.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2023
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Craig E. Hampel, Wayne S. Richardson, Chad A. Bellows, Lawrence Lai
  • Publication number: 20230350603
    Abstract: Technologies for securing dynamic random access memory contents to nonvolatile memory in a persistent memory module are described. One persistent memory module includes an inline memory encryption (IME) circuit that receives a data stream from a host, encrypts the data stream into encrypted data, and stores the encrypted data in DRAM. A management processor transfers the encrypted data from the DRAM to persistent storage memory responsive to a signal associated with a power-loss or power-down event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2023
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Inventors: Taeksang Song, Evan Lawrence Erickson, Craig E. Hampel
  • Patent number: 11797227
    Abstract: A micro-threaded memory device. A plurality of storage banks are provided, each including a plurality of rows of storage cells and having an access restriction in that at least a minimum access time interval must transpire between successive accesses to a given row of the storage cells. Transfer control circuitry is provided to transfer a first amount of data between the plurality of storage banks and an external signal path in response to a first memory access request, the first amount of data being less than a product of the external signal path bandwidth and the minimum access time interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Craig E. Hampel, Wayne S. Richardson, Chad A. Bellows, Lawrence Lai