Patents by Inventor Craig Hampel

Craig 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).

  • Publication number: 20070028060
    Abstract: In a memory device having a memory core and a signal interface, receiving a command that specifies at least a portion of a memory access. During the memory access, transferring data between the memory core and the signaling interface, and transferring the data between the signaling interface and an external signal path, and prior to transferring the data between the signaling interface and the external signal path, receiving enable information to selectively enable at least a first memory resource and a second memory resource, wherein each of the first memory resource and the second memory resource performs a control function associated with the memory access.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2005
    Publication date: February 1, 2007
    Inventors: Frederick Ware, Ely Tsern, Craig Hampel
  • Publication number: 20060291574
    Abstract: A method and system provides for execution of calibration cycles from time to time during normal operation of the communication channel. A calibration cycle includes de-coupling the normal data source from the transmitter and supplying a calibration pattern in its place. The calibration pattern is received from the communication link using the receiver on the second component. A calibrated value of a parameter of the communication channel is determined in response to the received calibration pattern. The steps involved in calibration cycles can be reordered to account for utilization patterns of the communication channel. For bidirectional links, calibration cycles are executed which include the step of storing received calibration patterns on the second component, and retransmitting such calibration patterns back to the first component for use in adjusting parameters of the channel at first component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2006
    Publication date: December 28, 2006
    Applicant: RAMBUS INC.
    Inventors: Frederick Ware, Richard Perego, Craig Hampel
  • Patent number: 7136949
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for position dependent data scheduling for communication of data for different domains along a bus is provided. Having an awareness of the relative position of different domains along a bus, one embodiment of the present disclosure schedules bus operations to allow data from multiple bus operations to be simultaneously present on the bus while preventing interference among the data. The present disclosure is compatible with buses having a termination on one end and those having terminations on both ends. In accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, bus operations are scheduled so that first data of a first bus operation involving a first domain are not present at domains involved in a second bus operation at times that would result in interference with second data of the second bus operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventor: Craig Hampel
  • Publication number: 20060236031
    Abstract: Described are systems that employ configurable on-die termination elements that allow users to select from two or more termination topologies. One topology is programmable to support rail-to-rail or half-supply termination. Another topology selectively includes fixed or variable filter elements, thereby allowing the termination characteristics to be tuned for different levels of speed performance and power consumption. Termination voltages and impedances might also be adjusted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2006
    Publication date: October 19, 2006
    Inventors: Richard Perego, Frederick Ware, Ely Tsern, Craig Hampel
  • Publication number: 20060129728
    Abstract: A communication interface (e.g., a memory interface) includes a data processing channel adapted to be coupled to a data source and having multiple data processing stages. A bypass network or pipeline is coupled to the data processing channel and configurable to bypass at least one stage in the data processing channel. A controller is coupled to the bypass network for configuring the bypass network to bypass at least one stage of the data processing channel based on performance criteria. In some embodiments or modes of operation, the bypass network is configured to bypass at least one stage of the data processing channel to reduce idle latency after an idle period. In an alternative embodiment or mode of operation, the bypass channel is configured to include at least one stage of the data processing channel to increase data throughput.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2004
    Publication date: June 15, 2006
    Inventor: Craig Hampel
  • Publication number: 20060129776
    Abstract: A method, system and memory controller that uses adjustable read data delay settings. The memory controller includes control transmit circuitry, data reception circuitry and timing circuitry. The control circuitry transmits a control signal to multiple memory devices via a shared control signal path. The data reception circuitry receives data signals from the memory devices via respective data signal paths. The timing circuitry delays reception of data signals on each of the data signal paths by a respective time interval that is based, at least in part, on a time required for the control signal to propagate on the control signal path from the memory controller to a respective one of the memory devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2006
    Publication date: June 15, 2006
    Inventors: Frederick Ware, Ely Tsern, Richard Perego, Craig Hampel
  • Publication number: 20060117155
    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: November 29, 2004
    Publication date: June 1, 2006
    Inventors: Frederick Ware, Craig Hampel, Wayne Richardson, Chad Bellows, Lawrence Lai
  • Publication number: 20060077731
    Abstract: A module having first and second memory devices and a termination component. A first signal line is coupled to the first memory device to provide first data thereto, the first data to be stored in a memory array of the first memory device during a write operation. A second signal line is coupled to the second memory device to provide thereto, the second data to be stored in a memory array of the second memory device during the write operation. A control signal path is coupled to the first memory device, the second memory device and the termination component such that a write command propagating on the control signal path propagates past the first memory device and the second memory device before reaching the first termination component, wherein the write command specifies the write operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2005
    Publication date: April 13, 2006
    Inventors: Frederick Ware, Ely Tsern, Richard Perego, Craig Hampel
  • Publication number: 20060069895
    Abstract: A method, system and memory controller that uses adjustable write data delay settings. The memory controller includes control transmit circuitry, data transmit circuitry and timing circuitry. The control circuitry transmits a control signal to multiple memory devices via a shared control signal path. The data transmit circuitry transmits data signals to the memory devices via respective data signal paths. The timing circuitry delays transmission of data signals on each of the data signal paths by a respective time interval that is based, at least in part, on a time required for the control signal to propagate on the control signal path from the memory controller to a respective one of the memory devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2005
    Publication date: March 30, 2006
    Inventors: Frederick Ware, Ely Tsern, Richard Perego, Craig Hampel
  • Publication number: 20060059299
    Abstract: A memory device has interface circuitry and a memory core which make up the stages of a pipeline, each stage being a step in a universal sequence associated with the memory core. The memory device has a plurality of operation units such as precharge, sense, read and write, which handle the primitive operations of the memory core to which the operation units are coupled. The memory device further includes a plurality of transport units configured to obtain information from external connections specifying an operation for one of the operation units and to transfer data between the memory core and the external connections. The transport units operate concurrently with the operation units as added stages to the pipeline, thereby creating a memory device which operates at high throughput and with low service times under the memory reference stream of common applications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2005
    Publication date: March 16, 2006
    Inventors: Richard Barth, Ely Tsern, Mark Horowitz, Donald Stark, Craig Hampel, Frederick Ware, John Dillon, Nancy Dillon
  • Publication number: 20060039174
    Abstract: A memory module having a termination component. The memory module includes multiple memory devices, a termination component, a control signal path and multiple data signal paths. The control signal path is coupled to each of the memory devices and the termination component, and extends along the memory devices such that signals propagating on the control signal path propagate past each of the memory devices in succession before reaching the termination component. A unique set of data signal paths is coupled to each of the memory devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2005
    Publication date: February 23, 2006
    Inventors: Frederick Ware, Ely Tsern, Richard Perego, Craig Hampel
  • Publication number: 20060007761
    Abstract: A memory module having a termination component. The memory module includes first and second memory devices, a termination component and three sets of signal lines. A first set of signal lines is coupled to the first memory device and dedicated to data transfers involving the first memory device. A second signal lines is coupled to the second memory device and dedicated to data transfers involving the second memory device. A third set of signal lines is coupled to the first and second memory devices and the termination component such that a signal propagating on the third set of signal lines propagates past the first memory device before reaching the second memory device, and propagates past the second memory device before reaching the termination component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2005
    Publication date: January 12, 2006
    Inventors: Frederick Ware, Ely Tsern, Richard Perego, Craig Hampel
  • Publication number: 20050248995
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for storing data in a memory device is described. The apparatus is configured to perform the following steps. The method employs a two-step technique which allows the out-of-order completion of read and write operations. When a write operation requires a resource needed for the completion of a read operation, the data being written is stored in a write data buffer in the memory device. The write data is stored in the buffer until a datapath is available to communicate the data to the memory device's memory core. Once the resource is free (or the memory device, or its controller force the write to complete) the data is written to the memory core of the memory device using the now-free datapath.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2005
    Publication date: November 10, 2005
    Inventors: Paul Davis, Frederick Ware, Craig Hampel
  • Publication number: 20050251602
    Abstract: An integrated circuit device is described. The integrated circuit device includes a transmitter circuit having an output driver to output data, and a register to store a value representative of an equalization co-efficient setting of the output driver. The value may be determined based on information stored in a supplemental memory device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2005
    Publication date: November 10, 2005
    Inventors: Mark Horowitz, Richard Barth, Craig Hampel, Alfredo Moncayo, Kevin Donnelly, Jared Zerbe
  • Publication number: 20050243612
    Abstract: At page 54, please delete the current abstract and replace it with the following: An integrated circuit memory device comprises a latch circuit to load an address using a first control signal. A first signal level transition of the first control signal is used to load the address. A memory array stores data at a memory location that is based on the address. An output buffer outputs the data after a period of time from the first signal level transition. A register stores a value that specifies between at least a first mode and a second mode. When the value specifies the first mode, the output buffer outputs the data in response to address transitions that occur after the first signal level transition. When the value specifies the second mode, the output buffer outputs data synchronously with respect to an external clock signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2005
    Publication date: November 3, 2005
    Inventors: Richard Barth, Mark Horowitz, Craig Hampel, Frederick Ware
  • Publication number: 20050237851
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are embodiments of an asynchronous memory device that use internal delay elements to enable memory access pipelining. In one embodiment, the delay elements are responsive to an input load control signal, and are calibrated with reference to periodically received timing pulses. Different numbers of the delay elements are configured to produce different asynchronous delays and to strobe sequential pipeline elements of the memory device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2005
    Publication date: October 27, 2005
    Inventors: Frederick Ware, Ely Tsern, Craig Hampel, Donald Stark
  • Publication number: 20050235130
    Abstract: A system comprising a storage location to store information representing a timing parameter pertaining to a random access memory device. An integrated circuit device generates a value that is representative of a period of time that elapses between the random access memory device exiting from a power down mode and a time at which the random access memory device is capable of receiving a command. The integrated circuit device generates the value from the information representing the timing parameter pertaining to the random access memory device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2005
    Publication date: October 20, 2005
    Inventors: Richard Barth, Ely Tsern, Craig Hampel, Frederick Ware, Todd Bystrom, Bradley May, Paul Davis
  • Publication number: 20050216654
    Abstract: A memory module comprises a memory device including a memory array to store data. An interface receives an instruction to exit a power down mode. A register stores a value representative of a period of time to elapse between exiting from the power down mode and a time at which the memory device is capable of receiving a command to access the data. A storage device stores a plurality of parameter information that pertains to the memory device. The value is based on at least a first parameter information of the plurality of parameter information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2005
    Publication date: September 29, 2005
    Inventors: Richard Barth, Ely Tsern, Craig Hampel, Frederick Ware, Todd Bystrom, Bradley May, Paul Davis
  • Publication number: 20050201164
    Abstract: An integrated circuit memory device comprises a memory array to store data, a circuit to output the data at a pin, and a register to store a value that indicates a mode of operation of the integrated circuit memory device. The mode of operation is selected from at least one of a synchronous mode of operation and an asynchronous mode of operation. During the synchronous mode of operation, the circuit outputs the data in response to a transition of an external clock signal. During the asynchronous mode of operation, the circuit outputs the data after a period of time from when a transition of an external control signal is detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2005
    Publication date: September 15, 2005
    Inventors: Richard Barth, Mark Horowitz, Craig Hampel, Frederick Ware
  • Publication number: 20050189971
    Abstract: An integrated circuit device having a select circuit, a summing circuit and a phase mixer. The select circuit selects one of a plurality of offset values as a selected offset. The summing circuit sums the selected offset with a phase count value, the phase count value indicating a phase difference between a reference clock signal and one of a first plurality of clock signals. The phase mixer combines the first plurality of clock signals in accordance with the sum of the selected offset and the phase count value to generate an output clock signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2005
    Publication date: September 1, 2005
    Inventors: Jade Kizer, Benedict Lau, Craig Hampel