Patents by Inventor David J. Zimmerman

David J. Zimmerman 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: 20140122952
    Abstract: A boundary scan chain for stacked memory. An embodiment of a memory device includes a system element and a memory stack including one or more memory die layers, each memory die layer including input-output (I/O) cells and a boundary scan chain for the I/O cells. A boundary scan chain of a memory die layer includes a scan chain portion for each of the I/O cells, the scan chain portion for an I/O cell including a first scan logic multiplexer a scan logic latch, an input of the scan logic latch being coupled with an output of the first scan logic multiplexer, and a decoder to provide command signals to the boundary scan chain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2013
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Inventor: David J. Zimmerman
  • Publication number: 20140108696
    Abstract: Embodiments provide access to a memory over a high speed serial link at slower speeds than the high speed serial links regular operation. An embodiment may comprise a memory apparatus with a differential receiver coupled to a protocol recognition circuit, a low speed receiving circuit that has a first receiver coupled with a first input of the differential receiver and a second receiver coupled with a second input of the differential receiver, wherein the low speed receiving circuit is coupled with the protocol recognition circuit, allowing the first and second receivers to access the protocol recognition block at a different frequency than the differential receiver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Inventors: David J. Zimmerman, Michael W. Williams
  • Publication number: 20140089752
    Abstract: Techniques and mechanisms for evaluating I/O buffer circuits. In an embodiment, test rounds are performed for a device including the I/O buffer circuits, each of the test rounds comprising a respective loop-back test for each of the I/O buffer circuits. Each of the test rounds corresponds to a different respective delay between a transmit clock signal and a receive clock signal. In another embodiment, a first test round indicates a failure condition for at least one I/O buffer circuit and a second test round indicates the failure condition for each of the I/O buffer circuits. Evaluation of the I/O buffer circuits determines whether the device satisfies a test condition, where the determining is based on a difference between the delay corresponding to the first test round and the delay corresponding to the second test round.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2012
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Inventors: Christopher J. Nelson, Tak M. Mak, David J. Zimmerman, Pete D. Vogt
  • Publication number: 20140075107
    Abstract: A nonvolatile storage or memory device is accessed over a memory bus. The memory bus has an electrical interface typically used for volatile memory devices. A controller coupled to the bus sends synchronous data access commands to the nonvolatile memory device, and reads the response from the device bus based on an expected timing of a reply from the nonvolatile memory device. The controller determines the expected timing based on when the command was sent, and characteristics of the nonvolatile memory device. The controller may not need all the electrical signal lines available on the memory bus, and could issue data access commands to different groups of nonvolatile memory devices over different groups of electrical signal lines. The memory bus may be available and configured for either use with a memory controller and volatile memory devices, or a storage controller and nonvolatile memory devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2013
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Inventors: Shekoufeh Qawami, Rajesh Sundaram, David J. Zimmerman, Robert W. Faber
  • Patent number: 8645777
    Abstract: A boundary scan chain for stacked memory. An embodiment of a memory device includes a system element and a memory stack including one or more memory die layers, each memory die layer including input-output (I/O) cells and a boundary scan chain for the I/O cells. A boundary scan chain of a memory die layer includes a scan chain portion for each of the I/O cells, the scan chain portion for an I/O cell including a first scan logic multiplexer a scan logic latch, an input of the scan logic latch being coupled with an output of the first scan logic multiplexer, and a decoder to provide command signals to the boundary scan chain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: David J. Zimmerman
  • Publication number: 20140013185
    Abstract: On chip redundancy repair for memory devices. An embodiment of a memory device includes a dynamic random-access memory (DRAM); and a system element coupled with the DRAM. The system element includes a memory controller for control of the DRAM, and repair logic coupled with the memory controller, the repair logic to hold addresses identified as failing addresses for defective areas of the DRAM. The repair logic is configured to receive a memory operation request and to implement redundancy repair for an operation address for the request.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Inventors: Darshan Kobla, David J. Zimmerman, Vimal K. Natarajan
  • Publication number: 20140006848
    Abstract: A system includes a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM) device and controller logic that detects a bad block within the device, retires the bad block and replaces the bad block with a replacement block by assigning the address of the bad block to the replacement block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Inventors: RAJ K. RAMANUJAN, Glenn J. Hinton, David J. Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 8619883
    Abstract: Embodiments provide access to a memory over a high speed serial link at slower speeds than the high speed serial links regular operation. An embodiment may comprise a memory apparatus with a differential receiver coupled to a protocol recognition circuit, a low speed receiving circuit that has a first receiver coupled with a first input of the differential receiver and a second receiver coupled with a second input of the differential receiver, wherein the low speed receiving circuit is coupled with the protocol recognition circuit, allowing the first and second receivers to access the protocol recognition block at a different frequency than the differential receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: David J. Zimmerman, Michael W. Williams
  • Publication number: 20130339589
    Abstract: Examples are disclosed for adaptive configuration of non-volatile memory. The examples include a mode register configured to include default and updated values to indicate one or more configurations of the non-volatile memory. The examples may also include discoverable capabilities maintained in a configuration table that may indicate memory address lengths and/or operating power states.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2011
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Inventors: Shekoufeh Qawami, Rajesh Sundaram, David J. Zimmerman, Blaise Fanning
  • Patent number: 8607089
    Abstract: A nonvolatile storage or memory device is accessed over a memory bus. The memory bus has an electrical interface typically used for volatile memory devices. A controller coupled to the bus sends synchronous data access commands to the nonvolatile memory device, and reads the response from the device bus based on an expected timing of a reply from the nonvolatile memory device. The controller determines the expected timing based on when the command was sent, and characteristics of the nonvolatile memory device. The controller may not need all the electrical signal lines available on the memory bus, and could issue data access commands to different groups of nonvolatile memory devices over different groups of electrical signal lines. The memory bus may be available and configured for either use with a memory controller and volatile memory devices, or a storage controller and nonvolatile memory devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Shekoufeh Qawami, Rajesh Sundaram, David J. Zimmerman, Robert W. Faber
  • Publication number: 20130275682
    Abstract: A system and method are described for integrating a memory and storage hierarchy including a non-volatile memory tier within a computer system. In one embodiment, PCMS memory devices are used as one tier in the hierarchy, sometimes referred to as “far memory.” Higher performance memory devices such as DRAM placed in front of the far memory and are used to mask some of the performance limitations of the far memory. These higher performance memory devices are referred to as “near memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Inventors: Raj K. Ramanujan, Dimitrios Ziakas, David J. Zimmerman, Mohan J. Kumar, Muthukumar P. Swaminathan, Bassam N Coury
  • Publication number: 20130173971
    Abstract: A boundary scan chain for stacked memory. An embodiment of a memory device includes a system element and a memory stack including one or more memory die layers, each memory die layer including input-output (I/O) cells and a boundary scan chain for the I/O cells. A boundary scan chain of a memory die layer includes a scan chain portion for each of the I/O cells, the scan chain portion for an I/O cell including a first scan logic multiplexer a scan logic latch, an input of the scan logic latch being coupled with an output of the first scan logic multiplexer, and a decoder to provide command signals to the boundary scan chain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Inventor: David J. Zimmerman
  • Publication number: 20130117641
    Abstract: A method and system for error management in a memory device. In one embodiment of the invention, the memory device can handle commands and address parity errors and cyclic redundancy check errors. In one embodiment of the invention, the memory can detect whether a received command has any parity errors by determining whether the command bits or the address bits of the received command has any parity errors. If a parity error or cyclic redundancy check error in the received command is detected, an error handling mechanism is triggered to recover from the errant command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Inventors: Kuljit S. Bains, David J. Zimmerman, Dennis W. Brzezinski, Michael Williams, John B. Halbert
  • Publication number: 20120297231
    Abstract: A nonvolatile storage or memory device is accessed over a memory bus. The memory bus has an electrical interface typically used for volatile memory devices. A controller coupled to the bus sends synchronous data access commands to the nonvolatile memory device, and reads the response from the device bus based on an expected timing of a reply from the nonvolatile memory device. The controller determines the expected timing based on when the command was sent, and characteristics of the nonvolatile memory device. The controller may not need all the electrical signal lines available on the memory bus, and could issue data access commands to different groups of nonvolatile memory devices over different groups of electrical signal lines. The memory bus may be available and configured for either use with a memory controller and volatile memory devices, or a storage controller and nonvolatile memory devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Inventors: Shekoufeh Qawami, Rajesh Sundaram, David J. Zimmerman, Robert W. Faber
  • Publication number: 20120120722
    Abstract: An apparatus for data storage is presented. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a phase change memory device comprising phase change memory storage elements. The apparatus further includes control logic to control two or more set pipelines to serve memory requests in a staggered manner, such that set operations of the memory requests begin at different times.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2010
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Inventors: Rajesh Sundaram, Derchang Kau, David J. Zimmerman
  • Publication number: 20110138261
    Abstract: A method and system for error management in a memory device. In one embodiment of the invention, the memory device can handle commands and address parity errors and cyclic redundancy check errors. In one embodiment of the invention, the memory can detect whether a received command has any parity errors by determining whether the command bits or the address bits of the received command has any parity errors. If a parity error or cyclic redundancy check error in the received command is detected, an error handling mechanism is triggered to recover from the errant command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2009
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Inventors: KULJIT S. BAINS, DAVID J. ZIMMERMAN, DENNIS W. BRZEZINSKI, MICHAEL WILLIAMS, JOHN B. HALBERT
  • Patent number: 7644250
    Abstract: An orientation detector within a device package is used to establish the device orientation. A host controller coupled to the device supplies a control signal to at least one of the pins on the device during a setup phase. The pin that receives the control signal is used for active signaling during normal operations of the device. Based on the control signal, the orientation detector generates an orientation signal within the device. An analog or digital selector circuit connects the pins to correct internal circuit components according to the device orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: David J. Zimmerman, Jun Shi, Aaron Martin
  • Publication number: 20090316800
    Abstract: Embodiments provide access to a memory over a high speed serial link at slower speeds than the high speed serial links regular operation. An embodiment may comprise a memory apparatus with a differential receiver coupled to a protocol recognition circuit, a low speed receiving circuit that has a first receiver coupled with a first input of the differential receiver and a second receiver coupled with a second input of the differential receiver, wherein the low speed receiving circuit is coupled with the protocol recognition circuit, allowing the first and second receivers to access the protocol recognition block at a different frequency than the differential receiver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2009
    Publication date: December 24, 2009
    Applicant: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: David J. Zimmerman, Michael W. Williams
  • Patent number: 7580465
    Abstract: Embodiments provide access to a memory over a high speed serial link at slower speeds than the high speed serial links regular operation. An embodiment may comprise a memory apparatus with a differential receiver coupled to a protocol recognition circuit, a low speed receiving circuit that has a first receiver coupled with a first input of the differential receiver and a second receiver coupled with a second input of the differential receiver, wherein the low speed receiving circuit is coupled with the protocol recognition circuit, allowing the first and second receivers to access the protocol recognition block at a different frequency than the differential receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: David J. Zimmerman, Michael W. Williams
  • Patent number: 7519891
    Abstract: A memory includes a data generator to generate a data pattern, a transmitter in communication with the data generator, the transmitter to transmit the data pattern as a test data pattern, receiver to receive the test data pattern from the transmitter, and a comparator coupled with the receiver, the comparator to compare the data pattern with the test data pattern from the receiver and to verify proper operation of a memory channel. A method includes providing a seed value to a transmit and a receive pattern generator in a memory, generating data at the transmit pattern generator from the seed value and transmitting the data from the memory, looping the data to a receiver on the memory, using the seed value to generate data with the receive pattern generator, and comparing the data from the receive pattern generator and the transmit pattern generator to determine if any errors occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: David J. Zimmerman