Patents by Inventor Dixie Nguyen

Dixie Nguyen 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: 8885413
    Abstract: Systems and techniques for performing write operations on non-volatile memory are described. A described system includes a memory structure including non-volatile memory cells that are arranged on word lines and bit lines and a microcontroller that is communicatively coupled with the memory structure. The memory structure can include non-volatile memory cells that are arranged on word lines and bit lines. The microcontroller can be configured to receive data to write to the memory structure, write the data to the memory structure using a selected word line of the word lines, detect a failure to write the data, apply, based on the failure, a negative bias voltage to one or more unselected word lines of the word lines during a negative bias period, and write the data to the portion of the memory cells using the selected word line during the negative bias period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventors: Danut Manea, Erwin Castillon, Uday Mudumba, Sabina Centazzo, Stephen Trinh, Dixie Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20130250692
    Abstract: Systems and techniques for performing write operations on non-volatile memory are described. A described system includes a memory structure including non-volatile memory cells that are arranged on word lines and bit lines and a microcontroller that is communicatively coupled with the memory structure. The memory structure can include non-volatile memory cells that are arranged on word lines and bit lines. The microcontroller can be configured to receive data to write to the memory structure, write the data to the memory structure using a selected word line of the word lines, detect a failure to write the data, apply, based on the failure, a negative bias voltage to one or more unselected word lines of the word lines during a negative bias period, and write the data to the portion of the memory cells using the selected word line during the negative bias period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: ATMEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Danut Manea, Erwin Castillon, Uday Mudumba, Sabina Centazzo, Stephen Trinh, Dixie Nguyen
  • Patent number: 7769909
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of speculatively decoding non-memory read commands. A command register and decoder, within the apparatus, compares high-order command bits provided on a serial bus with corresponding bits of recognized non-memory read commands. An early non-memory read command is asserted when incoming command bits match a non-memory read command. Early responsive data is prepared speculatively during the time the remainder of command bits is received and decoded. A determination of command speculation correctness is made after receipt of the full command. If the full command received is not the speculated non-memory read command, the prepared data is discarded. Earlier prepared data is produced as the subsystem response if the full command matches the speculative non-memory read command. For incoming commands with operands, such as an address, the same speculative determination based on high-order operand bits is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventors: On-Pong Roderick Ho, Dixie Nguyen, Dinu Patrascu
  • Publication number: 20080141082
    Abstract: A method, device, and processor-readable medium for testing semiconductor devices. A method for testing a semiconductor device comprises: a) entering a multi-byte programming mode; b) programming a plurality of bytes, each byte programmed with identical data; and c) verifying each programmed byte one byte at a time, returning to step b) if any byte fails to verify, otherwise waiting for a next command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2006
    Publication date: June 12, 2008
    Applicant: Atmel Corporation
    Inventors: On-Pong Roderick Ho, Dixie Nguyen, Dinu Patrascu, Ivan N. Kutzarov, Graham H.M. Stout
  • Publication number: 20080133779
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of speculatively decoding non-memory read commands. A command register and decoder, within the apparatus, compares high-order command bits provided on a serial bus with corresponding bits of recognized non-memory read commands. An early non-memory read command is asserted when incoming command bits match a non-memory read command. Early responsive data is prepared speculatively during the time the remainder of command bits is received and decoded. A determination of command speculation correctness is made after receipt of the full command. If the full command received is not the speculated non-memory read command, the prepared data is discarded. Earlier prepared data is produced as the subsystem response if the full command matches the speculative non-memory read command. For incoming commands with operands, such as an address, the same speculative determination based on high-order operand bits is performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2006
    Publication date: June 5, 2008
    Applicant: ATMEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: On-Pong Roderick Ho, Dixie Nguyen, Dinu Patrascu
  • Publication number: 20070097760
    Abstract: A memory system incorporating redundancy utilizes a content addressable memory to monitor addresses during memory accesses. The content addressable memory provides a pointer to an alternate memory location when a previously determined faulty location is requested. Redundant memory cells are accessed by use of column redundancy information output from the content addressable memory. During a memory access cycle a register in the content addressable memory latches a memory address. The content addressable memory decodes the address and produces column redundancy information as an output. The column redundancy information is latched during a period complementary to the memory access cycle. By utilizing complementary memory access phases to latch memory addresses in contrast with a utilization of column redundancy information, a single set of registers may be used. Additionally, concurrent read and write operations are supported.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2005
    Publication date: May 3, 2007
    Inventors: Stephen Trinh, Dixie Nguyen