Patents by Inventor Eric Booth

Eric Booth 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: 8989692
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a unit phase mixer in combination with an input buffer. The unit phase mixer has a pull-up path for pulling an output terminal up to a first voltage. The pull-up path has a first transistor responsive to a first enable signal and a series connected second transistor responsive to a first clock signal. The unit phase mixer has a pull-down path for pulling the output terminal down to a second voltage. The pull-down path has a third transistor responsive to a second clock signal and a series connected fourth transistor responsive to a second enable signal. The input buffer skews the first and second clock signals by different amounts to enable a break-before-make method of operation so that the first voltage is not connected to the second voltage. The unit phase mixer can be used as a building block in more complex mixers which may include the ability to weight the input clocks as well as providing feed-forward paths for certain of the signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Chang-ki Kwon, Eric Booth
  • Patent number: 8963604
    Abstract: Circuits, integrated circuits, and methods are disclosed for bimodal disable circuits. In one such example method, a counter is maintained, with the counter indicating a logic level at which an output signal will be disabled during at least a portion of one of a plurality of disable cycles. The logic level indicated by the counter is transitioned. An input signal is provided as the output signal responsive to the enable signal indicating that the output signal is to be enabled, and the output signal is disabled at the logic level indicated by the counter responsive to the enable signal indicating that the output signal is to be disabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Booth, Tyler J. Gomm, Kallol Mazumder, Scott E. Smith, John F. Schreck
  • Publication number: 20140218077
    Abstract: Circuits, integrated circuits, and methods are disclosed for bimodal disable circuits. In one such example method, a counter is maintained, with the counter indicating a logic level at which an output signal will be disabled during at least a portion of one of a plurality of disable cycles. The logic level indicated by the counter is transitioned. An input signal is provided as the output signal responsive to the enable signal indicating that the output signal is to be enabled, and the output signal is disabled at the logic level indicated by the counter responsive to the enable signal indicating that the output signal is to be disabled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2014
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Booth, Tyler J. Gomm, Kallol Mazumder, Scott E. Smith, John F. Schreck
  • Patent number: 8698533
    Abstract: Phase mixers, clock signal generators, memories and methods for providing an output signal having a phase relative to the phase difference of input clock signals are disclosed. One such phase mixer includes a phase mixer circuit having inputs and an output. The phase mixer is configured to receive a plurality of input clock signals and generate an output clock signal at the output having a phase relative to the plurality of input clock signals. The phase mixer further includes an adjustment circuit coupled to the phase mixer circuit. In some phase mixers, a control circuit coupled to the phase mixer circuit and the adjustment circuit is included. The control circuit is configured to generate a control signal based on the input signals to adjust an electrical load-to-drive ratio of the phase mixer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Eric Booth
  • Patent number: 8692603
    Abstract: Circuits, integrated circuits, and methods are disclosed for bimodal disable circuits. In one such example method, a counter is maintained, with the counter indicating a logic level at which an output signal will be disabled during at least a portion of one of a plurality of disable cycles. The logic level indicated by the counter is transitioned. An input signal is provided as the output signal responsive to the enable signal indicating that the output signal is to be enabled, and the output signal is disabled at the logic level indicated by the counter responsive to the enable signal indicating that the output signal is to be disabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Booth, Tyler J. Gomm, Kallol Mazumder, Scott E. Smith, John F. Schreck
  • Publication number: 20140002148
    Abstract: Circuits, integrated circuits, and methods are disclosed for bimodal disable circuits. In one such example method, a counter is maintained, with the counter indicating a logic level at which an output signal will be disabled during at least a portion of one of a plurality of disable cycles. The logic level indicated by the counter is transitioned. An input signal is provided as the output signal responsive to the enable signal indicating that the output signal is to be enabled, and the output signal is disabled at the logic level indicated by the counter responsive to the enable signal indicating that the output signal is to be disabled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2013
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Booth, Tyler J. Gomm, Kallol Mazumder, Scott E. Smith, John F. Schreck
  • Publication number: 20130241608
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a unit phase mixer in combination with an input buffer. The unit phase mixer has a pull-up path for pulling an output terminal up to a first voltage. The pull-up path has a first transistor responsive to a first enable signal and a series connected second transistor responsive to a first clock signal. The unit phase mixer has a pull-down path for pulling the output terminal down to a second voltage. The pull-down path has a third transistor responsive to a second clock signal and a series connected fourth transistor responsive to a second enable signal. The input buffer skews the first and second clock signals by different amounts to enable a break-before-make method of operation so that the first voltage is not connected to the second voltage. The unit phase mixer can be used as a building block in more complex mixers which may include the ability to weight the input clocks as well as providing feed-forward paths for certain of the signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Chang-ki Kwon, Eric Booth
  • Patent number: 8519767
    Abstract: Circuits, integrated circuits, and methods are disclosed for bimodal disable circuits. In one such example method, a counter is maintained, with the counter indicating a logic level at which an output signal will be disabled during at least a portion of one of a plurality of disable cycles. The logic level indicated by the counter is transitioned. An input signal is provided as the output signal responsive to the enable signal indicating that the output signal is to be enabled, and the output signal is disabled at the logic level indicated by the counter responsive to the enable signal indicating that the output signal is to be disabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Booth, Tyler Gomm, Kallol Mazumder, Scott E. Smith, John F. Schreck
  • Publication number: 20130163713
    Abstract: Circuits, integrated circuits, and methods are disclosed for bimodal disable circuits. In one such example method, a counter is maintained, with the counter indicating a logic level at which an output signal will be disabled during at least a portion of one of a plurality of disable cycles. The logic level indicated by the counter is transitioned. An input signal is provided as the output signal responsive to the enable signal indicating that the output signal is to be enabled, and the output signal is disabled at the logic level indicated by the counter responsive to the enable signal indicating that the output signal is to be disabled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Booth, Tyler Gomm, Kallol Mazumder, Scott E. Smith, John F. Schreck
  • Patent number: 8466726
    Abstract: Duty cycle correction systems and methods of adjusting duty cycles are provided. One such duty cycle correction system includes a duty cycle adjustor and a variable delay line coupled to the duty cycle adjustor. First and second phase detectors have first inputs coupled to the duty cycle adjustor through an inverter and second inputs coupled to the variable delay line. The phase detectors cause the delay line to align rising or falling edges of signals at the output of the delay line with rising or falling edges, respectively, of signals at the output of the inverter. The controller simultaneously causes the duty cycle adjustor to adjust the duty cycle of the output clock signal until the rising and falling edges of signals at the output of the delay line are aligned with rising and falling edges, respectively, of signals at the output of the inverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Yasuo Satoh, Eric Booth
  • Patent number: 8437726
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a unit phase mixer in combination with an input buffer. The unit phase mixer has a pull-up path for pulling an output terminal up to a first voltage. The pull-up path has a first transistor responsive to a first enable signal and a series connected second transistor responsive to a first clock signal. The unit phase mixer has a pull-down path for pulling the output terminal down to a second voltage. The pull-down path has a third transistor responsive to a second clock signal and a series connected fourth transistor responsive to a second enable signal. The input buffer skews the first and second clock signals by different amounts to enable a break-before-make method of operation so that the first voltage is not connected to the second voltage. The unit phase mixer can be used as a building block in more complex mixers which may include the ability to weight the input clocks as well as providing feed-forward paths for certain of the signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Chang-Ki Kwon, Eric Booth
  • Patent number: 8432202
    Abstract: A locked loop may have an adjustable hysteresis and/or a tracking speed that can be programmed by a user of an electronic device containing the locked loop or controlled by an integrated circuit device containing the locked loop during operation of the device. The looked loop may include a phase detector having a variable hysteresis, which may be coupled to receive a reference clock signal and an output clock signal from a phase adjustment circuit through respective frequency dividers that can vary the rate at which the phase detector compares the phase of the output clock signal to the phase of the reference clock signal, thus varying the tracking speed of the loop. The hysteresis and tracking speed of the locked loop may be programmed using a variety of means, such as by a temperature sensor for the electronic device, a mode register, a memory device command decoder, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Booth, George G. Carey, Brian Callaway
  • Patent number: 8324946
    Abstract: Closed-loop duty-cycle correctors (DCCs), clock generators, memory devices, systems, and methods for generating an output clock signal having a particular duty cycle are provided, such as clock generators configured to generate an output clock signal synchronized with a received input clock signal having a predetermined duty cycle. Embodiments of clock generators include closed-loop duty cycle correctors that receive an already-controlled and corrected output signal. For example, DLL control circuitry and DCC control circuitry may each adjust a delay of a variable delay line. The DLL control circuitry adjusts the delay such that an output clock signal is synchronized with an input clock signal. The DCC control circuitry detects a duty cycle error in the output clock signal and adjusts the delay of the variable delay line to achieve a duty cycle corrected output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Becker, Eric Booth, Tyler Gomm
  • Publication number: 20120235721
    Abstract: A locked loop may have an adjustable hysteresis and/or a tracking speed that can be programmed by a user of an electronic device containing the locked loop or controlled by an integrated circuit device containing the locked loop during operation of the device. The looked loop may include a phase detector having a variable hysteresis, which may be coupled to receive a reference clock signal and an output clock signal from a phase adjustment circuit through respective frequency dividers that can vary the rate at which the phase detector compares the phase of the output clock signal to the phase of the reference clock signal, thus varying the tracking speed of the loop. The hysteresis and tracking speed of the locked loop may be programmed using a variety of means, such as by a temperature sensor for the electronic device, a mode register, a memory device command decoder, etc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2012
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Booth, George G. Carey, Brian Callaway
  • Publication number: 20120218015
    Abstract: Duty cycle correction systems and methods of adjusting duty cycles are provided. One such duty cycle correction system includes a duty cycle adjustor and a variable delay line coupled to the duty cycle adjustor. First and second phase detectors have first inputs coupled to the duty cycle adjustor through an inverter and second inputs coupled to the variable delay line. The phase detectors cause the delay line to align rising or falling edges of signals at the output of the delay line with rising or falling edges, respectively, of signals at the output of the inverter. The controller simultaneously causes the duty cycle adjustor to adjust the duty cycle of the output clock signal until the rising and falling edges of signals at the output of the delay line are aligned with rising and falling edges, respectively, of signals at the output of the inverter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2012
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Yasuo Satoh, Eric Booth
  • Patent number: 8207768
    Abstract: A locked loop may have an adjustable hysteresis and/or a tracking speed that can be programmed by a user of an electronic device containing the locked loop or controlled by an integrated circuit device containing the locked loop during operation of the device. The looked loop may include a phase detector having a variable hysteresis, which may be coupled to receive a reference clock signal and an output clock signal from a phase adjustment circuit through respective frequency dividers that can vary the rate at which the phase detector compares the phase of the output clock signal to the phase of the reference clock signal, thus varying the tracking speed of the loop. The hysteresis and tracking speed of the locked loop may be programmed using a variety of means, such as by a temperature sensor for the electronic device, a mode register, a memory device command decoder, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Booth, George G. Carey, Brian Callaway
  • Publication number: 20120146702
    Abstract: Phase mixers, clock signal generators, memories and methods for providing an output signal having a phase relative to the phase difference of input clock signals are disclosed. One such phase mixer includes a phase mixer circuit having inputs and an output. The phase mixer is configured to receive a plurality of input clock signals and generate an output clock signal at the output having a phase relative to the plurality of input clock signals. The phase mixer further includes an adjustment circuit coupled to the phase mixer circuit. In some phase mixers, a control circuit coupled to the phase mixer circuit and the adjustment circuit is included. The control circuit is configured to generate a control signal based on the input signals to adjust an electrical load-to-drive ratio of the phase mixer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2012
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Eric Booth
  • Patent number: 8143928
    Abstract: Duty cycle correction systems and methods of adjusting duty cycles are provided. One such duty cycle correction system includes a duty cycle adjustor and a variable delay line coupled to the output of the duty cycle adjustor. First and second phase detectors have first inputs coupled to the output of the duty cycle adjustor through an inverter and second inputs coupled to the output of the variable delay line. The phase detectors cause the delay line to align rising or falling edges of signals at the output of the delay line with rising or falling edges, respectively, of signals at the output of the inverter. The controller simultaneously causes the duty cycle adjustor to adjust the duty cycle of the output clock signal until the rising and falling edges of signals at the output of the delay line are aligned with rising and falling edges, respectively, of signals at the output of the inverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Yasuo Satoh, Eric Booth
  • Patent number: 8125260
    Abstract: Phase mixers, clock signal generators, memories and methods for providing an output signal having a phase relative to the phase difference of input clock signals are disclosed. One such phase mixer includes a phase mixer circuit having inputs and an output. The phase mixer is configured to receive a plurality of input clock signals and generate an output clock signal at the output having a phase relative to the plurality of input clock signals. The phase mixer further includes an adjustment circuit coupled to the phase mixer circuit. In some phase mixers, a control circuit coupled to the phase mixer circuit and the adjustment circuit is included. The control circuit is configured to generate a control signal based on the input signals to adjust an electrical load-to-drive ratio of the phase mixer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Eric Booth
  • Publication number: 20110298504
    Abstract: Closed-loop duty-cycle correctors (DCCs), clock generators, memory devices, systems, and methods for generating an output clock signal having a particular duty cycle are provided, such as clock generators configured to generate an output clock signal synchronized with a received input clock signal having a predetermined duty cycle. Embodiments of clock generators include closed-loop duty cycle correctors that receive an already-controlled and corrected output signal. For example, DLL control circuitry and DCC control circuitry may each adjust a delay of a variable delay line. The DLL control circuitry adjusts the delay such that an output clock signal is synchronized with an input clock signal. The DCC control circuitry detects a duty cycle error in the output clock signal and adjusts the delay of the variable delay line to achieve a duty cycle corrected output signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2011
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Becker, Eric Booth, Tyler Gomm