Patents by Inventor Hermann Ruckerbauer

Hermann Ruckerbauer 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: 7411843
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory arrangement for operation in a data memory system with at least one semiconductor memory chip for the storage of user data includes a memory controller for control of the at least one semiconductor memory chip, and at least one unidirectional signal line bus for control and address signals connected with the memory controller and branching at least once. The at least once branching bus directly connecting at least one semiconductor memory chip with the memory controller and connecting the semiconductor memory chips among each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Hermann Ruckerbauer, Christian Weiss, Ralf Schledz, Johannes Stecker
  • Patent number: 7404136
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device including semiconductor memory cells with at least one memory cell capable of either acting as a storage device for ECC information or of acting as a redundant memory cell is provided. The semiconductor memory device further includes a signal control device for signaling if the at least one memory cell is to be used either as a storage device or as a redundant memory cell. A method of operating a semiconductor memory device is also provided including the steps of registering a status of a signal device and, depending on the status of the signal device, operating the at least one memory cell either as a storing device for ECC information or as a redundant memory cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Hermann Ruckerbauer, Dominique Savignac
  • Patent number: 7397684
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory array for operation in a data storage system with at least one semiconductor memory chip for the storage of user data and one memory controller for control of the at least one semiconductor memory chip includes at least one unidirectional, serial signal line bus for control and address signals connected with the memory controller, directly connecting at least one semiconductor memory chip with the memory controller and serially connecting with each other the semiconductor memory chips among each other by 1-point-to-1-point connections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies, AG
    Inventors: Hermann Ruckerbauer, Ralf Schledz, Johannes Stecker, Dominique Savignac, Georg Braun
  • Patent number: 7386696
    Abstract: The invention relates to a semiconductor memory module having a plurality of memory chips arranged in at least one row and at least one buffer chip which drives and receives clock signals and command and address signals to the memory chips and data signals to and from the memory chips via a clock, address, command and data bus inside the module and which forms an interface to an external primary memory bus. The semiconductor memory module has an even number of buffer chips arranged on it and all of the memory chips are connected to two respective buffer chips at least by one signal line type from a signal group and just to one of the two buffer chips by the remaining signal lines from the group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Andreas Jakobs, Hermann Ruckerbauer, Maksim Kuzmenka
  • Patent number: 7383416
    Abstract: A method for setting an address of a rank in a memory module having a number of memory chips distributed along a byte lane includes setting the first memory chip of the byte lane to have a first rank address, generating a second rank address therein from the first rank address, and driving the second rank address to a second one of the memory chips. Alternatively, the first rank address may be driven to the second memory chip, and then, a second rank address is generated in that second memory chip. Further, the second memory chip is set to have the second rank address in response to the driving the second/first rank address. A power-up sequence after voltage supply, or command signals sent via a serial management bus or the command address bus can be used to initiate the setting of ranks. The rank addresses are re-driven to adjacent memory chips by DQ-lines along a byte lane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Peter Oeschay, Hermann Ruckerbauer
  • Patent number: 7376802
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a memory arrangement having a controller and having at least one memory device. Data signals, control signals and address signals can be transferred between the controller and the memory device. The memory arrangement is designed in such a way that the data signals can be transferred via data signal lines between the controller and the memory device. The memory arrangement is furthermore designed in such a way that the control signals and the address signals can likewise be transferred via the data signal lines between the controller and the memory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Georg Braun, Hermann Ruckerbauer, Maksim Kuzmenka, Siva Raghuram
  • Patent number: 7362622
    Abstract: A circuit exhibits a signal input, means for determining a reference level on the basis of properties of a signal received at the signal input. In addition, the circuit further exhibits means for evaluating the signal on the basis of the reference level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Georg Braun, Maksim Kuzmenka, Hermann Ruckerbauer
  • Patent number: 7342815
    Abstract: A data transmission system, particularly as part of a DDR-III memory chip communication circuit, performs a data transmission operation without preamble. The data transmission system includes at least one data line with an on die termination that can be turned on and turned off, and the chip end of the data line is connected to a positive or to a less positive, grounded, or negative supply voltage line by a pull-up or pull-down resistor. Alternatively, a data transmission system is operated with a timing by which the termination circuits to be turned on for respective operating state are not turned on until the drivers to be activated for the respective operating state have been activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2008
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies, AG
    Inventors: Hermann Ruckerbauer, Georg Braun, Amir Motamedi
  • Patent number: 7339840
    Abstract: A memory system and method is discussed. The memory system includes a memory controller and at least one memory module on which a certain number of semiconductor memory chips and connecting lines are arranged in a respectively specified topology. The connecting lines include first connecting lines forming transfer channels for a protocol based transfer of data and command signal streams from the memory controller to at least one of the memory chips on the memory module and from there to the memory controller, respectively. Second connecting lines are routed separately from the memory controller directly to at least one of the memory chips on the memory module for transferring select information to the at least one memory chip separately from the data and command signal streams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Paul Wallner, Ralf Schledz, Peter Gregorius, Hermann Ruckerbauer
  • Patent number: 7334150
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory module includes a plurality of semiconductor memory chips and bus signal lines that supply an incoming clock signal and incoming command and address signals to the semiconductor memory chips. A clock signal regeneration circuit and a register circuit are arranged on the semiconductor memory module in a common chip packing connected to the bus signal lines. The clock signal regeneration circuit and the register circuit respectively condition the incoming clock signal and temporarily store the incoming command and address signals, respectively multiply the conditioned clock signal and the temporarily stored command and address signals by a factor of 1:X, and respectively supply to the semiconductor memory chips the conditioned clock signal and the temporarily stored command and address signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Hermann Ruckerbauer, Abdallah Bacha, Christian Sichert, Dominique Savignac, Peter Gregorius, Paul Wallner
  • Publication number: 20080022037
    Abstract: A memory system is functionally designed so that, despite operation without an error correction device, memory chips of a memory module that are actually provided for error correction are concomitantly used for the data transfer. A control device is configured to receive, store and transfer data packets to and from a first and second set of memory chips. Transfer of an internal packet data from the control device to memory takes place such that a first record is stored in a second set of memory chips and additional records are stored in the first set of memory chips. In preferred embodiments, data is allocated in the second set of memory chips such that at least one additional transfer step takes place to the second set of memory chips compared with transfers to the first set of memory chips. In the additional transfer step(s), the first set of memory chips is masked from receiving data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Publication date: January 24, 2008
    Inventor: Hermann Ruckerbauer
  • Publication number: 20070263425
    Abstract: A memory arrangement is disclosed. In one embodiment, the control device includes a plurality of memory arrays for storing data and a control device for controlling the transfer of data between the plurality of memory arrays and external circuits. In one embodiment, the control device is arranged on a different semiconductor chip than the plurality of memory arrays. The plurality of memory arrays is arranged symmetrically in a plurality of stacks and the control device is arranged in a central arrangement with respect to the stacks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2007
    Publication date: November 15, 2007
    Applicant: QIMONDA AG
    Inventor: Hermann Ruckerbauer
  • Patent number: 7293151
    Abstract: A memory system is functionally designed so that, despite operation without an error correction device, memory chips of a memory module that are actually provided for error correction are concomitantly used for the data transfer. A control device is configured to receive, store and transfer data packets to and from a first and second set of memory chips. Transfer of an internal packet data from the control device to memory takes place such that a first record is stored in a second set of memory chips and additional records are stored in the first set of memory chips. In preferred embodiments, data is allocated in the second set of memory chips such that at least one additional transfer step takes place to the second set of memory chips compared with transfers to the first set of memory chips. In the additional transfer step(s), the first set of memory chips is masked from receiving data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Hermann Ruckerbauer
  • Publication number: 20070246257
    Abstract: A memory circuit includes multiple memory chips configured to store data and disposed in at least one stack. The memory circuit includes multiple ports configured to receive and transmit control signals and data to and from the memory chips and to supply energy to the memory circuit. The memory circuit includes a housing accommodating the multiple memory chips and the multiple ports.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2007
    Publication date: October 25, 2007
    Applicant: QIMONDA AG
    Inventors: Simon Muff, Hermann Ruckerbauer
  • Publication number: 20070228436
    Abstract: An arrangement of semiconductor memory devices includes a first semiconductor memory device and a second semiconductor memory device. The arrangement of semiconductor memory devices also has a flexible substrate. A first electrically conductive conductor track is arranged in the flexible substrate. At least one first contact of the flexible substrate is coupled to the at least one second contact of the second semiconductor memory device through the first electrically conductive conductor track. A second electrically conductive conductor track is arranged in the flexible substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2006
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Inventors: Hermann Ruckerbauer, Holger Schroeter
  • Patent number: 7275189
    Abstract: Memory modules based on DDR-DRAMs are provided with a buffer and error checking module, which integrates an error data memory and a buffer/redriver functionality for conditioning data signals that are transferred to the memory module and output from the memory module and is suitable for the correction of user data stored erroneously in the DDR-DRAMs. The buffer and error checking module enables the integration of both error correction and buffer/redriver functionality on memory modules within the restricted memory module dimensions in accordance with definitive industry standards, simplified or improved routing of data lines and of control and address lines and also, by virtue of a reduction of erroneously transferred data to the data memory system, an increased real data transfer rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Hermann Ruckerbauer, Georg Braun
  • Publication number: 20070194447
    Abstract: A semiconductor component includes an integrated semiconductor chip and a chip housing. The chip housing has first, second, third and fourth conductor tracks that connect input and output connections of the semiconductor chip to external contact connections on the underside and top side of the chip housing in such a way that a loop back interconnection of a plurality of semiconductor components stacked one on top of another is made possible without subsequent structural alterations to the chip housings thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2007
    Publication date: August 23, 2007
    Inventor: Hermann Ruckerbauer
  • Publication number: 20070195505
    Abstract: A memory module device includes a printed circuit board, a plurality of memory modules and a buffer module. Lines are provided in or on the printed circuit board to connect the buffer module to the memory modules. The memory modules are combined at least partially to form memory module stacks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2006
    Publication date: August 23, 2007
    Inventors: Dominique Savignac, Peter Gregorius, Hermann Ruckerbauer, Simon Muff
  • Publication number: 20070194446
    Abstract: A memory module is proposed which has a first contact bank at a first edge of its electronic printed circuit board and a second contact bank at a second edge. The printed circuit board has first lines that reach from the first contact bank as far as input connections of at least some of the semiconductor components. The printed circuit board has second conductor lines that reach from output connections of at least some of the semiconductor components as far as the first contact bank. The printed circuit board has third conductor lines that reach from output connections of at least some of the semiconductor components as far as the second contact bank. The printed circuit board has fourth conductor lines that reach from the second contact bank as far as input connections of at least some of the semiconductor components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2007
    Publication date: August 23, 2007
    Inventor: Hermann Ruckerbauer
  • Publication number: 20070150792
    Abstract: A memory module stores data in the form of code words, each code word comprising useful bits and check bits for error correction. The memory module contains a first group of the memory devices including check bits and a second group of the memory devices including useful bits, the second group memory devices forming ranks, each rank being addressed as a whole, the ranks forming rank groups, each rank group including at least two ranks and a first group memory device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2006
    Publication date: June 28, 2007
    Inventor: Hermann Ruckerbauer