Patents by Inventor Hitoshi Miwa

Hitoshi Miwa 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: 20040179400
    Abstract: A nonvolatile memory apparatus including a control circuit, plural terminals having clock, command and other terminals, data and command registers, and plural nonvolatile memory cells. The clock terminal receives a clock signal and the command terminal receives commands including read and program commands. The data register receives from and outputs data to outside. The control circuit reads operation steps from memory used to control the apparatus. The control circuit, responsive to the read command, controls reading data from the memory cells, storing read data to the data register, and outputting read data via the other terminal, not the command terminal, based on the clock signal. The control circuit, responsive to the program command, controls receiving data via the other terminal, not the command terminal, based on the clock signal, storing received data to the data register and writing received data to the memory cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2004
    Publication date: September 16, 2004
    Inventors: Hitoshi Miwa, Hiroaki Kotani
  • Publication number: 20040174743
    Abstract: A nonvolatile memory apparatus including plural terminals including a first terminal, a second terminal and other terminal, and a nonvolatile memory array including plural nonvolatile memory cells. The first terminal receives a clock signal and the second terminal receives information for specifying an arbitrary one of the read and program operations. Each memory cell stores multi-bit type data having more than two bits. In the read operation, the apparatus reads multi-bit type data from the memory cells, converts multi-bit type data to binary type data, and outputs binary type data to outside via the other terminal not the command terminal in response to the clock signal. In the program operation, the apparatus receives binary type data from outside via the other terminal except the command terminal in response to the clock signal, converts binary type data to multi-bit type data, and writes multi-bit type data to the memory cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2004
    Publication date: September 9, 2004
    Inventors: Hitoshi Miwa, Hiroaki Kotani
  • Patent number: 6768672
    Abstract: A nonvolatile memory apparatus including a control circuit, plural terminals having clock, command and other terminals, data and command registers, and plural nonvolatile memory cells. The clock terminal receives a clock signal and the command terminal receives commands including read and program commands. The data register receives from and outputs data to outside. The control circuit reads operation steps from memory used to control the apparatus. The control circuit, responsive to the read command, controls reading data from the memory cells, storing read data to the data register, and outputting read data via the other terminal, not the command terminal, based on the clock signal. The control circuit, responsive to the program command, controls receiving data via the other terminal, not the command terminal, based on the clock signal storing received data to the data register and writing received data to the memory cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2004
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Miwa, Hiroaki Kotani
  • Patent number: 6757194
    Abstract: A nonvolatile memory apparatus including plural terminals having clock, command and other terminals, a clock generator, and plural nonvolatile memory cells. The clock and command terminals respectively receive a first clock signal and commands having read and program commands. The clock generator generates a second clock signal. In response to the read command, the apparatus reads data from the memory cells, and outputs data to outside of the apparatus in response to the first clock signal via the other terminal except the command terminal. In response to the program command, the apparatus receives data from outside of the apparatus in response to the first clock signal via the other terminal except the command terminal and writes data to the memory cells. The data writing to the memory cells is performed using the second clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Miwa, Hiroaki Kotani
  • Publication number: 20040114434
    Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor memory recovers variation in the threshold of a memory cell due to disturbance related to a word line. The nonvolatile memory continuously performs many writing operations without carrying out single-sector erasing after each writing operation, performing the additional writing operations quicker than the usual writing operation, and lightening the burden imposed on software for use in additional writing. The data stored in a designated sector is read out before being saved in a register, and the selected sector is subjected to single-sector erasing when a predetermined command is given. Then write expected value data is formed from the saved data and data to be additionally written, completing the writing operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2003
    Publication date: June 17, 2004
    Applicants: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi ULSI Engineering Corp.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Ishii, Hitoshi Miwa, Osamu Tsuchiya, Shooji Kubono
  • Patent number: 6751119
    Abstract: A nonvolatile memory apparatus which includes a plurality of terminals including clock, command and other terminals, a control circuit, and a plurality of nonvolatile memory cells. The clock terminal receives a clock signal. The command terminal receives commands including read and program commands. The control circuit reads out operation steps from a program memory for controlling operation of said apparatus by executing the operation steps. In response to a read command, the control circuit controls reading data from the nonvolatile memory cells, and outputting data via the other terminal not the command terminal based on the clock signal. In response to a program command, the control circuit controls receiving data via the other terminal not the command terminal based on the clock signal, and writing data to the nonvolatile memory cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Miwa, Hiroaki Kotani
  • Patent number: 6751120
    Abstract: At the data programming, plural data bit is transformed by a data transforming logic circuit into multi-value data according to the combination of bits, and the transformed data are sequentially transferred to a latch circuit connected to bit lines of a memory array. A program pulse is generated according to the latched data and is applied to a memory element at a state corresponding to the multi-value data. During data reading, the states of the memory elements are read out by changing the read voltage to intermediate values of individual threshold values and latched in a register. The original data may be restored by a data inverse transforming logic circuit based on the multi-value data stored in the register.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Miwa, Hiroaki Kotani
  • Patent number: 6747941
    Abstract: A non volatile memory apparatus including a control circuit, plural terminals having clock, command and other terminals, plural nonvolatile memory cells, and first and second volatile memories. The clock and command terminals respectively receive a first clock signal and commands including read and program commands. In response to the read command, the control circuit controls reading data from the memory cells, stores read data to the second volatile memory, transfers data to first volatile memory, and outputs data via the other terminal except the command terminal in response to the first clock signal. In response to the program command, the control circuit controls receiving data via the other terminal except the command terminal in response to the first clock signal, stores received data to the first volatile memory, transfers data to the second volatile memory, and writes data to the memory cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Miwa, Hiroaki Kotani
  • Patent number: 6683811
    Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor memory recovers variation in the threshold of a memory cell due to disturbance related to a word line. The nonvolatile memory continuously performs many writing operations without carrying out single-sector erasing after each writing operation, performing the additional writing operations quicker than the usual writing operation, and lightening the burden imposed on software for use in additional writing. The data stored in a designated sector is read out before being saved in a register, and the selected sector is subjected to single-sector erasing when a predetermined command is given. Then write expected value data is formed from the saved data and data to be additionally written, completing the writing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi ULSI Engineering Corp.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Ishii, Hitoshi Miwa, Osamu Tsuchiya, Shooji Kubono
  • Publication number: 20030156459
    Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor memory recovers variation in the threshold of a memory cell due to disturbance related to a word line. The nonvolatile memory continuously performs many writing operations without carrying out single-sector erasing after each writing operation, performing the additional writing operations quicker than the usual writing operation, and lightening the burden imposed on software for use in additional writing. The data stored in a designated sector is read out before being saved in a register, and the selected sector is subjected to single-sector erasing when a predetermined command is given. Then write expected value data is formed from the saved data and data to be additionally written, completing the writing operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2003
    Publication date: August 21, 2003
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Ishii, Hitoshi Miwa, Osamu Tsuchiya, Shooji Kubono
  • Publication number: 20030151947
    Abstract: At the data programming, plural data bit is transformed by a data transforming logic circuit into multi-value data according to the combination of bits, and the transformed data are sequentially transferred to a latch circuit connected to bit lines of a memory array. A program pulse is generated according to the latched data and is applied to a memory element at a state corresponding to the multi-value data. During data reading, the states of the memory elements are read out by changing the read voltage to intermediate values of individual threshold values and latched in a register. The original data may be restored by a data inverse transforming logic circuit based on the multi-value data stored in the register.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2003
    Publication date: August 14, 2003
    Inventors: Hitoshi Miwa, Hiroaki Kotani
  • Publication number: 20030147281
    Abstract: At the data programming, plural data bit is transformed by a data transforming logic circuit into multi-value data according to the combination of bits, and the transformed data are sequentially transferred to a latch circuit connected to bit lines of a memory array. A program pulse is generated according to the latched data and is applied to a memory element at a state corresponding to the multi-value data. During data reading, the states of the memory elements are read out by changing the read voltage to intermediate values of individual threshold values and latched in a register. The original data may be restored by a data inverse transforming logic circuit based on the multi-value data stored in the register.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2003
    Publication date: August 7, 2003
    Inventors: Hitoshi Miwa, Hiroaki Kotani
  • Publication number: 20030147283
    Abstract: At the data programming, plural data bit is transformed by a data transforming logic circuit into multi-value data according to the combination of bits, and the transformed data are sequentially transferred to a latch circuit connected to bit lines of a memory array. A program pulse is generated according to the latched data and is applied to a memory element at a state corresponding to the multi-value data. During data reading, the states of the memory elements are read out by changing the read voltage to intermediate values of individual threshold values and latched in a register. The original data may be restored by a data inverse transforming logic circuit based on the multi-value data stored in the register.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2003
    Publication date: August 7, 2003
    Inventors: Hitoshi Miwa, Hiroaki Kotani
  • Publication number: 20030147284
    Abstract: At the data programming, plural data bit is transformed by a data transforming logic circuit into multi-value data according to the combination of bits, and the transformed data are sequentially transferred to a latch circuit connected to bit lines of a memory array. A program pulse is generated according to the latched data and is applied to a memory element at a state corresponding to the multi-value data. During data reading, the states of the memory elements are read out by changing the read voltage to intermediate values of individual threshold values and latched in a register. The original data may be restored by a data inverse transforming logic circuit based on the multi-value data stored in the register.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2003
    Publication date: August 7, 2003
    Inventors: Hitoshi Miwa, Hiroaki Kotani
  • Publication number: 20030147282
    Abstract: At the data programming, plural data bit is transformed by a data transforming logic circuit into multi-value data according to the combination of bits, and the transformed data are sequentially transferred to a latch circuit connected to bit lines of a memory array. A program pulse is generated according to the latched data and is applied to a memory element at a state corresponding to the multi-value data. During data reading, the states of the memory elements are read out by changing the read voltage to intermediate values of individual threshold values and latched in a register. The original data may be restored by a data inverse transforming logic circuit based on the multi-value data stored in the register.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2003
    Publication date: August 7, 2003
    Inventors: Hitoshi Miwa, Hiroaki Kotani
  • Patent number: 6567311
    Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor memory recovers variation in the threshold of a memory cell due to disturbance related to a word line. The nonvolatile memory continuously performs many writing operations without carrying out single-sector erasing after each writing operation, performing the additional writing operations quicker than the usual writing operation, and lightening the burden imposed on software for use in additional writing. The data stored in a designated sector is read out before being saved in a register, and the selected sector is subjected to single-sector erasing when a predetermined command is given. Then write expected value data is formed from the saved data and data to be additionally written, completing the writing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi ULSI Engineering Corp.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Ishii, Hitoshi Miwa, Osamu Tsuchiya, Shooji Kubono
  • Publication number: 20030035318
    Abstract: At the data programming time, data of a plurality of bits are transformed by a data transforming logic circuit into data (multi-value data) according to the combination of the bits, and the transformed data are sequentially transferred to a latch circuit connected to the bit lines of a memory array. A program pulse is generated according to the data latched in the latch circuit and is applied to a memory element of a selected state correspondingly to the multi-value data. At the data reading operation, the states of the memory elements are read out by changing the read voltage to intermediate values of the individual threshold values and are transferred to and latched in a register for storing the multi-value data, so that the original data may be restored by a data inverse transforming logic circuit on the basis of the multi-value data stored in the register.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2002
    Publication date: February 20, 2003
    Inventors: Hitoshi Miwa, Hiroaki Kotani
  • Publication number: 20030035317
    Abstract: At the data programming time, data of a plurality of bits are transformed by a data transforming logic circuit into data (multi-value data) according to the combination of the bits, and the transformed data are sequentially transferred to a latch circuit connected to the bit lines of a memory array. A program pulse is generated according to the data latched in the latch circuit and is applied to a memory element of a selected state correspondingly to the multi-value data. At the data reading operation, the states of the memory elements are read out by changing the read voltage to intermediate values of the individual threshold values and are transferred to and latched in a register for storing the multi-value data, so that the original data may be restored by a data inverse transforming logic circuit on the basis of the multi-value data stored in the register.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2002
    Publication date: February 20, 2003
    Inventor: Hitoshi Miwa
  • Publication number: 20030016558
    Abstract: At the data programming time, data of a plurality of bits are transformed by a data transforming logic circuit into data (multi-value data) according to the combination of the bits, and the transformed data are sequentially transferred to a latch circuit connected to the bit lines of a memory array. A program pulse is generated according to the data latched in the latch circuit and is applied to a memory element of a selected state correspondingly to the multi-value data. At the data reading operation, the states of the memory elements are read out by changing the read voltage to intermediate values of the individual threshold values and are transferred to and latched in a register for storing the multi-value data, so that the original data may be restored by a data inverse transforming logic circuit on the basis of the multi-value data stored in the register.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2002
    Publication date: January 23, 2003
    Inventors: Hitoshi Miwa, Hiroaki Kotani
  • Publication number: 20030016557
    Abstract: At the data programming time, data of a plurality of bits are transformed by a data transforming logic circuit into data (multi-value data) according to the combination of the bits, and the transformed data are sequentially transferred to a latch circuit connected to the bit lines of a memory array. A program pulse is generated according to the data latched in the latch circuit and is applied to a memory element of a selected state correspondingly to the multi-value data. At the data reading operation, the states of the memory elements are read out by changing the read voltage to intermediate values of the individual threshold values and are transferred to and latched in a register for storing the multi-value data, so that the original data may be restored by a data inverse transforming logic circuit on the basis of the multi-value data stored in the register.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2002
    Publication date: January 23, 2003
    Inventors: Hitoshi Miwa, Hiroaki Kotani