Patents by Inventor Margherita Maffei

Margherita Maffei 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: 11152956
    Abstract: A method for iteratively decoding read bits in a solid state storage device, wherein the read bits are encoded with a Q-ary LDPC code defined over a binary-extension Galois field GF(2r) and having length N. The method comprises: determining a binary Tanner graph of the Q-ary LDPC code based on a binary coset representation of the Galois field GF(2r) the binary Tanner graph comprising (2r?1) binary variable nodes, (2r?1?r) binary parity-check nodes each one connected to one or more binary variable nodes according to the binary coset representation and (2r?1) binary check nodes each one connected to a respective binary variable node mapping the read bits into N symbols providing each symbol of the N symbols to a respective Q-ary variable node; providing each bit of the symbol to a respective binary variable node of the respective Q-ary variable node and iteratively decoding each symbol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Inventor: Margherita Maffeis
  • Patent number: 10395754
    Abstract: A method is proposed for decoding read bits including information bits from memory cells of a solid state drive. The method comprises determining a reliability indication indicative of a reliability of the read bits, and iterating the following sequence of steps: soft decoding the read bits based on said reliability indication in order to obtain said information bits, determining at least one among a time indication indicative of a time elapsed since a last writing of the memory cells and a temperature indication indicative of a temperature of the memory cells, and applying at least one among said time indication and said temperature indication to said reliability indication. A corresponding solid state drive is also proposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: NandEXT Srl
    Inventor: Margherita Maffeis
  • Patent number: 10075191
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for decoding read bits including information bits from memory cells of a solid-state drive. The method comprises providing an indication of reliability of the read bits, and, based on the indication of reliability, iteratively soft decoding the read bits in order to obtain the information bits, wherein the soft decoding comprises, at each iteration of the soft decoding, if the current number of iterations has reached a predetermined number of iterations indicative of an admitted latency of the solid state drive, and if no information bits having an error rate below a predetermined error rate have been obtained, providing a further indication of reliability of the read bits, and iteratively soft decoding the read bits based on the further indication of reliability. The invention also relates to a corresponding controller and a corresponding solid-state drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: NandEXT Srl
    Inventor: Margherita Maffeis
  • Patent number: 9836351
    Abstract: A method is proposed for decoding bits stored in memory cells of a solid state drive. Each memory cell comprises a floating gate transistor adapted to store a bit pattern, among a plurality of possible bit patterns, when programmed at a threshold voltage associated with that bit pattern, each threshold voltage being variable over the memory cells thereby defining, for each bit pattern, a corresponding threshold voltage distribution. The bit pattern of each memory cell comprises first and second bits, and the solid state drive is suitable for reading the bit patterns based on fixed reference voltages, each one designed to discern between two respective adjacent threshold voltage distributions, and on additional reference voltages different from the fixed reference voltages. The solid state drive is capable of soft decoding the read bit patterns based on soft information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: NandEXT Srl
    Inventor: Margherita Maffeis
  • Publication number: 20170269995
    Abstract: A method is proposed for decoding bits stored in memory cells of a solid state drive. Each memory cell comprises a floating gate transistor adapted to store a bit pattern, among a plurality of possible bit patterns, when programmed at a threshold voltage associated with that bit pattern, each threshold voltage being variable over the memory cells thereby defining, for each bit pattern, a corresponding threshold voltage distribution. The bit pattern of each memory cell comprises first and second bits, and the solid state drive is suitable for reading the bit patterns based on fixed reference voltages, each one designed to discern between two respective adjacent threshold voltage distributions, and on additional reference voltages different from the fixed reference voltages. The solid state drive is capable of soft decoding the read bit patterns based on soft information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2016
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventor: Margherita Maffeis
  • Publication number: 20170269994
    Abstract: A method is proposed for decoding read bits including information bits from memory cells of a solid state drive. The method comprises determining a reliability indication indicative of a reliability of the read bits, and iterating the following sequence of steps: soft decoding the read bits based on said reliability indication in order to obtain said information bits, determining at least one among a time indication indicative of a time elapsed since a last writing of the memory cells and a temperature indication indicative of a temperature of the memory cells, and applying at least one among said time indication and said temperature indication to said reliability indication. A corresponding solid state drive is also proposed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2016
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventor: Margherita Maffeis
  • Publication number: 20170269993
    Abstract: A method is proposed for decoding read bits including information bits from memory cells of a solid state drive. The method comprises providing an indication of reliability of the read bits, and, based on said indication of reliability, iteratively soft decoding the read bits in order to obtain said information bits. Said soft decoding comprises, at each iteration of the soft decoding, if the current number of iterations has reached a predetermined number of iterations indicative of an admitted latency of the solid state drive, and if no information bits having an error rate below a predetermined error rate have been obtained, providing a further indication of reliability of the read bits, and iteratively soft decoding the read bits based on said further indication of reliability. A corresponding solid state drive is also proposed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2016
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventor: Margherita Maffeis
  • Patent number: 9722635
    Abstract: A controller for a solid state drive is proposed. The solid state drive comprises memory cells each one for storing a symbol among a plurality of possible symbols that the memory cell is designed to store. The controller comprises a unit for encoding information bits into encoded bits; a unit for mapping the encoded bits into the symbols, wherein the symbols are determined based on a plurality of allowed symbols, among the possible symbols, that the memory cells are allowed to store, whereas the symbols, among the possible symbols, other than the allowed symbols define forbidden symbols not allowed to be stored in the memory cells; a unit for demapping read symbols and for providing an indication of the reliability of the read symbols based on the forbidden symbols; and a unit for soft decoding the read symbols according to the reliability indication thereby obtaining the information bits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: NandEXT Srl
    Inventor: Margherita Maffeis
  • Patent number: 9715430
    Abstract: A controller for a solid state drive is proposed. The solid state drive comprises a plurality of memory cells, wherein each memory cell comprises a floating gate transistor for storing a symbol when programmed with a threshold voltage associated with that symbol, and wherein each threshold voltage is variable over the memory cells of the plurality of memory cells thereby defining a corresponding threshold voltage distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: NandEXT Srl
    Inventor: Margherita Maffeis
  • Patent number: 9715908
    Abstract: A controller for a solid state drive is proposed. The solid state drive comprises a plurality of memory cells each one storing a symbol among a plurality of possible symbols. Each bit of each symbol is associated with a respective memory page. The controller comprises a spreading unit configured to mark a memory page whose bit error rate overruns an admitted bit error rate as a failed memory page, or as an unfailed memory page otherwise, and to determine allowed symbols that are allowed to be stored in a group of memory cells associated with the failed memory page. The allowed symbols are a subset of the possible symbols such that the bits of the allowed symbols associated with the unfailed memory pages include all possible bit combinations. The controller comprises a writing unit configured to write information bits into the group of memory cells according to the allowed symbols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: NandEXT Srl
    Inventor: Margherita Maffeis
  • Publication number: 20170004033
    Abstract: A controller for a solid state drive is proposed. The solid state drive comprises memory cells each one for storing a symbol among a plurality of possible symbols that the memory cell is designed to store.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2015
    Publication date: January 5, 2017
    Inventor: Margherita Maffeis
  • Publication number: 20170004039
    Abstract: A controller for a solid state drive is proposed. The solid state drive comprises a plurality of memory cells, wherein each memory cell comprises a floating gate transistor for storing a symbol when programmed with a threshold voltage associated with that symbol, and wherein each threshold voltage is variable over the memory cells of the plurality of memory cells thereby defining a corresponding threshold voltage distribution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2015
    Publication date: January 5, 2017
    Inventor: Margherita Maffeis
  • Publication number: 20170004059
    Abstract: A controller for a solid state drive is proposed. The solid state drive comprises a plurality of memory cells. Each memory cell can store a symbol among a plurality of possible symbols the memory cell is designed to store, wherein each bit of each symbol is associated with a respective memory page. The memory cells are programmed and read simultaneously at memory page level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2015
    Publication date: January 5, 2017
    Inventor: Margherita Maffeis
  • Patent number: 8173793
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to the control of body weight of animals including mammals and humans, and more particularly to nucleic acids encoding materials identified herein as modulators of weight. In its broadest aspect, the present invention relates to the elucidation and discovery of nucleotide sequences, and proteins putatively expressed by such nucleotides, that demonstrate the ability to participate in the control of mammalian body weight. The nucleotide sequences in object represent the genes corresponding to the murine and human ob gene, that have been postulated to play a critical role in the regulation of body weight and adiposity. Preliminary data, presented herein, suggests that the polypeptide product of the gene in question functions as a hormone. The present invention further provides nucleic acid molecules for use as molecular probes, or as primers for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification, i.e., synthetic or natural oligonucleotides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: The Rockefeller University
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Friedman, Yiying Zhang, Ricardo Proenca, Margherita Maffei, Jeffrey L. Halaas, Ketan Gajiwala, Stephen K. Burley
  • Publication number: 20110218332
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to the control of body weight of animals including mammals and humans, and more particularly to materials identified herein as modulators of weight, and to the diagnostic and therapeutic uses to which such modulators may be put. In its broadest aspect, the present invention relates to the elucidation and discovery of nucleotide sequences, and proteins putatively expressed by such nucleotides or degenerate variations thereof, that demonstrate the ability to participate in the control of mammalian body weight. The nucleotide sequences in object represent the genes corresponding to the murine and human ob gene, that have been postulated to play a critical role in the regulation of body weight and adiposity. Preliminary data, presented herein, suggests that the polypeptide product of the gene in question function as a hormone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2009
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Friedman, Yiying Zhang, Ricardo Proenca, Margherita Maffei, Jeffrey L. Halaas, Ketan Gajiwala, Stephen K. Burley
  • Publication number: 20040213763
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to the control of body weight of animals including mammals and humans, and more particularly to materials identified herein as modulators of weight, and to the diagnostic and therapeutic uses to which such modulators may be put. In its broadest aspect, the present invention relates to the elucidation and discovery of nucleotide sequences, and proteins putatively expressed by such nucleotides or degenerate variations thereof, that demonstrate the ability to participate in the control of mammalian body weight. The nucleotide sequences in object represent the genes corresponding to the murine and human ob gene, that have been postulated to play a critical role in the regulation of body weight and adiposity. Preliminary data, presented herein, suggests that the polypeptide product of the gene in question functions as a hormone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2003
    Publication date: October 28, 2004
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Friedman, Yiying Zhang, Ricardo Proenca, Margherita Maffei, Jeffrey L. Halaas, Ketan Gajiwala, Stephen K. Burley
  • Publication number: 20020107211
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to the control of body weight of animals including mammals and humans, and more particularly to materials identified herein as modulators of weight, and to the diagnostic and therapeutic uses to which such modulators may be put. In its broadest aspect, the present invention relates to the elucidation and discovery of nucleotide sequences, and proteins putatively expressed by such nucleotides or degenerate variations thereof, that demonstrate the ability to participate in the control of mammalian body weight. The nucleotide sequences in object represent the genes corresponding to the murine and human ob gene, that have been postulated to play a critical role in the regulation of body weight and adiposity. Preliminary data, presented herein, suggests that the polypeptide product of the gene in question functions as a hormone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2000
    Publication date: August 8, 2002
    Applicant: The Rockefeller University
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Friedman, Jeffrey L. Halaas, Ketan Gajiwala, Stephen K. Burley, Yiying Zhang, Ricardo Proenca, Margherita Maffei
  • Patent number: 6124448
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to the control of body weight of animals including mammals and humans, and more particularly to materials identified herein as modulators of weight, and to the diagnostic and therapeutic uses to which such modulators may be put. In its broadest aspect, the present invention relates to the elucidation and discovery of nucleotide sequences, and proteins putatively expressed by such nucleotides or degenerate variations thereof, that demonstrate the ability to participate in the control of mammalian body weight. The nucleotide sequences in object represent the genes corresponding to the murine and human ob gene, that have been postulated to play a critical role in the regulation of body weight and adiposity. Preliminary data, presented herein, suggests that the polypeptide product of the gene in question functions as a hormone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2000
    Assignee: The Rockfeller University
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Friedman, Yiying Zhang, Ricardo Proenca, Margherita Maffei
  • Patent number: 5935810
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to the control of body weight of animals including mammals and humans, and more particularly to materials identified herein as modulators of weight, and to the diagnostic and therapeutic uses to which such modulators may be put. In its broadest aspect, the present invention relates to the elucidation and discovery of nucleotide sequences, and proteins putatively expressed by such nucleotides or degenerate variations thereof, that demonstrate the ability to participate in the control of mammalian body weight. The nucleotide sequences in object represent the genes corresponding to the murine and human ob gene, that have been postulated to play a critical role in the regulation of body weight and adiposity. Preliminary data, presented herein, suggests that the polypeptide product of the gene in question functions as a hormone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1999
    Assignee: The Rockefeller University
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Friedman, Yiying Zhang, Ricardo Proenca, Margherita Maffei, Jeffrey L. Halaas, Ketan Gajiwala, Stephen K. Burley