Patents by Inventor Mark A. McClain

Mark A. McClain 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: 8972652
    Abstract: A method of reducing read errors in a non-volatile memory device that result from bit-line or word-line disturb conditions generated by erase operations includes selecting a subset of a memory array for refresh after each erase operation. A pointer to the refresh target section is updated as part of the method to direct the refresh operation to the appropriate subset of the memory array. Refresh may be performed subsequent to an erase operation or concurrently therewith. By distributing the time consumed by refresh operations over many erase operations so the relative refresh time for any one erase becomes small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Spansion LLC
    Inventors: Yong K. Kim, Keith H. Wong, Mark A. McClain
  • Publication number: 20140177375
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include an apparatus, method, and system for integrating data processing logic with memory. An embodiment of a memory integrated circuit is designed to execute a task on the data in a memory array within a memory integrated circuit. The memory integrated circuit can include a memory array, a data access component, a data holding component, and a logic component. The data access component can be coupled to the memory array and configured to provide an address to the memory array. The data holding component can be coupled to the memory array and configured to temporarily store the data in the memory array located at the address. The logic component can be coupled to both the data access component and the data holding component, and be configured to execute a task using data received from the data holding component. The logic component can include combinational or sequential logic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: Spansion LLC
    Inventor: Mark A. McClain
  • Publication number: 20140143473
    Abstract: A method of reducing read errors in a non-volatile memory device that result from bit-line or word-line disturb conditions generated by erase operations includes selecting a subset of a memory array for refresh after each erase operation. A pointer to the refresh target section is updated as part of the method to direct the refresh operation to the appropriate subset of the memory array. Refresh may be performed subsequent to an erase operation or concurrently therewith. By distributing the time consumed by refresh operations over many erase operations so the relative refresh time for any one erase becomes small.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2012
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: Spansion LLC
    Inventors: Yong K. KIM, Keith H. Wong, Mark A. McClain
  • Patent number: 6601167
    Abstract: A computer system includes a processor and a sequential access memory having a boot program stored therein. A boot loader includes a state machine which, in response to initialization of the computer system, controls the sequential access memory to read the boot program and then controls the processor to jump to the boot program in the sequential access memory. The first memory page of the boot program causes further boot code to be transferred to a Random Access Memory (RAM). The processor then jumps to the code in the RAM, which causes the remainder of the boot code to be transferred from the sequential access memory to the RAM and executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Ralph E. Gibson, Loren J. Shalinsky, Mark A. McClain