Patents by Inventor Markus Balb

Markus Balb 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: 20250240192
    Abstract: Techniques are provided herein to increase a rate of data transfer across a large number of channels in a memory device using multi-level signaling. Such multi-level signaling may be configured to increase a data transfer rate without increasing the frequency of data transfer and/or a transmit power of the communicated data. An example of multi-level signaling scheme may be pulse amplitude modulation (PAM). Each unique symbol of the multi-level signal may be configured to represent a plurality of bits of data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2025
    Publication date: July 24, 2025
    Inventors: Timothy M. Hollis, Markus Balb, Ralf Ebert
  • Patent number: 12334172
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for link evaluation for a memory device are described. A memory device may receive signaling over a channel and may identify logic values encoded into the signaling based on sampling the signaling against a reference voltage. The sampling may occur at a reference time within a sampling period. To evaluate a quality (e.g., margin of error) of the channel, the memory device may adjust the reference voltage, the reference time, or both, and either the memory device or the host device may determine whether the memory device is still able to correctly identify logic values encoded into signaling over the channel. In some cases, the channel quality may be evaluated during a refresh cycle or at another opportunistic time for the memory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2025
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Markus Balb, Thomas Hein, Heinz Hoenigschmid
  • Patent number: 12237953
    Abstract: Techniques are provided herein to increase a rate of data transfer across a large number of channels in a memory device using multi-level signaling. Such multi-level signaling may be configured to increase a data transfer rate without increasing the frequency of data transfer and/or a transmit power of the communicated data. An example of multi-level signaling scheme may be pulse amplitude modulation (PAM). Each unique symbol of the multi-level signal may be configured to represent a plurality of bits of data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2025
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy M. Hollis, Markus Balb, Ralf Ebert
  • Patent number: 12099746
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for interrupt signaling for a memory device are described. A memory device may transmit an interrupt signal to a host device to alter a sequence of operations that would otherwise be executed by the host device. The memory device may transmit the interrupt signal in response to detecting an error condition at the memory device, a performance degradation at the memory device, or another trigger event. In some examples, the memory device may include a dedicated interrupt pin for transmitting interrupt signals. Alternatively, the memory device may transmit interrupt signals via a pin also sued to transmit error detection codes. For example, the memory device may transmit an interrupt signal before or after an error detection code or may invert the error detection code to indicate the interrupt, in which case the inverted error detection code may act as an interrupt signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2024
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Markus Balb, Thomas Hein, Heinz Hoenigschmid
  • Patent number: 11775378
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for memory health status reporting are described. A memory device may output to a host device a parameter value, which may be indicative of metric or condition related to the performance or reliability (e.g., a health status) of the memory device of the memory device. The host device may thereby determine that the memory device is degraded, possibly prior to device or system failure. Based on the parameter value, the host device may take preventative action, such as quarantining the memory device, deactivating the memory device, or swapping the memory device for another memory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Markus Balb, Thomas Hein, Heinz Hoenigschmid
  • Patent number: 11693602
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for detection of illegal commands are described. A memory device, such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), may receive a command from a device, such as a host device, to perform an access operation on at least one memory cell of a memory device. The memory device may determine, using a detection component, that a timing threshold associated with an operation of the memory device would be violated by performing the access operation. The memory device may refrain from executing the access operation based on determining that performing the access operation included in the command would violate the timing threshold. The memory device may transmit, to the device, an indication that performing the command would violate the timing threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Dieter Richter, Markus Balb
  • Publication number: 20230197181
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for link evaluation for a memory device are described. A memory device may receive signaling over a channel and may identify logic values encoded into the signaling based on sampling the signaling against a reference voltage. The sampling may occur at a reference time within a sampling period. To evaluate a quality (e.g., margin of error) of the channel, the memory device may adjust the reference voltage, the reference time, or both, and either the memory device or the host device may determine whether the memory device is still able to correctly identify logic values encoded into signaling over the channel. In some cases, the channel quality may be evaluated during a refresh cycle or at another opportunistic time for the memory device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2023
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Inventors: Markus Balb, Thomas Hein, Heinz Hoenigschmid
  • Patent number: 11615862
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for link evaluation for a memory device are described. A memory device may receive signaling over a channel and may identify logic values encoded into the signaling based on sampling the signaling against a reference voltage. The sampling may occur at a reference time within a sampling period. To evaluate a quality (e.g., margin of error) of the channel, the memory device may adjust the reference voltage, the reference time, or both, and either the memory device or the host device may determine whether the memory device is still able to correctly identify logic values encoded into signaling over the channel. In some cases, the channel quality may be evaluated during a refresh cycle or at another opportunistic time for the memory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Markus Balb, Thomas Hein, Heinz Hoenigschmid
  • Publication number: 20220365727
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for detection of illegal commands are described. A memory device, such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), may receive a command from a device, such as a host device, to perform an access operation on at least one memory cell of a memory device. The memory device may determine, using a detection component, that a timing threshold associated with an operation of the memory device would be violated by performing the access operation. The memory device may refrain from executing the access operation based on determining that performing the access operation included in the command would violate the timing threshold. The memory device may transmit, to the device, an indication that performing the command would violate the timing threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2022
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Inventors: Michael Dieter Richter, Markus Balb
  • Patent number: 11354064
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for detection of illegal commands are described. A memory device, such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), may receive a command from a device, such as a host device, to perform an access operation on at least one memory cell of a memory device. The memory device may determine, using a detection component, that a timing threshold associated with an operation of the memory device would be violated by performing the access operation. The memory device may refrain from executing the access operation based on determining that performing the access operation included in the command would violate the timing threshold. The memory device may transmit, to the device, an indication that performing the command would violate the timing threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Dieter Richter, Markus Balb
  • Publication number: 20220123974
    Abstract: Techniques are provided herein to increase a rate of data transfer across a large number of channels in a memory device using multi-level signaling. Such multi-level signaling may be configured to increase a data transfer rate without increasing the frequency of data transfer and/or a transmit power of the communicated data. An example of multi-level signaling scheme may be pulse amplitude modulation (PAM). Each unique symbol of the multi-level signal may be configured to represent a plurality of bits of data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Inventors: Timothy M. Hollis, Markus Balb, Ralf Ebert
  • Patent number: 11233681
    Abstract: Techniques are provided herein to increase a rate of data transfer across a large number of channels in a memory device using multi-level signaling. Such multi-level signaling may be configured to increase a data transfer rate without increasing the frequency of data transfer and/or a transmit power of the communicated data. An example of multi-level signaling scheme may be pulse amplitude modulation (PAM). Each unique symbol of the multi-level signal may be configured to represent a plurality of bits of data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy M. Hollis, Markus Balb, Ralf Ebert
  • Publication number: 20210193252
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for link evaluation for a memory device are described. A memory device may receive signaling over a channel and may identify logic values encoded into the signaling based on sampling the signaling against a reference voltage. The sampling may occur at a reference time within a sampling period. To evaluate a quality (e.g., margin of error) of the channel, the memory device may adjust the reference voltage, the reference time, or both, and either the memory device or the host device may determine whether the memory device is still able to correctly identify logic values encoded into signaling over the channel. In some cases, the channel quality may be evaluated during a refresh cycle or at another opportunistic time for the memory device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Inventors: Markus Balb, Thomas Hein, Heinz Hoenigschmid
  • Publication number: 20210181990
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for interrupt signaling for a memory device are described. A memory device may transmit an interrupt signal to a host device to alter a sequence of operations that would otherwise be executed by the host device. The memory device may transmit the interrupt signal in response to detecting an error condition at the memory device, a performance degradation at the memory device, or another trigger event. In some examples, the memory device may include a dedicated interrupt pin for transmitting interrupt signals. Alternatively, the memory device may transmit interrupt signals via a pin also sued to transmit error detection codes. For example, the memory device may transmit an interrupt signal before or after an error detection code or may invert the error detection code to indicate the interrupt, in which case the inverted error detection code may act as an interrupt signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2020
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Inventors: Markus Balb, Thomas Hein, Heinz Hoenigschmid
  • Publication number: 20210182141
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for memory health status reporting are described. A memory device may output to a host device a parameter value, which may be indicative of metric or condition related to the performance or reliability (e.g., a health status) of the memory device of the memory device. The host device may thereby determine that the memory device is degraded, possibly prior to device or system failure. Based on the parameter value, the host device may take preventative action, such as quarantining the memory device, deactivating the memory device, or swapping the memory device for another memory device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Inventors: Markus Balb, Thomas Hein, Heinz Hoenigschmid
  • Publication number: 20200267032
    Abstract: Techniques are provided herein to increase a rate of data transfer across a large number of channels in a memory device using multi-level signaling. Such multi-level signaling may be configured to increase a data transfer rate without increasing the frequency of data transfer and/or a transmit power of the communicated data. An example of multi-level signaling scheme may be pulse amplitude modulation (PAM). Each unique symbol of the multi-level signal may be configured to represent a plurality of bits of data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2020
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Inventors: Timothy M. Hollis, Markus Balb, Ralf Ebert
  • Publication number: 20200210110
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for detection of illegal commands are described. A memory device, such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), may receive a command from a device, such as a host device, to perform an access operation on at least one memory cell of a memory device. The memory device may determine, using a detection component, that a timing threshold associated with an operation of the memory device would be violated by performing the access operation. The memory device may refrain from executing the access operation based on determining that performing the access operation included in the command would violate the timing threshold. The memory device may transmit, to the device, an indication that performing the command would violate the timing threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventors: Michael Dieter Richter, Markus Balb
  • Patent number: 10686634
    Abstract: Techniques are provided herein to increase a rate of data transfer across a large number of channels in a memory device using multi-level signaling. Such multi-level signaling may be configured to increase a data transfer rate without increasing the frequency of data transfer and/or a transmit power of the communicated data. An example of multi-level signaling scheme may be pulse amplitude modulation (PAM). Each unique symbol of the multi-level signal may be configured to represent a plurality of bits of data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc
    Inventors: Timothy M. Hollis, Markus Balb, Ralf Ebert
  • Publication number: 20200028720
    Abstract: Techniques are provided herein to increase a rate of data transfer across a large number of channels in a memory device using multi-level signaling. Such multi-level signaling may be configured to increase a data transfer rate without increasing the frequency of data transfer and/or a transmit power of the communicated data. An example of multi-level signaling scheme may be pulse amplitude modulation (PAM). Each unique symbol of the multi-level signal may be configured to represent a plurality of bits of data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2019
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Inventors: Timothy M. Hollis, Markus Balb, Ralf Ebert
  • Patent number: 10425260
    Abstract: Techniques are provided herein to increase a rate of data transfer across a large number of channels in a memory device using multi-level signaling. Such multi-level signaling may be configured to increase a data transfer rate without increasing the frequency of data transfer and/or a transmit power of the communicated data. An example of multi-level signaling scheme may be pulse amplitude modulation (PAM). Each unique symbol of the multi-level signal may be configured to represent a plurality of bits of data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy M. Hollis, Markus Balb, Ralf Ebert