Patents by Inventor NATHANIEL J. MEIER

NATHANIEL J. MEIER 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: 12718862
    Abstract: An apparatus may include a refresh control circuit with multiple timing circuits. The timing circuits may be used to control steal rates, e.g., the rate of refresh time slots dedicated to healing victim word lines of row hammers. The timing circuits may be controlled to allow independent adjustment of the steal rates for different victim word lines. Thus, different victim word lines may be refreshed at different rates and the different rates may be independent of one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2026
    Inventors: Timothy B. Cowles, Jiyun Li, Beau D. Barry, Matthew D. Jenkinson, Nathaniel J. Meier, Michael A. Shore, Adam J. Grenzebach, Dennis G. Montierth
  • Publication number: 20260079853
    Abstract: Memory devices, systems including memory devices, and methods of operating memory devices are described, in which security measures may be implemented to control access to a fuse array (or other secure features) of the memory devices based on a secure access key. In some cases, a customer may define and store a user-defined access key in the fuse array. In other cases, a manufacturer of the memory device may define a manufacturer-defined access key (e.g., an access key based on fuse identification (FID), a secret access key), where a host device coupled with the memory device may obtain the manufacturer-defined access key according to certain protocols. The memory device may compare an access key included in a command directed to the memory device with either the user-defined access key or the manufacturer-defined access key to determine whether to permit or prohibit execution of the command based on the comparison.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2024
    Publication date: March 19, 2026
    Inventors: Brenton P. Van Leeuwen, Nathaniel J. Meier
  • Publication number: 20260045290
    Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and systems related to managing operations performed in response to refresh management (RFM) commands. A controller generates the RFM command for coordinating a refresh management operation targeted for implementation at an apparatus. The apparatus tracks refresh target set that includes refresh management target locations within the apparatus. According to the tracked refresh management target set, the apparatus selectively implements the targeted refresh management operation and/or a response operation in addition to or as a replacement for the targeted refresh management operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2025
    Publication date: February 12, 2026
    Inventors: Nathaniel J. Meier, James S. Rehmeyer, David R. Brown
  • Publication number: 20260038624
    Abstract: A memory device includes mode operation circuitry configured to provide use of one or more testmodes during operation of the memory device. The memory device also includes testmode revision control circuitry configured to control enablement of the one or more testmodes via the mode operation circuitry based at least in part on a revision of material of the memory device. The testmode revision control circuitry includes comparison circuitry configured to compare stored bits with testmode bits in a BIOS or firmware of the memory device. The testmode revision control circuitry also includes an output configured to output a latch enable signal to enable the one or more testmodes based at least in part on the comparison of fuse bits with the testmode bits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2025
    Publication date: February 5, 2026
    Inventors: Roman A. Royer, Nathaniel J. Meier
  • Patent number: 12469539
    Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and systems related to managing operations performed in response to refresh management (RFM) commands. A controller generates the RFM command for coordinating a refresh management operation targeted for implementation at an apparatus. The apparatus tracks refresh target set that includes refresh management target locations within the apparatus. According to the tracked refresh management target set, the apparatus selectively implements the targeted refresh management operation and/or a response operation in addition to or as a replacement for the targeted refresh management operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2024
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2025
    Inventors: Nathaniel J. Meier, James S. Rehmeyer, David R. Brown
  • Publication number: 20250307047
    Abstract: Memory with enhanced fail tracking, and associated systems, devices, and methods, are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a memory device comprises a memory array and fail tracking circuitry. The fail tracking circuitry can include a counter and a plurality of memory slots and can be configured to, for each memory row of a plurality of memory rows in a memory region of the memory array, (a) count errors detected in data read from the memory row to determine an error count, and (b) store the error count and address information for the memory row in a memory slot of the plurality of memory slots. In some embodiments, the fail tracking circuitry can be configured to count the errors and store the error counts during error check and scrub operations of the memory device (e.g., to identify the worst memory rows in the memory region for post-package repair operations).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2025
    Publication date: October 2, 2025
    Inventors: Marina R. Utesheva, Rosa M. Avila-Hernandez, Nathaniel J. Meier, Karthika Manilal Pavangat, Raksha Gopal Kulkarni, Kathryn Douglass
  • Patent number: 12360921
    Abstract: Memory devices, systems including memory devices, and methods of operating memory devices are described, in which security measures may be implemented to control access to a fuse array (or other secure features) of the memory devices based on a secure access key. In some cases, a customer may define and store a user-defined access key in the fuse array. In other cases, a manufacturer of the memory device may define a manufacturer-defined access key (e.g., an access key based on fuse identification (FID), a secret access key), where a host device coupled with the memory device may obtain the manufacturer-defined access key according to certain protocols. The memory device may compare an access key included in a command directed to the memory device with either the user-defined access key or the manufacturer-defined access key to determine whether to permit or prohibit execution of the command based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2024
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2025
    Inventors: Brenton P. Van Leeuwen, Nathaniel J. Meier
  • Patent number: 12333022
    Abstract: There are provided systems and methods that include at least one memory that has a plurality of memory cells. The cells may be disposed in rows and columns. The device can further include a controller that is communicatively coupled to the at least one memory, and the controller may be configured by its hardware topology and its instruction set and/or by a communicatively coupled processor or higher-level system or subsystem to maintain data integrity in the at least one memory and/or to prevent or mitigate malicious access patterns that may compromise the at least one memory. The controller may be configured to execute a deterministic protocol in conjunction with or sequentially to a probabilistic protocol to achieve one or more of the above-noted functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2025
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Yang Lu, Markus H. Geiger, Nathaniel J. Meier
  • Patent number: 12334138
    Abstract: Described apparatuses and methods enable a system including at least one memory device to load different address scramble patterns on dies of the memory device. The address scramble patterns may include the logical-to-physical conversion of rows in the memory device or the memory dies. In aspects, the apparatuses and methods can change the address scrambles at different intervals, such as after a power reset or when the data stored on the memory device is invalid, not current, flushable, or erasable. The described aspects may reduce effectiveness of usage-based disturb attacks used by malicious actors to discover a layout of a type of particular memory device or memory die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2025
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Erik T. Barmon, Yang Lu, Nathaniel J. Meier, Kang-Yong Kim
  • Publication number: 20250181780
    Abstract: Memory devices, systems including memory devices, and methods of operating memory devices are described, in which self-lock security may be implemented to control access to a fuse array (or other secure features) of the memory devices based on a predefined event associated with the memory device operation. The predefined event may include an operating parameter of the memory device, one or more commands directed to the memory device, or both. The memory device may monitor the predefined event and determine that the predefined event satisfies a threshold. The threshold may be related to a time elapsed since the predefined event has occurred or a certain pattern in the one or more commands. Subsequently, the memory device may disable a circuit configured to access the fuse array based on the determination such that an access to the fuse array is no longer allowed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2025
    Publication date: June 5, 2025
    Inventors: Nathaniel J. Meier, Brenton P. Van Leeuwen
  • Patent number: 12265630
    Abstract: There are provided systems and methods that include at least one memory that has a plurality of memory cells. The cells may be disposed in rows and columns. The device can further include a controller that is communicatively coupled to the at least one memory, and the controller may be configured by its hardware topology and its instruction set and/or by a communicatively coupled processor or higher level system or subsystem to maintain data integrity in the at least one memory and/or to prevent or mitigate malicious access patterns that may compromise the at least one memory. The controller may be configured to execute a deterministic protocol in conjunction with or sequentially to a probabilistic protocol to achieve one or more of the above-noted functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Yang Lu, Markus H. Geiger, Nathaniel J. Meier
  • Publication number: 20250095707
    Abstract: Memory devices and methods of operating memory devices in which refresh management operations can be scheduled on an as-needed basis for those memory portions where activity (e.g., activations in excess of a predetermined threshold) warrants a refresh management operation are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a memory including a memory location, and circuitry configured to determine a count corresponding to a number of activations at the memory location, to schedule a refresh management operation for the memory location in response to the count exceeding a first predetermined threshold, and to decrease the count by an amount corresponding to the first predetermined threshold in response to executing the scheduled refresh management operation. The circuitry may be further configured to disallow, in response to determining that the count has reached a maximum permitted value, further activations at the memory location until after the count has been decreased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2024
    Publication date: March 20, 2025
    Inventors: Timothy B. Cowles, Dean D. Gans, Jiyun Li, Nathaniel J. Meier, Randall J. Rooney
  • Patent number: 12216806
    Abstract: Memory devices, systems including memory devices, and methods of operating memory devices are described, in which self-lock security may be implemented to control access to a fuse array (or other secure features) of the memory devices based on a predefined event associated with the memory device operation. The predefined event may include an operating parameter of the memory device, one or more commands directed to the memory device, or both. The memory device may monitor the predefined event and determine that the predefined event satisfies a threshold. The threshold may be related to a time elapsed since the predefined event has occurred or a certain pattern in the one or more commands. Subsequently, the memory device may disable a circuit configured to access the fuse array based on the determination such that an access to the fuse array is no longer allowed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Nathaniel J. Meier, Brenton P. Van Leeuwen
  • Publication number: 20250013581
    Abstract: Memory devices, systems including memory devices, and methods of operating memory devices are described, in which security measures may be implemented to control access to a fuse array (or other secure features) of the memory devices based on a secure access key. In some cases, a customer may define and store a user-defined access key in the fuse array. In other cases, a manufacturer of the memory device may define a manufacturer-defined access key (e.g., an access key based on fuse identification (FID), a secret access key), where a host device coupled with the memory device may obtain the manufacturer-defined access key according to certain protocols. The memory device may compare an access key included in a command directed to the memory device with either the user-defined access key or the manufacturer-defined access key to determine whether to permit or prohibit execution of the command based on the comparison.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2024
    Publication date: January 9, 2025
    Inventors: Nathaniel J. Meier, Brenton P. Van Leeuwen
  • Publication number: 20240345967
    Abstract: Memory devices, systems including memory devices, and methods of operating memory devices are described, in which security measures may be implemented to control access to a fuse array (or other secure features) of the memory devices based on a secure access key. In some cases, a customer may define and store a user-defined access key in the fuse array. In other cases, a manufacturer of the memory device may define a manufacturer-defined access key (e.g., an access key based on fuse identification (FID), a secret access key), where a host device coupled with the memory device may obtain the manufacturer-defined access key according to certain protocols. The memory device may compare an access key included in a command directed to the memory device with either the user-defined access key or the manufacturer-defined access key to determine whether to permit or prohibit execution of the command based on the comparison.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2024
    Publication date: October 17, 2024
    Inventors: Brenton P. Van Leeuwen, Nathaniel J. Meier
  • Publication number: 20240330081
    Abstract: An apparatus including a selectable event reporter internal to a memory device and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the selectable event reporter is dynamically configured to load user-defined event parameters. The selectable event reporter uses the user-defined event parameters to detect corresponding states in command and address signals provided by an external processor. The selectable event reporter communicates the detected events and/or other related observations to an external device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2024
    Publication date: October 3, 2024
    Inventors: Chikara Kondo, Nathaniel J. Meier, Tomoki Hayashi, Roman A. Royer, Sean K. Moss, Stewart R. Watson
  • Patent number: 12105644
    Abstract: Memory devices, systems including memory devices, and methods of operating memory devices are described, in which security measures may be implemented to control access to a fuse array (or other secure features) of the memory devices based on a secure access key. In some cases, a customer may define and store a user-defined access key in the fuse array. In other cases, a manufacturer of the memory device may define a manufacturer-defined access key (e.g., an access key based on fuse identification (FID), a secret access key), where a host device coupled with the memory device may obtain the manufacturer-defined access key according to certain protocols. The memory device may compare an access key included in a command directed to the memory device with either the user-defined access key or the manufacturer-defined access key to determine whether to permit or prohibit execution of the command based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2024
    Inventors: Nathaniel J. Meier, Brenton P. Van Leeuwen
  • Patent number: 12099639
    Abstract: Memory devices, systems including memory devices, and methods of operating memory devices are described, in which security measures may be implemented to control access to a fuse array (or other secure features) of the memory devices based on a secure access key. In some cases, a customer may define and store a user-defined access key in the fuse array. In other cases, a manufacturer of the memory device may define a manufacturer-defined access key (e.g., an access key based on fuse identification (FID), a secret access key), where a host device coupled with the memory device may obtain the manufacturer-defined access key according to certain protocols. The memory device may compare an access key included in a command directed to the memory device with either the user-defined access key or the manufacturer-defined access key to determine whether to permit or prohibit execution of the command based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2024
    Inventors: Brenton P. Van Leeuwen, Nathaniel J. Meier
  • Patent number: 12086270
    Abstract: There are provided systems and methods that include at least one memory that has a plurality of memory cells. The cells may be disposed in rows and columns. The device can further include a controller that is communicatively coupled to the at least one memory, and the controller may be configured by its hardware topology and its instruction set and/or by a communicatively coupled processor or higher-level system or subsystem to maintain data integrity in the at least one memory and/or to prevent or mitigate malicious access patterns that may compromise the at least one memory. The controller may be configured to execute a deterministic protocol in conjunction with or sequentially to a probabilistic protocol to achieve one or more of the above-noted functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2024
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Yang Lu, Markus H. Geiger, Nathaniel J. Meier
  • Publication number: 20240282355
    Abstract: Apparatuses, systems, and methods for controller directed targeted refresh operations. A memory may be coupled to a controller. The memory may identify aggressor addresses based on sampled addresses. The addresses may be sampled based on internal timing logic of the memory and also based on a sampling command received from the controller. The memory may also receive a controller identified aggressor address from the controller. The memory may refresh one or more victim word lines of the identified (either by the memory or the controller) aggressor addresses as part of a targeted refresh operation. Victims of controller identified aggressor addresses may be refreshed before memory identified aggressor addresses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2024
    Publication date: August 22, 2024
    Applicant: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Nathaniel J. Meier, Michael A. Shore