Patents by Inventor Richard J. Stephani

Richard J. Stephani 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: 9959926
    Abstract: Write assist circuitry is disclosed to assist a memory device in changing logical states during a write operation. The write assist circuit includes write assist circuits which can be coupled to a shared boost capacitor to provide write assistance to the memory device. The write assist circuit includes boost switch circuit to selectively couple one or more of the write assist circuits and the shared boost capacitor. The one or more write assist circuits, when coupled to the shared capacitor, provide negative bitline assistance by selectively driving one of its corresponding bitlines pairs to be negative during a write operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Travis R. Hebig, Daniel Mark Nelson, Richard J. Stephani
  • Publication number: 20170117034
    Abstract: Write assist circuitry is disclosed to assist a memory device in changing logical states during a write operation. The write assist circuit includes write assist circuits which can be coupled to a shared boost capacitor to provide write assistance to the memory device. The write assist circuit includes boost switch circuit to selectively couple one or more of the write assist circuits and the shared boost capacitor. The one or more write assist circuits, when coupled to the shared capacitor, provide negative bitline assistance by selectively driving one of its corresponding bitlines pairs to be negative during a write operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2015
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Applicant: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Travis R. HEBIG, Daniel Mark NELSON, Richard J. STEPHANI
  • Publication number: 20150262667
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a hit bitline driver circuit and an equalization control circuit. The hit bitline driver circuit may be configured to drive a pair of hit bitlines responsive to a search bit. The equalization control circuit may be configured to transfer charge from one hit bitline of the pair to the other hit bitline of the pair in response to the search bit changing state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2014
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Applicant: LSI CORPORATION
    Inventors: TRAVIS HEBIG, CHRISTOHPER D. BROWNING, ERIC W. EKLUND, DANIEL M. NELSON, RICHARD J. STEPHANI
  • Patent number: 8850109
    Abstract: An apparatus having a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit may be configured to (i) parse a first data word into a first data portion and a second data portion and (ii) parse a first address into a first address portion and a second address portion. The second circuit generally has a plurality of memory blocks. The second circuit may be configured to store the second data portion in a particular one of the memory blocks using (i) the first data portion to determine the particular memory block and (ii) the first address portion to determine a particular one of a plurality of locations within the particular memory block. The data portion may not be stored in the memory blocks. The particular location may be determined independently of the second address portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: David B. Grover, Richard J. Stephani, Gordon W. Priebe
  • Patent number: 8773942
    Abstract: A memory array is divided into multiple segments, each segment having one or more rows of bitcells. Each segment has control circuitry that controls whether the segment is in an active mode or a power-saving, sleep mode. The control circuitry ensures that a segment transitions from sleep mode to active mode before a row of the segment is accessed by driving a corresponding wordline high. The control circuitry also ensures that, at the end of a row access, the wordline is driven low before the corresponding segment is transitioned from active mode to sleep mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: LSI Corporation
    Inventors: Richard J. Stephani, Gordon W. Priebe, Ankur Goel
  • Publication number: 20140119147
    Abstract: A memory array is divided into multiple segments, each segment having one or more rows of bitcells. Each segment has control circuitry that controls whether the segment is in an active mode or a power-saving, sleep mode. The control circuitry ensures that a segment transitions from sleep mode to active mode before a row of the segment is accessed by driving a corresponding wordline high. The control circuitry also ensures that, at the end of a row access, the wordline is driven low before the corresponding segment is transitioned from active mode to sleep mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Applicant: LSI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Richard J. Stephani, Gordon W. Priebe, Ankur Goel
  • Patent number: 8610461
    Abstract: An apparatus having a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit may be configured to generate an output signal in response to (i) an intermediate signal, and (ii) a clock signal. The second circuit may be configured to generate the intermediate signal and a digital complement of the output signal in response to (i) an input signal and (ii) the clock signal. The intermediate signal may form a feedback to ensure the output signal and the digital complement of the output signal are in complementary states during a power up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: LSI Corporation
    Inventors: Richard J. Stephani, Amy R. Rittenhouse, Donald A. Evans
  • Publication number: 20130286705
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method of operating the apparatus. The apparatus includes a driver circuit and a memory circuit. The driver circuit may be configured to precharge a hitline in response to a predetermined voltage level and a control signal and sense a result of a compare operation based upon a hitline signal on the hitline. The driver circuit generally precharges the hitline to a voltage level lower than the predetermined voltage level and senses the result of the compare operation using the full predetermined voltage level. The memory circuit may be configured to perform the compare operation using the hitline.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2012
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Inventors: David B. Grover, Richard J. Stephani, Christopher D. Browning
  • Publication number: 20130166850
    Abstract: An apparatus having a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit may be configured to (i) parse a first data word into a first data portion and a second data portion and (ii) parse a first address into a first address portion and a second address portion. The second circuit generally has a plurality of memory blocks. The second circuit may be configured to store the second data portion in a particular one of the memory blocks using (i) the first data portion to determine the particular memory block and (ii) the first address portion to determine a particular one of a plurality of locations within the particular memory block. The data portion may not be stored in the memory blocks. The particular location may be determined independently of the second address portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Inventors: David B. Grover, Richard J. Stephani, Gordon W. Priebe
  • Publication number: 20130076393
    Abstract: An apparatus having a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit may be configured to generate an output signal in response to (i) an intermediate signal, and (ii) a clock signal. The second circuit may be configured to generate the intermediate signal and a digital complement of the output signal in response to (i) an input signal and (ii) the clock signal. The intermediate signal may form a feedback to ensure the output signal and the digital complement of the output signal are in complementary states during a power up.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2011
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Inventors: Richard J. Stephani, Amy R. Rittenhouse, Donald A. Evans
  • Patent number: 8264862
    Abstract: An apparatus comprising a memory array and a plurality of processing circuits. The memory array may be configured to store a plurality of data bits in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns. A plurality of data words may be stored in a respective plurality of the columns. The plurality of processing circuits may each be configured to compare (i) a test bit of a plurality of bits of an input data word with (ii) a test bit of one of the plurality of columns to determine a match. The compare may occur on a first clock cycle of an input clock signal. Each of the plurality of processing circuits may be configured to power down a respective column of the memory array if the test bit of the input data word does not match the test bit of the column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: LSI Corporation
    Inventors: Richard J. Stephani, Gordon W. Priebe
  • Publication number: 20120127772
    Abstract: An apparatus comprising a memory array and a plurality of processing circuits. The memory array may be configured to store a plurality of data bits in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns. A plurality of data words may be stored in a respective plurality of the columns. The plurality of processing circuits may each be configured to compare (i) a test bit of a plurality of bits of an input data word with (ii) a test bit of one of the plurality of columns to determine a match. The compare may occur on a first clock cycle of an input clock signal. Each of the plurality of processing circuits may be configured to power down a respective column of the memory array if the test bit of the input data word does not match the test bit of said column.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2010
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Inventors: Richard J. Stephani, Gordon W. Priebe
  • Patent number: 7325092
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for an improved priority encoder using only static circuit components. Features and aspects hereof rely exclusively on static logic circuits exclusive ROM and other memory structures as relied on in prior structures. The exemplary static circuit structures relied upon in accordance with features and aspects hereof are less susceptible to leakage current and other issues common in high density integrated circuit applications. Thus, features and aspects hereof avoid use of ROM and other similar memory devices in favor of digital encoders comprised of static logic circuits cascaded through multiplexers to provide priority encoding in digital circuit applications coupling multiple devices to a shared, common bus structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: LSI Corporation
    Inventor: Richard J. Stephani
  • Patent number: 7117420
    Abstract: An apparatus for memory error control coding comprising a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit may be configured to generate a multi-bit digital syndrome signal in response to a read data signal and a read parity signal. The second circuit may be configured to (i) detect an error when the bits of the syndrome signal are not all the same state and (ii) generate an error location signal in response the syndrome signal. The error location signal may be generated in response to fewer than all of the bits of the syndrome signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: LSI Logic Corporation
    Inventors: Max M. Yeung, Richard J. Stephani, Miguel A. Vilchis