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).
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Patent number: 9959926Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: October 21, 2015Date of Patent: May 1, 2018Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.Inventors: Travis R. Hebig, Daniel Mark Nelson, Richard J. Stephani
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Publication number: 20170117034Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: October 21, 2015Publication date: April 27, 2017Applicant: Broadcom CorporationInventors: Travis R. HEBIG, Daniel Mark NELSON, Richard J. STEPHANI
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Publication number: 20150262667Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: April 14, 2014Publication date: September 17, 2015Applicant: LSI CORPORATIONInventors: TRAVIS HEBIG, CHRISTOHPER D. BROWNING, ERIC W. EKLUND, DANIEL M. NELSON, RICHARD J. STEPHANI
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Patent number: 8850109Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 22, 2011Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.Inventors: David B. Grover, Richard J. Stephani, Gordon W. Priebe
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Patent number: 8773942Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: October 31, 2012Date of Patent: July 8, 2014Assignee: LSI CorporationInventors: Richard J. Stephani, Gordon W. Priebe, Ankur Goel
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Publication number: 20140119147Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: October 31, 2012Publication date: May 1, 2014Applicant: LSI CORPORATIONInventors: Richard J. Stephani, Gordon W. Priebe, Ankur Goel
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Patent number: 8610461Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 28, 2011Date of Patent: December 17, 2013Assignee: LSI CorporationInventors: Richard J. Stephani, Amy R. Rittenhouse, Donald A. Evans
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Publication number: 20130286705Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: April 26, 2012Publication date: October 31, 2013Inventors: David B. Grover, Richard J. Stephani, Christopher D. Browning
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Publication number: 20130166850Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 22, 2011Publication date: June 27, 2013Inventors: David B. Grover, Richard J. Stephani, Gordon W. Priebe
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Publication number: 20130076393Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 28, 2011Publication date: March 28, 2013Inventors: Richard J. Stephani, Amy R. Rittenhouse, Donald A. Evans
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Patent number: 8264862Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 24, 2010Date of Patent: September 11, 2012Assignee: LSI CorporationInventors: Richard J. Stephani, Gordon W. Priebe
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Publication number: 20120127772Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: November 24, 2010Publication date: May 24, 2012Inventors: Richard J. Stephani, Gordon W. Priebe
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Patent number: 7325092Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: July 30, 2005Date of Patent: January 29, 2008Assignee: LSI CorporationInventor: Richard J. Stephani
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Patent number: 7117420Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: October 11, 2001Date of Patent: October 3, 2006Assignee: LSI Logic CorporationInventors: Max M. Yeung, Richard J. Stephani, Miguel A. Vilchis