Patents by Inventor Robert E. Palmer
Robert E. Palmer 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: 10656851Abstract: A system includes a memory controller and a memory device having a command interface and a plurality of memory banks, each with a plurality of rows of memory cells. The memory controller transmits an auto-refresh command to the memory device. Responsive to the auto-refresh command, during a first time interval, the memory device performs refresh operations to refresh the memory cells and the command interface of the memory device is placed into a calibration mode for the duration of the first time interval. Concurrently, during at least a portion of the first time interval, the memory controller performs a calibration of the command interface of the memory device. The auto-refresh command may specify an order in which memory banks of the memory device are to be refreshed, such that the memory device sequentially refreshes a respective row in the plurality of memory banks in the specified bank order.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 2019Date of Patent: May 19, 2020Assignee: RAMBUS INC.Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Robert E. Palmer, John W. Poulton
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Publication number: 20200012332Abstract: A memory controller component of a memory system stores memory access requests within a transaction queue until serviced so that, over time, the transaction queue alternates between occupied and empty states. The memory controller transitions the memory system to a low power mode in response to detecting the transaction queue is has remained in the empty state for a predetermined time. In the transition to the low power mode, the memory controller disables oscillation of one or more timing signals required to time data signaling operations within synchronous communication circuits of one or more attached memory devices and also disables one or more power consuming circuits within the synchronous communication circuits of the one or more memory devices.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 21, 2019Publication date: January 9, 2020Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Robert E. Palmer, John W. Poulton, Andrew M. Fuller
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Patent number: 10530619Abstract: An integrated receiver supports adaptive receive equalization. An incoming bit stream is sampled using edge and data clock signals derived from a reference clock signal. A phase detector determines whether the edge and data clock signals are in phase with the incoming data, while some clock recovery circuitry adjusts the edge and data clock signals as required to match their phases to the incoming data. The receiver employs the edge and data samples used to recover the edge and data clock signals to note the locations of zero crossings for one or more selected data patterns. The pattern or patterns may be selected from among those apt to produce the greatest timing error. Equalization settings may then be adjusted to align the zero crossings of the selected data patterns with the recovered edge clock signal.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2019Date of Patent: January 7, 2020Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventor: Robert E. Palmer
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Publication number: 20190294348Abstract: A system includes a memory controller and a memory device having a command interface and a plurality of memory banks, each with a plurality of rows of memory cells. The memory controller transmits an auto-refresh command to the memory device. Responsive to the auto-refresh command, during a first time interval, the memory device performs refresh operations to refresh the memory cells and the command interface of the memory device is placed into a calibration mode for the duration of the first time interval. Concurrently, during at least a portion of the first time interval, the memory controller performs a calibration of the command interface of the memory device. The auto-refresh command may specify an order in which memory banks of the memory device are to be refreshed, such that the memory device sequentially refreshes a respective row in the plurality of memory banks in the specified bank order.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 1, 2019Publication date: September 26, 2019Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Robert E. Palmer, John W. Poulton
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Publication number: 20190268191Abstract: An integrated receiver supports adaptive receive equalization. An incoming bit stream is sampled using edge and data clock signals derived from a reference clock signal. A phase detector determines whether the edge and data clock signals are in phase with the incoming data, while some clock recovery circuitry adjusts the edge and data clock signals as required to match their phases to the incoming data. The receiver employs the edge and data samples used to recover the edge and data clock signals to note the locations of zero crossings for one or more selected data patterns. The pattern or patterns may be selected from among those apt to produce the greatest timing error. Equalization settings may then be adjusted to align the zero crossings of the selected data patterns with the recovered edge clock signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 25, 2019Publication date: August 29, 2019Inventor: Robert E. Palmer
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Patent number: 10331193Abstract: A memory controller component of a memory system stores memory access requests within a transaction queue until serviced so that, over time, the transaction queue alternates between occupied and empty states. The memory controller transitions the memory system to a low power mode in response to detecting the transaction queue is has remained in the empty state for a predetermined time. In the transition to the low power mode, the memory controller disables oscillation of one or more timing signals required to time data signaling operations within synchronous communication circuits of one or more attached memory devices and also disables one or more power consuming circuits within the synchronous communication circuits of the one or more memory devices.Type: GrantFiled: August 21, 2017Date of Patent: June 25, 2019Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Robert E. Palmer, John W. Poulton, Andrew M. Fuller
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Patent number: 10248342Abstract: A system includes a memory controller and a memory device having a command interface and a plurality of memory banks, each with a plurality of rows of memory cells. The memory controller transmits an auto-refresh command to the memory device. Responsive to the auto-refresh command, during a first time interval, the memory device performs refresh operations to refresh the memory cells and the command interface of the memory device is placed into a calibration mode for the duration of the first time interval. Concurrently, during at least a portion of the first time interval, the memory controller performs a calibration of the command interface of the memory device. The auto-refresh command may specify an order in which memory banks of the memory device are to be refreshed, such that the memory device sequentially refreshes a respective row in the plurality of memory banks in the specified bank order.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2018Date of Patent: April 2, 2019Assignee: RAMBUS INC.Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Robert E. Palmer, John W. Poulton
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Patent number: 10212008Abstract: An integrated receiver supports adaptive receive equalization. An incoming bit stream is sampled using edge and data clock signals derived from a reference clock signal. A phase detector determines whether the edge and data clock signals are in phase with the incoming data, while some clock recovery circuitry adjusts the edge and data clock signals as required to match their phases to the incoming data. The receiver employs the edge and data samples used to recover the edge and data clock signals to note the locations of zero crossings for one or more selected data patterns. The pattern or patterns may be selected from among those apt to produce the greatest timing error. Equalization settings may then be adjusted to align the zero crossings of the selected data patterns with the recovered edge clock signal.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2018Date of Patent: February 19, 2019Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventor: Robert E. Palmer
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Publication number: 20190034099Abstract: A system includes a memory controller and a memory device having a command interface and a plurality of memory banks, each with a plurality of rows of memory cells. The memory controller transmits an auto-refresh command to the memory device. Responsive to the auto-refresh command, during a first time interval, the memory device performs refresh operations to refresh the memory cells and the command interface of the memory device is placed into a calibration mode for the duration of the first time interval. Concurrently, during at least a portion of the first time interval, the memory controller performs a calibration of the command interface of the memory device. The auto-refresh command may specify an order in which memory banks of the memory device are to be refreshed, such that the memory device sequentially refreshes a respective row in the plurality of memory banks in the specified bank order.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 28, 2018Publication date: January 31, 2019Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Robert E. Palmer, John W. Poulton
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Patent number: 10168933Abstract: A system includes a memory controller and a memory device having a command interface and a plurality of memory banks, each with a plurality of rows of memory cells. The memory controller transmits an auto-refresh command to the memory device. Responsive to the auto-refresh command, during a first time interval, the memory device performs refresh operations to refresh the memory cells and the command interface of the memory device is placed into a calibration mode for the duration of the first time interval. Concurrently, during at least a portion of the first time interval, the memory controller performs a calibration of the command interface of the memory device. The auto-refresh command may specify an order in which memory banks of the memory device are to be refreshed, such that the memory device sequentially refreshes a respective row in the plurality of memory banks in the specified bank order.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2018Date of Patent: January 1, 2019Assignee: RAMBUS INC.Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Robert E. Palmer, John W. Poulton
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Publication number: 20180293008Abstract: A system includes a memory controller and a memory device having a command interface and a plurality of memory banks, each with a plurality of rows of memory cells. The memory controller transmits an auto-refresh command to the memory device. Responsive to the auto-refresh command, during a first time interval, the memory device performs refresh operations to refresh the memory cells and the command interface of the memory device is placed into a calibration mode for the duration of the first time interval. Concurrently, during at least a portion of the first time interval, the memory controller performs a calibration of the command interface of the memory device. The auto-refresh command may specify an order in which memory banks of the memory device are to be refreshed, such that the memory device sequentially refreshes a respective row in the plurality of memory banks in the specified bank order.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2018Publication date: October 11, 2018Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Robert E. Palmer, John W. Poulton
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Publication number: 20180248723Abstract: An integrated receiver supports adaptive receive equalization. An incoming bit stream is sampled using edge and data clock signals derived from a reference clock signal. A phase detector determines whether the edge and data clock signals are in phase with the incoming data, while some clock recovery circuitry adjusts the edge and data clock signals as required to match their phases to the incoming data. The receiver employs the edge and data samples used to recover the edge and data clock signals to note the locations of zero crossings for one or more selected data patterns. The pattern or patterns may be selected from among those apt to produce the greatest timing error. Equalization settings may then be adjusted to align the zero crossings of the selected data patterns with the recovered edge clock signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 6, 2018Publication date: August 30, 2018Inventor: Robert E. Palmer
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Patent number: 9933960Abstract: A system includes a memory controller and a memory device having a command interface and a plurality of memory banks, each with a plurality of rows of memory cells. The memory controller transmits an auto-refresh command to the memory device. Responsive to the auto-refresh command, during a first time interval, the memory device performs refresh operations to refresh the memory cells and the command interface of the memory device is placed into a calibration mode for the duration of the first time interval. Concurrently, during at least a portion of the first time interval, the memory controller performs a calibration of the command interface of the memory device. The auto-refresh command may specify an order in which memory banks of the memory device are to be refreshed, such that the memory device sequentially refreshes a respective row in the plurality of memory banks in the specified bank order.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2016Date of Patent: April 3, 2018Assignee: RAMBUS INC.Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Robert E. Palmer, John W. Poulton
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Publication number: 20180067538Abstract: A memory controller component of a memory system stores memory access requests within a transaction queue until serviced so that, over time, the transaction queue alternates between occupied and empty states. The memory controller transitions the memory system to a low power mode in response to detecting the transaction queue is has remained in the empty state for a predetermined time. In the transition to the low power mode, the memory controller disables oscillation of one or more timing signals required to time data signaling operations within synchronous communication circuits of one or more attached memory devices and also disables one or more power consuming circuits within the synchronous communication circuits of the one or more memory devices.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 21, 2017Publication date: March 8, 2018Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Robert E. Palmer, John W. Poulton, Andrew M. Fuller
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Patent number: 9900194Abstract: An integrated receiver supports adaptive receive equalization. An incoming bit stream is sampled using edge and data clock signals derived from a reference clock signal. A phase detector determines whether the edge and data clock signals are in phase with the incoming data, while some clock recovery circuitry adjusts the edge and data clock signals as required to match their phases to the incoming data. The receiver employs the edge and data samples used to recover the edge and data clock signals to note the locations of zero crossings for one or more selected data patterns. The pattern or patterns may be selected from among those apt to produce the greatest timing error. Equalization settings may then be adjusted to align the zero crossings of the selected data patterns with the recovered edge clock signal.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2016Date of Patent: February 20, 2018Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventor: Robert E. Palmer
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Patent number: 9892771Abstract: In a memory controller having a controller core and a physical signaling interface, the controller core outputs a request for read data to the physical signaling interface specifying one of at least two memory components from which the read data is to be retrieved. In response to the request for read data, the physical signaling interface outputs a memory read request to the specified memory component, receives the read data from the specified memory component, and transfers the read data to the controller core at either a first time or a second time according to whether the specified memory component is a first memory component or second memory component of the at least two memory components.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2015Date of Patent: February 13, 2018Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Robert E. Palmer, William F. Stonecypher
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Patent number: 9753521Abstract: In an integrated circuit device that outputs data values during respective transmit intervals defined by transitions of a transmit clock, the phase of the transmit clock is shifted by half a transmit interval to enable a timing calibration operation. Thereafter, a sequence of data values is transmitted to another integrated circuit device in response to the phase-shifted transmit clock and a samples of the sequence of data values are received from the other integrated circuit device. The received samples are compared with the sequence of data values to determine a phase update value, including comparing at least one received sample with two adjacent data values within the sequence of data values, and the phase of the transmit clock is incrementally advanced or retarded according to the phase update value.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 2015Date of Patent: September 5, 2017Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Robert E. Palmer, John W. Poulton, Andrew M. Fuller
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Publication number: 20170171002Abstract: An integrated receiver supports adaptive receive equalization. An incoming bit stream is sampled using edge and data clock signals derived from a reference clock signal. A phase detector determines whether the edge and data clock signals are in phase with the incoming data, while some clock recovery circuitry adjusts the edge and data clock signals as required to match their phases to the incoming data. The receiver employs the edge and data samples used to recover the edge and data clock signals to note the locations of zero crossings for one or more selected data patterns. The pattern or patterns may be selected from among those apt to produce the greatest timing error. Equalization settings may then be adjusted to align the zero crossings of the selected data patterns with the recovered edge clock signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2016Publication date: June 15, 2017Inventor: Robert E. Palmer
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Publication number: 20170092343Abstract: In a memory controller having a controller core and a physical signaling interface, the controller core outputs a request for read data to the physical signaling interface specifying one of at least two memory components from which the read data is to be retrieved. In response to the request for read data, the physical signaling interface outputs a memory read request to the specified memory component, receives the read data from the specified memory component, and transfers the read data to the controller core at either a first time or a second time according to whether the specified memory component is a first memory component or second memory component of the at least two memory components.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 24, 2015Publication date: March 30, 2017Inventors: Robert E. Palmer, William F. Stonecypher
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Publication number: 20170052722Abstract: A system includes a memory controller and a memory device having a command interface and a plurality of memory banks, each with a plurality of rows of memory cells. The memory controller transmits an auto-refresh command to the memory device. Responsive to the auto-refresh command, during a first time interval, the memory device performs refresh operations to refresh the memory cells and the command interface of the memory device is placed into a calibration mode for the duration of the first time interval. Concurrently, during at least a portion of the first time interval, the memory controller performs a calibration of the command interface of the memory device. The auto-refresh command may specify an order in which memory banks of the memory device are to be refreshed, such that the memory device sequentially refreshes a respective row in the plurality of memory banks in the specified bank order.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2016Publication date: February 23, 2017Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Robert E. Palmer, John W. Poulton