Patents by Inventor Robert Melcher

Robert Melcher 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: 9465539
    Abstract: Methods of operating a memory device include performing a first memory operation having an associated timing requirement; after completing the first memory operation, determining whether a timing margin between completion of the first memory operation and expiration of its associated timing requirement exceeds a length of time to perform a particular portion of a second memory operation; and performing the particular portion of the second memory operation between completion of the first memory operation and the expiration of its associated timing requirement if it is determined that the timing margin between completion of the first memory operation and expiration of its associated timing requirement exceeds the length of time to perform the particular portion of the second memory operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony R. Cabrera, Nicholas Hendrickson, Robert Melcher
  • Publication number: 20160070476
    Abstract: Methods of operating a memory device include performing a first memory operation having an associated timing requirement; after completing the first memory operation, determining whether a timing margin between completion of the first memory operation and expiration of its associated timing requirement exceeds a length of time to perform a particular portion of a second memory operation; and performing the particular portion of the second memory operation between completion of the first memory operation and the expiration of its associated timing requirement if it is determined that the timing margin between completion of the first memory operation and expiration of its associated timing requirement exceeds the length of time to perform the particular portion of the second memory operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2015
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Applicant: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Anthony R. Cabrera, Nicholas Hendrickson, Robert Melcher
  • Patent number: 9195406
    Abstract: Multiple segment operations having non-volatile state trackers in memory devices are disclosed. Operations are segmented in multiple segments and selectively performed to avoid violating timing requirements within a memory device. In at least one embodiment, a memory device operation is segmented into a plurality of segments and selectively performed within time frames of other memory device operations. Non-volatile state trackers maintain state values corresponding to each segment of multiple segmented operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony R. Cabrera, Nicholas Hendrickson, Robert Melcher
  • Publication number: 20150006786
    Abstract: Multiple segment operations having non-volatile state trackers in memory devices are disclosed. Operations are segmented in multiple segments and selectively performed to avoid violating timing requirements within a memory device. In at least one embodiment, a memory device operation is segmented into a plurality of segments and selectively performed within time frames of other memory device operations. Non-volatile state trackers maintain state values corresponding to each segment of multiple segmented operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Inventors: Anthony R. Cabrera, Nicholas Hendrickson, Robert Melcher
  • Patent number: 8601202
    Abstract: Methods and systems to wear level a non-volatile memory device across partitions. In an embodiment, a memory device performs background operations to swap host addressable memory partitions with a spare memory partition outside of the host address space. In one embodiment, the background inter-partition wear leveling operations are appended to a user erase operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Melcher, Sean Eilert, Gerard Kreifels
  • Patent number: 7936610
    Abstract: Methods and systems to selectively refresh a single bit per cell non-volatile memory cell to reduce memory cell errors. In an embodiment, a memory device scans its memory cells, performing a multi-level read on memory cells in a single bit per cell mode. Depending on the state sensed, the cell is refreshed to a correct state if necessary. In one embodiment, the memory scan is appended to a user erase operation, a flash block is swapped with another bock if the state sensed indicates charge gain, and a flash cell is programmed up if the state sensed indicates charge loss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Melcher, Sean Eilert, John Egler
  • Publication number: 20080008010
    Abstract: An apparatus and technique for testing of multi-level cells (MLC) in a memory storage device using a high bandwidth data path architecture. The technique includes hardware for obtaining a first data and a second data from a multilevel cell memory. The first data is different from the second data. The first data and second data are compared and, based at least in part on this comparison, the multilevel cell memory is programmed. Programming the multilevel cell memory includes accessing memory cells in the multilevel cell memory and determining the number of bits per memory cell of the first data that need programming.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2006
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Inventors: Daniel Elmhurst, Karthikeyan Ramamurthi, Quan Ngo, Robert Melcher
  • Publication number: 20060193172
    Abstract: An apparatus and technique for testing of multi-level cells (MLC) in a memory storage device using a high bandwidth data path architecture. The technique includes hardware for obtaining a first data and a second data from a multilevel cell memory. The first data is different from the second data. The first data and second data are compared and, based at least in part on this comparison, the multilevel cell memory is programmed. Programming the multilevel cell memory includes accessing memory cells in the multilevel cell memory and determining the number of bits per memory cell of the first data that need programming.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2006
    Publication date: August 31, 2006
    Inventors: Daniel Elmhurst, Karthikeyan Ramamurthi, Quan Ngo, Robert Melcher