Patents by Inventor Rosario Portoghese

Rosario Portoghese 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).

  • Method and circuit for locating anomalous memory cells
    Patent number: 7072239
    Abstract: A method for locating in an array of memory cells a set of cells having a stand-by current that exceeds a certain value based on their programming state. The method includes selecting all the cells of the array of memory cells as a set of cells to be tested, and dividing the set of cells to be tested into subsets of cells, and repeatedly sensing a stand-by current absorbed by the array of memory cells after having changed the programming state of the subsets of cells. The sensed stand-by currents are compared and a subset of cells having a stand-by current exceeding the certain value are identified as a function of the comparison. The identified subset of cells is selected as a new set of cells to be tested, and the method is repeated. Otherwise, the testing stops with the just tested subset of cells having a stand-by current exceeding the certain value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Matteo Patelmo, Rosario Portoghese, Massimo Bassi, Stefano Scuratti
  • Method and circuit for locating anomalous memory cells
    Publication number: 20050169089
    Abstract: A method for locating in an array of memory cells a set of cells having a stand-by current that exceeds a certain value based on their programming state. The method includes selecting all the cells of the array of memory cells as a set of cells to be tested, and dividing the set of cells to be tested into subsets of cells, and repeatedly sensing a stand-by current absorbed by the array of memory cells after having changed the programming state of the subsets of cells. The sensed stand-by currents are compared and a subset of cells having a stand-by current exceeding the certain value are identified as a function of the comparison. The identified subset of cells is selected as a new set of cells to be tested, and the method is repeated. Otherwise, the testing stops with the just tested subset of cells having a stand-by current exceeding the certain value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2004
    Publication date: August 4, 2005
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.I.
    Inventors: Matteo Patelmo, Rosario Portoghese, Massimo Bassi, Stefano Scuratti