Patents by Inventor Scott E. Schaefer

Scott E. Schaefer 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).

  • Publication number: 20230065593
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for memory traffic monitoring are described. The monitoring may include traffic monitoring of access operations performed at various components of the memory device, or may include sensors that may measure parameters of components of the memory device to detect wear. The traffic monitoring or the parameters measured by the sensors may be represented by a characteristic related to an operational bias of circuits of the memory device. The memory device may use the characteristic (e.g., along with a threshold) to determine whether to adjust a parameter associated with performing access operations received by the memory device, in order to implement a corrective action.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2022
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Inventors: Aaron P. Boehm, Scott E. Schaefer, Scott D. Van De Graaff, Mark D. Ingram, Todd Jackson Plum
  • Publication number: 20230061144
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for memory operations are described. A read command may be received at a memory device from a host device. As part of an error control operation, a first set of error control bits may be generated for the set of data. Based on the first set of error control bits, a failure of a matching operation associated with the error control operation may be determined. Based on determining the failure of the matching operation, a second set of error control bits that is different than the first set of error control bits may be transmitted to the host device. The second set of error control bits may indicate that the matching operation failed at the memory device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2022
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Inventor: Scott E. Schaefer
  • Publication number: 20230062939
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for managing error control information using a register are described. A memory device may store, at a register, an indication of whether the memory device has detected an error included in or otherwise associated with data requested from a host device. The memory device may determine to store the indication based on whether a communication protocol is enabled or disabled, and whether an error control configuration is enabled or disabled. The host device may request information from the register of the memory device, and the memory device may output the indication of whether the error was detected in response to the request.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2022
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Inventors: Aaron P. Boehm, Scott E. Schaefer
  • Publication number: 20230063494
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for memory operations are described. A command may be received by a memory device and from a device. Both the device and the memory device may maintain counters of valid operations. A request for a value associated with a counter at the memory device may be received from the device. Based on receiving the request, a value of the counter may be transmitted to the device. The values of the counters may be compared to determine whether invalid data has been obtained by the device. Also, a pin associated with communicating error correction information may be coupled with a voltage source based on receiving a signal. The pin may remain coupled with the voltage source until a command is processed or an end of the signal. Whether the pin is coupled with the voltage source may indicate a validity of associated data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2022
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Inventor: Scott E. Schaefer
  • Patent number: 11586383
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for command block management are described. A memory device may receive a command (e.g., from a host device). The memory device may determine whether the command is defined by determining if the command is included within a set of defined commands. In the case that a received command is absent from the set of defined commands (e.g., the command is undefined), the memory device may block the command from being decoded for execution by the memory device. In some cases, the memory device may switch from a first operation mode to a second operation mode based on receiving an undefined command. The second operation mode may restrict an operation of the memory device, while the first mode may be less restrictive, in some cases. Additionally or alternatively, the memory device may indicate the undefined command to another device (e.g., the host device).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron P. Boehm, Scott E. Schaefer
  • Patent number: 11579784
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for refresh counters in a memory system are described. In some examples, a memory device may include two or more counters configured to increment a respective count based on refresh operations performed on a memory array. A comparison may be made between two or more of the respective counts, which may include determining a difference between the respective counts or a difference in rate of incrementing. A memory device may transmit an indication to a host device based on determining a difference between counters, and the memory device, the host device, or both, may perform various operations or enter various operational modes based on the determined difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott E. Schaefer, Aaron P. Boehm
  • Patent number: 11561891
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for adaptive user defined health indications are described. A host device may be configured to dynamically indicate adaptive health flags for monitoring health and wear information for a memory device. The host device may indicate, to a memory device, a first index. The first index may correspond to a first level of wear of a set of multiple indexed levels of wear for the memory device. The memory device may determine that a metric of the memory device satisfies the first level of wear and indicate, to the host device, that the first level of wear is satisfied. The host device may receive the indication that the first level of wear is satisfied and indicate, to the memory device, a second level of wear of the set of indexed levels of wear that is different than the first level of wear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron P. Boehm, Todd Jackson Plum, Mark D. Ingram, Scott E. Schaefer, Scott D. Van De Graaff
  • Publication number: 20230014955
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for reset verification in a memory system are described. In some examples, a memory device may perform a reset operation and set a mode register to a first value based on performing the reset operation. The first value may be associated with a successful execution of the reset command. The memory device may transmit an indication to a host device based on determining the first value. The host device may determine from the received indication or from the first value stored in the mode register that the first value is associated with the successful execution of the reset command. Thus, the memory device, or the host device, or both may be configured to verify whether the reset operation is successful.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2022
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Inventors: Scott E. Schaefer, Aaron P. Boehm
  • Publication number: 20220414034
    Abstract: Memory devices and methods for operating the same are provided. A memory device can include at least one command contact and at least one data contact. The memory device can be configured to detect a condition in which the at least one command contact is connected to a controller and the at least one data contact is disconnected from the controller, and to enter, based at least in part on detecting the condition, a first operating mode with a lower nominal power rating than a second operating mode. Memory modules including one or more such memory devices can be provided, and memory systems including controllers and such memory modules can also be provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2022
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Inventors: Scott E. Schaefer, Matthew A. Prather
  • Publication number: 20220358010
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for internal error correction for memory devices are described. A memory device may perform a read operation at a memory array having a data partition and an error check partition and may obtain a first set of bits from the data partition and a second set of bits from the error check partition. The memory device may determine a first error detection result based on a value of a determined syndrome. The memory device may obtain a parity bit from the first set of bits and determine a second error detection result based on a comparison of the parity bit with a second function of the subset of the first set of bits. The memory device may transmit the first set of bits to a host device based at least in part on the first and second error detection results.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2022
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Inventors: Aaron P. Boehm, Scott E. Schaefer
  • Publication number: 20220342604
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for memory device health evaluation at a host device are described. The health evaluation relates to a host device that is associated with a memory device that monitors and reports health information, such as one or more parameters associated with a status of the memory device. The memory device may transmit the health information to the host device, which may perform one or more operations and may transmit the health information to a device of another entity of a system (e.g., ecosystem) including the host device. The host device may include one or more circuits for transmitting and processing the health information, such as a system health engine, a safety engine, a communication component, or a combination thereof. Based on a determination by the host device or information received from an external device, the host device may transmit a command to the memory device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2022
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Inventors: Aaron P. Boehm, Mark D. Ingram, Scott E. Schaefer, Scott D. Van De Graaff, Todd J. Plum
  • Patent number: 11474698
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for reset verification in a memory system are described. In some examples, a memory device may perform a reset operation and set a mode register to a first value based on performing the reset operation. The first value may be associated with a successful execution of the reset command. The memory device may transmit an indication to a host device based on determining the first value. The host device may determine from the received indication or from the first value stored in the mode register that the first value is associated with the successful execution of the reset command. Thus, the memory device, or the host device, or both may be configured to verify whether the reset operation is successful.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott E. Schaefer, Aaron P. Boehm
  • Publication number: 20220317916
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for inter-device communications for memory health monitoring are described. These communications relate to a host device that is associated with a memory device that monitors and reports health information (e.g., one or more parameters associated with a status of the memory device). The memory device may transmit the health information to the host device (e.g., a vehicle or a computer of the vehicle), which may perform one or more operations and transmit the health information to another entity of a system (e.g., ecosystem) including the host device. The host device may additionally or alternatively use the health information. In some cases, the other entity may receive the health information and transmit a signal back to the host device based on the health information. The other entity of the ecosystem may receive the health information and may make a determination based on the health information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2022
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Inventors: Aaron P. Boehm, Mark D. Ingram, Scott E. Schaefer, Scott D. Van De Graaff, Todd J. Plum
  • Patent number: 11436169
    Abstract: Memory devices and methods for operating the same are provided. A memory device can include at least one command contact and at least one data contact. The memory device can be configured to detect a condition in which the at least one command contact is connected to a controller and the at least one data contact is disconnected from the controller, and to enter, based at least in part on detecting the condition, a first operating mode with a lower nominal power rating than a second operating mode. Memory modules including one or more such memory devices can be provided, and memory systems including controllers and such memory modules can also be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott E. Schaefer, Matthew A. Prather
  • Patent number: 11436082
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for internal error correction for memory devices are described. A memory device may perform a read operation at a memory array having a data partition and an error check partition and may obtain a first set of bits from the data partition and a second set of bits from the error check partition. The memory device may determine a first error detection result based on a value of a determined syndrome. The memory device may obtain a parity bit from the first set of bits and determine a second error detection result based on a comparison of the parity bit with a second function of the subset of the first set of bits. The memory device may transmit the first set of bits to a host device based at least in part on the first and second error detection results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron P. Boehm, Scott E. Schaefer
  • Publication number: 20220238174
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for metadata storage at a memory device are described to support storage of metadata information and error control information at a memory device. The metadata information and error control information may be received at the memory device via a sideband channel and corresponding pin. For example, a set of bits received via the pin may include a subset of error control bits and a subset of metadata bits. Circuitry at the memory device may receive the set of bits via the pin and may identify metadata information and error control information within the set of bits. The circuitry may route the metadata information to a corresponding subset of memory cells and the error control information to an error control circuit, where the error control circuit may route the error control information to a corresponding subset of memory cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2022
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Scott E. Schaefer, Aaron P. Boehm
  • Publication number: 20220238175
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for bit retiring to mitigate bit errors are described. A memory device may retrieve a set of bits from a first row of an address space and may determine that the set of bits includes one or more errors. The memory device may remap at least a portion of the first row from a first row index to a second row index, where the second row index, before the remapping, corresponds to a second row within the address space addressable by the host device. Additionally or alternatively, the memory device may receive a first command to access a first logical address of a memory array that is associated with a first row index. The memory device may determine that the first row includes one or more errors and may transmit a signal indicating that the first row includes the one or more errors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2022
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventor: Scott E. Schaefer
  • Publication number: 20220237081
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for a memory device with status feedback for error correction are described. For example, during a read operation, a memory device may perform an error correction operation on first data read from a memory array of the memory device. The error correction operation may generate second data and an indicator of a state of error corresponding to the second data. In one example, the indicator may indicate one of multiple possible states of error. In another example, the indicator may indicate a corrected error or no detectable error. The memory device may output the first or second data and the indicator of the state of error during a same burst interval. The memory device may output the data on a first channel and the indicator of the state of error on a second channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2022
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Scott E. Schaefer, Aaron P. Boehm
  • Publication number: 20220197745
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for coordinated error correction are described. A memory device may indicate, for example to an external device, that errors were detected in data that was stored by the memory device and requested by the external device based on a comparison between an error correction code stored when the data was written to a memory array and an error correction code generated when the data is read from the memory array. After performing the comparison, an indication of or based on whether the compared error correction codes match may be provided to the external device. The external device may use the indication to detect errors in the received version of the data, or to manage data storage in the memory device, or both, among other operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2022
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Inventors: Scott E. Schaefer, Aaron P. Boehm
  • Publication number: 20220188186
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are described herein for using codewords to detect or correct errors in data (e.g., data stored in a memory device). A host device may generate one or more codewords associated with data to be stored in the memory device. In some cases, the host device may generate one or more codewords for error detection and correction (e.g., corresponding to data transmitted by the host device to the memory device). In some cases, the host device may transmit the codewords and the associated data using an extended (e.g., adjustable) burst length such that the one or more codewords may be included in the burst along with the data. Additionally or alternatively, the host device may transmit one or more of the codewords over one or more channels different than the one or more channels used to transmit the data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Inventors: Scott E. Schaefer, Aaron P. Boehm