Patents by Inventor Steven C. Woo

Steven C. Woo 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: 20240295961
    Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) memory device includes an array of storage cells configured into multiple banks. Interface circuitry receives refresh commands from a host memory controller to refresh the multiple banks for a first refresh mode. On-die refresh control circuitry selectively generates local refresh commands to refresh the multiple banks in cooperation with the host memory controller during a designated hidden refresh interval in a second refresh mode. Mode register circuitry stores a value indicating whether the on-die refresh control circuitry is enabled for use during the second refresh mode. The interface circuitry includes backchannel control circuitry to transmit a corrective action control signal during operation in the second refresh mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2024
    Publication date: September 5, 2024
    Inventors: Michael Raymond Miller, Steven C. Woo, Thomas Vogelsang
  • Publication number: 20240272982
    Abstract: A four-channel memory module includes four independent twenty (20) data bit memory channels and dual channel memory devices. The channels of the dual channel memory are accessed independently. Thus, the four channels for accessing the memory module each access one channel of a first set and a second set of dual channel memory devices on the module. Error detection and correction codeword configurations and schemes can implement chipkill, Single symbol data correct/double symbol data detect (SSDC/DSDD). Single symbol data correct with fewer memory devices may also be implemented. Error detection and correction codeword configurations and schemes may be switched in response to detecting a failed device, signal line, or memory channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2022
    Publication date: August 15, 2024
    Inventors: Steven C. WOO, Dongyun LEE
  • Publication number: 20240274181
    Abstract: The internal row addressing of each DRAM on a module is mapped such that row hammer affects different neighboring row addresses in each DRAM. Because the external row address to internal row address mapping scheme ensures that each set of neighboring rows for a given externally addressed row is different for each DRAM on the module, row hammering of a given externally addressed row spreads the row hammering errors across different externally addressed rows on each DRAM. This has the effect of confining the row hammer errors for each row that is hammered to a single DRAM per externally addressed neighboring row. By confining the row hammer errors to a single DRAM, the row hammer errors are correctible using a single device data correct (SDDC) scheme.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2024
    Publication date: August 15, 2024
    Inventors: Steven C. WOO, Taeksang SONG
  • Publication number: 20240241670
    Abstract: An interconnected stack of one or more Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) die has a base logic die and one or more custom logic or processor die. The processor logic die snoops commands sent to and through the stack. In particular, the processor logic die may snoop mode setting commands (e.g., mode register set—MRS commands). At least one mode setting command that is ignored by the DRAM in the stack is used to communicate a command to the processor logic die. In response the processor logic die may prevent commands, addresses, and data from reaching the DRAM die(s). This enables the processor logic die to send commands/addresses and communicate data with the DRAM die(s). While being able to send commands/addresses and communicate data with the DRAM die(s), the processor logic die may execute software using the DRAM die(s) for program and/or data storage and retrieval.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2024
    Publication date: July 18, 2024
    Inventors: Thomas VOGELSANG, Michael Raymond MILLER, Steven C. WOO
  • Publication number: 20240211420
    Abstract: A four-channel memory module includes four independent memory channels and dual channel memory devices. The channels of the dual channel memory are accessed independently. Thus, the four channels for accessing the memory module each access one channel of a first set and a second set of dual channel memory devices on the module. Dual channel data buffer devices are also included on the module. The dual channel data buffer devices also retime data strobe signals for accesses to/from the sets of dual channel memory devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2022
    Publication date: June 27, 2024
    Inventors: Steven C. WOO, Dongyun LEE
  • Publication number: 20240194231
    Abstract: A buffer integrated circuit (IC) chip is disclosed. The buffer IC chip includes host interface circuitry to receive a read command to retrieve read data from a memory. Memory interface circuitry couples to the memory. Data freshness authentication circuitry performs a freshness verification operation on the read data. Read data forwarding circuitry, in a skid mode of operation, transmits the read data to the host prior to completion of the freshness verification operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2023
    Publication date: June 13, 2024
    Inventors: Taeksang Song, Evan Lawrence Erickson, Steven C. Woo
  • Patent number: 12001697
    Abstract: A memory system includes two or more memory controllers capable of accessing the same dynamic, random-access memory (DRAM), one controller having access to the DRAM or a subset of the DRAM at a time. Different subsets of the DRAM are supported with different refresh-control circuitry, including respective refresh-address counters. Whichever controller has access to a given subset of the DRAM issues refresh requests to the corresponding refresh-address counter. Counters are synchronized before control of a given subset of the DRAM is transferred between controllers to avoid a loss of stored data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Vogelsang, Steven C. Woo, Michael Raymond Miller
  • Patent number: 11960438
    Abstract: A stacked processor-plus-memory device includes a processing die with an array of processing elements of an artificial neural network. Each processing element multiplies a first operand—e.g. a weight—by a second operand to produce a partial result to a subsequent processing element. To prepare for these computations, a sequencer loads the weights into the processing elements as a sequence of operands that step through the processing elements, each operand stored in the corresponding processing element. The operands can be sequenced directly from memory to the processing elements or can be stored first in cache. The processing elements include streaming logic that disregards interruptions in the stream of operands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Steven C. Woo, Michael Raymond Miller
  • Publication number: 20240119989
    Abstract: Row hammer is mitigated by issuing, to a memory device, mitigation operation (MOP) commands in order to cause the refresh of rows at a specified vicinity of a suspected aggressor row. These mitigation operation commands are each associated with respective row addresses that indicate the suspected aggressor row and an indicator of which neighbor row in the vicinity of the suspected aggressor row is to be refreshed. The mitigation operation commands are issued in response to a fixed number of activate commands. The suspected aggressor row is selected by randomly choosing, with equal probability, one of the N previous activate commands to supply its associated row address as the suspected aggressor row address. The neighbor row may be selected randomly with a probability that diminishes inversely with the distance between the suspected aggressor row and the neighbor row.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Inventors: Steven C. WOO, Michael Raymond MILLER
  • Patent number: 11934654
    Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) memory device includes an array of storage cells configured into multiple banks. Interface circuitry receives refresh commands from a host memory controller to refresh the multiple banks for a first refresh mode. On-die refresh control circuitry selectively generates local refresh commands to refresh the multiple banks in cooperation with the host memory controller during a designated hidden refresh interval in a second refresh mode. Mode register circuitry stores a value indicating whether the on-die refresh control circuitry is enabled for use during the second refresh mode. The interface circuitry includes backchannel control circuitry to transmit a corrective action control signal during operation in the second refresh mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Raymond Miller, Steven C. Woo, Thomas Vogelsang
  • Patent number: 11934269
    Abstract: Multiple independent point-to-point memory channels are operated, by at least one controller, in parallel to form a wider memory channel. The memory components on these point-to-point channels include the ability to connect to multiple (e.g., 2) instances of these independent memory channels. The controller operates multiple instances of the wider channels with the memory components configured in a clamshell mode. A single memory component is also operated in clamshell mode to provide error correction code information, independently of the other wider channels, to multiple instances of the wider memory channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Amit Kedia, Kartik Dayalal Kariya, Sreeja Menon, Steven C. Woo
  • Publication number: 20240086325
    Abstract: A high-capacity cache memory is implemented by multiple heterogenous DRAM dies, including a dedicated tag-storage DRAM die architected for low-latency tag-address retrieval and thus rapid hit/miss determination, and one or more capacity-optimized cache-line DRAM dies that render a net cache-line storage capacity orders of magnitude beyond that of state-of-the art SRAM cache implementations. The tag-storage die serves double-duty in some implementations, yielding rapid tag hit/miss determination for cache-line read/write requests while also serving as a high-capacity snoop-filter in a memory-sharing multiprocessor environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Inventors: Taeksang Song, Michael Raymond Miller, Steven C. Woo
  • Patent number: 11922066
    Abstract: An interconnected stack of one or more Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) die has a base logic die and one or more custom logic or processor die. The processor logic die snoops commands sent to and through the stack. In particular, the processor logic die may snoop mode setting commands (e.g., mode register set—MRS commands). At least one mode setting command that is ignored by the DRAM in the stack is used to communicate a command to the processor logic die. In response the processor logic die may prevent commands, addresses, and data from reaching the DRAM die(s). This enables the processor logic die to send commands/addresses and communicate data with the DRAM die(s). While being able to send commands/addresses and communicate data with the DRAM die(s), the processor logic die may execute software using the DRAM die(s) for program and/or data storage and retrieval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Vogelsang, Michael Raymond Miller, Steven C. Woo
  • Patent number: 11915136
    Abstract: One or more neural network layers are implemented by respective sets of signed multiply-accumulate units that generate dual analog result signals indicative of positive and negative product accumulations, respectively. The two analog result signals and thus the positive and negative product accumulations are differentially combined to produce a merged analog output signal that constitutes the output of a neural node within the subject neural network layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventor: Steven C. Woo
  • Publication number: 20240037055
    Abstract: Multiple device stacks are interconnected in a ring topology. The inter-device stack communication may utilize a handshake protocol. This ring topology may include the host so that the host may initialize and load the device stacks with data and/or commands (e.g., software, algorithms, etc.). The inter-device stack interconnections may also be configured to include/remove the host and/or to implement varying numbers of separate ring topologies. By configuring the system with more than one ring topology, and assigning different problems to different rings, multiple, possibly unrelated, machine learning tasks may be performed in parallel by the device stack system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2023
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Inventor: Steven C. WOO
  • Publication number: 20240028527
    Abstract: A DRAM includes at least four groups of memory cores and at least four memory access channel interfaces that, in a first mode, each respectively are to receive memory access commands, directed to a corresponding one of the groups of memory cores. One-half of the memory access channel interfaces are to, in a second mode, each respectively receive memory access commands, directed to a corresponding two of four of the groups of memory cores. The memory access channel interfaces to have electrical connection conductors that lie on opposing sides of at least one line of reflectional symmetry from a second one-half of the one-half of the at least four memory access channel interfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2023
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Inventors: Steven C. WOO, Torsten PARTSCH
  • Publication number: 20230410880
    Abstract: A system that calibrates timing relationships between signals involved in performing write operations is described. This system includes a memory controller which is coupled to a set of memory chips, wherein each memory chip includes a phase detector configured to calibrate a phase relationship between a data-strobe signal and a clock signal received at the memory chip from the memory controller during a write operation. Furthermore, the memory controller is configured to perform one or more write-read-validate operations to calibrate a clock-cycle relationship between the data-strobe signal and the clock signal, wherein the write-read-validate operations involve varying a delay on the data-strobe signal relative to the clock signal by a multiple of a clock period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2023
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Inventors: Thomas J. Giovannini, Alok Gupta, Ian Shaeffer, Steven C. Woo
  • Patent number: 11841793
    Abstract: Computing devices, methods, and systems for switch-based free memory tracking in data center environments are disclosed. An exemplary switch integrated circuit (IC), which is used in a switched fabric or a network, can include a processing device and a tracking structure that is distributed with at least a second switch IC. The tracking structure tracks free memory units that are accessible in a first set of nodes by the second switch IC. The processing device receives a request for a number of free memory units. The processing device forwards the request to a node in the first set of nodes that has at least the number of free memory units or forwards the request to the second switch IC that has at least the number of free memory units or responds to the request with a response that indicates that the request could not be fulfilled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Steven C. Woo, Christopher Haywood, Evan Lawrence Erickson
  • Publication number: 20230342310
    Abstract: An application-specific integrated circuit for an artificial neural network is integrated with a high-bandwidth memory. A processing die with tiled neural-network processing units is bonded to a stack of memory dies with memory banks laid out to establish relatively short connections to overlying processing units. The memory banks form vertical groups of banks for each overlying processing unit. A switch matrix on the processing die allows each processing unit to communicate with its vertical group of banks via a short, fast inter-die memory channel or with more remote groups of banks under neighboring processing units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2021
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Inventors: Steven C. Woo, Thomas Vogelsang
  • Publication number: 20230317136
    Abstract: Refresh management commands are issued to a memory device in order to cause the refresh of rows in the vicinity of one or more rows being “hammered.” These refresh management commands are each associated with respective row addresses that indicates the row(s) to be refreshed in order to mitigate the likelihood of data being corrupted by “row hammer.” In an embodiment, the refresh management commands are issued in response to a varying number of activate (ACT) commands having been issued since the last refresh management command. The row selected for a given refresh management command may be selected based on rows that have recently been activated. The selection may be based on “pools” of recently activated rows where these pools are of unequal size. The selection from a given pool may be based on algorithmic and/or random techniques.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2023
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Inventors: Steven C. WOO, Taeksang SONG