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: 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
  • Patent number: 11762787
    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: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Steven C. Woo, Torsten Partsch
  • Patent number: 11755523
    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: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventor: Steven C. Woo
  • Publication number: 20230273857
    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: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2023
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Inventors: Amit KEDIA, Kartik Dayalal KARIYA, Sreeja MENON, Steven C. WOO
  • Patent number: 11682448
    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: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Giovannini, Alok Gupta, Ian Shaeffer, Steven C. Woo
  • Patent number: 11645212
    Abstract: Processing elements include interfaces that allow direct access to memory banks on one or more DRAMs in an integrated circuit stack. These additional (e.g., per processing element) direct interfaces may allow the processing elements to have direct access to the data in the DRAM stack. Based on the size/type of operands being processed, and the memory bandwidth of the direct interfaces, rate calculation circuitry on the processor die determines the speed each processing element and/or processing nodes within each processing element are operated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Steven C. Woo, Thomas Vogelsang, Joseph James Tringali, Pooneh Safayenikoo
  • Publication number: 20230125262
    Abstract: Command/address and timing information is distributed to buffer integrated circuits on a module using multiple wavelengths of light modulated with the same information. Each individual wavelength of modulated light carrying command/address information is received by a corresponding single buffer device that deserializes the command/address information and communicates it electrically to memory devices(s). Likewise, each individual wavelength of modulated light carrying timing/synchronization/clock information is received by a corresponding single buffer device and used to synchronize accesses to the memory device(s). Thus, multiple buffer integrated circuits on a module each receive information from the CPU using different wavelengths of light transmitted on the same waveguide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2022
    Publication date: April 27, 2023
    Inventors: Mark D. KELLAM, Dongyun LEE, Thomas VOGELSANG, Steven C. WOO
  • Patent number: 11609816
    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: April 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Amit Kedia, Kartik Dayalal Kariya, Sreeja Menon, Steven C. Woo
  • Publication number: 20230081231
    Abstract: Row addresses received by a module are mapped before being received by the memory devices of the module such that row hammer affects different neighboring row addresses in each memory device. Thus, because the mapped respective, externally received, row addresses applied to each device ensure that each set of neighboring rows for a given row address received by the module is different for each memory device on the module, row hammering of a given externally addressed row spreads the row hammering errors across different externally addressed rows on each memory device. This has the effect of confining the row hammer errors for each row that is hammered to a single memory device per externally addressed neighboring row. By confining the row hammer errors to a single memory device, the row hammer errors are correctible using a SDDC scheme.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2022
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Inventors: Taeksang SONG, Steven C. WOO, Torsten PARTSCH
  • Publication number: 20230072394
    Abstract: A memory system includes a memory controller, a plurality of serial data buffers, and a plurality of memory devices. The memory controller issues packetized commands and data to the serial data buffers. The serial data buffers each apply a different remapping function to remap an input command address in the packetized commands to respective remapped memory addresses that are different for each serial data buffer. The serial data buffers then issue commands to the memory devices using the remapped addresses. The remapping functions may be designed to mitigate row hammer effects. The serial data buffers may furthermore apply transformations to read and write data to facilitate encryption and decryption.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2022
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Inventors: Christopher Haywood, Steven C. Woo
  • Publication number: 20220413768
    Abstract: A memory module supports multiple memory channel modes, each including a double-date-rate (DDR) data channel supported by an independent command-and-address (CA) channel. In a two-channel mode, the memory module supports two DDR data channels using two respective DDR CA channels. Each CA channel includes a corresponding set of CA links. In a four-channel mode, the memory module supports two pairs of DDR data channels, each pair supported by a pair of independent CA channels. Memory commands issued in the four-channel mode are time interleaved to share one of the sets of CA links.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2022
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Inventors: Dongyun Lee, Steven C. Woo
  • Patent number: 11526632
    Abstract: Methods and systems for enabling secure memory transactions in a memory controller are disclosed. Responsive to determining that an incoming request is for a secure memory transaction, the incoming request is placed in a secure request container. The memory container then enters a state where re-ordering between requests for secure memory transactions placed in the secure request container and requests for non-secure memory transactions from other containers is prevented in a scheduling queue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Craig E. Hampel, Liji Gopalakrishnan, John Eric Linstadt, Steven C. Woo
  • Publication number: 20220366960
    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 28, 2022
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Inventors: Thomas J. Giovannini, Alok Gupta, Ian Shaeffer, Steven C. Woo
  • Patent number: 11488018
    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: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventor: Steven C. Woo
  • Publication number: 20220335283
    Abstract: An application-specific integrated circuit for an artificial neural network is integrated with a high-bandwidth memory. The neural network includes a systolic array of interconnected processing elements, including upstream processing elements and downstream processing elements. Each processing element includes input/output port pairs for concurrent forward and back propagation. The processing elements can be used for convolution, in which case the input/output port pairs can support the fast and efficient scanning of kernels relative to activations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2022
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Inventors: Steven C. Woo, Amogh Agrawal
  • Publication number: 20220269436
    Abstract: An integrated circuit that includes a set of one or more logic layers that are, when the integrated circuit is stacked in an assembly with the set of stacked memory devices, electrically coupled to a set of stacked memory devices. The set of one or more logic layers include a coupled chain of processing elements. The processing elements in the coupled chain may independently compute partial results as functions of data received, store partial results, and pass partial results directly to a next processing element in the coupled chain of processing elements. The processing elements in the chains may include interfaces that allow direct access to memory banks on one or more DRAMs in the stack. These interfaces may access DRAM memory banks via TSVs that are not used for global I/O. These interfaces allow the processing elements to have more direct access to the data in the DRAM.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2020
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Inventors: Mark D. KELLAM, Steven C. WOO, Thomas VOGELSANG, John Eric LINSTADT
  • Patent number: 11404103
    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: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Giovannini, Alok Gupta, Ian Shaeffer, Steven C. Woo
  • Publication number: 20220237113
    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: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2022
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Steven C. Woo, Christopher Haywood, Evan Lawrence Erickson
  • Publication number: 20220237126
    Abstract: The creation, maintenance, and accessing of page tables is done by a virtual machine monitor running on a computing system rather than the guest operating systems. This allows page table walks to be completed in fewer memory accesses when compared to the guest operating system's maintenance of the page tables. In addition, the virtual machine monitor may utilize additional resources to offload page table access and maintenance functions from the CPU to another device, such as a page table management device or page table management node. Offloading some or all page table access and maintenance functions to a specialized device or node enables the CPU to perform other tasks during page table walks and/or other page table maintenance functions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Steven C. WOO, Christopher HAYWOOD, Evan Lawrence ERICKSON
  • Publication number: 20220229601
    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 14, 2022
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Inventors: Thomas VOGELSANG, Michael Raymond MILLER, Steven C. WOO