Patents by Inventor Timothy B. Cowles

Timothy B. Cowles 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: 11069393
    Abstract: An apparatus may include a refresh control circuit with multiple timing circuits. The timing circuits may be used to control steal rates, e.g., the rate of refresh time slots dedicated to healing victim word lines of row hammers. The timing circuits may be controlled to allow independent adjustment of the steal rates for different victim word lines. Thus, different victim word lines may be refreshed at different rates and the different rates may be independent of one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy B. Cowles, Jiyun Li, Beau D. Barry, Matthew D. Jenkinson, Nathaniel J. Meier, Michael A. Shore, Adam J. Grenzebach, Dennis G. Montierth
  • Patent number: 11062740
    Abstract: A memory device is provided. The memory device comprises a memory array and circuitry configured to determine one or more settings for the memory array corresponding to a powered-on state of the memory device, to store the one or more settings in a non-volatile memory location, and in response to returning to the powered-on state from a reduced-power state, to read the one or more settings from the non-volatile memory location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan S. Parry, George B. Raad, James S. Rehmeyer, Timothy B. Cowles
  • Patent number: 11049565
    Abstract: Memory devices, systems including memory devices, and methods of operating memory devices and systems are provided, in which at least a subset of a non-volatile memory array is configured to behave as a volatile memory by erasing or degrading data in the event of a changed power condition such as a power-loss event, a power-off event, or a power-on event. In one embodiment of the present technology, a memory device is provided, comprising a non-volatile memory array, and circuitry configured to store one or more addresses of the non-volatile memory array, to detect a changed power condition of the memory device, and to erase or degrade data at the one or more addresses in response to detecting the changed power condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy B. Cowles, George B. Raad, James S. Rehmeyer, Jonathan S. Parry
  • Publication number: 20210183463
    Abstract: A volatile memory device is configured to self-document by identifying its own bad or at-risk excludable memory locations in a nonvolatile identification embedded in itself, without using additional board real estate. The identification of bad or at-risk memory is readable by firmware outside the device. The device includes volatile memory cells that have respective failure susceptibility values, some of which indicate bad or at-risk memory cells. The memory device also includes read logic and write logic, and may include refresh logic. The identification may be embedded in the device by blowing fuses in an adaptation of self-repair activity, or by writing identification data into a serial presence detect logic, for example. The configured memory device may efficiently, persistently, and reliably provide detailed memory test results regarding itself, thereby allowing customers to accept and safely use memory that would otherwise have been discarded to prevent software crashes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Inventors: Timothy B. COWLES, Terry M. GRUNZKE
  • Patent number: 11004497
    Abstract: Provided herein are memory devices, systems including memory devices, and methods of operating memory devices in which multiple counters are provided to permit memory refresh commands greater freedom in targeting subsets of the memory device for data refresh operations. In one embodiment, a memory device is provided, comprising a plurality of memory banks, and circuitry configured to (i) store a plurality of values, each of the plurality of values corresponding to one of the plurality of memory banks; (ii) refresh first data stored in a first one of the plurality of memory banks; and (iii) update a first one of the plurality of values corresponding to the first one of the plurality of memory banks based at least in part on refreshing the first data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: George B. Raad, Jonathan S. Parry, James S. Rehmeyer, Timothy B. Cowles
  • Publication number: 20210098068
    Abstract: Memory devices, systems including memory devices, and methods of operating memory devices and systems are provided, in which at least a subset of a non-volatile memory array is configured to behave as read-only memory by not implementing erase or write commands. In one embodiment of the present technology, a memory device is provided, comprising a non-volatile memory array, and circuitry configured to store one or more addresses of the non-volatile memory array, to compare an address of a received command to the one or more addresses, and at least in part based on the comparison, determine not to implement the received command. The circuitry can be further configured to return an error message after determining not to implement the received command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: Timothy B. Cowles, George B. Raad, James S. Rehmeyer, Jonathan S. Parry
  • Publication number: 20210082529
    Abstract: Memory devices, system, and methods for operating the same are provided. The memory device can comprise a non-volatile memory array and control circuitry. The control circuitry can be configured to store a value corresponding to a number of activate commands received at the memory device, update the value in response to receiving an activate command received from a host device, and trigger, in response to the value exceeding a predetermined threshold, a remedial action performed by the memory device. The control circuitry can be further configured to store a second value corresponding to a number of refresh operations performed by the memory device, update the second value in response to performing a refresh operation, and trigger, in response to the value exceeding a second predetermined threshold, a second remedial action performed by the memory device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Inventors: Jonathan S. Parry, George B. Raad, James S. Rehmeyer, Timothy B. Cowles
  • Patent number: 10892027
    Abstract: Memory devices, systems including memory devices, and methods of operating memory devices and systems are provided, in which at least a subset of a non-volatile memory array is configured to behave as read-only memory by not implementing erase or write commands. In one embodiment of the present technology, a memory device is provided, comprising a non-volatile memory array, and circuitry configured to store one or more addresses of the non-volatile memory array, to compare an address of a received command to the one or more addresses, and at least in part based on the comparison, determine not to implement the received command. The circuitry can be further configured to return an error message after determining not to implement the received command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy B. Cowles, George B. Raad, James S. Rehmeyer, Jonathan S. Parry
  • Publication number: 20200411082
    Abstract: Provided herein are memory devices, systems including memory devices, and methods of operating memory devices in which multiple counters are provided to permit memory refresh commands greater freedom in targeting subsets of the memory device for data refresh operations. In one embodiment, a memory device is provided, comprising a plurality of memory banks, and circuitry configured to (i) store a plurality of values, each of the plurality of values corresponding to one of the plurality of memory banks; (ii) refresh first data stored in a first one of the plurality of memory banks; and (iii) update a first one of the plurality of values corresponding to the first one of the plurality of memory banks based at least in part on refreshing the first data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2020
    Publication date: December 31, 2020
    Inventors: George B. Raad, Jonathan S. Parry, James S. Rehmeyer, Timothy B. Cowles
  • Patent number: 10867685
    Abstract: Memory devices, system, and methods for operating the same are provided. The memory device can comprise a non-volatile memory array and control circuitry. The control circuitry can be configured to store a value corresponding to a number of activate commands received at the memory device, update the value in response to receiving an activate command received from a host device, and trigger, in response to the value exceeding a predetermined threshold, a remedial action performed by the memory device. The control circuitry can be further configured to store a second value corresponding to a number of refresh operations performed by the memory device, update the second value in response to performing a refresh operation, and trigger, in response to the value exceeding a second predetermined threshold, a second remedial action performed by the memory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan S. Parry, George B. Raad, James S. Rehmeyer, Timothy B. Cowles
  • Publication number: 20200388325
    Abstract: An apparatus may include a refresh control circuit with multiple timing circuits. The timing circuits may be used to control steal rates, e.g., the rate of refresh time slots dedicated to healing victim word lines of row hammers. The timing circuits may be controlled to allow independent adjustment of the steal rates for different victim word lines. Thus, different victim word lines may be refreshed at different rates and the different rates may be independent of one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2019
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy B. Cowles, Jiyun Li, Beau D. Barry, Matthew D. Jenkinson, Nathaniel J. Meier, Michael A. Shore, Adam J. Grenzebach, Dennis G. Montierth
  • Publication number: 20200381040
    Abstract: The address of victim rows may be determined based on rows that are accessed in a memory. The victim addresses may be stored and associated with a count for every time a victim row is “victimized.” When the count for a victim row reaches a threshold, the victim row may be refreshed to preserve data stored in the row. After the victim row has been refreshed, the count may be reset. When a victim row is accessed, the count may also be reset. The counts may be adjusted for closer victim rows (e.g., +/?1) at a faster rate than counts for more distant victim rows (e.g., +/?2). This may cause closer victim rows to be refreshed at a higher rate than more distant victim rows.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel B. Penney, Jason M. Brown, Nathaniel J. Meier, Timothy B. Cowles, Jiyun Li
  • Patent number: 10854274
    Abstract: Apparatuses, systems and methods for dynamic timing of row pull-down operations are described herein. When a word line is accessed, the row decoder may drive that word line to an active voltage, and then to an intermediate voltage. The row decoder may maintain that word line at the intermediate voltage until another word line in the same group of word lines as the accessed word line receives an access command, at which point the first word line is driven to an inactive voltage. For example, if the word lines are grouped by bank, then after an access to a first word line, the first word line may be maintained at the intermediate voltage until a second wordline in the same bank as the first word line is accessed. This may help to mitigate the effect on other nearby word lines of driving a word line to the inactive voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Adam J. Grenzebach, Timothy B. Cowles, Beau D. Barry
  • Patent number: 10818338
    Abstract: Provided herein are memory devices, systems including memory devices, and methods of operating memory devices in which multiple counters are provided to permit memory refresh commands greater freedom in targeting subsets of the memory device for data refresh operations. In one embodiment, a memory device is provided, comprising a plurality of memory banks, and circuitry configured to (i) store a plurality of values, each of the plurality of values corresponding to one of the plurality of memory banks; (ii) refresh first data stored in a first one of the plurality of memory banks; and (iii) update a first one of the plurality of values corresponding to the first one of the plurality of memory banks based at least in part on refreshing the first data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: George B. Raad, Jonathan S. Parry, James S. Rehmeyer, Timothy B. Cowles
  • Publication number: 20200273518
    Abstract: Memory devices, systems including memory devices, and methods of operating memory devices in which multiple counters are provided to permit memory refresh commands greater freedom in targeting subsets of the memory device for data refresh operations. In one embodiment, a memory device is provided, comprising a plurality of memory banks, and circuitry configured to (i) store a plurality of values, each of the plurality of values corresponding to one of the plurality of memory banks; (ii) refresh first data stored in a first one of the plurality of memory banks; and (iii) update a first one of the plurality of values corresponding to the first one of the plurality of memory banks based at least in part on refreshing the first data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2020
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Inventors: George B. Raad, Jonathan S. Parry, James S. Rehmeyer, Timothy B. Cowles
  • Publication number: 20200243146
    Abstract: Memory devices, system, and methods for operating the same are provided. The memory device can comprise a non-volatile memory array and control circuitry. The control circuitry can be configured to store a value corresponding to a number of activate commands received at the memory device, update the value in response to receiving an activate command received from a host device, and trigger, in response to the value exceeding a predetermined threshold, a remedial action performed by the memory device. The control circuitry can be further configured to store a second value corresponding to a number of refresh operations performed by the memory device, update the second value in response to performing a refresh operation, and trigger, in response to the value exceeding a second predetermined threshold, a second remedial action performed by the memory device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2020
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Inventors: Jonathan S. Parry, George B. Raad, James S. Rehmeyer, Timothy B. Cowles
  • Publication number: 20200234738
    Abstract: A memory device is provided. The memory device comprises a memory array and circuitry configured to determine one or more settings for the memory array corresponding to a powered-on state of the memory device, to store the one or more settings in a non-volatile memory location, and in response to returning to the powered-on state from a reduced-power state, to read the one or more settings from the non-volatile memory location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Inventors: Jonathan S. Parry, George B. Raad, James S. Rehmeyer, Timothy B. Cowles
  • Publication number: 20200201754
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods related to data movement operations in non-volatile memory. An example apparatus can comprise an array of non-volatile memory cells including a plurality of sections each with a plurality of rows and a controller configured to move data stored in a first portion of the array from a first row of a first section to a second row of the first section and move data stored in a second portion of the array from a second section to the first to create an open row in the second section in response to data from a particular number of portions of memory cells in the first section being moved within the first section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Inventors: James S. Rehmeyer, Timothy B. Cowles
  • Patent number: 10692562
    Abstract: Memory devices, systems including memory devices, and methods of operating memory devices in which multiple counters are provided to permit memory refresh commands greater freedom in targeting subsets of the memory device for data refresh operations. In one embodiment, a memory device is provided, comprising a plurality of memory banks, and circuitry configured to (i) store a plurality of values, each of the plurality of values corresponding to one of the plurality of memory banks; (ii) refresh first data stored in a first one of the plurality of memory banks; and (iii) update a first one of the plurality of values corresponding to the first one of the plurality of memory banks based at least in part on refreshing the first data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: George B. Raad, Jonathan S. Parry, James S. Rehmeyer, Timothy B. Cowles
  • Publication number: 20200143872
    Abstract: Memory devices, systems including memory devices, and methods of operating memory devices in which multiple counters are provided to permit memory refresh commands greater freedom in targeting subsets of the memory device for data refresh operations. In one embodiment, a memory device is provided, comprising a plurality of memory banks, and circuitry configured to (i) store a plurality of values, each of the plurality of values corresponding to one of the plurality of memory banks; (ii) refresh first data stored in a first one of the plurality of memory banks; and (iii) update a first one of the plurality of values corresponding to the first one of the plurality of memory banks based at least in part on refreshing the first data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2020
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Inventors: George B. Raad, Jonathan S. Parry, James S. Rehmeyer, Timothy B. Cowles