Patents by Inventor William C. Waldrop

William C. Waldrop 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: 20240062803
    Abstract: Apparatuses, systems, and methods for a per-DRAM addressability (PDA) synchronizer circuit. The PDA synchronizer circuit receives a write command signal which may be synchronous to a DQS clock as part of a first PDA mode or asynchronous as part of a second PDA mode. The PDA synchronizer circuit includes a delay path which provides a first PDA signal responsive to the write command signal and a synchronizer which provides a second PDA signal responsive to the write command signal. The PDA synchronizer circuit provides a synchronized write command signal responsive to whichever of the first PDA signal or the second PDA signal was provided first. When a PDA mode is disabled, the write command signal may be passed as the synchronized write command signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2022
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Applicant: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: William C. Waldrop, Liang Chen, Shingo Mitsubori, Ryo Fujimaki, Atsuko Momma
  • Publication number: 20230395105
    Abstract: Systems and methods that may enable alignment of a receiver enable signal with one or more clocking signals. By aligning the receiver operations with the one or more clocking signals, a likelihood of a false or incorrect data capture may be reduced, which may improve operation of a memory system. Reducing a likelihood of incorrect data capture may increase an accuracy of a distortion correction operation of a decision feedback equalizer (DFE).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2022
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Inventors: William C. Waldrop, Won Joo Yun
  • Patent number: 11727979
    Abstract: Methods of operating a memory device are disclosed. A method may include asserting, at a semiconductor device, an internal signal in response to receipt of a command. The method may also include holding the internal signal in an asserted state for at least a predetermined time duration upon assertion of the internal signal. Further, the method may include generating an enable signal based on the internal signal and a clock signal. Associated devices and systems are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Kallol Mazumder, Navya Sri Sreeram, William C. Waldrop, Vijayakrishna J. Vankayala
  • Publication number: 20230007872
    Abstract: Methods of operating a memory device are disclosed. A method may include asserting, at a semiconductor device, an internal signal in response to receipt of a command. The method may also include holding the internal signal in an asserted state for at least a predetermined time duration upon assertion of the internal signal. Further, the method may include generating an enable signal based on the internal signal and a clock signal. Associated devices and systems are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2021
    Publication date: January 12, 2023
    Inventors: Kallol Mazumder, Navya Sri Sreeram, William C. Waldrop, Vijayakrishna J. Vankayala
  • Patent number: 11495281
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided that provide protection from undesired latching that may be caused by indeterminate interamble periods in an input/output data strobe (DQS) signal. Interamble compensation circuitry selectively filters out interamble states of the DQS signal to reduce provision of interamble signals to downstream components that use the DQS signal to identify data latching times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: William C. Waldrop, Daniel B. Penney
  • Patent number: 11487610
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described, in which a parity error alert timing interlock is provided by first waiting for a timer to count a configured parity error pulse width value and then waiting for any in-progress memory operations to complete before deasserting a parity error alert signal that was asserted in response to the detection of a parity error in a command or address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: William C. Waldrop, Vijayakrishna J. Vankayala, Scott E. Smith
  • Patent number: 11264078
    Abstract: Memory devices receive a data signal and an accompanying data strobing signal, which informs the device that data is ready for latching. The data strobing signal enables capturing the data while the data signal transitions from a logic high to a logic low or vice versa, resulting in an indeterminate output (e.g., between 0 and 1). The indeterminate value may cause metastability in memory operations using the indeterminate output. To prevent or reduce metastability, a cascaded timing arbiter latch includes cascaded alternating NAND timing arbiters and NOR timing arbiters. In some embodiments, these logic gates are connected to transistors above and below the cascaded timing arbiters. The cascaded timing arbiters and/or transistors provide amplification on a feedback path of the latch. In other embodiments, the cascaded timing arbiters are isolated by inverters and are not connected to transistors. This embodiment reduces capacitive loading on nodes of the internal feedback path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel B. Penney, William C. Waldrop
  • Publication number: 20210304809
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided that provide protection from undesired latching that may be caused by indeterminate interamble periods in an input/output (DQS) signal. Interamble compensation circuitry may filter out interamble states of the DQS signal from provision to downstream components that use the DQS signal to identify data latching times.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventors: William C. Waldrop, Daniel B. Penney
  • Patent number: 10872658
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure eliminating the need for a memory device to have both a shifter that shifts input pin values from an input domain into a parity domain and another shifter that shifts a decoded command from the input domain into the parity domain. A memory device can achieve this by, when parity is being performed, shifting the input from the input pins into the parity domain prior to decoding the command. Using a multiplexer, the decoder can receive the command pin portion of the shifted input when parity checking is being performed and can receive the un-shifted command pin input when parity checking is not being performed. The decoder can use the command pin portion of the shifted input to generate shifted and decoded commands or can use the un-shifted command pin input to generate decoded commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason M. Brown, Vijayakrishna J. Vankayala, William C. Waldrop, Kallol Mazumder, Byung S. Moon, Ravi Kiran Kandikonda
  • Patent number: 10840908
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices are provided for increasing uniformity of wear in semiconductor devices due to, for example, negative-bias temperature instability (NBTI). The method may include receiving a first NBTI control signal. The method may involve receiving a second NBTI control signal based at least in part on the first NBTI control signal. The method may also involve asserting the first NBTI control signal at a clock input pin of a latch. Further, the method may include asserting the second NBTI control signal at a data input pin of the latch. The method may additionally involve toggling electrical elements downstream of the latch based at least in part on an output of the latch based on the first and second NBTI control signals to increase uniformity of wear on the electrical elements in a default low-power state during NBTI toggling mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: William C. Waldrop
  • Patent number: 10838799
    Abstract: Devices and methods for error checking transmissions include using error checking circuitry configured to receive a clock and reset. The error checking circuitry (ECC) includes an input counter configured to receive the clock and to count out multiple input clocks from the received clock. The ECC also includes a delay model configured to receive the clock and to output a delayed clock. Also, the ECC includes an output counter configured to receive the delayed clock and to count out multiple output clocks from the received delayed clock. Furthermore, the ECC includes multiple error calculation circuits arranged in parallel that each are configured to: receive data based on a respective input clock, generate an error indicator based on the received data with the error indicator indicating whether an error exists in the received data, and output the error indicator based at least in part on a respective output clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: William C. Waldrop
  • Patent number: 10783980
    Abstract: Systems and methods providing for a parity error synchronization based on a programmed parity latency value by delaying an activation of a command disable signal to disable internal commands such that the command disable signal activates just prior to the parity error command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: William C. Waldrop, Vijayakrishna J. Vankayala
  • Publication number: 20200059235
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices are provided for increasing uniformity of wear in semiconductor devices due to, for example, negative-bias temperature instability (NBTI). The method may include receiving a first NBTI control signal. The method may involve receiving a second NBTI control signal based at least in part on the first NBTI control signal. The method may also involve asserting the first NBTI control signal at a clock input pin of a latch. Further, the method may include asserting the second NBTI control signal at a data input pin of the latch. The method may additionally involve toggling electrical elements downstream of the latch based at least in part on an output of the latch based on the first and second NBTI control signals to increase uniformity of wear on the electrical elements in a default low-power state during NBTI toggling mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Publication date: February 20, 2020
    Inventor: William C. Waldrop
  • Publication number: 20200057688
    Abstract: Devices and methods for error checking transmissions include using error checking circuitry configured to receive a clock and reset. The error checking circuitry includes an input counter that is configured to receive the clock and to count out multiple input clocks from the received clock. The error checking circuitry also includes a delay model that is configured to receive the clock and to output a delayed clock. Also, the error checking circuitry includes an output counter that is configured to receive the delayed clock and to count out multiple output clocks from the received delayed clock. Furthermore, the error checking circuitry includes multiple error calculation circuits arranged in parallel that each are configured to: receive data based on a respective input clock, generate an error indicator based on the received data with the error indicator indicating whether an error exists in the received data, and output the error indicator based at least in part on a respective output clock.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2018
    Publication date: February 20, 2020
    Inventor: William C. Waldrop
  • Publication number: 20190348139
    Abstract: Systems and methods providing for a parity error synchronization based on a programmed parity latency value by delaying an activation of a command disable signal to disable internal commands such that the command disable signal activates just prior to the parity error command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Inventors: William C. Waldrop, Vijayakrishna J. Vankayala
  • Publication number: 20190347157
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described, in which a parity error alert timing interlock is provided by first waiting for a timer to count a configured parity error pulse width value and then waiting for any in-progress memory operations to complete before deasserting a parity error alert signal that was asserted in response to the detection of a parity error in a command or address.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Inventors: William C. Waldrop, Vijayakrishna J. Vankayala, Scott E. Smith
  • Publication number: 20190348105
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure eliminating the need for a memory device to have both a shifter that shifts input pin values from an input domain into a parity domain and another shifter that shifts a decoded command from the input domain into the parity domain. A memory device can achieve this by, when parity is being performed, shifting the input from the input pins into the parity domain prior to decoding the command. Using a multiplexer, the decoder can receive the command pin portion of the shifted input when parity checking is being performed and can receive the un-shifted command pin input when parity checking is not being performed. The decoder can use the command pin portion of the shifted input to generate shifted and decoded commands or can use the un-shifted command pin input to generate decoded commands.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2019
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Inventors: Jason M. Brown, Vijayakrishna J. Vankayala, William C. Waldrop, Kallol Mazumder, Byung S. Moon, Ravi Kiran Kandikonda
  • Patent number: 10447267
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices are provided for increasing uniformity of wear in semiconductor devices due to, for example, negative-bias temperature instability (NBTI). The method may include receiving a first NBTI control signal. The method may involve receiving a second NBTI control signal based at least in part on the first NBTI control signal. The method may also involve asserting the first NBTI control signal at a clock input pin of a latch. Further, the method may include asserting the second NBTI control signal at a data input pin of the latch. The method may additionally involve toggling electrical elements downstream of the latch based at least in part on an output of the latch based on the first and second NBTI control signals to increase uniformity of wear on the electrical elements in a default low-power state during NBTI toggling mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: William C. Waldrop
  • Patent number: 10354717
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure eliminating the need for a memory device to have both a shifter that shifts input pin values from an input domain into a parity domain and another shifter that shifts a decoded command from the input domain into the parity domain. A memory device can achieve this by, when parity is being performed, shifting the input from the input pins into the parity domain prior to decoding the command. Using a multiplexer, the decoder can receive the command pin portion of the shifted input when parity checking is being performed and can receive the un-shifted command pin input when parity checking is not being performed. The decoder can use the command pin portion of the shifted input to generate shifted and decoded commands or can use the un-shifted command pin input to generate decoded commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason M. Brown, Vijayakrishna J. Vankayala, William C. Waldrop, Kallol Mazumder, Byung S. Moon, Ravi Kiran Kandikonda
  • Publication number: 20190122742
    Abstract: A memory device includes a memory array of a set of memory cells. Each memory cell of the set of memory cells includes at least one transistor and at least one capacitor. The memory array includes at least one programmed memory cell. The programmed memory cell is selectively programmed by applying hot-carrier injection (HCI) to a transistor of the programmed memory cell. The programmed memory cell may provide an indication of pattern data that may be used to facilitate functionality such as data encryption, data decryption, implementation of a particular memory device operation mode, and/or machine-implemented instructions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2018
    Publication date: April 25, 2019
    Inventors: Daniel B. Penney, William C. Waldrop