Common Read And Write Mode Signal Patents (Class 365/233.19)
  • Patent number: 7834664
    Abstract: A semiconductor, which includes a first phase detecting unit configured to detect a phase of a second clock on the basis of a phase of a first clock, and generate a first detection signal corresponding to a result of the detection, a second phase detecting unit configured to detect a phase of a delayed clock, which is generated by delaying the second clock by a predetermined time, on the basis of the phase of the first clock, and generate a second detection signal corresponding to a result of the detection, and a logic level determining unit configured to determine a logic level of a feedback output signal according to the first detection signal, the second detection signal and the feedback output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Hynis Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: Sang-Sic Yoon, Kyung-Hoon Kim
  • Patent number: 7796464
    Abstract: A synchronous memory with a shadow-cycle counter has a counter logic combiner with an address input, a registered processed-address input, an incremented-processed-address input, and a counter control input with an output that contains a processed address. A mask, counter, and mirror registers receives the processed address and has a clock input strobing around a middle of a pre-array clock cycle. An output of the mask, counter, and mirror registers forms a registered internal processed address. A clock phase shifter has a clock input and has an output coupled to the mask, counter, and mirror registers. A plane internal processed-address is coupled to the read/write control logic. An address output enable generated in the counter logic combiner is coupled to the data output enable logic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Stefan-Cristian Rezeanu
  • Patent number: 7787311
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods, apparatuses and systems including a storage configured to store and output multiple address strides of varying sizes to enable access and precharge circuitry to access and precharge a first and a second group of memory cells based at least in part on the multiple address strides during operation of the host apparatus/system, the first and second group of memory cells being different groups of memory cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Inventor: G. R. Mohan Rao
  • Patent number: 7764545
    Abstract: An address replacing circuit includes a sub-bank region selecting unit that allows a first sub-bank region or a second sub-bank region to be selectively activated, in response to a row address and first and second bits of a column address in accordance with operation modes a first column region activating unit that generates a first column region activating address and a second column region activating address from the first bit of the column address, a second column region activating unit that generates a third column region activating address and a fourth column region activating address from the second bit of the column address, and a column region selecting unit that allows at least one of first to fourth column regions of the first sub-bank region and first to fourth column regions of the second sub-bank region to be selectively activated, in response to the first to fourth column region activating addresses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Keun-Kook Kim
  • Patent number: 7760581
    Abstract: An active driver control circuit for a semiconductor memory apparatus includes an asynchronous decoding unit that can be activated in response to a bank selection signal, when an external command is a read or write command, can generate an enabled read/write enable signal, and when a precharge signal is enabled, disable the enabled read/write enable signal, a synchronous decoding unit that can be activated in response to the bank selection signal, can generate an enabled active enable signal when the external command is an active command, when the external command is a precharge command, can generate the precharge signal, and output the active enable signal and the precharge signal in synchronization with a clock, and an active driver control signal generating unit that can generate an active driver control signal in response to the active enable signal and the read/write enable signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Jong-Won Lee
  • Publication number: 20100165734
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing memory access circuitry in application specific integrated circuits, and in certain configurations for recovering data from non-volatile memory registers in a partially disabled application specific integrated circuit as provided. In one configuration, a virtual partial dual-port non-volatile memory is provided having a secondary partial read only port. In another configuration, a physical partial dual-port non-volatile memory is provided having a secondary partial read only port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2008
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Inventors: Sungwon Moh, Peter A. Pagliaro
  • Patent number: 7710804
    Abstract: In the auto precharge circuit, a plurality of read auto precharge signal generating units and a plurality of auto precharge signal output units share a single write auto precharge signal generating unit. Each read auto precharge signal generating unit logically combines an internal CAS command signal, an internal address signal and a pre auto precharge signal to generate an auto precharge detect signal and a read auto precharge signal. The write auto precharge signal generating unit delays the read auto precharge signal by a predetermined time to generate a write auto precharge signal. Each auto precharge signal output unit logically combines the internal CAS command signal, an internal address signal, a read auto precharge signal, and a write auto precharge signal to output an auto precharge signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Han Suk Ko
  • Patent number: 7636271
    Abstract: A memory device includes a configurable array of memory cells. A number of array banks is configured based upon data stored in a mode register or decoded by logic circuitry. The memory device remains a full capacity memory, regardless of the number of array banks. Memory address decoding circuitry is adjusted to route address signals to or from a bank address decoder based upon the number of array banks selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2009
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher S. Johnson
  • Patent number: 7633806
    Abstract: A memory device having a nonvolatile memory array, at least one driver for programming the memory array, which driver is connected to the memory array in order to drive a programming potential, and a drive circuit for controlling the at least one driver, wherein the drive circuit has at least one switch for switching a current as a function of the digital logic potential at the input and the drive circuit has a current-to-voltage converter connected to the output, which converter is designed to output a control potential depending on the switched current for driving the at least one driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: Atmel Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Arno Soerensen
  • Patent number: 7613049
    Abstract: A method for dual I/O data read in an integrated circuit which includes a serial peripheral interface memory device. In an embodiment, the memory device includes a clock signal, a plurality of pins, and a configuration register. In an embodiment, the configuration register includes a wait cycle count. The method includes transmitting a read address to the memory device using a first input/output pin and a second input/output pin concurrently. In an embodiment, the read address includes at least a first address bit and a second address bit, the first address bit being transmitted using the first input/output pin, and the second address bit being transmitted using the second input/output pin. The method includes accessing the memory device for data associated with the address and waiting a predetermined number clock cycles associated with the wait cycle count. The method includes transferring the data from the memory device using the first input/output pin and the second input/output pin concurrently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: Macronix International Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Chun-Hsiung Hung, Kuen-Long Chang, Chia-He Liu
  • Patent number: 7602640
    Abstract: A non-volatile storage element includes a first data terminal and a second data terminal, a first MOS transistor and a second MOS transistor, the first MOS transistor and the second MOS transistor having a first conductivity type, a third MOS transistor and a four MOS transistor, the third MOS transistor and the fourth MOS transistor having floating gates and having a second conductivity type, and a fifth MOS transistor and a sixth MOS transistor having the second conductivity type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Austriamicrosystems AG
    Inventor: Gregor Schatzberger
  • Patent number: 7591524
    Abstract: In a semiconductor memory device 10, the maximum counter value in a carry-up unit 111 of an address counter 110 is set to 128 bits when an access request is for writing data to a memory array 100. On the other hand, in the semiconductor memory device 10, if the access request is for reading data from the memory array 100, the maximum counter value in the carry-up unit 111 of the address counter 110 is set to 256 bits. The result is that it is possible to reduce the circuit structure required for specifying the desired address in an EEPROM array 101 and a masked ROM array 102.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Noboru Asauchi
  • Patent number: 7590016
    Abstract: An integrated circuit that enables a reduction in chip size and test time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Fujitsu Microelectronics Limited
    Inventors: Katsuya Ishikawa, Tatsushi Otsuka
  • Patent number: 7573772
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device and a self-refresh method in which the semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of input/output ports having respective independent operation, a period of self-refresh through one of the plurality of input/output ports being subordinate to a kind of operation through another input/output port. Whereby, a refresh characteristic in a multi-port semiconductor memory device including a dual-port semiconductor memory device may be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kyung-Woo Nam, Ho-Cheol Lee
  • Patent number: 7564738
    Abstract: A double-rate memory has an array of single word line memory cells arranged in rows and columns. The single word line memory cells provide and store data via a first port. Addressing and control circuitry is coupled to the array of single word line memory cells. The addressing and control circuitry receives an address enable signal to initiate an access of the array whereby an address is received, decoded, and corresponding data retrieved or stored. Edge detection circuitry receives a memory clock and provides the address enable signal upon each rising edge and each falling edge of the memory clock to perform two memory operations in a single cycle of the memory clock. A memory operation includes addressing the memory and storing data in the memory or retrieving and latching data from the memory. In another form a double-rate dual port memory permits two independent read/write memory accesses in a single memory cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Perry H. Pelley, III, George P. Hoekstra
  • Patent number: 7554844
    Abstract: Techniques are used to store information in a medium such as the memory cells of an integrated circuit, and also retrieval of information from the medium. The integrated circuit includes nonvolatile memory cells (416) capable of multilevel or analog voltage level storage. The integrated circuit may store or record information in analog or digital form, or both. Information is stored in and retrieved from the integrated circuit using a user-selected sampling frequency. The user's selection of the sampling frequency is stored within the integrated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignee: SanDisk Corporation
    Inventors: Carl W. Werner, Andreas M. Haeberli, Leon Sea Jiunn Wong, Cheng-Yuan Michael Wang, Hock C. So, Sau C. Wong
  • Patent number: 7548485
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device capable of synchronous/asynchronous operation and data input/output method thereof are provided. The semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array, a peripheral circuit configured to write data to a cell in the memory cell array and to read data from the cell, and a bypass control unit configured to control a late write operation and a bypass operation of the peripheral circuit according to mode conversion of the semiconductor memory device. Accordingly, data coherency can be maintained. In addition, dummy cycle time that may occur during the mode conversion can be prevented by generating a mode conversion signal only in response to toggling of a clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Young-Seung Kim, Chul-Sung Park
  • Patent number: 7535772
    Abstract: Data paths (100 and 900) can be configured to accommodate two or four burst data sequences, with a data value being input/output each half clock cycle. A data sequence can be a fixed order or user-defined order depending upon a selected option. A data input path (100) can reduce power consumption with an enable signal (dinen) timed to activate after data input lines have settled values. A data output path (900) can access output data in a parallel fashion for subsequent output according to a burst sequence. Cycle latencies for such output data can include one clock cycle latency or one and a half-clock cycles. A data output path (900) can also accommodate various clocking modes, including: single clocking with a delay locked loop (DLL) type circuit enabled, single clocking with a delay locked loop (DLL) type circuit disabled, and double clocking, with a phase difference between an input clock and output clock of up to 180°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Suresh Parameswaran, Thinh Tran
  • Patent number: 7535792
    Abstract: A data transmission control device includes: a memory control unit that is connected to a DRAM, and accesses to the DRAM in accordance with a read/write request from various devices that request read/write of data from/into the DRAM; and a command control unit that issues an active command of designating a row address of the DRAM to start a memory access cycle when the read/write request is made, and issues a precharge command to the DRAM to end the memory access cycle, and that prohibits issuance of a precharge command in a previous memory cycle if the issuance of the precharge command is unnecessary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Takeshi Saito
  • Patent number: 7535752
    Abstract: According to an aspect of the invention there is provided a semiconductor memory device, including a first inverter being composed of a first P-channel MOS transistor, a first N-channel MOS transistor, a second inverter being composed of a second p-channel MOS transistor and a second N-channel transistor, a data-retaining portion having a third N-channel MOS transistor, a fourth N-channel MOS transistor, a fifth N-channel MOS transistor and a sixth N-channel MOS transistor, a data-reading portion for reading out data stored in the data-retaining portion via a first bit line, including at least one N-channel MOS transistor, wherein gate widths of the fifth N-channel MOS transistor and the sixth N-channel MOS transistor, respectively, is larger than gate widths of the first N-channel MOS transistor, the second N-channel MOS transistor, the third N-channel MOS transistor, the fourth N-channel MOS transistor, the first P-channel MOS transistor and the second P-channel MOS transistor, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Atsushi Kawasumi
  • Patent number: 7518935
    Abstract: One embodiment of the invention relates to a RAM memory circuit. A memory circuit includes a multiplicity of memory cells which can be selectively addressed, I/O circuitry for data; a clock input for receiving a system clock signal; a reception sampling circuit for sampling the received data using a reception strobe signal; and a reception strobe signal generating device which internally generates the reception strobe signal with synchronization with the received system clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Andreas Jakobs
  • Patent number: 7509469
    Abstract: An asynchronously pipelined SDRAM has separate pipeline stages that are controlled by asynchronous signals. Rather than using a clock signal to synchronize data at each stage, an asynchronous signal is used to latch data at every stage. The asynchronous control signals are generated within the chip and are optimized to the different latency stages. Longer latency stages require larger delays elements, while shorter latency states require shorter delay elements. The data is synchronized to the clock at the end of the read data path before being read out of the chip. Because the data has been latched at each pipeline stage, it suffers from less skew than would be seen in a conventional wave pipeline architecture. Furthermore, since the stages are independent of the system clock, the read data path can be run at any CAS latency as long as the re-synchronizing output is built to support it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: MOSAID Technologies Incorporated
    Inventor: Ian Mes
  • Patent number: 7499371
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for operating a semiconductor memory apparatus, comprising: transmitting a command instruction, particularly a write instruction and/or a read instruction, to the semiconductor memory apparatus; transmitting a data signal to and/or from the semiconductor memory apparatus; and transmitting a data clock signal is transmitted for the purpose of latching the data signal; wherein the preamble (P), which is the number of clock cycles between the first edge of the data clock signal (WQDS) and the first bit (D0) of the data signal (DQ), can be set. The invention also relates to a semiconductor memory system comprising a semiconductor memory apparatus and a processor unit configured to perform the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Jean-Marc Dortu
  • Patent number: 7495974
    Abstract: A delay selection circuit for use in a semiconductor memory device prevents a tAA from increasing at a read operation due to a delayed command type of signal. The delay selection circuit includes a delay line unit, a power supply voltage detection unit and a path selection unit. The delay line unit has two delay lines for delaying a command type of signal by different delay amounts. The power supply voltage detection unit detects a voltage level of a power supply voltage. The path selection unit selects one of each output of the two delay lines according to an output of the power supply voltage detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Kyung-Whan Kim
  • Patent number: 7492661
    Abstract: In a command generating circuit, operation mode signals (signals determining internal operations, such as ACTIVE, READ, WRITE, and PRECHARGE) are determined by decoding command signals /CS, /RAS, /CAS, and /WE. The operation mode signals and bank select signals (BS0, BS1, BS2, and BS3) are latched by internal clocks. Thereafter, a logical product (AND) of each of the latched operation mode signals and each of the latched bank select signals is calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: Elpida Memory, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroyasu Yoshida, Kanji Oishi
  • Publication number: 20080304354
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device is capable of writing data in phase with external data to a memory cell regardless of which memory cell the data is written to. The semiconductor memory device includes a scrambler, a write selector and a read selector. The scrambler is configured to output a control signal activated when an address for accessing a memory cell of a complementary bit line is inputted. The write selector is configured to selectively transmit data of a write path in response to the control signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Publication date: December 11, 2008
    Inventor: Chang-Ho Do
  • Patent number: 7457192
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a synchronous semiconductor memory device with double data rate, and more particularly, to a synchronous semiconductor memory device for inputting and outputting data using a free-running clock and inserting a preamble indicative of start of data into the outputted data. A semiconductor memory device of the present invention receives a data read command from the exterior of the memory device in response to a predetermined clock signal inputted from the exterior, and outputting data including a preamble in response to the clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kye-hyun Kyung
  • Publication number: 20080253220
    Abstract: A first set of configuration logic is configurable to provide a first port input clock signal for controlling input registers of a first port of a memory block. A second set of configuration logic is configurable to provide a second port input clock signal for controlling input registers of a second port of the memory block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2008
    Publication date: October 16, 2008
    Applicant: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Jinyong Yuan, Christopher F. Lane, David E. Jefferson, Vaughn Betz
  • Publication number: 20080253219
    Abstract: An active driver control circuit for a semiconductor memory apparatus includes an asynchronous decoding unit that can be activated in response to a bank selection signal, when an external command is a read or write command, can generate an enabled read/write enable signal, and when a precharge signal is enabled, disable the enabled read/write enable signal, a synchronous decoding unit that can be activated in response to the bank selection signal, can generate an enabled active enable signal when the external command is an active command, when the external command is a precharge command, can generate the precharge signal, and output the active enable signal and the precharge signal in synchronization with a clock, and an active driver control signal generating unit that can generate an active driver control signal in response to the active enable signal and the read/write enable signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Publication date: October 16, 2008
    Applicant: HYNIX SEMINCONDUCTOR, INC.
    Inventor: Jong Won Lee
  • Patent number: 7411862
    Abstract: A control signal training system in an integrated circuit comprises a signal transmitting unit, the signal transmitting unit outputting control signals and sampling clock signals, the control signals and the sampling clock signals having a predetermined time phase with respect to each other, a signal receiving unit, the signal receiving unit latching control signals in relation to the sampling clock signals, and an evaluation unit connected to a reading unit and the signal transmitting unit, the evaluation unit determining concordance of the control signals outputted by the signal transmitting unit and the control signals read out by the reading unit from the signal receiving unit, the evaluation unit adapting the time phase between the control signals and the sampling clock signals step-by-step until concordance of the control signals outputted by the signal transmitting unit and the control signals read out the reading unit from the signal receiving unit is determined by the evaluation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Qimonda AG
    Inventors: Thomas Hein, Aaron John Nygren, Rex Kho
  • Patent number: 7397717
    Abstract: A serial peripheral flash memory device uses a plurality of dummy input/output terminals to enable the selection of a parallel mode for devices that have a slower serial clock speed. In parallel mode, data is transmitted over the plurality of dummy input/output terminals to allow a plurality of bits to be transmitted at the same time improving the data transmission rate at the slower serial clock speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: Macronix International Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Han-Sung Chen, Chia-Yen Yeh, Chen-Hao Po, Ching-Chung Lin
  • Patent number: 7397726
    Abstract: A first set of configuration logic is configurable to provide a first port input clock signal for controlling input registers of a first port of a memory block. The first set of configuration logic is also configurable to provide a first port core clock signal for controlling the memory block core. The first port core clock signal can either be the same as the first port input clock signal, or can be controlled independently from the first port input clock signal. A second set of configuration logic is configurable to provide a second port input clock signal for controlling input registers of a second port of the memory block. The second set of configuration logic is also configurable to provide a second port core clock signal for controlling the memory block core. The second port core clock signal can be controlled independently from the second port input clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Jinyong Yuan, Christopher F. Lane, David E. Jefferson, Vaughn Betz
  • Publication number: 20080159056
    Abstract: An internal address generation circuit in a semiconductor memory receives an external address signal and generates an internal address. The internal address generation circuit includes a control unit outputting at least more than two address strobe signals which are different from an internal command signal in terms of a strobe timing by decoding an external command signal; and an internal address generation unit outputting an internal address signal by aligning a first and a second address in a row by using the address strobe signal which are inputted sequentially, and there is an effect that an internal address is generated by using a plurality of address signals which are applied to one pad sequentially.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2007
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Inventors: Ki Chon PARK, Yong Suk JOO
  • Publication number: 20080106962
    Abstract: A memory device and a method thereof. The memory described includes a control module and a single-port memory array. The control circuit generates control signals according to a clock signal, a read command signal and a write command signal. The single-port memory array is accessed according to the control signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Publication date: May 8, 2008
    Applicant: VIA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Chien-Hung Lai