Memory Testing Patents (Class 714/718)
  • Patent number: 11294745
    Abstract: A computing device includes an interface configured to interface and communicate with a dispersed storage network (DSN), a memory that stores operational instructions, and processing circuitry operably coupled to the interface and to the memory. The computing device obtains a data identifier associated with a data object and determines DSN address(es) associated with storage of one or more encoded data slice(s) (EDS(s)). The computing device selects slice names based on the DSN address(es) and issues at least a read threshold number of read slice requests using slice names to at least some storage units (SUs). When an insufficient number of EDSs is received, the computing device issues an alternate read slice request to an alternate SU. When a sufficient number of EDSs is received from the alternate SU and the computing device has received at least the read threshold number of EDSs, the computing device reconstructs the data segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: PURE STORAGE, INC.
    Inventors: Wesley B. Leggette, Andrew D. Baptist, Greg R. Dhuse, Jason K. Resch, Gary W. Grube, S. Christopher Gladwin
  • Patent number: 11295791
    Abstract: A memory device Input/Output includes a memory cell having a local bit line. A first IO circuit is coupled to the local bit line and is configured to output a local IO signal to a global bit line. A second IO circuit is coupled to the global bit line and is configured to output a global IO signal. A latch circuit is configured to latch the local IO signal in response to a data signal on the local bit line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Atul Katoch, Ali Taghvaei
  • Patent number: 11288406
    Abstract: An embodiment is directed to a hardware circuit for performing operations on data transmitted between a processor and memory. The hardware circuit includes a first interface communicatively coupled to the processor. The first interface configured to emulate a first protocol of the memory. The hardware circuit further includes a second interface communicatively coupled to the memory. The second interface configured to emulates a second protocol of the processor. The hardware circuit also includes hardware logic configured with a bi-directional path, such that each of the first and second interfaces is associated with a different direction of the bi-directional path. The bi-directional path is configured to execute an operation on data received at both the first interface and the second interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Nhut Tran, J. Ryan Prince, Brian Nugent, Elliot Greenwald
  • Patent number: 11282824
    Abstract: Some examples described herein provide for a multi-chip structure including one or more memory dies stacked on a die having a programmable integrated circuit (IC). In an example, a multi-chip structure includes a package substrate, a first die, and a second die. The first die includes a programmable IC, and the programmable IC includes a memory controller. The first die is on and attached to the package substrate. The second die includes memory. The second die is stacked on the first die. The memory is communicatively coupled to the memory controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: XILINX, INC.
    Inventor: Matthew H. Klein
  • Patent number: 11263177
    Abstract: Disclosed is a novel system and process for automating the process of identifying deleted file chunks. The present invention has two components. A client component to identify data chunks and a server component for storage and indexing technology for the over 1 billion records relating to the data chunks necessary to run the software.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Child Rescue Coalition, Inc.
    Inventors: Jose Omar Garcia-Fernandez, William Scott Wiltse
  • Patent number: 11262924
    Abstract: Automatic memory overclocking, including: increasing a memory frequency setting for a memory module until a memory stability test fails; determining an overclocked memory frequency setting including a highest memory frequency setting passing the memory stability test; and generating a profile including the overclocked memory frequency setting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES, INC.
    Inventors: William R. Alverson, Amitabh Mehra, Anil Harwani, Jerry A. Ahrens, Grant E. Ley, Jayesh Joshi
  • Patent number: 11249847
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for targeted command/address parity low lift are described. A memory device may receive a command (e.g., a write command or a read command) from a host device over a first set of pins and may perform data transfer over a second set of pins with the host device during a set of time intervals according to the command. The memory device may exchange a parity bit associated with the command with the host device over a third set of pins during a first time intervals of the set of time intervals. In some cases, the third memory device may exchange at least one additional bit associated with the command with the host device during at least one time interval of the set of time intervals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron P. Boehm, Scott E. Schaefer
  • Patent number: 11249839
    Abstract: A system with multiple processing domains sharing a memory resource accessed via a shared memory controller detects a memory error. As data is written to the shared memory resource, each processing domain generates a diagnostic code as a function of the data, the memory address for the data, and of a unique identifier corresponding to the processing domain. The diagnostic code is stored with the data for verification when the data is read back. As the data is read back, the processing domain separates the diagnostic code from the data being read and generates another diagnostic code in the same manner as the original diagnostic code. The other diagnostic code is compared to the initial diagnostic code. If both diagnostic codes are the same, the processing domain can be confident that the data read from the shared memory resource is the same as the data that was originally written.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony G. Gibart, Joseph P. Izzo, Jonathan R. Engdahl, Benjamin H. Nave
  • Patent number: 11251148
    Abstract: Semiconductor devices are disclosed. According to some embodiments, a semiconductor device may include a memory array area and a peripheral area. The memory array area may include a number of memory cells and a number of array pads configured to receive an input voltage. The peripheral area may include a number of peripheral pads for interfacing with the memory array area. In these or other embodiments, the peripheral area may be arranged adjacent to a first edge of the semiconductor device and the number of array pads may be arranged proximate to a second edge of the semiconductor device. The second edge may be perpendicular to the first edge. The memory array area may also include an array distribution conductor configured to variously electrically connect the number of memory cells to the number of array pads. A semiconductor-device package and system are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Hisamitsu Kimoto
  • Patent number: 11238204
    Abstract: Various embodiments provide for testing a transmitter with interpolation, which can be used with a circuit for data communications, such as serializer/deserializer (SerDes) communications. In particular, some embodiments provide for data transmission test of a transmitter by: generating and outputting a pre-determined data pattern through a serializer of the transmitter; sampling a serialized data output of the serializer over a plurality of different interpolation phase positions of a phase interpolator; and using a pattern checker to error check the sampled data over the plurality of different interpolation phase positions to determine whether the data transmission test passes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott David Huss, Loren B. Reiss, Fred Staples Stivers, Steven Martin Broome
  • Patent number: 11194519
    Abstract: A read and write data processing apparatus and method associated with computational memory cells formed as a memory/processing array (having a plurality of bit line sections) provides a mechanism to logically combine the computation results across multiple bit line sections in a section and across multiple sections, and transmit the combined result as an output of the processing array and/or store the combined result into one or more of those multiple bit line sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: GSI TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Bob Haig, Eli Ehrman, Dan Ilan, Patrick Chuang, Chao-Hung Chang, Mu-Hsiang Huang
  • Patent number: 11195563
    Abstract: A semiconductor system includes a slave including a plurality of unit memory regions. The semiconductor system further includes a master configured to perform a training operation by writing test data to the plurality of unit memory regions, reading the written test data, and determining a pass/fail result for the read test data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Gi Moon Hong, Kyung Hoon Kim
  • Patent number: 11188417
    Abstract: An operation method of a memory system including a memory controller and a memory device may include transferring, by the memory controller, a first read command to the memory device; transferring, by the memory device, read data and a part of an error correction code corresponding to the read data to the memory controller in response to the first read command; detecting, by the memory controller, an error of the read data based on the part of the error correction code; transferring, by the memory controller, a second read command to the memory device when the error is detected; transferring, by the memory device, a remainder of the error correction code corresponding to the read data to the memory controller in response to the second read command; and correcting, by the memory controller, the error of the read data based on the remainder of the error correction code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Hoiju Chung
  • Patent number: 11158394
    Abstract: Embodiments relate methods and computer program products for performance testing of a solid state memory devices. The method includes operating a first solid state memory device for a period of time and capturing state information of the first solid state memory device after the period of time. The method also includes storing the state information in a control file and loading the control file onto a second solid state memory device. Once the control file has been loaded into the second solid state memory device the state information can be adapted to fix any issues due to physical variation. Performance testing can then be preformed on the second solid state memory device without preconditioning the second solid state memory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Thomas J. Griffin, Dustin J. VanStee
  • Patent number: 11152077
    Abstract: A processing device of a memory device test resource detects that a memory sub-system has engaged with a first memory sub-system interface port and a second memory sub-system interface port of the memory device test resource. The processing device causes a power supply signal to be transmitted from the memory device test resource to the memory sub-system via the first memory sub-system interface port. The processing device identifies a test to be performed for a memory device of the memory sub-system, where the test includes one or more test instructions to be executed in performance of the test. The processing device causes the one or more test instructions to be transmitted from the memory device test resource to the memory sub-system via the second memory sub-system interface port, where the test is performed by the one or more test instructions executing at the memory sub-system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Gary D. Hamor, Michael T. Brady, William A. Marcus, Larry J. Koudele
  • Patent number: 11144380
    Abstract: A storage device includes a non-volatile memory including a plurality of memory groups; and a memory controller configured to determine a monitoring group from among the plurality of memory groups, determine a monitoring block from among a plurality of blocks included in the monitoring group, and determine whether the monitoring group is a fail group by monitoring the monitoring block using dummy data prior to failure of the monitoring group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Nam-wook Kang
  • Patent number: 11126502
    Abstract: A method may include, during a boot of an information handling system, detecting a soft failure associated with a read request to storage media of the information handling system wherein the soft failure is not visible to an operating system of the information handling system and in response to detecting the soft failure, rewriting a sector of the storage media affected by the soft failure to correct the soft failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Craig Lawrence Chaiken, Siva Subramaniam Rajan
  • Patent number: 11120853
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory apparatus includes a write control circuit suitable for generating a write cancel signal and a rewrite signal in response to a voltage level of a write voltage in a write operation, and a driving circuit suitable for transferring data to a data storage region in response to the write cancel signal and the rewrite signal in the write operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Yong Seop Kim
  • Patent number: 11114180
    Abstract: A non-volatile memory device includes a first memory cell array, a first error correction code (ECC) decoder and a controller. The first memory cell array is divided into a first sub-array and a second sub-array by a first address boundary. The first ECC decoder is coupled to the first memory cell array, performs an ECC operation on read-out data from first memory cell array. The controller is coupled to the first memory cell array and the first ECC decoder, adjusts the first address boundary according to a first ECC failure bit number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Winbond Electronics Corp.
    Inventors: Chi-Shun Lin, Ngatik Cheung, Douk-Hyoun Ryu, Ming-Huei Shieh, Chuen-Der Lien
  • Patent number: 11106521
    Abstract: Devices and techniques for fatal error logging in a memory device are described herein. For example a read request can be received for a component of the memory device. A fatal error indication of an error that prevents correct execution of read request can be detected. Diagnostic information for the failure indication can be collected. A response to the read request can then be made with a portion of the diagnostic information as payload instead of the user data that would have occupied the payload had the read succeeded. Metadata in the response can be used to communicate an error code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Luigi Esposito, Paolo Papa, Massimo Iaculo, Erika Morvillo
  • Patent number: 11101393
    Abstract: A memory controller comprises a command interface to transmit a memory command to a plurality of memory devices associated with the memory controller. The memory controller also comprises an acknowledgement interface to receive an acknowledgment status packet from the plurality of memory devices over a shared acknowledgement link coupled between the memory controller and the plurality of memory devices, the acknowledgement status packet indicating whether the command was received by the plurality of memory devices. In addition, the memory controller comprises a memory controller core to decode the acknowledgment status packet to identify a portion of the acknowledgement status packet corresponding to each of the plurality of memory devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Yohan Frans, Simon Li, John Eric Linstadt, Jun Kim
  • Patent number: 11101820
    Abstract: A memory control method for a rewritable non-volatile memory module is provided according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure. The method includes: sending a first read command sequence which indicates a reading of a first physical unit by using a first read voltage level to obtain first data; decoding the first data; sending a second read command sequence which indicates a reading of the first physical unit by using a second read voltage level to obtain second data; decoding the second data with assistance information to improve a decoding success rate of the second data if the second read voltage level meets a first condition or the second data meets a second condition; and decoding the second data without the assistance information if the second read voltage level does not meet the first condition and the second data does not meet the second condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: PHISON ELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Wei Lin, Shih-Jia Zeng, Yu-Cheng Hsu, Yu-Siang Yang
  • Patent number: 11093550
    Abstract: Yield criteria of a material are estimated by obtaining test data representing anisotropic material properties of the material and performing an iterative evolutionary search to identify parameters of a function descriptive of the yield criteria of the material. The evolutionary search includes determining an error value based on a first data point of a first population, where the first data point representing potential values of the parameters. The evolutionary search also includes performing an evolutionary process to generate a second data point as a candidate for replacing the first data point in a second population and determining a second error value based on the second data point. Either the first data point or the second data point is selected for inclusion in the second population. Output data is generated based on estimated values of the parameters that are identified by the evolutionary search.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Yunpeng Zhang, Dorival de Moraes Pedroso, Andrew Jon Eugene Stephan, Michael Charles Elford
  • Patent number: 11094374
    Abstract: A write data processing apparatus and method associated with computational memory cells formed as a memory/processing array provides the ability to shift data between adjacent bit lines in each section of the memory/processing array or the same relative bit lines in adjacent sections of the memory/processing array. The memory/processing array has one or more sections and each section has its own unique set of “n” bit lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: GSI TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Bob Haig, Eli Ehrman, Chao-Hung Chang, Mu-Hsiang Huang
  • Patent number: 11086541
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a memory system, a memory controller, and an operating method. A command from a host is received and multiple streams corresponding to the command are generated, and the size of super memory blocks is dynamically configured according to the number of multiple streams. Accordingly, the number of currently accessed memory dies can be adjusted according to the number of streams, and the cost for preventing data loss when SPO occurs can be minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: SeungGu Ji
  • Patent number: 11081201
    Abstract: A parallel test device is provided. The parallel test device of the disclosure includes an I/O pad, a plurality of input buffers, and a plurality of output drivers. The I/O pad is configured to perform input/output operations in the parallel test device. The input buffers are configured to enable write data. The output drivers are configured to enable read data and output the read data to the I/O pad. A test signal corresponds to the data from an external device is transferred to the output drivers through the I/O pad in the parallel test device during a test mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: Winbond Electronics Corp.
    Inventor: Chan-Seok Park
  • Patent number: 11061760
    Abstract: A method of managing a non-volatile memory includes during a data writing process, selecting, by a program triggering the data writing process, an error detection and correction code from among two codes depending on a type of information being written. The information is written into the non-volatile memory, where the information is associated with the selected error detection and correction code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Proton World International N.V.
    Inventors: Jean-Louis Modave, Guillaume Docquier
  • Patent number: 11061771
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for extended error detection for a memory device are described. For example, during a read operation, the memory device may perform an error detection operation capable of detecting single-bit errors, double-bit errors, and errors that impact more than two bits and indicate the detected error to a host device. The memory device may use parity information to perform an error detection procedure to detect and/or correct errors within data retrieved during the read operation. In some cases, the memory device may associate each bit of the data read during the read operation with two or more bits of parity information. For example, the memory device may use two or more sets of parity bits to detect errors within a matrix of the data. Each set of parity bits may correspond to a dimension of the matrix of data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott E. Schaefer, Jongtae Kwak, Aaron P. Boehm
  • Patent number: 11036406
    Abstract: Managing system memory allocation according to a thermal profile defining memory segment policies according to power, performance, and thermal requirements, selecting a defined memory segment policy, implementing a system workload according to the memory segment policy and deploying the system workload according to the implemented memory segment policy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Girisankar Paulraj, Daniel Lewis, Sumantra Sarkar, Arindam Raychaudhuri, Diyanesh B. Chinnakkonda Vidyapoornachary
  • Patent number: 11036578
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes: a memory cell array including a plurality of memory cells; an error correction code (ECC) engine configured to detect and/or correct at least one error bit in read data and configured to generate a decoding status flag indicative of whether the at least one error bit is detected and/or corrected, wherein the read data is read from the memory cell array; a channel interface circuit configured to receive the read data and the decoding status flag from the ECC engine and configured to transmit the read data and the decoding status flag to a memory controller, wherein the channel interface circuit is configured to transmit the decoding status flag to the memory controller through a pin; and a control logic circuit configured to control the ECC engine and the channel interface circuit in response to an address and a command from the memory controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Dae-Hyun Kim, Yong-Gyu Chu, Jun Jin Kong, Ki-Jun Lee, Myung-Kyu Lee
  • Patent number: 11030028
    Abstract: A failure detection apparatus (10) includes a RAM (125) and a controller (122) configured to execute processing related to detection of a physical quantity in a predetermined sampling period (T1). The RAM (125) includes partitioned areas generated by partitioning the entire area of the RAM (125). The controller (122) is configured to execute sequential failure detection on a portion of the partitioned areas during a time when the controller (122) is not executing the processing in each of the sampling periods (T1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: YOKOGAWA ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shouji Igarashi, Hidekazu Tanaka, Tomohiro Kajikawa
  • Patent number: 11030100
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to a system, program product, and method for expanding the retention capacity of a write cache on a host bus adaptor (HBA) device through the use of non-volatile dual in-line memory modules (NVDIMMs). At least a portion of the existing NVDIMM capacity is leveraged to temporarily retain data that is to be written to persistent storage to reduce the potential for data loss during external electric power disruptions. A NVDIMM HBA Write Cache Module (NHWCM) facilitates the data file traffic transmission and I/O command generation and transmission between a processing device, the HBA device, the NVDIMMs, and the persistent storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jiang Yu, Chun Yao, Hong Xin Hou, Yu Sun, Shu Luo, Wen Jun Jin
  • Patent number: 11017876
    Abstract: A memory correcting method includes steps: providing a memory with a plurality of memory bytes; respectively adding a plurality of correcting bytes to the plurality of memory bytes; providing a plurality of non-volatile compared memory bytes; detecting whether there are any underperforming bits in the plurality of memory bytes, the plurality of correcting bytes, and the plurality of compared memory bytes of the memory to complete the correction. Alternatively, the method respectively provides a plurality of compared memory address bytes for the plurality of memory bytes and for the plurality of correcting bytes for labeling underperforming-bit addresses. Then, the method detects whether there are any underperforming bits in the plurality of memory bytes, the plurality of correcting bytes, and the plurality of compared memory address bytes of the memory to complete the correction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: 2X Memory Technology Corp.
    Inventor: Chih-Jen Huang
  • Patent number: 11018693
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention relate to continuously verifying semiconductor device state integrity. A counter is combined to form part of the Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) calculation for control register within the semiconductor device. The counter is initialized to zero and resets after a predetermined number of cycles. The counter value is added to the currently calculated CRC value to get a combined CRC value. Every time a CRC value is calculated for the register bank, the counter value is updated, e.g. incremented. If the CRC calculation is repeated enough times, the counter value will reach its maximum value, and then roll over to its initial value of zero. If no errors occur in the register bank, the combined CRC value at the rolling over point will match an initial combined CRC value. Such a repetitive pattern of the combined CRC value may be used to continuously monitor control register integrity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Pascal Constantin Hans Meier
  • Patent number: 11017874
    Abstract: A method and system for improving data and memory reorganization and storage technology is provided. The method includes configuring data capture and analysis settings of a database system resulting in configured data capture settings. A data and associated memory analysis request is received and specified test code is selected. A specified portion of data and associated memory is selected and the specified analysis code is executed resulting in execution of said specified type of analysis with respect to the specified portion of said data and associated memory. The specified portion of said data and associated memory is modified and stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Yannick Saillet, Namit Kabra, Likhitha Maddirala, Ritesh Kumar Gupta
  • Patent number: 11004535
    Abstract: Apparatuses and techniques are described for reliably storing bad column data in a memory device. Units of bad column data and related units of error detection data are stored in non-adjacent groups of memory cells connected to a word line in a ROM block. A unit of bad column data and a related unit of error detection data can be stored in respective groups of memory cells which are relatively far apart from one another along the word line. This helps ensure that a defect in some NAND strings will not affect both the unit of bad column data and a related unit of error detection data. In another aspect, a unit of bad column data and a related unit of error detection data can be stored using different input/output circuits to further increase robustness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Hua-Ling Cynthia Hsu, YenLung Li, Aaron Lee
  • Patent number: 10978169
    Abstract: A method for ensuring that a memory array such as a ferroelectric memory array is properly electrically connected. The method may be performed, for example, prior to a read or write cycle, during functional testing of the memory array, etc. In one implementation, the memory array is read and the data set including a data bit from each cell is stored in a register. A solid logic 0's pattern is written into the memory array, and each cell is read. If no cell returns a logic 1, it is determined that the memory array is properly connected and the register data values are written to the memory array. If one or more cells returns a logic 1, it is determined that the memory array is improperly connected, the register data values are written to the memory array, and the memory array is removed and reinstalled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Markus Rudolf Silvestri, Kamran Uz Zaman, Christopher P. Caporale, Jimmy E. Kelly, John M. Scharr, Alberto Rodriguez, Dennis J. Prosser
  • Patent number: 10964682
    Abstract: A data storage system is described that uses wafer-level packaging. In one embodiment an apparatus includes a silicon wafer, a plurality of memory cells formed directly on the wafer, an encapsulant formed over the memory cells, a plurality of wiring connections to connect the memory cells to an external interface, a memory controller, and an external interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: John G. Meyers, Leo J. Craft
  • Patent number: 10964406
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a flag generation circuit and a write operation circuit. The flag generation circuit generates an error scrub flag if an error scrub operation is performed. The write operation circuit controls a write operation in response to the error scrub flag. The error scrub operation includes an internal read operation for outputting read data from a cell array, a data correction operation for correcting an error included in the read data to generate corrected data, and an internal write operation for storing the corrected data into the cell array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Young Ook Song, Yong Mi Kim, Chang Hyun Kim
  • Patent number: 10942661
    Abstract: Some embodiments include apparatuses and methods using a first memory area and a second memory area included a memory device, and using control circuitry included in the memory device to communicate with a memory controller. The memory controller includes an error correction engine. The control circuitry of the memory device is configured to retrieve the first information from the first memory area and store in the first information after the error correction engine performs an error detection operation on the first information. The control circuitry is configured to retrieve second information from the first memory area and store the second information in the second memory area without an additional error detection operation performed on the second information if a result from the error detection operation performed by the error correction engine on the first information meets a threshold condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Carla L. Christensen
  • Patent number: 10936209
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for a memory error indicator related to high-reliability applications are described. A memory device may perform error detection procedures to monitor trends in the quantity of bit errors as an indication of the health of the memory device. A memory device may perform error detection procedures concurrently with refresh procedures to detect a quantity of errors (e.g., in a memory array) without degrading the performance of the device or the memory array. The memory device may compare a quantity of errors detected (e.g., in the memory array) with one or more previously detected quantities of errors to determine one or more differences in the quantities of errors. The memory device may generate an error metric based on the differences, and may determine whether the error metric satisfies a threshold. The memory device may output a status indicator (e.g., to a host device) based on whether the error metric satisfies the threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Erika Prosser, Aaron P. Boehm, Debra M. Bell
  • Patent number: 10937518
    Abstract: Apparatuses including a test interface circuit that is configured to merge multiple independent traffic streams generated from individual algorithmic pattern generators (APGs) for communication with a memory device over a shared memory interface. The combination of multiple independent traffic streams, each with their own looping sequences and command timings, may generate a large set of random command sequences. The test interface circuit may include an arbiter circuit that merges a first independent traffic stream from a first APG and a second independent traffic stream from a second APG. Each of the first and second independent traffic streams are directed to different semi-independently-accessible portions of the memory device. The memory device may include a hybrid memory cube having independently accessible vaults or a high bandwidth memory device having independently accessible channels, in some examples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Roman A. Royer, Chikara Kondo, Chiaki Dono
  • Patent number: 10930365
    Abstract: In embodiments, a memory controller (MC) includes an output interface, and an execution engine (EE) to identify, based on field test results of a die coupled to the MC, initial test results of the die using an artificial neural network (ANN) trained to identify the die from a set of NVM dies based on initial test results of the set of NVM dies obtained at a time of manufacture of the set of dies. The initial test results include a first useful life prediction and the field test results include a second useful life prediction, and the initial test results are regenerated by the ANN to protect their confidentiality. In embodiments, the MC is further to compare the second useful life prediction with the first useful life prediction, to determine a deviation between the two, and output, via the output interface, the deviation to a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Pavel Poliakov, Andrey Kudryavtsev, Shekoufeh Qawami, Amirali Khatib Zadeh, Monte Klinkenborg
  • Patent number: 10901839
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include a memory module that includes a plurality of memory devices and a memory buffer device. The memory devices are characterized as one of a high or low random bit error rate (RBER) memory device. The memory buffer device includes a read data interface to receive data read from a memory address on one of the memory devices, and common error correction logic to detect and correct error conditions in data read from both high RBER and low RBER memory devices. The memory buffer device also includes refresh rate logic configured to adjust a refresh rate based on the detected error conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: James A. O'Connor, Barry M. Trager, Warren E. Maule, Brad W. Michael, Marc A. Gollub, Patrick J. Meaney
  • Patent number: 10896709
    Abstract: A memory device includes a memory cell array that includes memory cells, a row decoder that is connected with the memory cell array through word lines, a column decoder that is connected with the memory cell array through bit lines and source lines, and a write driver that outputs a write voltage in a write operation. The column decoder includes switches, which are respectively connected to the bit lines and are respectively connected to the source lines. During the write operation, a selected switch of the switches transfers the write voltage to a selected bit line of the bit lines. Each unselected switch of the switches electrically separates the write driver from a corresponding unselected bit line of the bit lines by using the write voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Inventor: Artur Antonyan
  • Patent number: 10872639
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed, including determining whether to write dummy data to a first physical page of memory cells of a storage system, such as in response to a detected asynchronous power loss (APL) at the storage system, using a determined number of zeros in the first physical page.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Xiangang Luo, Jianmin Huang, Patroclo Fumagalli, Scott Anthony Stoller, Alessandro Magnavacca, Andrea Pozzato
  • Patent number: 10867645
    Abstract: A memory device includes a plurality of latches arranged in a plurality of columns including a first column and a second column and in a plurality of rows, a first flip flop configured to output first data, to first latches arranged in the first column, among the plurality of latches, based on a clock, and a second flip flop configured to output second data, to second latches arranged in the second column, among the plurality of latches, based on the clock. The first flip flop is further configured to, in a lock time section in which the first latches and the second latches maintain an output regardless of an input, block output of the first data to the first latches, and the second flip flop is further configured to, in the lock time section, block output of the second data to the second latches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Young-shin Yoo, Min-su Kim, Hyun-chul Hwang
  • Patent number: 10861581
    Abstract: A memory system includes a memory device including a plurality of blocks, and a controller suitable for managing the plurality of blocks by grouping the plurality of blocks into a plurality of super blocks in accordance with a predetermined condition, managing normal blocks which are not grouped into the super blocks in a replacement block pool, setting each of the plurality of super blocks that includes at least one bad block to a bad super block, and then changing each bad super block in which the at least one bad block is replaced with a normal block of the replacement block pool using replacement information to a recovery super block, wherein the replacement information includes in a bitmap indicative of whether or not an interleaving operation of each of the recovery super blocks is possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Soo-Jin Park
  • Patent number: 10854167
    Abstract: A display device includes a display panel, a frame memory, a display control circuit that performs a predetermined process on a first video signal using the frame memory and outputs an obtained second video signal, and a panel drive circuit that drives the display panel based on the second video signal. The display control circuit checks whether the frame memory is normal or abnormal, by storing partial video data included in the first video signal, writing to the frame memory, video data obtained by replacing the partial video data with first test data, and comparing with the first test data, second test data included in the video data read from the frame memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noriaki Yamaguchi, Hidekazu Miyata, Masafumi Yashiki
  • Patent number: 10855497
    Abstract: A semiconductor device including a signal generator and decoding and timing skew adjusting circuit is provided. The signal generator is configured to receive n multi-level signals having m signal levels and convert the n multi-level signals into n*(m?1) single level signals having two signal levels. The decoding and timing skew adjusting circuit is configured to receive the single level signals, perform a predefined operation on the single level signals to generate an output signal, and compensate for timing skew between the n multi-level signals, using the single level signals. The n and m are natural numbers, where n>=2 and m>=3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Hayashi, Shinya Namioka, Chang Eun Lee, Sung-Yeol Kim, Si Young Koh, Hyung-Sun Ryu, Jang Yeob Lee, Shin Ki Jeong