Error Correction During Refresh Cycle Patents (Class 714/754)
  • Patent number: 10884837
    Abstract: Technologies are described herein for differentiating normal operation of an application program from error conditions to predict, diagnose, and recover from application failures. Access to resources by the application program is monitored, and resource access events are logged. Resource access patterns are established from the logged resource access events utilizing computer pattern recognition techniques. If subsequent access to resources by the application program deviates from the established patterns, then a user and/or administrator of the application program is notified of a potential error condition based on the detected deviation. In addition, sequences of resource access events that deviate from the established resources access patterns are correlated with an error condition based on a temporal proximity to the time of occurrence of the error to provide diagnostic information regarding the error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Matthew David Young, Kristofer Hellick Reierson, Eric Jewart
  • Patent number: 10803919
    Abstract: A memory system includes a memory module comprising a plurality of memory devices, and a memory controller suitable for controlling the plurality of memory devices to perform a refresh operation or performing an error correction code (ECC) operation on the plurality of memory devices, according to a refresh operation request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Joon-Woo Kim, Hyun-Seok Kim, Young-Jae Jin
  • Patent number: 10514980
    Abstract: An encoding method for a memory storage apparatus adopting a Lien ECC scheme is provided. The memory storage apparatus comprises an ECC encoder using a Lien Code. The encoding method includes: receiving a write command comprising a write address and a write data; reading an existing codeword comprising a first flip bit indicating bit-flipping of the existing codeword and flipping bits of the existing codeword based on the first flip bit; encoding the write data into a new codeword based on a Lien Code by an ECC encoder, and flipping bits of the new codeword based on a number of bits required to be changed from the existing codeword to the new codeword; and writing the new codeword comprising a first flip bit indicating bit-flipping of the new codeword to the write address In addition, a memory storage apparatus using the encoding method based on the Lien Code is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: Winbond Electronics Corp.
    Inventors: Chuen-Der Lien, Ming-Huei Shieh, Seow Fong Lim, Ngatik Cheung, Chi-Shun Lin
  • Patent number: 10297304
    Abstract: An operating method of a memory device includes the following operations: during a refresh operation with the first refresh rate, generating a first ECC according to first data, and generating a second ECC according to second data; determining whether an error exists in the first data or not during the refresh operation with a second refresh rate; determining whether the error exists in the second data or not during the refresh operation with a third refresh rate; and if it is determined that the error exists in the first data and/or the second data, correcting the first data and/or the second data. The second refresh rate and the third refresh rate are lower than the first refresh rate, and the third refresh rate is lower than the second refresh rate. The correcting ability of the second ECC is higher than the correcting ability of the first ECC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: NANYA TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chung-Hsun Lee, Hsien-Wen Liu
  • Patent number: 10096378
    Abstract: A capacitance measurement test vehicle comprises multiple product layers which are used to build memories except interconnect layers, and one or more customized interconnect layers to connect memory-bit-line-under-tests (MBLUTs), memory-world-line-under-tests (MWLUTs) and memory-bit-cell-under-tests (MUTs). By introducing two transistors, one PMOS and one NMOS, at two opposite sides or the same side of a bit-line or a world-line, the capacitance of the bit-line or the world-line can be measured by a parametric tester. The PMOS device is for pumping in current, and the NMOS device is for draining out the current. By applying a non-overlapping clocked signal at the PMOS and NMOS transistors, the capacitance of bit-line, word-line and bit-cell can be measured as current signal. The PMOS and NMOS transistors are selected from on-chip transistors that are already in the memory design layout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: PDF Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Yih-Yuh Doong, Chao-Hsiung Lin, Sheng-Che Lin, Shihpin Kuo, Tzupin Shen, Chia-Chi Lin, Kimon Michaels
  • Patent number: 10044780
    Abstract: A system can perform operations including receiving a first data stream from a first device, wherein the first data stream is associated with an active session between the first device and a mobile network and wherein the first data stream is associated with a first incoming port. The system can also receive a second data stream from the first device, wherein the second data stream is associated with the active session, and wherein the second data stream is associated with a second incoming port. The system can also determine a third port and a fourth port that are outgoing ports that respectively correspond to the first and second ports. The system can also transmit the first data stream to a second device via the third port and transmit the second data stream to a third device via the fourth port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignees: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P., AT&T MOBILITY II LLC
    Inventors: Sangar Dowlatkhah, Erie Lai Har Lau
  • Patent number: 9892040
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes: a memory cell array including memory strings, one of the memory strings including memory cells; word lines commonly connected to the memory strings; and a controller configured to execute a write operation and a read operation on a page, the page being stored in memory cells connected to one of the word lines. The controller is configured to measure a cell current flowing in the memory string, and adjust a write voltage applied to a word line, based on a result of the cell current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Masanobu Shirakawa, Takuya Futatsuyama, Kenichi Abe
  • Patent number: 9786342
    Abstract: A memory control circuit to control a first memory comprising a plurality of MRAM cells, each MRAM cell including of a magnetoresistive element to store data, has a second memory, when there is a read request to a first address of the first memory, to read data of a second address different from the first address, from the first memory and store the read data, a controller to control access to the first memory and the second memory, a capacitor connected in series to the magnetoresistive element, and a sense amplifier to sense a logic of the data from a voltage between both electrodes of the capacitor, the voltage varying in accordance with a current flowing through the magnetoresistive element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hiroki Noguchi, Shinobu Fujita
  • Patent number: 9524207
    Abstract: A memory device may include memory components for storing data. The memory device may also include a controller that determines whether one or more errors exist in a data packet stored in the memory components. The controller may read a code word associated with the data packet, such that the code word may be used to indicate whether the errors exist in the data packet. The controller may then determine a syndrome polynomial based on the code word and determine an inverse of the syndrome polynomial when the syndrome polynomial is not zero. The controller may then determine a first error locator polynomial and a second error locator polynomial based on the inverse of the syndrome polynomial. The first error locator polynomial and the second error locator polynomial may be used to identify one or more locations of one or more errors in the code word.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Chandra C. Varanasi
  • Patent number: 9405607
    Abstract: A memory controller comprises at least a memory control processing module and/or a distributed storage processing module. A method begins by the memory control processing module receiving a memory access request regarding a data segment. The method continues with the memory control processing module interpreting the memory access request to determine whether an error coding dispersal function of the data segment is applicable. The method continues with the memory control processing module sending the memory access request to the distributed storage processing module when the error coding dispersal function is applicable. The method continues with the distributed storage processing module performing the error coding dispersal function on the data segment to produce an error coded processed data segment. The method continues with the distributed storage processing module sending the error coded processed data segment to the memory control processing module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gary W. Grube, Timothy W. Markison
  • Patent number: 9300325
    Abstract: An error operation unit configured to output an error detection code in response to a plurality of control signals, a plurality of vectors and data, a vector storage unit configured to store the plurality of vectors, and a vector switching unit configured to provide the plurality of vectors to the error operation unit in response to the plurality of control signals are included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Chan Gi Gil
  • Patent number: 9189308
    Abstract: Technologies are described herein for differentiating normal operation of an application program from error conditions to predict, diagnose, and recover from application failures. Access to resources by the application program is monitored, and resource access events are logged. Resource access patterns are established from the logged resource access events utilizing computer pattern recognition techniques. If subsequent access to resources by the application program deviates from the established patterns, then a user and/or administrator of the application program is notified of a potential error condition based on the detected deviation. In addition, sequences of resource access events that deviate from the established resources access patterns are correlated with an error condition based on a temporal proximity to the time of occurrence of the error to provide diagnostic information regarding the error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Matthew David Young, Kristofer Hellick Reierson, Eric Jewart
  • Patent number: 9176816
    Abstract: A memory system includes a controlling unit that configured to control data transfer between the first and the second memory. The controlling unit executes copy processing for, after reading out data stored in a first page of the second memory to the first memory, writing the data in a second page of the second memory, determines, when executing the copy processing, whether the error correction processing for the data read out from the first page is successful, stores, when the error correction processing is successful, corrected data in the first memory and writes the corrected data in the second page, and reads out, when the error correction processing is unsuccessful, the data from the first page to the first memory and writes the data not subjected to the error correction processing in the second page.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Junji Yano, Hidenori Matsuzaki, Kosuke Hatsuda, Hiroki Matsudaira
  • Patent number: 9110829
    Abstract: Some aspects of the present disclosure relate a method. The method attempts to write an expected multi-bit word to a memory location in memory. After writing of the multi-bit word has been attempted, an actual multi-bit word is read from the memory location. The actual multi-bit word is then compared with the expected multi-bit word to identify a number of erroneous bits and a number of correct bits stored in the memory location. The number of erroneous bits is re-written to the memory location without attempting to re-write the correct bits to the memory location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Yue-Der Chih, Hung-Chang Yu, Kai-Chun Lin, Chin-Yi Huang, Laun C. Tran
  • Publication number: 20150121163
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods for memory system data management. A number of embodiments include writing data from a host to a buffer in the memory system, receiving, at the buffer, a notification from a memory device in the memory system that the memory device is ready to receive data, sending at least a portion of the data from the buffer to the memory device, and writing the portion of the data to the memory device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Ramin Ghodsi
  • Patent number: 9015537
    Abstract: According to exemplary embodiments, a system, is provided for bit error rate (BER)-based wear leveling in a solid state drive (SSD). A block-level BER value for a block in the SSD is determined. An adjusted PE cycle count for the block is incremented or decremented based on the block-level BER value. Wear leveling is then performed in the SSD based on the adjusted PE cycle count.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas J. Griffin, Dustin J. Vanstee
  • Patent number: 8996935
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for operation of a memory module for storage of a data word is provided. The apparatus includes a memory module having a set of paired memory devices including a first memory device to store a first section of a data word and a second memory device to store a second section of the data word when used in failure free operation. The apparatus may further include a first logic module to perform a write operation by writing the first and second sections of the data word to both the first memory device and the second memory device upon the determination of certain types of failure. The determination may include that a failure exists in the word section storage of either the first or second memory devices but that no failures exist in equivalent locations of word section storage in the two memory devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Edgar R. Cordero, Timothy J. Dell, Girisankar Paulraj, Saravanan Sethuraman
  • Publication number: 20140372827
    Abstract: Systems and methods for error recovery include determining an error in at least one stage of a plurality of stages during a first cycle on a hardware circuit, each of the plurality of stages having a main latch and a shadow latch. A first signal is transmitted to an output stage of the at least one stage to stall the main latch and the shadow latch of the output stage during a second cycle. A second signal is transmitted to an input stage of the at least one stage to stall the main latch of the input stage during the second cycle and to stall the main latch and the shadow latch of the input stage during a third cycle. Data is restored from the shadow latch to the main latch for the at least one stage and the input stage to recover from the error.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventors: Jae-Joon Kim, Yu-Shiang Lin, Insup Shin
  • Publication number: 20140359391
    Abstract: A DRAM memory device includes several banks of memory cells each of which are divided into first and second sets of memory cells. The memory cells in the first set can be refreshed at a relatively slow rate to reduce the power consumed by the DRAM device. Error checking and correcting circuitry in the DRAM device corrects any data retention errors in the first set of memory cells caused by the relatively slow refresh rate. The memory cells in the second set are refreshed at a normal rate, which is fast enough that data retention errors do not occur. A mode register in the DRAM device may be programmed to select the size of the second set of memory cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2014
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Inventor: J. THOMAS PAWLOWSKI
  • Patent number: 8898544
    Abstract: This disclosure includes a method for correcting errors on a DRAM having an ECC which includes writing data to a DRAM row, reading data from the DRAM row, detecting errors in the data that cannot be corrected by the DRAM's ECC, determining erasure information for the row, evaluating the errors using the erasure information, and correcting the errors in the data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michele M. Franceschini, Hillery C. Hunter, Ashish Jagmohan, Charles A. Kilmer, Kyu-hyoun Kim, Luis A. Lastras-Montano, Moinuddin K. Qureshi
  • Patent number: 8880974
    Abstract: A DRAM device includes an ECC generator/checker that generates ECC syndromes corresponding to items of data stored in the DRAM device. The DRAM device also includes an ECC controller that causes the ECC syndromes to be stored in the DRAM device. The ECC controller also causes a flag bit having a first value to be stored in the DRAM device when a corresponding ECC syndrome is stored. The ECC controller changes the flag bit to a second value whenever the corresponding data bits are modified, this indicating that the stored syndrome no longer corresponds to the stored data. In such case, the ECC controller causes a new ECC syndrome to be generated and stored, and the corresponding flag bit is reset to the first value. The flag bits may be checked in this manner during a reduced power refresh to ensure that the stored syndromes correspond to the stored data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: J. Thomas Pawlowski, John F. Schreck
  • Patent number: 8854241
    Abstract: A method and system for monitoring an output of an electronic processing component which detects an out-of-range value in the output of the electronic processing component during one time period during which one channel of input channels of a time multiplexer provides an input signal to the electronic processing component. Corrective actions are performed based on the detected out-of-range value. The corrective actions including excluding further multiplexing of signals from the one channel of the input channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Gary Hess, Kirk Lillestolen
  • Patent number: 8843800
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit pertaining to the present invention comprises a plurality of storage elements for storing and holding an input signal, a majority circuit that outputs a result of a majority decision of outputs from the plurality of storage elements; an error detector circuit that detects a mismatch among the outputs of the plurality of storage elements and outputs error signals; and a monitor circuit that monitors the error signals from the error detector circuit, wherein the monitor circuit, based on the error signals, orders a refresh action that rewrites data for rectification to a storage element in which an output mismatch occurs out of the plurality of storage elements and, if rewrite and rectification by the refresh action are unsuccessful, sends a notification to an external unit or process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Koichi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8832506
    Abstract: According to exemplary embodiments, a system, method, and computer program product are provided for BER-based wear leveling in a SSD. A block-level BER value for a block in the SSD is determined. An adjusted PE cycle count for the block is incremented or decremented based on the block-level BER value. Wear leveling is then performed in the SSD based on the adjusted PE cycle count.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas J. Griffin, Dustin J. Vanstee
  • Patent number: 8832522
    Abstract: A DRAM memory device includes several banks of memory cells each of which are divided into first and second sets of memory cells. The memory cells in the first set can be refreshed at a relatively slow rate to reduce the power consumed by the DRAM device. Error checking and correcting circuitry in the DRAM device corrects any data retention errors in the first set of memory cells caused by the relatively slow refresh rate. The memory cells in the second set are refreshed at a normal rate, which is fast enough that data retention errors do not occur. A mode register in the DRAM device may be programmed to select the size of the second set of memory cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: J. Thomas Pawlowski
  • Patent number: 8775865
    Abstract: A data scrubbing apparatus corrects disturb errors occurring in a memory cell array, such as SMT MRAM cells. The data scrubbing apparatus activates scrubbing of the data and associated error correction bits based on a number of errors corrected, at a power up of the memory cell array, or a programmed time interval. The data scrubbing apparatus may generate an address describing the location of the memory cells to be scrubbed. The data scrubbing apparatus then commands the array of memory cells to write back the corrected data, the associated error correction bits, and reference bits. The data scrubbing apparatus provides a busy indicator externally during a write back of corrected data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Headway Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Hsu Kai Yang
  • Publication number: 20140181613
    Abstract: A computer system includes a memory controller coupled to a memory module containing several DRAMs. The memory module also includes a non-volatile memory storing row addresses identifying rows containing DRAM memory cells that are likely to lose data during normal refresh of the memory cells. Upon power-up, the data from the non-volatile memory are transferred to a comparator in the memory controller. The comparator compares the row addresses to row addresses from a refresh shadow counter that identify the rows in the DRAMs being refreshed. When a row of memory cells is being refreshed that is located one-half of the rows away from a row that is likely to loose data, the memory controller causes the row that is likely to loose data to be refreshed. The memory controller also includes error checking circuitry for identifying the rows of memory cells that are likely to lose data during refresh.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Dean A. Klein
  • Patent number: 8756474
    Abstract: A method for initiating a refresh operation of a solid-state nonvolatile memory device coupled to a processor is disclosed. The method comprises determining an error number for a block of the solid-state nonvolatile memory. The error number corresponds to an amount of error bits in a page of the block having a greatest amount of error bits. The method further comprises comparing the error number with an error threshold and determining a reset number indicating an amount of times that the processor has been reset since a previous refresh operation was performed on the block of the solid-state nonvolatile memory. The method further includes comparing the number of resets with a reset threshold and refreshing the block of the solid-state nonvolatile memory when the number of errors exceeds the error threshold and the number of resets exceeds the reset threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignees: DENSO International America, Inc., Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Shibata, Koji Shinoda, Brian W. Hughes
  • Patent number: 8689077
    Abstract: A computer system includes a memory controller coupled to a memory module containing several DRAMs. The memory module also includes a non-volatile memory storing row addresses identifying rows containing DRAM memory cells that are likely to lose data during normal refresh of the memory cells. Upon power-up, the data from the non-volatile memory are transferred to a comparator in the memory controller. The comparator compares the row addresses to row addresses from a refresh shadow counter that identify the rows in the DRAMs being refreshed. When a row of memory cells is being refreshed that is located one-half of the rows away from a row that is likely to loose data, the memory controller causes the row that is likely to loose data to be refreshed. The memory controller also includes error checking circuitry for identifying the rows of memory cells that are likely to lose data during refresh.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Dean A. Klein
  • Patent number: 8601341
    Abstract: A DRAM device includes an ECC generator/checker that generates ECC syndromes corresponding to items of data stored in the DRAM device. The DRAM device also includes an ECC controller that causes the ECC syndromes to be stored in the DRAM device. The ECC controller also causes a flag bit having a first value to be stored in the DRAM device when a corresponding ECC syndrome is stored. The ECC controller changes the flag bit to a second value whenever the corresponding data bits are modified, this indicating that the stored syndrome no longer corresponds to the stored data. In such case, the ECC controller causes a new ECC syndrome to be generated and stored, and the corresponding flag bit is reset to the first value. The flag bits may be checked in this manner during a reduced power refresh to ensure that the stored syndromes correspond to the stored data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Micron Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: J. Thomas Pawlowski, John F. Schreck
  • Patent number: 8583982
    Abstract: A concatenated decoder and concatenated decoding method are provided. The concatenated decoder, including: an inner decoder to receive an input bit stream, inner-decode the received input bit stream, and generate a first bit stream; and an outer decoder to generate error information about the received first bit stream, according to the generated error information, transmit an iterative decoding continuation request to the inner decoder or outer-decode the first bit stream to generate a second bit stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jaehong Kim, Jun Jin Kong
  • Patent number: 8572455
    Abstract: Systems and methods to respond to error detection are provided. First data may be received at a first memory controller port in response to a read command issued from the first memory controller port. The read command may be issued as a second read command from a second memory controller port after determining that the first data contains a first uncorrectable error. Second data may be received at the second memory controller port in response to the second read command. A repair write command may be issued from the first memory controller port after determining that the second data does not contain any errors. The repair write command may initiate writing the second data from the first memory controller port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: H. Lee Blackmon, Ryan S. Haraden, Joseph A. Kirscht, Elizabeth A. McGlone
  • Patent number: 8510622
    Abstract: A digital broadcast transmitting/receiving system and a method for processing data are disclosed. The method for processing data may enhance the receiving performance of the receiving system by performing additional coding and multiplexing processes on the traffic information data and transmitting the processed data. Thus, robustness is provided to the traffic information data, thereby enabling the data to respond strongly against the channel environment which is always under constant and vast change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jin Pil Kim, Young In Kim, Ho Taek Hong, In Hwan Choi, Kook Yeon Kwak, Hyoung Gon Lee, Byoung Gill Kim, Jin Woo Kim, Jong Moon Kim, Won Gyu Song
  • Publication number: 20130185606
    Abstract: System and methods for proactively refreshing portions of a nonvolatile memory are disclosed. A memory system may proactively refresh a portion of nonvolatile memory based on data associated with the portion. The data may include the time elapsed since the portion was last refreshed, the number of times the portion has been cycled, and the average operating temperature of the nonvolatile memory. A portion of nonvolatile memory meeting certain criteria determined from that data may be proactively refreshed during a downtime when the nonvolatile memory is not otherwise being accessed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2012
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventor: Anthony Fai
  • Patent number: 8484520
    Abstract: A processor has an ALU, a load/store unit, a timer, an ECC calculator, and a plurality of ECC registers. When the load/store unit writes data in a main memory, the load/store unit writes written data and a count value of a timer in the main memory, and sets ECC status flag which indicates that an ECC about the written data is not correct in the main memory, and causes the ECC calculator to calculate the ECC about the written data after setting the ECC status flag, and writes the calculated ECC in the main memory and resets the ECC status flag after the ECC is calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Seiji Maeda, Kenta Yasufuku
  • Patent number: 8468295
    Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing problems and disadvantages associated with power consumption in memory devices are disclosed. A method for reducing power consumption in memory may include tracking, by an operating system executing on a processor, one or more logical units of a memory system that are in use. The method may also include setting, by the operating system, a variable indicating a portion of the memory system in use based on the logical units of the memory system in use. The method may additionally include refreshing one or more of the one or more logical units of the memory system based on the variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Stuart Allen Berke, William Sauber
  • Publication number: 20130139029
    Abstract: A DRAM memory device includes several banks of memory cells each of which are divided into first and second sets of memory cells. The memory cells in the first set can be refreshed at a relatively slow rate to reduce the power consumed by the DRAM device. Error checking and correcting circuitry in the DRAM device corrects any data retention errors in the first set of memory cells caused by the relatively slow refresh rate. The memory cells in the second set are refreshed at a normal rate, which is fast enough that data retention errors do not occur. A mode register in the DRAM device may be programmed to select the size of the second set of memory cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2013
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Micron Technology, Inc.
  • Patent number: 8452919
    Abstract: An advanced memory having improved performance, reduced power and increased reliability. A memory device includes a memory array, a receiver for receiving a command and associated data, error control coding circuitry for performing error control checking on the received command, and data masking circuitry for preventing the associated data from being written to the memory array in response to the error control coding circuitry detecting an error in the received command. Another memory device includes a programmable preamble. Another memory device includes a fast exit self-refresh mode. Another memory device includes auto refresh function that is controlled by the characteristic device. Another memory device includes an auto refresh function that is controlled by a characteristic of the memory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kyu-Hyoun Kim, George L. Chiu, Paul W. Coteus, Daniel M. Dreps, Kevin C. Gower, Hillery C. Hunter, Charles A. Kilmer, Warren E. Maule
  • Patent number: 8413007
    Abstract: A DRAM device includes an ECC generator/checker that generates ECC syndromes corresponding to items of data stored in the DRAM device. The DRAM device also includes an ECC controller that causes the ECC syndromes to be stored in the DRAM device. The ECC controller also causes a flag bit having a first value to be stored in the DRAM device when a corresponding ECC syndrome is stored. The ECC controller changes the flag bit to a second value whenever the corresponding data bits are modified, this indicating that the stored syndrome no longer corresponds to the stored data. In such case, the ECC controller causes a new ECC syndrome to be generated and stored, and the corresponding flag bit is reset to the first value. The flag bits may be checked in this manner during a reduced power refresh to ensure that the stored syndromes correspond to the stored data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: J. Thomas Pawlowski, John Schreck
  • Patent number: 8402375
    Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for managing bookmark buttons on a web browser toolbar. A web browser stores the number of times it is used to navigate to a website. On navigating to a website a predetermined number of times, a bookmark button that links to the website is automatically generated and displayed on the toolbar. The number of bookmark buttons displayed at any one time is limited, and they are arranged by the number of times their associated websites have been viewed. On determining that a new website has been viewed more than a website associated with a currently displayed bookmark button, the currently displayed bookmark button is replaced by a new bookmark button that links to the new website.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Travis Michael Skare, Brandon Bilinski
  • Patent number: 8381081
    Abstract: Systems and methods for data loss protection are presented. In one embodiment, a data loss protection switch includes a first port, a second port, an error threshold management component and a multiplexer. Components of the data loss protection switch cooperatively operate to efficiently protect data. The first port receives information from a first data stream. The second port receives data from a second data stream. The error threshold management component analyzes errors in the first data stream and the second data stream. The multiplexer is controlled by the error threshold management component and selects among the first and second data streams based on the analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Palani Subbiah, Paul Scott
  • Patent number: 8374284
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a method and apparatus for decoding encoded data symbols. The invention is also directed to corresponding encoding methods. The decoder arrangement comprises an input for receiving encoded data and an identifier associated with a coding scheme used to create said encoded data. A processor in the decoding arrangement determines from the identifier, a mapping between said encoded data and the original data. A decoder uses the mapping to extract the original data from the encoded data. The operation of the decoder is independent of the coding scheme used in the encoding process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Apple, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark Watson
  • Patent number: 8359517
    Abstract: A DRAM memory device includes several banks of memory cells each of which are divided into first and second sets of memory cells. The memory cells in the first set can be refreshed at a relatively slow rate to reduce the power consumed by the DRAM device. Error checking and correcting circuitry in the DRAM device corrects any data retention errors in the first set of memory cells caused by the relatively slow refresh rate. The memory cells in the second set are refreshed at a normal rate, which is fast enough that data retention errors do not occur. A mode register in the DRAM device may be programmed to select the size of the second set of memory cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: J. Thomas Pawlowski
  • Patent number: 8347171
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device capable of reducing current consumption in a partial-array self-refresh (PASR) mode includes a plurality of banks and at least one parity bank. A specific area to be self-refreshed is individually selected from each of some banks selected out of the plurality of banks to perform a self-refresh operation. Data of the specific area to be self-refreshed is verified using an error correction code (ECC) stored in the parity bank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Eunsung Seo
  • Patent number: 8327228
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus relating to home agent data and memory management are described. In one embodiment, a scrubber logic corrects an error at a location in a memory corresponding to a target address by writing back the corrected version of data to the target location. In an embodiment, a map out logic maps out an index or way of a directory cache in response to a number of errors, corresponding to the directory cache, exceeding a threshold value. Other embodiments are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Ganesh Kumar, Dheemanth Nagaraj, Vincent R. Freytag, Eric Delano, Gregory S. Averill
  • Patent number: 8291271
    Abstract: Memory devices that, in a particular embodiment, receive and transmit analog data signals representative of bit patterns of two or more bits such as to facilitate increases in data transfer rates relative to devices communicating data signals indicative of individual bits. Programming error correction code (ECC) and metadata into such memory devices includes storing the ECC and metadata at different bit levels per cell based on an actual error rate of the cells. The ECC and metadata can be stored with the data block at a different bit level than the data block. If the area of memory in which the block of data is stored does not support the desired reliability for the ECC and metadata at a particular bit level, the ECC and metadata can be stored in other areas of the memory array at different bit levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Frankie F. Roohparvar, Vishal Sarin, Jung S. Hoei
  • Patent number: 8286052
    Abstract: A wireless communication method and apparatus for detecting and decoding enhanced dedicated channel (E-DCH) hybrid automatic repeat request (H-ARQ) indicator channel (E-HICH) transmissions are disclosed. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) receives E-HICH transmissions and detects an H-ARQ indicator transmitted via the E-HICH by performing a binary hypothesis test. The WTRU then generates an acknowledgement (ACK) message or a non-acknowledgement (NACK) message based on the detected H-ARQ indicator. A reliability test may be further performed to improve performance, whereby the binary hypothesis test may be performed only if the reliability test is passed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: InterDigital Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Kyle Jung-Lin Pan, Rui Yang, Stephen E. Terry
  • Patent number: 8255762
    Abstract: This disclosure concerns a memory including: a first memory region including memory groups including a plurality of memory cells, addresses being respectively allocated for the memory groups, the memory groups respectively being units of data erase operations; a second memory region temporarily storing therein data read from the first memory region or temporarily storing therein data to be written to the first memory region; a read counter storing therein a data read count for each memory group; an error-correcting circuit calculating an error bit count of the read data; and a controller performing a refresh operation, in which the read data stored in one of the memory groups is temporarily stored in the second memory region and is written back the read data to the same memory group, when the error bit count exceeds a first threshold or when the data read count exceeds a second threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yasushi Nagadomi, Daisaburo Takashima, Kosuke Hatsuda
  • Patent number: 8245108
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes: a first bank and a second bank; one or more first data input/output pads disposed at one side of the first bank and used in access to data of the first bank; one or more second data input/output pads disposed at one side of the second bank and used in access to data of the second bank; a first cyclic redundancy code (CRC) generation circuit for generating a first CRC using a plurality of data output from the first bank and outputting the generated first CRC through the first data input/output pads; and a second CRC generation circuit for generating a second CRC using a plurality of data output from the second bank and outputting the generated second CRC through the second data input/output pads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Hyuck-Soo Yoon
  • Patent number: 8225150
    Abstract: Semiconductor memory device includes a cell array including a plurality of unit cells; and a test circuit configured to perform a built-in self-stress (BISS) test for detecting a defect by performing a plurality of internal operations including a write operation through an access to the unit cells using a plurality of patterns during a test procedure carried out at a wafer-level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: Hwang Hur, Chang-Ho Do, Jae-Bum Ko, Jin-Il Chung