In Memories (epo) Patents (Class 714/E11.034)
  • Publication number: 20090204752
    Abstract: When a single error of data is detected by an ECC circuit, a cycle adjusting unit provided on a memory board shortens a refresh cycle T1 of a refresh request generating unit to T2 and causes a patrol controlling unit to intensively carry out an error patrol of an error-occurred address at a cycle T3, which is slightly longer than the changed refresh cycle T2. If an error is not detected for more than a predetermined period of time after the error patrol is started, the error patrol is stopped. Furthermore, if a single error is not detected for more than a predetermined period of time after the error patrol is stopped, the shortening of the refresh cycle is cancelled and returned to the original cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2009
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Takatsugu Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20090204846
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for automating full stripe operations in a redundant data storage array. In a redundant storage device controller, a parity product is accumulated that is associated with an information stripe. The parity product is stored in controller memory in a single write operation. A stored parity product is then written in a storage device. The parity product may be accumulated in a RAID controller, stored in a RAID controller memory, and written in a RAID. For example, the controller may receive n data stripelets for storage. The parity product is accumulated by creating m parity stripelets, and the m parity stripelets are written into the controller memory in a single write operation. Alternately, the controller may receive (n+m?x) stripelets from a RAID with (n+m) drives, recover x stripelets, and write x stripelets into controller memory in a single write operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2008
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Inventors: Doug Baloun, Richard Biskup
  • Publication number: 20090183058
    Abstract: In a communications channel coupled to multiple duplicated subsystems, a method, interposer and program product are provided for verifying integrity of subsystem responses. Within the communications channel, a first checksum is calculated with receipt of a first response from a first subsystem responsive to a common request, and a second checksum is calculated for a second response of a second subsystem received responsive to the common request. The first checksum and the second checksum are compared, and if matching, only one of the first response and the second response is forwarded from the communications channel as the response to the common request, with the other of the first response and the second response being discarded by the communications channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2009
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Vincenzo Condorelli, Thomas J. Dewkett, Michael D. Hocker, Tamas Visegrady
  • Publication number: 20090172497
    Abstract: Provided is a data processing system for recording holographic optical information. The data processing system includes: a data interface constructing a data page by using data transmitted from a host information device; a memory storing data transmitted from the data interface; an encoder ECC-encoding data that is stored in the memory; and a modulator modulating the encoded data so as to record optical information. Accordingly, it is possible to efficiently transmit data when recording and reproducing holographic optical information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2008
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Applicant: DAEWOO ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nak Young KIM, Pil Sang YOON, Kyu Il JUNG
  • Publication number: 20090164867
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for the detection and correction of memory errors using code words with a quantity, divisible by 4, of data bits, with an equal quantity of check bits, and having the check bits and data bits interleaved. Upon execution of a memory write instruction, a processor may send a memory word to a check bit generator that generates the check bits before the code word is written to a memory unit. Upon a signal from the processor that a memory read is requested, the memory unit may send a stored code word to a syndrome bit generator to generate a syndrome vector. The syndrome vector may then be sent to a correction bit generator and an uncorrectable error detector. These units may send corrected bits and an uncorrectable error signal, respectively, to the processor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Applicant: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventor: Scott L. Gray
  • Publication number: 20090164871
    Abstract: Semiconductor memory devices are provided that include a nonvolatile memory that has a plurality of memory cells and a memory controller that is configured to control at least some of the operations of the nonvolatile memory. The memory controller include an error correction unit. Moreover, the memory controller is configured to determine whether a read failure that occurs during a read operation of a first of the plurality of memory cells is due to charge leakage based at least in part on an output of the error correction unit. Related methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Inventor: Sung-Kyu Jo
  • Publication number: 20090158122
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to systems, methods, and apparatuses for the forward error correction coding of an error acknowledgement command protocol. In some embodiments, a host sends commands to a memory device and monitors an error signal to determine whether the memory device received the commands without error. In some embodiments, if the host detects an error then it provides forward error correction code for an error acknowledge command. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2007
    Publication date: June 18, 2009
    Inventor: NICOLAS GAGNON
  • Publication number: 20090158126
    Abstract: A method includes storing data in a group of analog memory cells by writing first storage values to the cells. After storing the data, second storage values are read from the cells using one or more first read thresholds. Third storage values that potentially cause cross-coupling interference in the second storage values are identified, and the third storage values are processed, to identify a subset of the second storage values as severely-interfered values. Fourth storage values are selectively re-read from the cells holding the severely-interfered values using one or more second read thresholds, different from the first read thresholds. The cross-coupling interference in the severely-interfered storage values is canceled using the re-read fourth storage values. The second storage values, including the severely-interfered values in which the cross-coupling interference has been canceled, are processed so as to reconstruct the data stored in the cell group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2008
    Publication date: June 18, 2009
    Applicant: ANOBIT TECHNOLOGIES LTD
    Inventors: Uri Perlmutter, Yoav Kasorla, Oren Golov
  • Publication number: 20090158125
    Abstract: A recording/reproducing apparatus includes an encoding section, a decoding section, and a first judging section. The encoding section is configured to encode data that is to be recorded onto a recording medium into an LDPC (Low Density Parity Check) code. The decoding section is configured to decode the LDPC code read out from the recording medium. The judging section is configured to judge a block with a recording error based on one of a block error flag and an iterative decoding count output from the decoding section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2008
    Publication date: June 18, 2009
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tsutomu HARADA, Yoshihiko DEOKA, Hisato HIRASAKA, Toshihiko HIROSE, Toshiyuki HIROSE, Osamu NAKAMURA, Akira ITOU
  • Publication number: 20090150756
    Abstract: The storage control device of the present invention is able to perform input and output of data between blocks whose size is different with good efficiency. The size of extended logical blocks, which are units of data input and output within a storage control device, and the size of physical blocks, which are provided within the storage device, are different from one another. A write object range generation unit reads out both of the extended logical blocks which are adjacent to the write data, and creates a write object range by linking them to the write data. An assurance code checking unit checks a corresponding assurance code for each of these extended logical blocks. And a block size adjustment unit deletes superfluous data from the adjacent blocks, and adjusts the size of the write object range, so that it becomes an integral multiple of the size of the physical blocks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2008
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Inventors: Hajime Mori, Akira Nishimoto
  • Publication number: 20090150747
    Abstract: A computer system for correction of errors in a memory array includes an error correction algorithm and a memory. The error correction algorithm is capable of correcting errors up to a first bit error rate in a correctable group of memory cells having a standard size. The memory is operative to store a first set of ECC bits having information corresponding to a first group of memory cells having a first size larger than the standard size, and to store a second set of ECC bits having information corresponding to a second group of memory cells having a second size smaller than said first size and being a portion of said first group. The error correction algorithm is operative to correct errors in the second group based on the second set of ECC bits if a failure occurs in correction of the first group based on the first set of ECC bits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2007
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Applicant: SanDisk IL Ltd.
    Inventor: ERAN EREZ
  • Publication number: 20090150751
    Abstract: A memory system includes a plurality of memory devices, a controller configured to control the plurality of memory devices, and at least one channel connected between the plurality of memory devices and the controller. The at least one channel includes input/output data lines and control signal lines, which are connected with the plurality of memory devices, and chip enable signal lines respectively connected to each of the plurality of memory devices, wherein the chip enable signal lines enable the plurality of memory devices independently.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2008
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nam Phil Jo, Dong Hyuk Chae, Sung Chung Park, Dong Gu Kang
  • Publication number: 20090144600
    Abstract: A method for data storage includes storing data, which is encoded with an Error Correction Code (ECC), in a group of analog memory cells by writing respective first storage values to the memory cells in the group. After storing the data, respective second storage values are read from the memory cells in the group, and the read second storage values are processed so as to decode the ECC. Responsively to a failure in decoding the ECC, one or more of the second storage values that potentially caused the failure are identified as suspect storage values. Respective third storage values are re-read from a subset of the memory cells that includes the memory cells holding the suspect storage values. The ECC is re-decoded using the third storage values so as to reconstruct the stored data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2008
    Publication date: June 4, 2009
    Applicant: ANOBIT TECHNOLOGIES LTD
    Inventors: Uri Perlmutter, Naftali Sommer, Ofir Shalvi
  • Publication number: 20090132891
    Abstract: A storage medium reproducing apparatus includes a storage unit, a correction history storage unit, a correction history implementing unit, and a correcting unit. The storage unit includes a plurality of information storage units storing information depending on whether a charge quantity is greater than a predetermined charge quantity threshold value, and a correction code storage unit storing error correction codes for the information stored in the information storage units. The correction history storage unit stores a correction history containing identification information for the information storage unit corrected with an error correction code is performed, and a content of the correction. The correction history implementing unit corrects information in compliance with the content of the correction when the information is read from the information storage unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2009
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventor: Shinichi KANNO
  • Publication number: 20090125760
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for safe parameterization in accordance with IEC 61508 SIL 1 to 3 or EN 954-1 Categories 1 to 4 of safe electronic appliances. One object of the invention is to describe a way which overcomes the explicit reading back of the parameters from the safe electronic appliance and confirmation of each of these parameters by the user. For this purpose, the invention proposes that parameter values which are intended for parameterization, are selected or entered via a user interface of an electronic control device and are then transmitted to the electronic appliance, to be kept in at least one memory which can be accessed by the control device, and be read back at least once from the memory for verification of the safe parameterization.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2005
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Applicant: KW-SOFTWARE GMBH
    Inventor: Steffen Schlette
  • Publication number: 20090125726
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of configuring the byte structure of a memory storage device, including a flash memory device, to enhance the security and error correction capability is described. In one embodiment, the method includes increasing the security of data stored in the storage device by encrypting data with a unique initialization vector and storing the initialization vector in the storage device. The method also includes using a unique initialization vector for encrypting data, to be stored in each datablock, each time data are encrypted. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes an AES controller that includes encryption and decryption modules to encrypt and decrypt data prior to writing data to or reading from the storage device. The apparatus also includes an encoder module and decoder circuits to encode and decode data prior to writing or reading from memory storage devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2007
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Applicant: MCM PORTFOLIO LLC
    Inventors: Sree M. Iyer, Arunprasad Ramiya Mothilal, Santosh Kumar
  • Publication number: 20090125785
    Abstract: The present invention present methods and architectures for the pipelining of read operation with write operations. In particular, methods are presented for pipelining data relocation operations that allow for the checking and correction of data in the controller prior to its being re-written, but diminish or eliminate the additional time penalty this would normally incur. A number of architectural improve are described to facilitate these methods, including: introducing two registers on the memory where each is independently accessible by the controller; allowing a first memory register to be written from while a second register is written to; introducing two registers on the memory where the contents of the registers can be swapped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2009
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Inventors: Sergey Anatolievich Gorobets, Kevin M. Conley
  • Publication number: 20090125753
    Abstract: A flash memory device can be subdivided into smaller areas (called chunks) that can written independently over a extended periods of time even though each sector must be erased as a single unit. It may be determined which chunks of data within a sector are valid or invalid and the valid data can be recovered. When errors are detected, the retrieved data may be retrieved from an earlier stored memory chunk in another sector. The type of data stored within a chunk is flagged within that chunk. Each chunk can be date and/or time stamped. Each chunk can also be given a unique, but increasing, sequence number. These values can be used to determine the latest chunk of a particular type.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2008
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Inventor: Anton Joseph Kryka
  • Publication number: 20090125783
    Abstract: A method for managing a memory block is provided. In this method, a plurality of block tables having different storing priorities is provided. In addition, the number of error correction bits in the memory block is checked. Thereby, in the present invention, data can be stored into the memory block in a block table according to the number of error correction bits in the memory block so that the sequence in which the memory block is used for storing data can be determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2008
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Applicant: TRANSCEND INFORMATION, INC.
    Inventors: Chia-Ming Hu, Chun-Yu Hsieh
  • Publication number: 20090113235
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus of the present invention include storing redundant parity information in storage devices that are configured in a RAID array. Conventional hard disk drives are configured to store data in RAID 3 or RAID 4 data layouts. A storage controller is configured to generate the parity information for the data written to the hard disk drives. One or more of the devices storing the parity information may be a flash storage device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Publication date: April 30, 2009
    Inventor: ROBERT D. SELINGER
  • Publication number: 20090094479
    Abstract: An interpretive script language that provides an abstraction layer between redundant array of independent disks (RAID) algorithms and RAID hardware architecture. The interpretive script language provides greater flexibility and performance over conventional RAID processors. The interpretive script language may be used with any RAID hardware architecture, is not dependent on a specific RAID algorithm, and enables efficient communication to a RAID processor from any entity that desires RAID services. The entity requesting RAID services sends a command to a RAID processor, which includes pointers to a script entry point for scripts stored in a table memory in the RAID processor, and pointers to the data and parity (for example, in a buffer memory) on which to perform exclusive OR (XOR) operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2008
    Publication date: April 9, 2009
    Inventor: Sanjay Subbarao
  • Publication number: 20090089646
    Abstract: Data latches, multiplexers, an ECC circuit section, and an input/output circuit section are arranged in columns and adjacent to each other, in an extending direction of data lines that are formed in a direction orthogonal to word lines. A layout of a data path system is formed in bit slices. Further, parity bits are equally distributed so as to cause delay times of bits to be uniform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2008
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Inventors: Masanobu Hirose, Masahisa Iida
  • Publication number: 20090070654
    Abstract: A design structure for a processor system may be embodied in a machine readable medium for designing, manufacturing or testing a processor integrated circuit. The design structure may embody a processor system that integrates error correcting code (ECC) detection and correction hardware within an memory management circuit. The design structure may specify ECC hardware circuitry that provides detection, correction and generation of ECC data bits in conjunction with memory data read and writes. The design structure for the processor system may permit the detection and correction of soft single bit errors read from local memory in-line while using read modify write DMA circuit logic to correct local memory data. The design structure may provide for local memory data error detection and correction in a background memory scrub process without the need for additional in-line data logic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2008
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Brian Flachs, H. Peter Hofstee, John S. Liberty, Brad W. Michael
  • Publication number: 20090063916
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for operating a component including a memory device. The method includes receiving a plurality of commands and determining if a set of the plurality of commands matches a predefined pattern of commands configured to place the memory device into a test mode. Upon determining that the set of the plurality of commands matches the predefined plurality of commands, the memory device is placed in the test mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2007
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Inventor: Thomas Vogelsang
  • Publication number: 20090063914
    Abstract: A method and system for detecting matching strings in a string of characters utilizing content addressable memory using primary and secondary matches is disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2008
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Applicant: Comtech AHA Corporation
    Inventors: Patrick A. Owsley, Nathan Hungerford, Seth Sjoholm, Ed Coulter, Jason Franklin, Brian Banister, Tom Hansen
  • Publication number: 20090019336
    Abstract: A memory 1-bit error checking method is provided. Firstly, at least one piece of data fragment whose side is 2n bits is received. Next, an error correction code, a parity code and a data code are generated and written in the memory. Then, the at least one piece of data fragment is read from the memory and used as at least one piece of read data fragment. Next, a new error correction code, a new parity code and a new data code are generated. Afterwards, a determination as to whether the at least one piece of read data fragment has a 1-bit error is made. After that, if the at least one piece of read data fragment does not have a 1-bit error, then the at least one piece of read data fragment is outputted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2007
    Publication date: January 15, 2009
    Applicant: MACRONIX INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chun-Yu Liao, Shih-Chang Huang
  • Publication number: 20080301525
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a data refresh apparatus which refreshes data stored in a storage device having storage areas, comprises an error detector configured to detect a number of errors of data stored in a storage area of the storage device, an error correction unit configured to execute an error correction for the data stored in the storage area and generate corrected data, a refresh unit configured to write the corrected data to one of the storage areas, and a refresh controller configured to control an operation cycle of the refresh unit according to a number of times of write operations with respect to the storage area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Publication date: December 4, 2008
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Tatsuo HIROSE, Hidehito IZAWA
  • Patent number: 7437053
    Abstract: A digital video recorder writes data on a selected one of a first storage medium and a second storage medium. The recorder includes an abnormal state detector for detecting any abnormal event that possibly occurs while the recorder is writing the data on the first storage medium. If the abnormal state detector senses the abnormal event while the recorder is writing the data on the first storage medium, then the recorder stops writing the data on the first storage medium and starts writing the data, which should have been written on the first storage medium only, on the second storage medium instead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiromichi Ishibashi
  • Publication number: 20080244356
    Abstract: Super block error correction code (ECC) adaptable to communication systems including hard disk drives (HDDs) and other memory storage devices. A means is presented by which a number of blocks of information can be organized, with a degree of ECC provided thereto, and transmitted via a signal into a communication channel. In some instances, the communication channel is coupled to a storage media as in the context of an HDD, and information is written to and read from the storage media via this communication channel (e.g., “read channel”). This means is particularly well suited to applications that provide large amounts of data via any one transmission (e.g., DVR/PVR (Digital/Personal Video Recorder)). A redundant block is generated using the information of each of a number of information blocks thereby provided extra ECC on a large portion of data, and that redundant block also undergoes ECC encoding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2007
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Applicant: BROADCOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: William Gene Bliss, Gregory L. Silvus, John P. Mead, Thomas V. Souvignier
  • Publication number: 20080235557
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes: a plurality of error correction code (ECC) groups, each ECC group including plural data configured to be read from and written to the semiconductor memory device and plural parity data configured to correct an error of the plural data, wherein at least one of the ECC groups includes the plural data allocated in dispersed memory cells, not adjacent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Publication date: September 25, 2008
    Inventor: Saeng-Hwan Kim
  • Publication number: 20080209303
    Abstract: A method for error detection and correction (EDC) includes: generating a complete EDC code in response to a data packet; distributing the complete EDC code among the data packet to create a plurality of bytes, each including a data portion from the data packet and an EDC code portion from the complete EDC code; storing the bytes in a memory module; retrieving the bytes from the memory module; forwarding the data portions of the bytes retrieved from the memory module to a requesting device; providing the data portions of the bytes retrieved from the memory module to an EDC functional block; providing the EDC code portions of the bytes retrieved from the memory module to the EDC functional block; and performing error checking and correction in the EDC functional block upon receiving the complete EDC code from the provided EDC code portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2008
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: MOSYS, INC.
    Inventors: Wingyu Leung, Fu-Chieh Hsu
  • Publication number: 20080209304
    Abstract: A Redundant Array of Independent Devices uses convolution encoding to provide redundancy of the striped data written to the devices. No parity is utilized in the convolution encoding process. Trellis decoding is used for both reading the data from the RAID and for rebuilding missing encoded data from one or more failed devices, based on a minimal, and preferably zero, Hamming distance for selecting the connected path through the trellis diagram.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2008
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daniel J. Winarski, Craig A. Klein, Nils Haustein
  • Publication number: 20080163036
    Abstract: Disclosed are a semiconductor memory device, and a method of driving the same, and a cyclic redundancy check code generating circuit capable of performing cyclic redundancy check. A semiconductor memory device according to an aspect of the present invention includes a memory cell array, a data processing unit receiving data that is read from the memory cell array and selectively outputting at least some of the data according to ordering information, bit structure information, and burst length information, and a check code generating unit generating a cyclic redundancy check code to detect an error in the data being output, the check code generating unit generating and outputting the cyclic redundancy check code by using the read data, the ordering information, the bit structure information, and the burst length information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2007
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kyung-hyun Kim
  • Publication number: 20080163026
    Abstract: Systems and methods for constructing concatenated codes for data storage channels, such as holographic storage channels, are provided. The concatenated codes include an outer BCH code and an inner iteratively decodable code, such as an LDPC code or turbo code. The correction power and coding rate of one or both of the codes may be programmable based on the channel characteristics and the desired SNR coding gain. The correction power and/or coding rate of the inner and/or outer code may also be dynamically adjusted in real-time to compensate for time-varying error conditions on the channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2007
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Inventors: Nedeljko Varnica, Gregory Burd, Seo-How Low, Lingyan Sun, Zining Wu
  • Publication number: 20080126912
    Abstract: A method for storing data blocks, including forming the data blocks into groups comprising N·M data blocks, where N and M are different positive integers. For every group, the N·M data blocks are assigned to correspond to elements of an array comprising N rows and M columns. A respective parity block is calculated for each of the N rows and M columns, to form (N+M) parity blocks. The resulting (N+M) parity blocks and N·M data blocks are stored in respective storage devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2006
    Publication date: May 29, 2008
    Inventors: Ofir Zohar, Efri Zeidner, Shemer Schwartz, Yair Chuchem
  • Publication number: 20080126914
    Abstract: A turbo decoder includes a plurality of element decoders, a memory section that stores element decoded results in matrix-patterned memory spaces, and a memory controller that writes the element decoded result of each of the element decoders in a row or column direction in the matrix-patterned memory spaces with addresses belonging to different rows being specified as writing start addresses, and reads them in the column or row direction with the addresses belonging to different rows being specified as reading start address. As a result, conflict of accesses to the memory required for an interleaving process and a deinterleaving process to be executed at the turbo decoding step can be avoided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2007
    Publication date: May 29, 2008
    Inventor: Norihiro IKEDA
  • Publication number: 20080115043
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device able to strengthen an error correction capability, able to shorten a write time and/or a read time, able to make a redundant memory unnecessary or smaller, and consequently able to achieve a reduction of size and a reduction of cost, provided with a data input portion for receiving 1 page's worth of data, dividing it to a plurality of code words, generating and adding check code (parity data) for each code word, successively forming main code words and transferring the same to a bank (A) or a bank (B), and a data output portion for receiving 1 page's worth of data including main code words transferred from the data latch circuit, correcting the error data when there is within a predetermined number of error data for each main code word, adding the error information for read each read code word except check code (parity data), and transferring the same to a host side, and a signal processing system using the same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Inventors: Kazutoshi Shimizume, Mamoru Akita, Masahiko Itoh
  • Publication number: 20080109700
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array, a mode setting circuit, a parity data generation unit, and a data error detection and correction unit. The memory cell array has a plurality of first memory banks for storing normal data, and a predetermined number of second memory banks less than the number of the first memory banks for storing parity data according to control of a first flag signal. The mode setting circuit sets the first flag signal and a second flag signal controlling based on whether a separate memory bank is used to store the parity data in the second memory banks. The parity data generation unit receives normal write data during a write operation, generates parity data with respect to the normal write data in response to the second flag signal, and outputs the normal data and the parity data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2007
    Publication date: May 8, 2008
    Inventors: Kwang-Jin Lee, Won-Seok Lee, Du-Eung Kim
  • Publication number: 20080104482
    Abstract: Turbo decoder employing ARP (almost regular permutation) interleave and arbitrary number of decoding processors. A novel approach is presented herein by which an arbitrarily selected number (M) of decoding processors (e.g., a plurality of parallel implemented turbo decoders) be employed to perform decoding of a turbo coded signal while still using a selected embodiment of an ARP (almost regular permutation) interleave. The desired number of decoding processors is selected, and very slight modification of an information block (thereby generating a virtual information block) is made to accommodate that virtual information block across all of the decoding processors during all decoding cycles except some dummy decoding cycles. In addition, contention-free memory mapping is provided between the decoding processors (e.g., a plurality of turbo decoders) and memory banks (e.g., a plurality of memories).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2007
    Publication date: May 1, 2008
    Applicant: Broadcom Corporation, a California Corporation
    Inventors: Tak K. Lee, Ba-Zhong Shen
  • Publication number: 20080082893
    Abstract: Systems and methods establishing and/or utilizing an error-tolerant multithreaded register file are provided. The systems and methods employ dynamic multithreading redundancy (DMR) for error correction. Non-overlapped register access patterns associated create hardware redundancy dynamically that is exploited for error control. Immediate write-back and self-recovery techniques are employed to further enhance the error correction functionalities of the disclosed systems and methods. Error control is improved for memory components and processing functions in multithreaded computing systems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Publication date: April 3, 2008
    Applicant: UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT
    Inventor: Lei Wang
  • Publication number: 20080052601
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for controlling writing and reading of data in an array of A storage fields of a probe-based data storage device in which data is written to and read from the array of storage fields by a corresponding array of probes. One method provides error-tolerance by exploiting the inherent parallelism of the probe storage array. A user data block to be written to the A-field array is first coded to produce a plurality of C-byte codewords, such that r.C=k1A where r is the number of codewords and k1 is an integer greater than or equal to 1. A sub-blocks of k1 bytes are produced from the codewords by selecting successive bytes of each sub-block cyclically from the r codewords. The A sub-blocks are then written via respective probes to the corresponding storage fields of the storage field array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2007
    Publication date: February 28, 2008
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas Albrecht, Theodore Antonakopoulos, Giovanni Cherubini, Ajay Dholakia, Evangelos Eleftheriou, Charalampos Pozidis
  • Publication number: 20080052602
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for controlling writing and reading of data in an array of A storage fields of a probe-based data storage device in which data is written to and read from the array of storage fields by a corresponding array of probes. One method provides error-tolerance by exploiting the inherent parallelism of the probe storage array. A user data block to be written to the A-field array is first coded to produce a plurality of C-byte codewords, such that r.C=k1.A where r is the number of codewords and k1 is an integer?1. A sub-blocks of k1 bytes are produced from the codewords by selecting successive bytes of each sub-block cyclically from the r codewords. The A sub-blocks are then written via respective probes to the corresponding storage fields of the storage field array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2007
    Publication date: February 28, 2008
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas Albrecht, Theodore Antonakopoulos, Giovanni Cherubini, Ajay Dholakia, Evangelos Eleftheriou, Charalampos Pozidis
  • Publication number: 20080046798
    Abstract: A portable device (114) includes a power source (120), a volatile memory (118) requiring refreshing to avoid data loss, and a memory management module (116). The volatile memory (118) is operably coupled to the power source (120) for power. The memory management module (116) is operably coupled to the volatile memory (118). The memory management module (116) is also adapted to refresh the volatile memory (118) at a refresh rate which causes refresh-based errors and to correct the refresh-based errors. Also disclosed is a method for reduced power consumption by a volatile memory requiring refreshing to avoid data loss in which such a volatile memory is refreshed (122) at a refresh rate. All defective bits are detected (124) at the refresh rate. An error correction code is selected (126) for correcting the defective bits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Publication date: February 21, 2008
    Inventor: Terry Brown
  • Publication number: 20080016430
    Abstract: A memory controller includes a buffer to which data, which is to be transferred to a memory, is input, an ECC parity generating unit which generates an ECC parity in units of a predetermined data length from the data which is to be transferred to the memory, and a memory interface which adds the generated ECC parity in units of the predetermined data length, and delivers the data with the ECC parity to the memory. When a data length of the data which is to be transferred to the memory is less than the predetermined data length, the ECC parity generating unit regards data of a part that is short of the predetermined data length as “0”, and generates the ECC parity from the data of less than the predetermined data length.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Publication date: January 17, 2008
    Inventor: Norikazu YOSHIDA