Rambus Inc.

Chad A Bellows

Wayne S Richardson

Lawrence Lai

Frederick Abbott Ware

Craig Edward Hampel

Kurt T Knorpp

Steven Cameron Woo

Jun Y Kim

Michael T Ching

A micro-threaded memory device. A plurality of storage banks are provided, each including a plurality of rows of storage cells and having an access restriction in that at least a minimum access time interval must transpire between successive accesses to a given row of the storage cells. Transfer control circuitry is provided to transfer a first amount of data between the plurality of storage banks and an external signal path in response to a first memory access request, the first amount of data being less than a product of the external signal path bandwidth and the minimum access time interval.

Memory controller for micro-threaded memory operations

Micro-threaded memory

A memory system includes a master device, such as a graphics controller or processor, and an integrated circuit memory device operable in a dual column addressing mode. The integrated circuit memory device includes an interface and column decoder to access a row of storage cells or a page in a memory bank. During a first mode of operation, a first row of storage cells in a first memory bank is accessible in response to a first column address. During a second mode of operation, a first plurality of storage cells in the first row of storage cells is accessible in response to a second column address during a column cycle time interval. A second plurality of storage cells in the first row of storage cells is accessible in response to a third column address during the column cycle time interval. The first and second pluralities of storage cells are concurrently accessible from the interface.

Multi-column addressing mode memory system including an integrated circuit memory device

A memory system includes a master device, such as a graphics controller or processor, and an integrated circuit memory device operable in a dual column addressing mode. The integrated circuit memory device includes an interface and column decoder to access a row of storage cells or a page in a memory bank. During a first mode, a first row of storage cells in a first memory bank is accessible in response to a first column address. During a second mode, a first plurality of storage cells in the first row of storage cells is accessible in response to a second column address during a column cycle time interval. A second plurality of storage cells in the first row of storage cells is accessible in response to a third column address during the column cycle time interval. The first and second pluralities of storage cells are concurrently accessible from the interface.

A memory system includes logical banks divided into sub-banks or collections of sub-banks. The memory system responds to memory-access requests (e.g., read and write) directed to a given logical bank by sequentially accessing sub-banks or collections of sub-banks. Sequential access reduces the impact of power-supply spikes induced by memory operations, and thus facilitates improved system performance. Some embodiments of the memory system combine sequential sub-bank access with other performance-enhancing features, such as wider power buses or increased bypass capacitance, to further enhance performance.

Memory device having staggered memory operations

An integrated circuit memory device has a storage array with an adjustable number of memory banks, a row of sense amplifiers to access storage cells in the storage array; and memory access control circuitry. The memory access control circuitry provides a first number of memory banks and a first page size in the integrated circuit memory device in a first mode of operation, and provides a second number of memory banks and a second page size in the integrated circuit memory device in a second mode of operation. The memory access control circuitry includes logic circuitry to adjust the number of memory banks in the integrated circuit memory device, and to adjust the page size of the integrated circuit memory device.

Integrated circuit memory device having dynamic memory bank count and page size

In a memory device, either a first portion or a second, smaller portion of data retrieved from a storage array is loaded into a data buffer in accordance with a prefetch mode selection and then output from the memory device via a signaling interface. A value that indicates a minimum number of cycles of a clock signal that are to transpire between successive accesses to any one of the storage resources may be received and stored within a configuration circuit of the memory device. If the value indicates a number of clock cycles, N, that is less than a threshold number, the memory device may transfer data associated with a first address between the signaling interface and the data buffer during each of N cycles of the clock signal. If N is greater than or equal to the threshold number, the memory device may transfer the data associated with the first address between the signaling interface and the storage buffer during each of X cycles of the clock signal, and then transfer data associated with the second address between the signaling interface and the storage buffer during each of X cycles of the clock signal, where X is an integer value less than N.

Memory device with mode-selectable prefetch and clock-to-core timing

A memory system includes a master device, such as a graphics controller or processor, and an integrated circuit memory device operable in a dual column addressing mode. The integrated circuit memory device includes an interface and column decoder to access a row of storage cells or a page in a memory bank. During a first mode of operation, a first row of storage cells in a first memory bank is accessible in response to a first column address. During a second mode of operation, a first plurality of storage cells in the first row of storage cells is accessible in response to a second column address during a column cycle time interval. A second plurality of storage cells in the first row of storage cells is accessible in response to a third column address during the column cycle time interval. During a third mode of operation, a first plurality of storage cells in a first row of storage cells in a first memory bank is accessible in response to a first column address. A second plurality of storage cells in a second row of storage cells in a second bank is accessible in response to a second column address. A third plurality of storage cells in the first row of storage cells is accessible in response to a third column address and a fourth plurality of storage cells in the second row of storage cells is accessible in response to a fourth column address. The first and second column addresses are in a first request packet and the third and fourth column addresses are in a second request packet provided by the master device.

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Burlingame, CA, United States of America

Chad A Bellows