Mosaid Technologies Corporation

Conversant Intellectual Property Management Incorporated

Spin Memory, Inc.

Apple Inc.

Spin Transfer Technologies, Inc.

Mosaid Delaware, Inc.

Integrated Silicon Solution Incorporated

Daniel L Hillman

Barry Alan Hoberman

Benjamin S Louie

Neal Berger

Lester Crudele

William Gordon Walker

Jon Shiell

John M Callahan

Michael Anthony Zampaglione

Andrew J Cole

Mourad El-Baraji

Michael D Teener

Barry Hoberman

Mourad El Baraji

Florin Alexandru Oprescu

Roger W Van Brunt

Lester M Crudele

Brian Jeffrey Galloway

Christopher Nilson

Benjamin Stanley Louie

Systems and methods manage power in an integrated circuit using power islands. The integrated circuit includes a plurality of power islands wherein a power consumption of each power island within the plurality of power islands is independently controlled within each power island of the plurality of power islands. A power manager determines a target power level for one power island of the plurality of power islands. The power manager then determines an action to change a consumption power level of the one power island of the plurality of power islands to the target power level. The power manager performs the action to change the consumption power level of the one power island of the plurality of power islands to the target power level.

Power managers for an integrated circuit

Systems and methods manage power in an integrated circuit using power islands. The integrated circuit includes a plurality of power islands wherein a power consumption of each power island within the plurality of power islands is independently controlled within said each power island. A power manager determines a target power level for one power island of the plurality of power islands. The power manager then determines an action to change a consumption power level of said one power island of the plurality of power islands to the target power level. The power manager performs the action to change the consumption power level of said one power island of the plurality of power islands to the target power level.

A memory device for storing data is disclosed. The memory device comprises a plurality of memory banks, wherein each memory bank comprises a plurality of addressable memory cells. The memory device also comprises a plurality of pipelines each comprising a plurality of pipestages, wherein each pipeline is associated with a respective one of the plurality of memory banks. Further, the device comprises a plurality of cache memories, wherein each cache memory is associated with a respective one of the plurality of memory banks and a respective one of the plurality of pipelines, and wherein each cache memory is operable for storing a second plurality of data words and associated memory addresses, and wherein further each data word of said second plurality of data words is either awaiting write verification associated with a given segment of an associated memory bank or is to be re-written into a given segment of said associated memory bank.

Memory device with a plurality of memory banks where each memory bank is associated with a corresponding memory instruction pipeline and a dynamic redundancy register

A memory device for storing data is disclosed. The memory device comprises a memory bank comprising a memory array of addressable memory cells and a pipeline configured to process read and write operations addressed to the memory bank. Further, the memory device comprises an x decoder circuit coupled to the memory array for decoding an x portion of a memory address for the memory array and a y multiplexer circuit coupled to the memory array and operable to simultaneously multiplex across the memory array based on two y portions of memory addresses and, based thereon with the x portion, for simultaneously writing a value and reading a value associated with two separate memory cells of the memory array, wherein the x decoder and the y multiplexer are implemented to provide a read port and a write port which are operable to simultaneously operate with respect to the memory array.

Memory device with a dual Y-multiplexer structure for performing two simultaneous operations on the same row of a memory bank

A memory pipeline for performing a write operation in a memory device is disclosed. The memory pipeline comprises an input register operable to receive a first data word and an associated address to be written into a memory bank. The memory pipeline also comprises a pre-read register of the first pipe-stage coupled to the input register and operable to receive the first data word and the associated address from the input register and further operable to pre-read a second data word stored in the memory bank at the associated address. Finally, the memory pipeline comprises a write register of the second pipe-stage operable to receive the first data word, the associated address and mask bits from the pre-read register, wherein the write register is further operable to use information from the mask bits to write the first data word into the memory bank by changing those bits in the first data word that differ from the second data word.

Memory instruction pipeline with a pre-read stage for a write operation for reducing power consumption in a memory device that uses dynamic redundancy registers

A method of writing data into a memory device is disclosed. The method comprises utilizing a pipeline to process write operations of a first plurality of data words addressed to a memory bank. Further, the method comprises writing a second plurality of data words and associated memory addresses into a cache memory, wherein the cache memory is associated with the memory bank and wherein further each data word of the second plurality of data words is either awaiting write verification associated with the memory bank or is to be re-written into the memory bank. The method also comprises detecting a power down signal and responsive to the power down signal, and before the memory device is powered down, processing data words of the second plurality of data words and associated memory addresses through the pipeline to write data into the memory bank. Finally, the method comprises powering down the memory device.

Method of flushing the contents of a dynamic redundancy register to a secure storage area during a power down in a memory device

A method of writing data into a memory device is disclosed. The method comprises utilizing a pipeline to process write operations of a first plurality of data words addressed to a memory bank. Further, the method comprises writing a second plurality of data words and associated memory addresses into a cache memory, wherein the cache memory is associated with the memory bank and wherein further each data word of the second plurality of data words is either awaiting write verification associated with the memory bank or is to be re-written into the memory bank. The method also comprises detecting a power down signal and responsive to the power down signal, transferring the second plurality of data words and associated memory addresses from the cache memory into a secure memory storage area reserved in the memory bank. Finally, the method comprises powering down the memory device.

Method of processing incomplete memory operations in a memory device during a power up sequence and a power down sequence using a dynamic redundancy register

Dynamic redundancy buffers for use with a device are disclosed. The dynamic redundancy buffers allow a memory array of the device to be operated with high write error rate (WER). A first level redundancy buffer (e1 buffer) is couple to the memory array. The e1 buffer may store data words that have failed verification or have not been verified. The e1 buffer may transfer data words to another dynamic redundancy buffer (e2 buffer). The e1 buffer may transfer data words that have failed to write to a memory array after a predetermined number of re-write attempts. The e1 buffer may also transfer data words upon power down.

Method of reading data from a memory device using multiple levels of dynamic redundancy registers

Dynamic redundancy registers for use with a device are disclosed. The dynamic redundancy registers allow a memory bank of the device to be operated with high write error rate (WER). A first level redundancy register (e1 register) is couple to the memory bank. The e1 register may store data words that have failed verification or have not been verified. The e1 register may transfer data words to another dynamic redundancy register (e2 register). The e1 register may transfer data words that have failed to write to a memory bank after a predetermined number of re-write attempts. The e1 register may also transfer data words upon power down.

Device with dynamic redundancy registers

Memory device using levels of dynamic redundancy registers for writing a data word that failed a write operation

A method of writing data into a memory device is disclosed. The method comprises utilizing a pipeline to process write operations of a first plurality of data words addressed to a memory bank. The method further comprises writing a second plurality of data words and associated memory addresses into a cache memory, and wherein each data word of the second plurality of data words is associated with a pending operation. Additionally, the method comprises detecting a power up signal and responsive to the power up signal, transferring the second plurality of data words and associated memory addresses from the secure memory storage area to the cache memory. Finally, responsive to the transferring, and before the memory device is powered up, the method comprises processing the second plurality of data words and associated memory addresses from the cache memory to the pipeline for writing data to the memory bank during power up.

Method of writing contents in memory during a power up sequence using a dynamic redundancy register in a memory device

Systems and methods manage power in an integrated circuit using power islands. The integrated circuit includes a plurality of power islands wherein a power consumption of each power island within the plurality of power islands is independently controlled within each of the power islands. A power manager determines a target power level for one power island of the plurality of power islands. The power manager then determines an action to change a consumption power level of the one power island of the plurality of power islands to the target power level. The power manager performs the action to change the consumption power level of the one power island of the plurality of power islands to the target power level.

A memory pipeline for performing a write operation in a memory device is disclosed. The memory pipeline comprises an input register operable to receive a first data word and an associated address to be written into a memory bank. The pipeline also comprises a first write register of a first pipe-stage coupled to the input register and operable to receive the first data word and the associated address from the input register, wherein the first write register is further operable to perform a first attempt at writing said data word into the memory bank. Further, the pipeline comprises a second write register of the second pipe-stage coupled to the first write register and operable to receive the first data word and the associated address from the first write register, wherein the second write register is further operable to perform a second attempt at writing the first data word into the memory bank at the location corresponding to the associated address.

Memory instruction pipeline with an additional write stage in a memory device that uses dynamic redundancy registers

A memory device for storing data is disclosed. The memory device comprises a memory bank comprising a plurality of addressable memory cells configured in a plurality of segments wherein each segment contains N rows per segment, wherein the memory bank comprises a total of B entries, and wherein the memory cells are characterized by having a prescribed word error rate, E. Further, the device comprises a pipeline comprising M pipestages and configured to process write operations of a plurality of data words addressed to a given segment of the memory bank. The device also comprises a cache memory comprising Y number of entries, the cache memory associated with the given segment of the memory bank, and wherein the Y number of entries is based on the M, the N and the prescribed word error rate, E, to prevent overflow of the cache memory.

Smart cache design to prevent overflow for a memory device with a dynamic redundancy register

An integrated circuit includes first circuitry and sleep transistor circuitry. The first circuitry receives input signals and processes the input signals. The first circuitry also retains data in a sleep state that has low leakage. The sleep transistor circuitry is coupled to the first circuitry and receives a sleep signal that has a negative voltage. The sleep circuitry reduces power consumption of the first circuitry in the sleep state to have low leakage based on the sleep signal while retaining the data in the first circuitry.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Daniel L Hillman