The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 16, 2002
Filed:
Jul. 17, 2000
Robert H. Bishop, Lawrenceville, GA (US);
Integrated Device Technology, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
Preferred memory devices include a first bit line within a first block of memory and a second bit line within a second block of memory. The first bit line is electrically coupled to a reference voltage signal line by a pull-up transistor that turns on in response to an active first bit line pull-up signal (e.g., /BLPU_IOn=0). The second bit line is also electrically coupled to the reference voltage signal line by a pull-up transistor that turns on in response to an active second bit line pull-up signal (e.g., /BLPU_IOn+1=0). A control circuit is provided and this control circuit is responsive to a multi-bit shift signal. The control circuit disables generation of the active first bit line pull-up signal in favor of an active second bit line pull-up signal when a value of the shift signal designates replacement of the first block of memory with the second block of memory. The control circuit may also generate signals that disconnect a first IO line associated with a defective first block of memory and substitute a second IO line associated with a functional second block of memory for the first IO line.