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:
Mar. 21, 2006
Filed:
Feb. 02, 2004
Suresh Balasubramanian, Coimbatore, IN;
Stephen Wayne Spriggs, Rowlett, TX (US);
Bryan D. Sheffield, Rowlett, TX (US);
Mohan Mishra, Madhubani, IN;
Suresh Balasubramanian, Coimbatore, IN;
Stephen Wayne Spriggs, Rowlett, TX (US);
Bryan D. Sheffield, Rowlett, TX (US);
Mohan Mishra, Madhubani, IN;
Texas Instruments Incorporated, Dallas, TX (US);
Abstract
An actual sense amplifier senses a signal received on a bit line to generate a bit, and a latch latches the bit at a time point specified by a latch enable signal. A tracking circuit generates the latch enable signal in an appropriate time window. The tracking circuit may contain a dummy sense amplifier implemented similar to the actual sense amplifier and a dummy column from which the actual sense amplifier senses a signal received upon accessing the dummy memory array. The latch enable signal may be generated after the dummy sense amplifier generates a bit representing the sensed signal. The time taken by the dummy sense amplifier to generate the bit depends on the load offered by the dummy memory array. Accordingly, the dummy memory array is designed to offer sufficient load to ensure that the latch enable signal is generated in an appropriate time window.