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:
May. 09, 2006
Filed:
Dec. 31, 2001
Chuan-yu Wu, Taipei, TW;
Jia-ming Yang, Hsin-Chu, TW;
Chris Huang, Hsin-Chu, TW;
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd., Hsin-Chu, TW;
Abstract
In a memory device with a bank of N memory blocks, an address is generated for a first and a second one of the blocks. The first and second addresses include addresses for current first and second possible 'refresh blocks'. If its memory block does not contend with the current first possible refresh block, an externally generated access to one of the N memory blocks is permitted and at least a portion of the refresh block is refreshed during a certain interval. In another aspect, the externally generated access is permitted and at least a portion of the current second possible refresh block is refreshed during the same certain interval if: i) the memory block of the externally generated access contends with the current first possible refresh block and ii) the current first and second possible refresh blocks are different ones of the N memory blocks.