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:
Aug. 28, 2007
Filed:
Oct. 17, 2005
Larry R. Fenstermaker, Nazareth, PA (US);
Larry R. Fenstermaker, Nazareth, PA (US);
Lattice Semiconductor Corporation, Hillsboro, OR (US);
Abstract
In one embodiment of the invention, an address decoder for decoding a word-line address to energize a word line in a block of computer memory. Instead of relying on a distinct enable signal, a clock signal provides a reset function and an enable function to the address decoder. In one implementation, the address decoder includes negative-level-sense latches and 3-input AND gates to generate decoded address bits. Using the clock signal as one of the inputs to the AND gates ensures that all of the decoded address bits are 0 when the clock signal is low and that exactly one decoded address bit is 1 when the clock signal is high. In this way, the address decoder ensures that two or more word lines are not energized at the same time.