Rambus Patent Grants

Memory and system supporting parallel and serial access modes

Granted: March 26, 2024
Patent Number: 11942182
A memory module can be programmed to deliver relatively wide, low-latency data in a first access mode, or to sacrifice some latency in return for a narrower data width, a narrower command width, or both, in a second access mode. The narrow, higher-latency mode requires fewer connections and traces. A controller can therefore support more modules, and thus increased system capacity. Programmable modules thus allow computer manufacturers to strike a desired balance between memory latency,…

Dual-domain combinational logic circuitry

Granted: March 26, 2024
Patent Number: 11941369
A combinational logic circuit includes input circuitry to receive a first and second input signals that transition between supply voltages of first and second voltage domain, respectively. The input circuitry generates, based on the first and second input signals, a first internal signal that transitions between one of the supply voltages of the first voltage domain and one of the supply voltages of the second voltage domain. Output circuitry within the combinational logic circuit…

Maintenance operations in a DRAM

Granted: March 26, 2024
Patent Number: 11941256
A system includes a memory controller and a memory device having a command interface, refresh circuitry, control logic, and a plurality of memory banks, each with a plurality of rows of memory cells. The command interface is operable to receive a refresh command from a memory controller and the refresh circuitry is configured to perform one or more refresh operations to refresh data stored in at least one bank of the plurality of memory banks during a refresh time interval in response to…

Multi-element memory device with power control for individual elements

Granted: March 26, 2024
Patent Number: 11940857
A multi-element device includes a plurality of memory elements, each of which includes a memory array, access circuitry to control access to the memory array, and power control circuitry. The power control circuitry, which includes one or more control registers for storing first and second control values, controls distribution of power to the access circuitry in accordance with the first control value, and controls distribution of power to the memory array in accordance with the second…

Memory device having hidden refresh

Granted: March 19, 2024
Patent Number: 11934654
An integrated circuit (IC) memory device includes an array of storage cells configured into multiple banks. Interface circuitry receives refresh commands from a host memory controller to refresh the multiple banks for a first refresh mode. On-die refresh control circuitry selectively generates local refresh commands to refresh the multiple banks in cooperation with the host memory controller during a designated hidden refresh interval in a second refresh mode. Mode register circuitry…

Memory error detection

Granted: March 12, 2024
Patent Number: 11928020
Systems and methods are provided for detecting and correcting address errors in a memory system. In the memory system, a memory device generates an error-detection code based on an address transmitted via an address bus and transmits the error-detection code to a memory controller. The memory controller transmits an error indication to the memory device in response to the error-detection code. The error indication causes the memory device to remove the received address and prevent a…

Memory device and repair method with column-based error code tracking

Granted: March 5, 2024
Patent Number: 11921576
A memory device is disclosed that includes a row of storage locations that form plural columns. The plural columns include data columns to store data and a tag column to store tag information associated with error locations in the data columns. Each data column is associated with an error correction location including an error code bit location. Logic retrieves and stores the tag information associated with the row in response to activation of the row. A bit error in an accessed data…

Stacked device communication

Granted: March 5, 2024
Patent Number: 11922066
An interconnected stack of one or more Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) die has a base logic die and one or more custom logic or processor die. The processor logic die snoops commands sent to and through the stack. In particular, the processor logic die may snoop mode setting commands (e.g., mode register set—MRS commands). At least one mode setting command that is ignored by the DRAM in the stack is used to communicate a command to the processor logic die. In response the processor…

Dedicated cache-related block transfer in a memory system

Granted: March 5, 2024
Patent Number: 11921650
A memory system includes a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) device, a second memory device, and a memory controller circuit. The memory controller circuit is coupled to the DRAM device by a first data channel configured to transfer first data between the memory controller circuit and the DRAM device on behalf of a host, and is also coupled to the DRAM device by a second data channel configured to transfer second data between the memory controller circuit and the DRAM device on behalf…

Methods and apparatuses for addressing memory caches

Granted: March 5, 2024
Patent Number: 11921642
A cache memory includes cache lines to store information. The stored information is associated with physical addresses that include first, second, and third distinct portions. The cache lines are indexed by the second portions of respective physical addresses associated with the stored information. The cache memory also includes one or more tables, each of which includes respective table entries that are indexed by the first portions of the respective physical addresses. The respective…

High-bandwidth neural network

Granted: February 27, 2024
Patent Number: 11915136
One or more neural network layers are implemented by respective sets of signed multiply-accumulate units that generate dual analog result signals indicative of positive and negative product accumulations, respectively. The two analog result signals and thus the positive and negative product accumulations are differentially combined to produce a merged analog output signal that constitutes the output of a neural node within the subject neural network layer.

Memory component with input/output data rate alignment

Granted: February 27, 2024
Patent Number: 11914888
First data is read out of a core storage array of a memory component over a first time interval constrained by data output bandwidth of the core storage array. After read out from the core storage array, the first data is output from the memory component over a second time interval that is shorter than the first time interval and that corresponds to a data transfer bandwidth greater than the data output bandwidth of the core storage array.

Data buffer for memory devices with unidirectional ports

Granted: February 27, 2024
Patent Number: 11914863
A serial data buffer integrated circuit comprises unidirectional host-side input and output ports, and unidirectional memory-side input and output ports. Scheduling logic generates memory device commands for writing to and reading from a memory device based on a set of host-side input packets received from a memory controller. A unidirectional serial host side input port receives host-side input packets from the memory controller. A unidirectional serial memory side output port transmits…

Memory controller supporting nonvolatile physical memory

Granted: February 27, 2024
Patent Number: 11914508
A memory system includes nonvolatile physical memory, such as flash memory, that exhibits a wear mechanism asymmetrically associated with write operations. A relatively small cache of volatile memory reduces the number of writes, and wear-leveling memory access methods distribute writes evenly over the nonvolatile memory.

High performance, high capacity memory modules and systems

Granted: February 20, 2024
Patent Number: 11907555
Described are memory modules that include address-buffer components and data-buffer components that together support wide- and narrow-data modes. The address-buffer component manages communication between a memory controller and two sets of memory components. In the wide-data mode, the address-buffer enables memory components in each set and instructs the data-buffer components to communicate full-width read and write data by combining data from or to from both sets for each memory…

Memory system design using buffer(s) on a mother board

Granted: February 20, 2024
Patent Number: 11907139
A mother board topology including a processor operable to be coupled to one or more communication channels for communicating commands. The topology includes a first communication channel electrically coupling a first set of two or more dual in-line memory modules (DIMMs) and a first primary data buffer on a mother board. The topology includes a second communication channel electrically coupling a second set of two or more DIMMs and a second primary data buffer on the mother board. The…

Memory system with activate-leveling method

Granted: February 13, 2024
Patent Number: 11899571
Improvements are disclosed for “leveling” or averaging out more evenly the number of activate/precharge cycles seen by the rows of a memory component, so that one or more particular rows are not excessively stressed (relative to the other rows). In one embodiment, a memory controller includes remapping facilities arranged to move data stored in a physical row from RPK to RPK? and modify the mapping from logical row RLK while minimizing impact on normal read/write operations.…

Clocking architecture supporting multiple data rates and reference edge selection

Granted: February 13, 2024
Patent Number: 11900985
A clocking architecture for a memory module is configurable to independently select either rising or falling edges of an input clock as respective references for generation of an internal clock and an output clock. The clocking architecture supports reference edge selection in both a single data rate (SDR) mode and a double data rate (DDR) mode while maintaining a fixed phase relationship between the input clock and the output clock regardless of the reference edge selection.

Data destruction

Granted: February 13, 2024
Patent Number: 11900984
A block of dynamic memory in a DRAM device is organized to share a common set of bitlines may be erased/destroyed/randomized by concurrently activating multiple (or all) of the wordlines of the block. The data held in the sense amplifiers and cells of an active wordline may be erased by precharging the sense amplifiers and then writing precharge voltages into the cells of the open row. Rows are selectively configured to either be refreshed or not refreshed. The rows that are not…

Protocol for refresh between a memory controller and a memory device

Granted: February 13, 2024
Patent Number: 11900981
The present embodiments provide a system that supports self-refreshing operations in a memory device. During operation, the system transitions the memory device from an auto-refresh state, wherein a memory controller controls refreshing operations for the memory device, to a self-refresh state, wherein the memory device controls the refreshing operations. While the memory device is in the self-refresh state, the system sends progress information for the refreshing operations from the…