Data inversion device and method
View Patent ↗An inversion device includes a differential amplifier having first and second input lines, and a controller coupled to the first and second input lines to selectively and individually decouple the first and second input lines from the differential amplifier.
1. An inverting device, comprising:
a differential amplifier having first and second input lines configured to carry a differential signal comprising a first state on the first input line and a second state complementary to the first on the second input line;
a shorting device coupled between the first and second input lines; and
a controller coupled to the first and second input lines of the differential amplifier;
wherein the controller is arranged to selectively decouple one of the first state of the differential line and the second state of the differential line from the differential amplifier.
2. The inverting device of claim 1 , wherein the controller and the shorting device are controlled such that one of the first and second input lines receives the value on the other one of the first and second input lines.
3. The inverting device of claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises a first multiplexer coupled to the first input line of the differential amplifier, and a second multiplexer transistor coupled to the second input line of the differential amplifier.
4. The inverting device of claim 1 , wherein the shorting device comprises a transistor.
5. A method of inverting a value on a first input to a differential amplifier to a value on a second input to the differential amplifier, the differential amplifier receiving at the first input a first state of a differential signal and at the second input a second state of the differential signal complementary to the first state, comprising:
decoupling the first state of the differential signal from the differential amplifier; and
shorting the first input to the second input of the differential amplifier such that the first input to the differential amplifier assumes the value on the second input to the differential amplifier.
6. A memory comprising:
a sense amplifier segment;
a plurality of word lines;
a first and a second bit line each coupled to the sense amplifier segment; and
a memory cell located at each cross point of the word lines and the bit lines;
a first control segment coupled to the first bit line and a second control segment coupled to the second bit line,
wherein the first and a second control segments selectively and individually decouple the first and a second bit lines from the sense amplifier segment.
7. The memory of claim 6 , wherein the first bit line is a true bit line coupled to receive a memory cell signal and the second bit line is complementary to the first bit line.
8. The memory of claim 7 , wherein the first control segment includes a first multiplexer transistor coupled between the first bit line and the sense amplifier segment, wherein the second control segment includes a second multiplexer transistor coupled between the second bit line and the sense amplifier segment, and wherein the first and second multiplexer transistors respectively receive a first and second multiplexer signal that controls the first and second multiplexer transistors thereby selectively decoupling the first and a second bit lines from the sense amplifier segment.
9. The memory of claim 8 , further comprising equalization transistors coupled between the first and second bit lines such that the first and second bit lines can be selectively shorted together and pre-charged to an equalization voltage.
10. The memory of claim 9 , wherein an equalization signal controls the equalization transistors.
11. A memory comprising:
a sense amplifier segment;
a plurality of word lines;
a true bit line and a complementary bit line each coupled to the sense amplifier segment; and
a memory cell storing data located at each cross point of the word lines and the true bit lines;
a first control segment coupled between the true bit line and the sense amplifier segment for selectively decoupling the true bit lines from the sense amplifier segment;
a second control segment coupled between the complementary bit line and the sense amplifier segment for selectively decoupling the complementary bit lines from the sense amplifier segment; and
equalization transistors coupled between the true and complementary bit lines.
12. The memory of claim 11 , wherein the equalization transistors are configured such that the true and complementary bit lines can be selectively shorted together and pre-charged to an equalization voltage.
13. The memory of claim 12 , wherein the first and second control segments and the equalization transistors are controlled such that data stored in each memory cell is complimented with the complementary bit line.
14. The memory of claim 13 , wherein each memory cell for an entire page of memory is so complimented with the complementary bit line.
15. The memory of claim 11 , wherein the memory is a dynamic random access memory.
16. A memory comprising:
a sense amplifier segment;
a plurality of word lines;
a true bit line and a complementary bit line each coupled to the sense amplifier segment; and
a memory cell storing data located at each cross point of the word lines and the true bit lines; and
means for individually and selectively decoupling both the true and complementary bit lines from the sense amplifier segment.
17. The memory of claim 16 , further comprising means for selectively shorting together the true and complementary bit lines in order to pre-charge the bit lines to an equalization voltage.
18. The memory of claim 16 , further comprising means for complimenting the data stored in each memory by shorting the true and complementary bit lines such that the true bit line takes on the value of the complementary bit line.
19. The memory of claim 16 , wherein each memory cell for an entire page of memory is complimented using the complementary bit line.
20. A method for inverting data in a memory, the method comprising:
activating a word line in a memory cell array to sense data stored in memory cells along the word line;
decoupling a true bit line from a sense amplifier, the true bit line being coupled to a memory cell having a first data state;
shorting a complementary bit line to the true bit line such that the memory cell coupled to the true bit line assumes a second data state opposite to the first data state; and
deactivating the word line so that the second state is stored in the memory cell.
21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising pre-charging the bit lines such that the memory array is ready for a read or write operation.
22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the true bit line is decoupled from the sense amplifier by selecting a multiplexer transistor that is coupled between the true bit line and the sense amplifier.
23. The method of claim 22 , wherein complementary bit line is shorted to the true bit line by selecting equalization transistors coupled between the true and complementary bit lines.
24. The method of claim 23 , wherein shorting the complementary bit line to the true bit line by selecting equalization transistors further comprises controlling the application of an equalization signal to the equalization transistors.
25. A method for inverting data in a memory, the method comprising:
activating a word line in a memory cell array to sense data stored in memory cells along the word line;
decoupling each true bit line from each sense amplifier activated by activating the word line, the true bit lines each being coupled to a memory cell having a first data state;
shorting each complementary bit line to a corresponding true bit line such that each memory cell coupled to each true bit line assumes an second data state opposite to the first data state; and
deactivating the word line so that the second state is stored in all of the memory cells.
26. The method of claim 25 , wherein each memory cell for an entire page of memory is so complimented with complementary bit line.