Memory emulation in an electronic organizer
View Patent ↗An electronic organizer using a memory array that is directly addressed and non-volatile is disclosed. The memory array can be used to replace and emulate multiple memory types such as DRAM, SRAM, non-volatile RAM, FLASH memory, and a non-volatile memory card, for example. The memory array may be randomly accessed. Data stored in the memory array is retained in the absence of electrical power. One or more memory arrays may be used in the electronic organizer. At least one of the memory arrays may be in the form of a removable memory card.
1. An electronic organizer, comprising:
a logic block;
a memory controller;
a processing unit electrically coupled with the logic block and the memory controller, the processing unit including programmed instructions for an electronic organizer operating system; and
at least one non-volatile two-terminal cross-point memory array that is directly addressed and operative to store non-volatile data in the absence of electrical power, the non-volatile two-terminal cross-point memory array is in contact with and is fabricated directly above a silicon substrate including circuitry fabricated on the silicon substrate and electrically coupled with the non-volatile two-terminal cross-point memory array and with the memory controller, the circuitry configured to perform data operations on the non-volatile two-terminal cross-point memory array, the at least one non-volatile two-terminal cross-point memory array is configured to replace Flash memory and to replace volatile memory, the circuitry is configured to emulate Flash memory data operations on replaced Flash memory without performing a Flash erase operation prior to a write operation, and the circuitry is configured to emulate volatile memory data operations on replaced volatile memory.
2. The electronic organizer of claim 1 , wherein the at least one non-volatile two-terminal cross-point memory array is randomly accessed.
3. The electronic organizer of claim 1 , wherein the memory controller includes a direct memory addressing (DMA) channel, the processing unit includes a file manager, and the data is accessed by the DMA channel operating in cooperation with the file manager.
4. The electronic organizer of claim 1 , wherein the at least one non-volatile two-terminal cross-point memory array is operative to replace and emulate dynamic random access memory (DRAM).
5. The electronic organizer of claim 4 , wherein the data is retained without performing a DRAM refresh operation to the at least one non-volatile two-terminal cross-point memory array.
6. The electronic organizer of claim 1 , wherein the at least one non-volatile two-terminal cross-point memory array is operative to replace and emulate static random access memory (SRAM).
7. The electronic organizer of claim 1 , wherein consecutive write operations can be performed on replaced Flash memory without a prior Flash erase operation.
8. The electronic organizer of claim 1 , wherein the at least one non-volatile two-terminal cross-point memory array is operative to replace and emulate a removable Flash memory card, and the data is retained when the at least one non-volatile two-terminal cross-point memory array is removed from the electronic organizer.
9. The electronic organizer of claim 8 , wherein writing the data to the Flash memory card does not require a prior Flash erase operation.
10. The electronic organizer of claim 8 , wherein consecutive write operations to the Flash memory card do not require a prior Flash erase operation.
11. The electronic organizer of claim 8 , wherein the at least one non-volatile two-terminal cross-point memory array comprises multiple layers of vertically stacked cross-point arrays, each layer is in contact with an adjacent layer and the multiple layers are in contact with and are fabricated directly above the silicon substrate.
12. The electronic organizer of claim 1 , wherein the electronic organizer is a component of a device selected from the group consisting of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable electronic device, a device including electronic organizer functionality, and any combination of those devices.
13. The electronic organizer of claim 1 , wherein data operations to the at least one non-volatile two-terminal cross-point memory array occur at a potential difference that is less than approximately 7 volts.
14. The electronic organizer of claim 1 , wherein the at least one non-volatile two-terminal cross-point memory array comprises multiple layers of vertically-stacked cross-point arrays, each layer is in contact with an adjacent layer and the multiple layers are in contact with and are fabricated directly above the silicon substrate.
15. The electronic organizer of claim 1 , wherein the logic block comprises a device selected from the group consisting of a programmable logic device, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or any combination of those devices.
16. An electronic organizer, comprising:
a logic block;
a memory controller;
a processing unit electrically coupled with the logic block and the memory controller, the processing unit including programmed instructions for an electronic organizer operating system; and
a plurality of non-volatile two-terminal cross-point memory arrays that are directly addressed and operative to store non-volatile data in the absence of electrical power, the plurality of non-volatile two-terminal cross-point memory arrays are in contact with and are fabricated directly above a silicon substrate including circuitry fabricated on the silicon substrate and electrically coupled with the plurality of non-volatile two-terminal cross-point memory arrays and with the memory controller, the circuitry configured to perform data operations on the plurality of non-volatile two-terminal cross-point memory arrays, the plurality of non-volatile two-terminal cross-point memory arrays are configured to replace Flash memory and to replace volatile memory, the circuitry is configured to emulate Flash memory data operations on replaced Flash memory without performing a Flash erase operation prior to a write operation, and the circuitry is configured to emulate volatile memory data operations on replaced volatile memory.
17. The electronic organizer of claim 16 , wherein the memory controller includes a direct memory addressing (DMA) channel, the processing unit includes a file manager, and the data is accessed by the DMA channel operating in cooperation with the file manager.
18. The electronic organizer of claim 16 , wherein at least one of the plurality of non-volatile two-terminal cross-point memory arrays is operative to replace and to emulate a memory type selected from the group consisting of dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), non-volatile random access Flash memory, a removable non-volatile Flash memory card, and any combination of those memory types.
19. The electronic organizer of claim 18 , wherein the data is retained without a DRAM refresh operation to the DRAM.
20. The electronic organizer of claim 16 , wherein consecutive write operations can be performed on replaced Flash memory without a prior Flash erase operation.
21. The electronic organizer of claim 16 , wherein data operations to the plurality of non-volatile two-terminal cross-point memory arrays occur at a potential difference that is less than approximately 7 volts.
22. The electronic organizer of claim 16 , wherein at least one of the plurality of non-volatile two-terminal cross-point memory arrays is disposed in one of a plurality of layers of vertically-stacked cross-point arrays, each layer is in contact with an adjacent layer and the plurality of layers are in contact with and are fabricated directly above the silicon substrate.