IP Library Granted Patent US 8,688,955
Granted Patent B2
US 8,688,955 · App. 12/856,000 · Granted Apr 1, 2014

Line termination methods and apparatus

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,688,955
App. No.
12/856,000
Granted
Apr 1, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods and apparatus for termination of signal lines coupled to a number of memory devices are disclosed. One such method includes adjusting an input impedance of one or more terminals of an interface of a memory device in response to the memory device receiving a particular address. One such apparatus includes memory devices configured to selectively adjust an input impedance seen by one or more of the signal lines in response to receiving a particular address.

Claims (53)

1. A method comprising:

receiving an address at each of a plurality of memory devices; and

selecting termination circuitry in at least two of the memory devices responsive to the received address matching a target address stored in the least two of the memory devices;

wherein the target address is an address of a memory device that is different than the at least two memory devices and that is selected for a memory device operation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the memory devices comprises a single die.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting termination circuitry comprises activating termination circuitry.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the termination circuitry is activated responsive to the received address matching the target address stored in the least two of the memory devices.

5. A method comprising:

receiving an address at each of a plurality of memory devices, wherein each of the memory devices comprises a plurality of die; and

selecting termination circuitry in at least two of the die of at least one of the memory devices responsive to the received address matching a target address stored in the at least one of the memory devices;

wherein the target address corresponds to a die that is different than the at least two die of the at least one of the memory devices and that is selected for a memory device operation.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of memory devices comprise two memory devices and wherein selecting termination circuitry comprises activating termination circuitry in at least two of the die of only one of the memory devices.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the at least two of the die of the at least one of the memory devices store the target address, and wherein the termination circuitry in the at least two of the die of the at least one of the memory devices is selected responsive to the received address matching the target address stored in the at least two of the die of the at least one of the memory devices.

8. A method of operating a memory device, the method comprising:

adjusting an impedance characteristic of the memory device responsive to the memory device receiving a particular address that matches an address stored in the memory device;

wherein the address stored in the memory device corresponds to a different memory device.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein adjusting an impedance characteristic further comprises adjusting an impedance characteristic of a data node of the memory device.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein adjusting an impedance characteristic of a data node further comprises adjusting the impedance characteristic where the data node comprises a terminal of an interface of the memory device.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein adjusting an impedance characteristic further comprises adjusting an impedance characteristic of a control signal node of the memory device.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein adjusting an impedance characteristic of a control signal node further comprises adjusting the impedance characteristic where the control signal node comprises a terminal of an interface of the memory device.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the address stored in the memory device is appointed by a controller external to the memory device during an initialization operation of the memory device.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the address stored in the memory device is included in a range of addresses, and further comprising storing the range of addresses.

15. A method of operating a plurality of memory devices commonly coupled by an address bus and a data bus, the method comprising:

selecting termination circuitry in a first memory device and in a second memory device responsive to the first memory device and the second memory device receiving an address that matches a target address stored in the first memory device and in the second memory device, wherein the target address is an address of a third memory device selected for a memory device operation;

wherein the termination circuitry in the first memory device and in the second memory device are configured to adjust an impedance characteristic of one or more data nodes of the first memory device and of the second memory device, respectively, that are coupled to the data bus.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein a memory device operation is one of a programming operation and a read operation.

17. A method of operating a plurality of memory devices commonly coupled by an address bus and a data bus, the method comprising:

selecting termination circuitry in a first memory device responsive to the first memory device receiving an indication that a second memory device is selected for a memory device operation; and

selecting termination circuitry in the second memory device responsive to the second memory device receiving an indication that a third memory device is selected for a memory device operation;

wherein the termination circuitry in the first memory device is configured to adjust an impedance characteristic of one or more data nodes of the first memory device that are coupled to the data bus;

wherein the termination circuitry in the second memory device is configured to adjust an impedance characteristic of one or more data nodes of the second memory device that are coupled to the data bus.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

selecting the termination circuitry in the first memory device and in the second memory devices responsive to the first and the second memory devices receiving an indication that a third memory device is selected for a memory device operation.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein selecting termination circuitry in the first and the second memory devices further comprises selecting termination circuitry in the first and the second memory devices where the termination circuitry in the first and the second memory devices are configured to adjust the impedance characteristic of the respective one or more data nodes of the first and the second memory devices by the same amount.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein selecting termination circuitry in the first and the second memory devices further comprises selecting termination circuitry in the first and the second memory devices where the termination circuitry in the first and the second memory devices are configured to adjust the impedance characteristic of the respective one or more data nodes of the first and the second memory devices by a different amount.

21. A method of operating a memory system, the method comprising:

selecting a termination circuit in a memory device selected as a termination device responsive to the termination device receiving an address that matches a target address stored in the termination device;

wherein the target address is an address of a different memory device of the memory system selected for a memory device operation; and

wherein the termination circuit is configured to selectively adjust an impedance characteristic of one or more nodes of the termination device.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein a termination value is stored in the termination device, and wherein the termination value is associated with the stored target address.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein selecting the termination circuit in the termination device further comprises activating the termination circuit to adjust the impedance of the one or more of the nodes responsive to the stored termination value corresponding to the stored target address.

24. The method of claim 21 , wherein the target address stored in the termination device is a first target address stored in the termination device, and wherein a second target address is stored in the termination device.

25. The method of claim 24 , further comprising selecting the termination circuit in the termination device responsive to the termination device receiving an address that matches the second target address.

26. A memory device, comprising:

an array of memory cells;

an interface; and

a first termination circuit, wherein the first termination circuit is configured to adjust an impedance characteristic of the interface responsive to the interface receiving an address that matches a first target address stored in the memory device;

wherein the first target address corresponds to a different memory device.

27. The memory device of claim 26 , further comprising a second termination circuit, wherein the second termination circuit is configured to adjust an impedance characteristic of the interface responsive to the interface receiving an address that matches a second target address stored in the memory device.

28. The memory device of claim 27 , wherein the first termination circuit and the second termination circuit are configured to adjust an impedance characteristic of their respective interfaces by the same amount.

29. The memory device of claim 27 , wherein the first termination circuit and the second termination circuit are configured to adjust an impedance characteristic of their respective interfaces by a different adjusted amount.

30. The memory device of claim 27 , wherein the first target address and the second target address are the same address.

31. The memory device of claim 27 , wherein the first target address and the second target address are different addresses.

Assignments (7)
CONFIRMATORY LICENSE Recorded Oct 23, 2023
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: LODESTAR LICENSING GROUP LLC
Reel/Frame 065313/0397 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 9, 2019
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 050937/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 23, 2018
From: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 047243/0001 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REPLACE ERRONEOUSLY FILED PATENT #7358718 WITH THE CORRECT PATENT #7358178 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 038669 FRAME 0001. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECURITY INTEREST. Recorded Jun 8, 2017
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 043079/0001 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 2, 2016
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 038954/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 12, 2016
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 038669/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 13, 2010
From: GRUNZKE, TERRY
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 024834/0556 →