IP Library Granted Patent US 9,424,943
Granted Patent B2
US 9,424,943 · App. 14/551,725 · Granted Aug 23, 2016

Data reading device and semiconductor device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,424,943
App. No.
14/551,725
Granted
Aug 23, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention provides a data reading device capable of preventing erroneous writing during an operation of reading data from a non-volatile memory element. The data reading device includes a dummy reading circuit provided with a non-volatile memory element, the writing voltage of which is lower than that of a non-volatile memory element of a data reading circuit, and a state detection circuit that detects a written state of the non-volatile memory element of the dummy reading circuit. Upon detection of erroneous writing to the non-volatile memory element of the dummy reading circuit during a data reading operation, the data reading operation is immediately terminated.

Claims (11)

1. A data reading device comprising:

a data reading unit provided with an arbitrary quantity of data reading circuits which include non-volatile memory elements;

a dummy reading circuit including a non-volatile memory element configured to be written more easily than the non-volatile memory elements of the data reading circuits, wherein the dummy reading circuit is set such that a higher voltage is applied to both ends of the non-volatile memory element in the dummy reading circuit than in the data reading circuits; and

a state detection circuit that detects a written state of the non-volatile memory element of the dummy reading circuit,

wherein, in the case where the state detection circuit detects the written state of the non-volatile memory element of the dummy reading circuit during an operation of reading data from the non-volatile memory elements of the data reading circuits, the operation of reading the data from the non-volatile memory elements of the data reading circuits is stopped so as to prevent erroneous writing to the non-volatile memory elements of the data reading circuits.

2. The data reading device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the state detection circuit connects the gates of the non-volatile memory elements of the dummy reading circuits and the gate of a non-volatile memory element of the state detection circuit thereby to detect the written states of the non-volatile memory elements of the data reading circuits.

3. The data reading device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the state detection circuit connects the gates of the non-volatile memory elements of the data reading circuits and the gate of a non-volatile memory element of the state detection circuit thereby to detect the written states of the non-volatile memory elements of the data reading circuits.

4. The data reading device according to claim 1 , comprising arbitrary quantities of the dummy reading circuits and the state detection circuits.

5. A semiconductor device comprising the data reading device according to claim 1 .

Assignments (5)
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Jun 8, 2023
From: ABLIC INC.
To: ABLIC INC.
Reel/Frame 064021/0575 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 12, 2018
From: SII SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
To: ABLIC INC.
Reel/Frame 045567/0927 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE EXECUTION DATE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 037783 FRAME: 0166. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Feb 23, 2016
From: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC
To: SII SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 037903/0928 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 11, 2016
From: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC
To: SII SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION .
Reel/Frame 037783/0166 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 24, 2014
From: WATANABE, KOTARO; MITANI, MAKOTO
To: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
Reel/Frame 034252/0823 →