IP Library Granted Patent US 9,639,422
Granted Patent B2
US 9,639,422 · App. 15/072,572 · Granted May 2, 2017

Synchronized transfer of data and corresponding error correction data

Inventor: Alberto Troia (Carlentini, IT)
Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
G06F11/1068G06F3/064G06F3/0619G06F3/0688G06F11/1048G11C16/26G11C29/52H03M13/13
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,639,422
App. No.
15/072,572
Granted
May 2, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

Memory devices having a first plurality of data buffers coupled to sense circuitry, a second plurality of data buffers coupled to sense circuitry, and an error correction controller coupled to the first and second plurality of data buffers and configured to synchronize data from the first and second plurality of data buffers prior to transmitting the data, as well as systems containing such memory devices.

Claims (40)

1. A memory device comprising:

a first memory array configured to store data;

a second memory array configured to store error correction data;

first sense circuitry coupled to the first memory array;

second sense circuitry coupled to the second memory array;

a first plurality of data buffers coupled to the first sense circuitry;

a second plurality of data buffers coupled to the second sense circuitry; and

a controller coupled to the first and second plurality of data buffers and configured to synchronize data from the first plurality of data buffers resulting from a read operation with error correction data from the second plurality of data buffers resulting from the read operation prior to transmitting the data and the error correction data.

2. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second memory arrays comprise one of a NAND, NOR, or AND non-volatile memory architecture.

3. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the first memory array and the second memory array comprise a same physical array of memory cells.

4. The memory device of claim 1 , and further comprising a burst engine coupled to the controller wherein the burst engine is configured to generate a data strobe signal.

5. The memory device of claim 1 , and further comprising a plurality of row address buffers coupled to the first and second memory arrays.

6. The memory device of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of row address buffers are coupled to memory address lines through a first multiplexer and to the first and second memory arrays through a second multiplexer, wherein outputs of the first multiplexer and the second multiplexer are controlled by a control signal.

7. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of data buffers are configured to store Y×T bits of data, error correction data, and an enable/disable flag wherein Y is a quantity of IO bits and T is a data burst length.

8. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to synchronize the data from the first plurality of data buffers with the error correction data from the second plurality of data buffers to transmit a first number of packets containing data from the first plurality of data buffers followed by a second number of packets containing error correction data from the second plurality of data buffers.

9. The memory device of claim 8 , wherein the second number of packets is less than the first number of packets.

10. The memory device of claim 8 , wherein the second number of packets is two packets.

11. A system comprising:

an external controller; and

a memory device coupled to the external controller over a command bus, an address bus, and a data bus, the memory device comprising:

a memory array;

one sense circuitry coupled to the memory array;

a first plurality of data buffers coupled to the sense circuitry;

a second plurality of data buffers coupled to the sense circuitry; and

a controller coupled to the first and second plurality of data buffers and configured to synchronize data from the first plurality of data buffers resulting from a read operation with error correction data from the second plurality of data buffers resulting from the read operation prior to transmitting the data and the error correction data.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the external controller is configured to generate error correction data corresponding to data to be stored in the memory device and transmit the error correction data appended to the corresponding data over the data bus, wherein the error correction data comprises a plurality of error correction data packets for the corresponding data.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of error correction data packets comprise a least significant error correction packet and a most significant error correction packet.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the external controller is further configured to transmit the corresponding data as a plurality of packets of corresponding data followed by the plurality of error correction data packets.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of packets of corresponding data is a number of packets equal to a burst length of the memory device.

16. A memory device comprising:

a memory array configured to store data and to store error correction data;

first sense circuitry coupled to the memory array;

second sense circuitry coupled to the memory array;

a first plurality of data buffers coupled to the first sense circuitry to store data sensed from the memory array;

a second plurality of data buffers coupled to the second sense circuitry to store error correction data sensed from the memory array; and

a controller coupled to the first and second plurality of data buffers and configured to synchronize data from the first plurality of data buffers resulting from a read operation with error correction data from the second plurality of data buffers resulting from the read operation prior to transmitting the data and the error correction data.

17. The memory device of claim 16 , wherein the controller is further configured to transmit the data from the first plurality of data buffers as a plurality of data packets and to transmit error correction data from the second plurality of data buffers as a plurality of error correction data packets.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of data packets is a number of packets equal to a burst length of the memory device.

19. The memory device of claim 18 , wherein the controller is further configured to transmit a first number of packets of the plurality of data packets followed by a second number of packets of the plurality of error correction data packets.

20. The memory device of claim 19 , wherein the second number of packets is two packets.

Assignments (7)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 12, 2019
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.; MICRON SEMICONDUCTOR PRODUCTS, INC.
Reel/Frame 051028/0001 →
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 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 13, 2018
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.; MICRON SEMICONDUCTOR PRODUCTS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 047540/0001 →
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 →
Continuity (2)
Division 13490690 · Jun 7, 2012
Related Publication 20160196181A1 · Jul 7, 2016