IP Library Granted Patent US 10,522,207
Granted Patent B2
US 10,522,207 · App. 15/665,143 · Granted Dec 31, 2019

Performance of additional refresh operations during self-refresh mode

Inventors: Kuljit S. Bains (Olympia, WA); Shay Fux (Kfar Yona, IL); John B. Halbert (Beaverton, OR)
Assignee: Intel Corporation
G11C11/40615G11C11/4074G11C2211/4067
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,522,207
App. No.
15/665,143
Granted
Dec 31, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments are generally directed to performance of additional refresh operations during self-refresh mode. An embodiment of a memory device includes one or more memory banks, a mode register set, the mode register set including a first set of mode register bits, and a control logic to provide control operations for the memory device, the operations including refresh operations for the one or more memory banks in a refresh credit mode. The control logic is to perform one or more extra refresh cycles in response to receipt of a self-refresh command, the self-refresh command to provide current refresh status information, and is to store information in the first set of mode register bits regarding a modified refresh status after the performance of the one or more extra refresh cycles.

Claims (26)

1. A memory device comprising: one or more memory banks;

a mode register set, the mode register set including a first set of mode register bits; and

a control logic to provide control operations for the memory device, the operations including refresh operations for the one or more memory banks in a refresh credit mode;

wherein the control logic is to perform one or more extra refresh cycles in response to receipt of a self-refresh command, the self-refresh command to provide current refresh status information, wherein, the current refresh status information in the self-refresh command includes a number of refresh cycles that are postponed for the memory device or a number of refresh cycles that are advanced for the memory device; and

wherein the control logic is to store information in the first set of mode register bits regarding a modified refresh status after the performance of the one or more extra refresh cycles.

2. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the first set of mode register bits includes a number of refresh cycles that remain postponed for the memory device or a number of refresh cycles that are advanced for the memory device.

3. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the memory device is a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) device.

4. The memory device of claim 3 , wherein the DRAM device is a double data rate (DDR) synchronous DRAM (SDRAM) memory device.

5. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

providing a series of refresh commands to a memory by a memory controller, wherein providing the series of refresh commands may include postponing a number of refresh commands or advancing a number of refresh commands;

transmitting a self-refresh command to the memory by the memory controller in a refresh credit mode, the self-refresh command including current refresh status information, wherein, the current refresh status information in the self-refresh command includes a number of refresh cycles that are postponed for the memory device or a number of refresh cycles that are advanced for the memory device;

upon an end of a self-refresh mode, obtaining modified refresh status information from the memory; and

continuing the series of refresh commands based at least in part on the modified status information.

6. The medium of claim 5 , wherein the modified refresh status information includes a number of refresh commands that remain postponed or a number of refresh commands that are advanced after the self-refresh mode.

7. The medium of claim 6 , wherein obtaining the modified refresh status information includes reading a set of register bits of the memory.

8. The medium of claim 7 , wherein reading the set of register bits of the memory includes reading a first bit to determine whether a value of a subset of the register bits represents a number of refresh commands that remain postponed or a number of refresh commands that are advanced after the self-refresh mode.

9. A method performed by a memory, comprising:

receiving a series of refresh commands at a memory from the memory controller and performing refresh cycles in response to the refresh commands;

receiving a self-refresh command at the memory from the memory controller in a refresh credit mode, the self-refresh command including current refresh status information, wherein, the current refresh status information in the self-refresh command includes a number of refresh cycles that are postponed for the memory device or a number of refresh cycles that are advanced for the memory device;

entering a self-refresh mode in response to the self-refresh command;

performing one or more extra refresh cycles during the self-refresh mode;

storing modified refresh status information based at least in part on the extra refresh cycles performed in the self-refresh mode; and

exiting the self-refresh mode.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the modified refresh status information includes a number of refresh commands that remain postponed or a number of refresh commands that are advanced after the performance of the one or more extra refresh cycles.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein storing the modified refresh status information includes storing the information in a set of register bits of the memory.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein storing the information in the set of register bits of the memory includes writing a first bit to indicate whether a value of a subset of the register bits represents a number of refresh commands that remain postponed or a number of refresh commands that are advanced after the self-refresh mode.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 15, 2022
From: INTEL CORPORATION
To: TAHOE RESEARCH, LTD.
Reel/Frame 061175/0176 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 15184944 · Jun 16, 2016
Provisional Application 62265054 · Dec 9, 2015
Related Publication 20180047439A1 · Feb 15, 2018