IP Library Granted Patent US 10,388,333
Granted Patent B2
US 10,388,333 · App. 15/797,759 · Granted Aug 20, 2019

Apparatuses and methods to selectively perform logical operations

Inventors: Daniel B. Penney (Wylie, TX); Harish N. Venkata (Allen, TX)
Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
G11C7/06G11C7/065G11C7/08G11C7/1006G11C8/12G11C11/4091H03K19/20G11C2207/002G11C2207/005
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,388,333
App. No.
15/797,759
Granted
Aug 20, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods related to selectively performing logical operations. An example apparatus comprises sensing circuitry including a sense amplifier and a compute component. A controller is coupled to sensing circuitry and is configured to cause storing of an indication of whether a logical operation is to be selectively performed between an operand stored in the sensing circuitry and an operand stored in the sense amplifier.

Claims (50)

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory array;

a sense amplifier coupled to the memory array;

Boolean selection circuitry coupled to the sense amplifier;

an accumulator coupled to the Boolean selection circuitry;

a latch coupled to the accumulator and the Boolean selection circuitry; and

a controller configured to control the Boolean selection circuitry, the accumulator and the latch, wherein the controller is configured to cause a Boolean mask value to be stored using the latch, and wherein the Boolean selection circuitry is configured to be selectively disabled responsive to the Boolean mask value.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the accumulator further comprises a transistor configured to reduce an amount of contention between nodes of the accumulator responsive to the Boolean selection circuitry being selectively disabled.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the transistor is configured to reduce the amount of contention between the nodes of the accumulator responsive to the nodes of the accumulator being discharged to a ground reference potential.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the transistor is a p-channel transistor.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a transistor coupled to the Boolean selection circuitry and configured to be enabled to clear the Boolean mask value stored in the latch.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the transistor is an n-channel transistor.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a column repair signal line coupled to nodes of the accumulator and configured to provide a repair capability to the apparatus.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the column repair signal line is configured to block signals from the sense amplifier as part of the repair capability.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the column repair signal line is configured to block signals from the accumulator as part of the repair capability.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory array;

a sense amplifier coupled to the memory array;

Boolean selection circuitry coupled to the sense amplifier;

an accumulator coupled to the Boolean selection circuitry;

a latch coupled to the accumulator; and

a Boolean mask latch coupled to the Boolean selection circuitry and configured to store a Boolean mask value, wherein the Boolean selection circuitry is configured to be selectively disabled responsive to the mask value.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the sense amplifier is configured to store the Boolean mask value.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the accumulator is configured to store the Boolean mask value.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:

a p-channel transistor coupled to the Boolean selection circuitry and configured to reduce an amount of contention between nodes of the accumulator responsive to the Boolean selection circuitry being selectively disabled; and

an n-channel transistor coupled to the Boolean selection circuitry and configured to clear the Boolean mask value stored in the latch.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising a column repair signal line coupled to nodes of the accumulator and configured to provide a repair capability to the apparatus by blocking signals from the sense amplifier or the accumulator.

15. A method, comprising:

storing, using a latch coupled to an accumulator and Boolean selection circuitry associated with a memory array, a Boolean mask value;

selectively disabling the Boolean selection circuitry responsive to detection of the Boolean mask value; and

preventing performance of a logical operation between an operand stored in the accumulator and an operand stored in a sense amplifier coupled to the memory array by selectively disabling the Boolean selection circuitry.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising storing the Boolean mask value in the accumulator or in a sense amplifier coupled to the Boolean selection circuitry.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

discharging nodes of the accumulator to a ground reference potential; and

reducing an amount of contention between nodes of the accumulator by enabling a transistor coupled to the Boolean selection circuitry and the accumulator.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising enabling a transistor coupled to the Boolean selection circuitry to clear the Boolean mask value stored in the latch.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising enabling a column repair signal line coupled to nodes of the accumulator to provide a repair capability to the accumulator, Boolean selection circuitry, a sense amplifier coupled to the memory array, or combinations thereof.

20. A method, comprising:

storing, using a latch coupled to an accumulator and Boolean selection circuitry associated with a memory array, a Boolean mask value in the accumulator or in a sense amplifier coupled to the Boolean selection circuitry; and

selectively disabling the Boolean selection circuitry responsive to detection of the Boolean mask value.

21. A method, comprising:

storing, using a latch coupled to an accumulator and Boolean selection circuitry associated with a memory array, a Boolean mask value;

discharging nodes of the accumulator to a ground reference potential;

reducing an amount of contention between nodes of the accumulator by enabling a transistor coupled to the Boolean selection circuitry and the accumulator; and

selectively disabling the Boolean selection circuitry responsive to detection of the Boolean mask value.

22. A method, comprising:

storing, using a latch coupled to an accumulator and Boolean selection circuitry associated with a memory array, a Boolean mask value;

enabling a column repair signal line coupled to nodes of the accumulator to provide a repair capability to the accumulator, Boolean selection circuitry, a sense amplifier coupled to the memory array, or combinations thereof; and

selectively disabling the Boolean selection circuitry responsive to detection of the Boolean mask value.

Assignments (5)
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 10, 2019
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 050716/0678 →
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 →
SUPPLEMENT NO. 7 TO PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 6, 2018
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 045267/0833 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 30, 2017
From: PENNEY, DANIEL B.; VENKATA, HARISH N.
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 043984/0410 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 15298798 · Oct 20, 2016
Related Publication 20180114551A1 · Apr 26, 2018