IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,658,046
Granted Patent B2
US 10,658,046 · App. 15/841,622 · Granted May 19, 2020

Memory device and method for operating the same

Inventors: Kuen-Long Chang (Taipei, TW); Ken-Hui Chen (Hsin Chu, TW); Su-Chueh Lo (Hsinchu, TW); Chun-Yu Liao (Taichung, TW)
Assignee: MACRONIX INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD.
G11C16/26G06F12/0246G06F13/4004G11C7/06G11C7/1051G11C7/1078G11C11/4093G11C16/0483G11C16/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,658,046
App. No.
15/841,622
Granted
May 19, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

The embodiment of the present invention discloses a memory device and a method for operating the same. The memory device includes a memory array and a logic circuit. The logic circuit is coupled to the memory array, and is configured to perform a corresponding operation in response to an operation command from a controller. When an interruption event occurs during the corresponding operation, the logic circuit records a memory status, and the logic circuit further is configured to output the memory status to the controller in response to a status read command from the controller.

Claims (22)

1. A memory device, comprising:

a memory array;

a logic circuit, coupled to the memory array, the logic circuit configured to perform a corresponding operation in response to an operation command from a controller; and

a sense amplifier circuit, coupled to the logic circuit and the memory array;

wherein when an interruption event occurs during the corresponding operation, the logic circuit records a memory status, and the logic circuit is further configured to output the memory status to the controller in response to a status read command from the controller; and

wherein the operation command is a read command, the corresponding operation is a read operation, the sense amplifier circuit is configured to read a second data sequence from the memory array, and the memory status includes a continued read address.

2. The memory device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a write buffer, coupled to the logic circuit,

wherein the write buffer is configured to temporarily store a first data sequence from the controller.

3. The memory device according to claim 2 , wherein when the interruption event occurs, part of the first data sequence has been temporarily stored in the write buffer.

4. The memory device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the memory status includes at least one of an initial read address, an interrupted read address and a read initialized flag.

5. The memory device according to claim 4 , wherein when the interruption event occurs, part of the second data sequence has been read from the memory array, the logic circuit is further configured to perform a read continue operation in response to a read continue command which is generated according to the memory status by the controller, during the read continue operation, the logic circuit indicates the sense amplifier circuit to read the rest part of the first data sequence from the memory array.

6. The memory device according to claim 4 , wherein when the interruption event occurs, part of the second data sequence has been read from the memory array, the logic circuit is further configured to perform a read continue operation in response to a read continue command which is generated according to the memory status by the controller, during the read continue operation, the logic circuit indicates the sense amplifier circuit to read the rest part of the first data sequence from the memory array according to the memory status.

7. A method for operating memory device, comprising:

receiving an operation command; and

performing a corresponding operation in response to the operation command,

wherein when an interruption event occurs during the corresponding operation, records a memory status, and outputs the memory status in response to a status read command; and

wherein the operation command is a read command, the corresponding operation is a read operation, during the read operation, reads a second data sequence from a memory array, and the memory status includes a continued read address.

8. The memory device according to claim 7 , wherein the memory status includes at least one of an initial read address, an interrupted read address and a read initialized flag.

9. The memory device according to claim 8 , wherein when the interruption event occurs, part of the second data sequence has been read from the memory array, performs a read continue operation in response to a read continue command which is generated according to the memory status, during the read continue operation, reads the rest part of the first data sequence from the memory array.

10. The memory device according to claim 8 , wherein when the interruption event occurs, part of the second data sequence has been read from the memory array, performs a read continue operation in response to a read continue command which is generated according to the memory status, during the read continue operation, reads the rest part of the first data sequence from the memory array according to the memory status.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 14, 2017
From: CHANG, KUEN-LONG; CHEN, KEN-HUI; LO, SU-CHUEH; LIAO, CHUN-YU
To: MACRONIX INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 044396/0484 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62511356 · May 26, 2017
Related Publication 20180342302A1 · Nov 29, 2018