IP Library Granted Patent US 12,487,925
Granted Patent B2
US 12,487,925 · App. 18/495,215 · Granted Dec 2, 2025

Rank interleaving for system meta mode operations in a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) memory device

Inventors: Alain Artieri (Saint Martin d'Heres, FR); Jungwon Suh (San Diego, CA); Subbarao Palacharla (San Diego, CA); Vikrant Kumar (Bangalore, IN); Riccardo Iacobacci (Cork, IE)
Assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated
G06F12/0607
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 12,487,925
App. No.
18/495,215
Granted
Dec 2, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and devices for memory systems that support processing data and metadata within a memory of a memory device. In a first aspect, a method of controlling a memory device includes executing a first request in a first rank of the memory device during a first time period, wherein the first time period comprises a first data access portion and a first metadata access portion; and executing a second request in a second rank of the memory device during a second time period, wherein the second time period comprises a second data access portion and a second metadata access portion, wherein executing the first request in the first rank and executing the second request in the second rank comprises interleaving the first request and the second request between the first rank and the second rank. Other aspects and features are also claimed and described.

Claims (44)

1 . An apparatus, comprising:

one or more memory controllers configured to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first request for a memory device and a second request for the memory device;

executing the first request in a first rank of the memory device during a first time period, wherein the first request comprises a write operation, wherein the first time period comprises a first data access portion and a first metadata access portion, and wherein the first data access portion comprises a first data write in the first rank;

executing the second request in a second rank of the memory device during a second time period, wherein the second request comprises a read operation, wherein the second time period comprises a second data access portion and a second metadata access portion, wherein the second metadata access portion comprises a first metadata read in the second rank, and wherein the first data write in the first rank at least partially overlaps the first metadata read in the second rank; and

executing a third request in the first rank of the memory device during a third time period after the first time period, wherein the third time period comprises a third data access portion and a third metadata access portion;

wherein executing the first request in the first rank and executing the second request in the second rank comprises interleaving the first request and the second request between the first rank and the second rank, and wherein executing the third request in the first rank and executing the second request in the second rank comprises interleaving the second request and the third request between the first rank and the second rank.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the execution of the second request by the one or more memory controllers is timed such that the first metadata access portion at least partially overlaps with the second data access portion.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first time period further comprises a third metadata access portion comprising a first metadata write in the first rank, and wherein the first metadata write in the first rank at least partially overlaps the second data access portion of the second time period in the second rank.

4 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein executing the first request in the first rank comprises opening a minimum number of banks in the first rank for executing the first request.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein executing the first request in the first rank comprises accessing a first set of banks in the first rank and executing the third request in the first rank comprises accessing a second set of banks mutually exclusive of the first set of banks.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more memory controllers are configured to access the memory device in a system meta mode.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the memory device comprises a plurality of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) modules, wherein the one or more memory controllers are configured to access the DRAM modules by storing data in a first portion of memory locations and storing metadata in a second portion of memory locations.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the metadata comprises error correction codes (ECCs).

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more memory controllers are configured to communicate with a low power double data rate (LPDDR) memory module.

10 . A method, comprising:

receiving, by one or more memory controllers, a first request for a memory device and a second request for the memory device;

executing, by the one or more memory controllers, the first request in a first rank of the memory device during a first time period, wherein the first request comprises a write operation, wherein the first time period comprises a first data access portion and a first metadata access portion, and wherein the first data access portion comprises a first data write in the first rank;

executing, by the one or more memory controllers, the second request in a second rank of the memory device during a second time period, wherein the second request comprises a read operation, wherein the second time period comprises a second data access portion and a second metadata access portion, wherein the second metadata access portion comprises a first metadata read in the second rank, and wherein the first data write in the first rank at least partially overlaps the first metadata read in the second rank; and

executing, by the one or more memory controllers, a third request in the first rank of the memory device during a third time period after the first time period, wherein the third time period comprises a third data access portion and a third metadata access portion,

wherein executing the first request in the first rank and executing the second request in the second rank comprises interleaving the first request and the second request between the first rank and the second rank, and wherein executing the third request in the first rank and executing the second request in the second rank comprises interleaving the second request and the third request between the first rank and the second rank.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the execution of the second request by the one or more memory controllers is timed such that the first metadata access portion at least partially overlaps with the second data access portion.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the first time period further comprises a third metadata access portion comprising a first metadata write in the first rank, and wherein the first metadata write in the first rank at least partially overlaps the second data access portion of the second time period in the second rank.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein executing the first request in the first rank comprises opening a minimum number of banks in the first rank for executing the first request.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein executing the first request in the first rank comprises accessing a first set of banks in the first rank and executing the third request in the first rank comprises accessing a second set of banks mutually exclusive of the first set of banks.

15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more memory controllers are configured to access the memory device in a system meta mode.

16 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the memory device comprises a plurality of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) modules, wherein the one or more memory controllers are configured to access the DRAM modules by storing data in a first portion of memory locations and storing metadata in a second portion of memory locations.

17 . The method of claim 10 , wherein metadata comprises error correction codes (ECCs).

18 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more memory controllers are configured to communicate with a low power double data rate (LPDDR) memory module.

19 . An apparatus, comprising:

a host device configured to communicate with a memory module through a channel, the host device comprising one or more memory controllers coupled to the channel, the one or more memory controllers configured perform operations including:

receiving a first request for a memory device and a second request for the memory device, wherein the first request comprises a write operation and the second request comprises a read operation;

executing the first request in a first rank of the memory device during a first time period, wherein the first time period comprises a first data access portion and a first metadata access portion, and wherein the first data access portion comprises a first data write in the first rank;

executing the second request in a second rank of the memory device during a second time period, wherein the second time period comprises a second data access portion and a second metadata access portion, wherein the second metadata access portion comprises a first metadata read in the second rank, and wherein the first data write in the first rank at least partially overlaps the first metadata read in the second rank; and

executing a third request in the first rank of the memory device during a third time period after the first time period, wherein the third time period comprises a third data access portion and a third metadata access portion,

wherein executing the first request in the first rank and executing the second request in the second rank comprises interleaving the first request and the second request between the first rank and the second rank, and wherein executing the third request in the first rank and executing the second request in the second rank comprises interleaving the second request and the third request between the first rank and the second rank.

20 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the execution of the second request by the one or more memory controllers is timed such that the first metadata access portion at least partially overlaps with the second data access portion.

21 . The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the first time period further comprises a third metadata access portion comprising a first metadata write in the first rank, and wherein the first metadata write in the first rank at least partially overlaps the second data access portion of the second time period in the second rank.

22 . The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein executing the first request in the first rank comprises opening a minimum number of banks in the first rank for executing the first request.

23 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein executing the first request in the first rank comprises accessing a first set of banks in the first rank and executing the third request in the first rank comprises accessing a second set of banks mutually exclusive of the first set of banks.

24 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the one or more memory controllers are configured to access the memory device in a system meta mode.

25 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the memory device comprises a plurality of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) modules, wherein the one or more memory controllers are configured to access the DRAM modules by storing data in a first portion of memory locations and storing metadata in a second portion of memory locations.

26 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein metadata comprises error correction codes (ECCs).

27 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the one or more memory controllers is configured to communicate with a low power double data rate (LPDDR) memory module.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 12, 2023
From: ARTIERI, ALAIN; SUH, JUNGWON; PALACHARLA, SUBBARAO; KUMAR, VIKRANT; IACOBACCI, RICCARDO
To: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 065844/0930 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63505997 · Jun 2, 2023
Related Publication 20240402944A1 · Dec 5, 2024
References Cited (25)
US 6715025B2 · Kanno · 2004 [cited by examiner]
US 11288188B1 · Tummala et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 11403217B2 · Artieri et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 11520706B2 · Artieri et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 11704183B2 · Balakrishnan et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20040128428A1 · Christenson · 2004 [cited by examiner]
US 20120272013A1 · Liou · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20150177993A1 · Ide et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20160232112A1 · Lee · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20170132150A1 · Hampel · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20180196709A1 · Das · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20200152256A1 · Seo · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200327010A1 · Pandey · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200401508A1 · Hsu · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20210064463A1 · Suh et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210255803A1 · Kanno · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210358559A1 · Suh et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20220197561A1 · Na · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20220358042A1 · Malladi et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20230260565A1 · Gieske et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20230297290A1 · Yoshida et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20240126438A1 · Suh et al. · 2024 [cited by applicant]
International Search Report and Written Opinion—PCT/US2024/023033—ISA/EPO—Jul. 24, 2024. [cited by applicant]
Lee C.K., et al., “An 8.5-GB/s/Pin 12-GB LPDDR5 SDRAM With a Hybrid-Bank Architecture, Low Power, and Speed-Boosting Techniques”, IEEE Journal of Solid-state Circuits, 2020, pp. 1-13. [cited by applicant]
Lin Y-H., et al., “Wide-I/O 3D-Staked Dram Controller for Near-data Processing System”, IEEE, 2017, 4 Pages. [cited by applicant]