Responding to power loss

A method of operating an apparatus, comprising:

• obtaining information indicative of a data value stored in a particular memory cell of an array of volatile memory cells of the apparatus;
• determining if a power loss to the apparatus is indicated;
• and
• if a power loss to the apparatus is indicated,
• selectively programming one memory cell of a pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells of the apparatus responsive to the information indicative of the data value stored in the particular memory cell;
• wherein a resulting combination of threshold voltages of the one memory cell of the pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells and of the other memory cell of the pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells is representative of the information indicative of the data value stored in the particular memory cell;
• and
• wherein selectively programming the one memory cell of the pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells responsive to the information indicative of the data value stored in the particular memory cell comprises:
• applying a first voltage level to a first source/drain of the one memory cell of the pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells and to a first source/drain of the other memory cell of the pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells;
• applying a second voltage level higher than the first voltage level to a gate of the one memory cell of the pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells and to a gate of the other memory cell of the pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells;
• applying a third voltage level, higher than the first voltage level and lower than the second voltage level, to a second source/drain of the one memory cell of the pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells;
• and
• applying the first voltage level to a second source/drain of the other memory cell of the pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells.

A method of operating an apparatus, comprising:

• obtaining information indicative of a data value stored in a particular memory cell of an array of volatile memory cells of the apparatus;
• determining if a power loss to the apparatus is indicated;
• and
• if a power loss to the apparatus is indicated,
• selectively programming one memory cell of a pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells of the apparatus responsive to the information indicative of the data value stored in the particular memory cell;
• wherein a resulting combination of threshold voltages of the one memory cell of the pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells and of the other memory cell of the pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells is representative of the information indicative of the data value stored in the particular memory cell;
• and
• wherein selectively programming the one memory cell of the pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells responsive to the information indicative of the data value stored in the particular memory cell comprises programming the one memory cell of the pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells if the information indicative of the data value stored in the particular memory cell has a first logic level, and inhibiting programming of the one memory cell of the pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells if the information indicative of the data value stored in the particular memory cell has a second logic level different than the first logic level.

A method of operating an apparatus, comprising:

• obtaining information indicative of a data value stored in a particular memory cell of an array of volatile memory cells of the apparatus;
• determining if a power loss to the apparatus is indicated;
• and
• if a power loss to the apparatus is indicated,
• selectively programming one memory cell of a pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells of the apparatus responsive to the information indicative of the data value stored in the particular memory cell;
• wherein a resulting combination of threshold voltages of the one memory cell of the pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells and of the other memory cell of the pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells is representative of the information indicative of the data value stored in the particular memory cell;
• and
• wherein selectively programming the one memory cell of the pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells responsive to the information indicative of the data value stored in the particular memory cell comprises programming the one memory cell of the pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells if the information indicative of the data value stored in the particular memory cell has a logic low level, and programming the other memory cell of the pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells if the information indicative of the data value stored in the particular memory cell has a logic high level.

A method of operating an apparatus, comprising:

• obtaining information indicative of a data value stored in a particular memory cell of an array of volatile memory cells of the apparatus;
• determining if a power loss to the apparatus is indicated;
• and
• if a power loss to the apparatus is indicated,
• selectively programming one memory cell of a pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells of the apparatus responsive to the information indicative of the data value stored in the particular memory cell;
• wherein a resulting combination of threshold voltages of the one memory cell of the pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells and of the other memory cell of the pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells is representative of the information indicative of the data value stored in the particular memory cell;
• and
• wherein selectively programming the one memory cell of the pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells responsive to the information indicative of the data value stored in the particular memory cell if a power loss is indicated comprises programming the one memory cell of the pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells only if the information indicative of the data value stored in the particular memory cell has a particular logic level, and programming neither memory cell of the pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells if the information indicative of the data value stored in the particular memory cell has a different logic level.

A method of operating an apparatus, comprising:

• storing a particular data value in a particular memory cell of a plurality of volatile memory cells of the apparatus;
• obtaining information indicative of the data value stored in the particular memory cell;
• determining if a power loss to the apparatus is indicated;
• if a power loss to the apparatus is not indicated:
• determining if a controlled power-down is requested;
• and
• storing a data value different than the particular data value in the particular memory cell if a controlled power-down is requested;
• and
• if a power loss to the apparatus is indicated:
• selectively programming one memory cell of a pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells of a differential storage device of the apparatus responsive to the information indicative of the data value stored in the particular memory cell;
• wherein a resulting combination of threshold voltages of the one memory cell of the pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells and of the other memory cell of the pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells is representative of the information indicative of the data value stored in the particular memory cell and representative of a data value stored in the differential storage device.

A method of operating an apparatus, comprising:

• storing a particular data value in a particular memory cell of a plurality of volatile memory cells of the apparatus;
• obtaining information indicative of the data value stored in the particular memory cell;
• determining if a power loss to the apparatus is indicated;
• if a power loss to the apparatus is not indicated:
• determining if a controlled power-down is requested;
• and
• storing a data value different than the particular data value in the particular memory cell if a controlled power-down is requested;
• and
• if a power loss to the apparatus is indicated:
• selectively programming one memory cell of a pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells of a differential storage device of the apparatus responsive to the information indicative of the data value stored in the particular memory cell;
• wherein a resulting combination of threshold voltages of the one memory cell of the pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells and of the other memory cell of the pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells is representative of the information indicative of the data value stored in the particular memory cell and representative of a data value stored in the differential storage device;
• and
• wherein the differential storage device is a particular differential storage device of a plurality of differential storage devices of the apparatus, the method further comprising:
• for each remaining memory cell of the plurality of volatile memory cells, obtaining information indicative of a respective data value stored in that memory cell of the plurality of volatile memory cells;
• and
• if a power loss to the apparatus is indicated:
• for each remaining memory cell of the plurality of volatile memory cells, selectively programming one memory cell of a pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells of a respective differential storage device of the plurality of differential storage devices responsive to the information indicative of the data value stored in that memory cell of the plurality of volatile memory cells;
• wherein a resulting combination of threshold voltages of the one memory cell of the pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells and of the other memory cell of the pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells of the respective differential storage device is representative of the information indicative of the data value stored in that memory cell of the plurality of volatile memory cells and representative of a data value stored in the respective differential storage device.

A method of operating an apparatus, comprising:

• for each volatile memory cell of a plurality of volatile memory cells of the apparatus, obtaining information indicative of a data value stored in that volatile memory cell, wherein each volatile memory cell of the plurality of volatile memory cells corresponds to a respective differential storage device of a plurality of differential storage devices of the apparatus;
• determining if a power loss to the apparatus is indicated;
• and
• if a power loss to the apparatus is indicated:
• for each volatile memory cell of the plurality of volatile memory cells, selectively programming one non-volatile memory cell of a pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells of its corresponding differential storage device responsive to the information indicative of the data value stored in that volatile memory cell while the one memory cell of the pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells is connected to a first voltage node through a first source/drain of that memory cell and connected to a second voltage node through a second source/drain of that memory cell, and while the other memory cell of the pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells is connected to the first voltage node through a first source/drain of that memory cell and connected to no voltage node through a second source/drain of that memory cell;
• wherein a resulting combination of threshold voltages of the one non-volatile memory cell of that pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells and of the other memory cell of that pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells is representative of the information indicative of the data value stored in that volatile memory cell.

A method of operating an apparatus, comprising:

• for each volatile memory cell of a plurality of volatile memory cells of the apparatus, obtaining information indicative of a data value stored in that volatile memory cell, wherein each volatile memory cell of the plurality of volatile memory cells corresponds to a respective differential storage device of a plurality of differential storage devices of the apparatus;
• determining if a power loss to the apparatus is indicated;
• if a power loss to the apparatus is indicated:
• for each volatile memory cell of the plurality of volatile memory cells, selectively programming one non-volatile memory cell of a pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells of its corresponding differential storage device responsive to the information indicative of the data value stored in that volatile memory cell;
• wherein a resulting combination of threshold voltages of the one non-volatile memory cell of that pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells and of the other memory cell of that pair of gate-connected non-volatile memory cells is representative of the information indicative of the data value stored in that volatile memory cell;
• and
• powering up the apparatus after powering down the apparatus;
• and
• in response to powering up the apparatus, if a particular differential storage device of the plurality of differential storage devices has a particular data value, programming the respective data value of each remaining differential storage device of the plurality of differential storage devices to its corresponding volatile memory cell of the plurality of volatile memory cells.