# US 11,444,629 B2 · Method and apparatus for performing on-system phase-locked loop management in memory device

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- Number: US 11,444,629 B2
- Document ID: US11444629B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/161,552
- Filed: 2021-01-28
- Published: 2022-01-27
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2020-07-23
- Assignees: Silicon Motion, Inc.
- Applicants: Silicon Motion, Inc.
- Inventors: Fu-Jen Shih
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11444629B2

## CPC

- G11C 29/023: {in clock generator or timing circuitry}
- H03L 7/235: {Nested phase locked loops}
- G11C 7/222: {Clock generating, synchronizing or distributing circuits within memory device}
- G11C 16/32: Timing circuits
- G11C 29/028: {with adaption or trimming of parameters}
- H03L 7/085: concerning mainly the frequency- or phase-detection arrangement including the filtering or amplification of its output signal (H03L7/10 takes precedence; circuits for comparing the phase or frequency of two mutually-independent oscillations H03D13/00)
- H03L 7/099: concerning mainly the controlled oscillator of the loop
- H03L 7/187: using means for coarse tuning the voltage controlled oscillator of the loop (H03L7/191 - H03L7/195 take precedence)
- G11C 16/0483: {comprising cells having several storage transistors connected in series}
- G11C 2029/0409: {Online test}
- G11C 2207/2254: Calibration
- H03L 2207/06: Phase locked loops with a controlled oscillator having at least two frequency control terminals
- Y02D 10/00: Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
- G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B)
- H03L: AUTOMATIC CONTROL, STARTING, SYNCHRONISATION OR STABILISATION OF GENERATORS OF ELECTRONIC OSCILLATIONS OR PULSES (generation of oscillations H03B)
- Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE

## Abstract

A method and apparatus for performing on-system phase-locked loop (PLL) management in a memory device are provided. The method may include: utilizing a processing circuit within the memory controller to set multiple control parameters among multiple parameters stored in a register circuit of a transmission interface circuit within the memory controller, for controlling parameter adjustment of a PLL of the transmission interface circuit; utilizing a trimming control circuit to perform the parameter adjustment of the PLL according to the multiple control parameters, to adjust a set of voltage parameters among the multiple parameters, for optimizing a control voltage of a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO); and during the parameter adjustment of the PLL, utilizing the trimming control circuit to generate and store multiple processing results in the register circuit, for being sent back to the processing circuit, to complete the parameter adjustment of the PLL, thereby achieving the on-system PLL management.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for performing on-system phase-locked loop (PLL) management in a memory device, the method being applied to a memory controller of the memory device, the memory device comprising the memory controller and a non-volatile (NV) memory, the NV memory comprising at least one NV memory element, the method comprising:
utilizing a processing circuit within the memory controller to set multiple control parameters among multiple parameters stored in a register circuit of a transmission interface circuit within the memory controller, for controlling parameter adjustment of a PLL of the transmission interface circuit, wherein the transmission interface circuit comprises a physical layer (PHY) circuit, and the PHY circuit comprises the PLL, a trimming control circuit and the register circuit, wherein a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) in the PLL is implemented with a voltage controlled crystal oscillator (VCXO), and the trimming control circuit is arranged to perform trimming control on the PLL, for supporting optimization of the PLL that uses the VCXO, wherein the optimization of the PLL comprises parameter adjustment of the PLL;
utilizing the trimming control circuit to perform the parameter adjustment of the PLL according to the multiple control parameters, to adjust a set of voltage parameters among the multiple parameters, for optimizing a control voltage of the VCO, wherein the control voltage corresponds to the set of voltage parameters, and an oscillation frequency of the VCO corresponds to the control voltage; and
during the parameter adjustment of the PLL, in response to at least one predetermined condition of the parameter adjustment of the PLL being satisfied, utilizing the trimming control circuit to generate and store multiple processing results in the register circuit, for being sent back to the processing circuit, to complete the parameter adjustment of the PLL, thereby achieving the on-system PLL management of the memory device.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the memory controller intermittently performs the parameter adjustment of the PLL and accesses the NV memory in response to one or more host commands of a host device.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the memory controller optimizes the control voltage with aid of an optimization working flow regarding the control voltage of the VCO; and operations of the optimization working flow comprise:
determining whether the memory device is in a power-up phase or an adapt equalization phase to generate a first determination result;
in response to the first determination result indicating that the memory device is in the power-up phase or the adapt equalization phase, according to at least one predetermined rule, determining whether the parameter adjustment of the PLL is needed to generate a second determination result;
in response to the second determination result indicating that the parameter adjustment of the PLL is needed, triggering the parameter adjustment of the PLL with a trim-enable parameter among the multiple control parameters;
generating and storing the multiple processing results in the register circuit, for being sent back to the processing circuit, to complete the parameter adjustment of the PLL; and
after completion of the parameter adjustment of the PLL, controlling the memory device to enter an idle state of the memory device and stay in the idle state until any event occurs.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the any event represents one of multiple predetermined events, and the multiple predetermined events comprise a speed mode change and any host command received from a host device.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein in a first case that the any event represents a write command from a host device, the memory controller stores data into the NV memory for the host device in response to the write command from the host device, and controls the memory device to enter the idle state again after completing processing corresponding to the write command, wherein the processing corresponding to the write command comprises writing the data into the NV memory.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein in a second case that the any event represents a read command from the host device, the memory controller reads the stored data from the NV memory in response to the read command from the host device, and provides the host device with said stored data read from the NV memory, and controls the memory device to enter the idle state again after completing processing corresponding to the read command, wherein the processing corresponding to the read command comprises reading the stored data and providing the host device with said stored data.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein in a second case that the any event represents a read command from a host device, the memory controller reads stored data from the NV memory in response to the read command from the host device, and provides the host device with said stored data read from the NV memory, and controls the memory device to enter the idle state again after completing processing corresponding to the read command, wherein the processing corresponding to the read command comprises reading the stored data and providing the host device with said stored data.

### Claim 8

A memory device, comprising:
a non-volatile (NV) memory, arranged to store information, wherein the NV memory comprises at least one NV memory element; and
a controller, coupled to the NV memory, arranged to control operations of the memory device, wherein the controller comprises:
a processing circuit, arranged to control the controller according to a plurality of host commands from a host device, to allow the host device to access the NV memory through the controller; and
a transmission interface circuit, coupled to the processing circuit, arranged to perform communications with the host device, wherein the transmission interface circuit comprises:
a physical layer (PHY) circuit, comprising:
a phase-locked loop (PLL), wherein a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) in the PLL is implemented with a voltage controlled crystal oscillator (VCXO);
a trimming control circuit, arranged to perform trimming control on the PLL, for supporting optimization of the PLL that uses the VCXO, wherein the optimization of the PLL comprises parameter adjustment of the PLL; and
a register circuit, arranged to store multiple parameters of the PLL, and store multiple processing results of the parameter adjustment of the PLL, wherein the multiple parameters comprise multiple control parameters;
wherein:
the controller utilizes the processing circuit to set the multiple control parameters, for controlling the parameter adjustment of the PLL;
the controller utilizes the trimming control circuit to perform the parameter adjustment of the PLL according to the multiple control parameters, to adjust a set of voltage parameters among the multiple parameters, for optimizing a control voltage of the VCO, wherein the control voltage corresponds to the set of voltage parameters, and an oscillation frequency of the VCO corresponds to the control voltage; and
during the parameter adjustment of the PLL, in response to at least one predetermined condition of the parameter adjustment of the PLL being satisfied, the controller utilizes the trimming control circuit to generate and store the multiple processing results in the register circuit, for being sent back to the processing circuit, to complete the parameter adjustment of the PLL, thereby achieving on-system PLL management of the memory device.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

An electronic device comprising the memory device of claim 8, and further comprising:
the host device, coupled to the memory device, wherein the host device comprises:
at least one processor, arranged for controlling operations of the host device; and
a power supply circuit, coupled to the at least one processor, arranged for providing power to the at least one processor and the memory device;
wherein the memory device provides the host device with storage space.

### Claim 10

A controller of a memory device, the memory device comprising the controller and a non-volatile (NV) memory, the NV memory comprising at least one NV memory element, the controller comprising:
a processing circuit, arranged to control the controller according to a plurality of host commands from a host device, to allow the host device to access the NV memory through the controller; and
a transmission interface circuit, coupled to the processing circuit, arranged to perform communications with the host device, wherein the transmission interface circuit comprises:
a physical layer (PHY) circuit, comprising:
a phase-locked loop (PLL), wherein a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) in the PLL is implemented with a voltage controlled crystal oscillator (VCXO);
a trimming control circuit, arranged to perform trimming control on the PLL, for supporting optimization of the PLL that uses the VCXO, wherein the optimization of the PLL comprises parameter adjustment of the PLL; and
a register circuit, arranged to store multiple parameters of the PLL, and store multiple processing results of the parameter adjustment of the PLL, wherein the multiple parameters comprise multiple control parameters;
wherein:
the controller utilizes the processing circuit to set the multiple control parameters, for controlling the parameter adjustment of the PLL;
the controller utilizes the trimming control circuit to perform the parameter adjustment of the PLL according to the multiple control parameters, to adjust a set of voltage parameters among the multiple parameters, for optimizing a control voltage of the VCO, wherein the control voltage corresponds to the set of voltage parameters, and an oscillation frequency of the VCO corresponds to the control voltage; and
during the parameter adjustment of the PLL, in response to at least one predetermined condition of the parameter adjustment of the PLL being satisfied, the controller utilizes the trimming control circuit to generate and store the multiple processing results in the register circuit, for being sent back to the processing circuit, to complete the parameter adjustment of the PLL, thereby achieving on-system PLL management of the memory device.