# US 12,014,787 B2 · Techniques for determining an interface connection status > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,014,787 B2 - Document ID: US12014787B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/657,063 - Filed: 2022-03-29 - Published: 2023-10-05 - Granted: 2024-06-18 - Earliest claimed: 2022-03-29 - Assignees: Micron Technology, Inc. - Applicants: Micron Technology, Inc. - Inventors: Melissa I. Uribe - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12014787B2 ## CPC - G11C 29/022: {in I/O circuitry} - G11C 11/4076: Timing circuits (for regeneration management G11C11/406) - G11C 11/4099: Dummy cell treatment; Reference voltage generators - G11C 29/021: {in voltage or current generators} - H03K 19/20: characterised by logic function, e.g. AND, OR, NOR, NOT circuits (H03K19/003 - H03K19/01 take precedence) - G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B) - H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M) ## Abstract Methods, systems, and devices for techniques for determining an interface connection status are described. A system may include an interface between a host device and a memory device. The host device may transmit to the memory device first data in a pattern over a first set of transmission lines of the interface. The host device may also transmit to the memory device second data in the pattern over a second set of transmission lines of the interface. The memory device may compare the first data and the second data, and based on the comparison, send an indication of a connection status of the interface to the host device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: receiving, at a memory device, a command that indicates the memory device is to enter a mode for determining a connection status of an interface between a host device and the memory device; comparing, by the memory device based at least in part on entering the mode for determining the connection status of the interface, first data in a first pattern received over a first set of transmission lines to second data in a second pattern received over a second set of transmission lines different than the first set of transmission lines, wherein the interface comprises the first set of transmission lines and the second set of transmission lines; and transmitting, by the memory device based at least in part on comparing the first data and the second data, an indication of the connection status of the interface. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining that the first pattern and the second pattern are equal, wherein the indication of the connection status indicates that the interface has correct connections. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining that the first pattern and the second pattern are different, wherein the indication of the connection status indicates that the interface has a faulty connection. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the faulty connection comprises: an open transmission line; or a short between a transmission line of the interface and a voltage source, between a transmission line of the interface and a voltage source a ground reference, or between a transmission line of the interface and another transmission line of the interface. ### Claim 5 A method, comprising: receiving, at a memory device, a command that indicates the memory device is to enter a mode for determining a connection status of an interface between a host device and the memory device; receiving, based at least in part on receiving the command, first data in a first pattern over a first set of transmission lines and second data in a second pattern over a second set of transmission lines, wherein the interface comprises the first set of transmission lines and the second set of transmission lines; determining a mapping between the first set of transmission lines and the second set of transmission lines; determining, based at least in part on the mapping, that a first transmission line of the first set of transmission lines is mapped to a second transmission line of the second set of transmission lines; comparing the first data to the second data based at least in part on the mapping, wherein comparing the first data to the second data comprises comparing a first bit of the first data received over the first transmission line to a first bit of the second data received over the second transmission line; determining the connection status based at least in part on comparing the first data to the second data; and transmitting, based at least in part on receiving the first data and the second data and based at least in part on determining the connection status, an indication of the connection status of the interface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein comparing the first data and the second data comprises: performing an XNOR operation on the first data and the second data. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a request for the connection status of the interface, wherein the indication of the connection status is transmitted based at least in part on the request. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, after receiving the first data and the second data, third data in a third pattern over the first set of transmission lines and fourth data in a fourth pattern over the second set of transmission lines, wherein the indication of the connection status of the interface is based at least in part on the third data and the fourth data. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of transmission lines is configured for communication of command and address information, and wherein the second set of transmission lines comprises a first subset of transmission lines configured for communication of data and a second subset of transmission lines configured for communication of control information. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a clock signal over a transmission line of the interface, wherein the first data and the second data are received synchronously with the clock signal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: comparing the first data to the second data, wherein the indication comprises a set of bits representative of a result of comparing the first data to the second data. ### Claim 12 A method, comprising: transmitting, at a host device, a command that indicates a memory device is to enter a mode for determining a connection status of an interface between the host device and the memory device; determining a mapping between a first set of transmission lines and a second set of transmission lines; determining, based at least in part on the mapping, that a first transmission line of the first set of transmission lines is mapped to a second transmission line of the second set of transmission lines; transmitting, to the memory device based at least in part on transmitting the command, first data according in a pattern over the first set of transmission lines and second data in the pattern over the second set of transmission lines, wherein the interface comprises the first set of transmission lines and the second set of transmission lines, and wherein a first bit of the first data is transmitted over the first transmission line and a first bit of the second data is transmitted over the second transmission line based at least in part on the first transmission line being mapped to the second transmission line; and receiving, based at least in part on transmitting the first data and the second data, an indication of the connection status of the interface. ### Claim 13 A method, comprising: transmitting, at a host device, a command that indicates a memory device is to enter a mode for determining a connection status of an interface between the host device and the memory device, wherein the host device is included in a vehicle; transmitting, to the memory device based at least in part on transmitting the command, first data according in a pattern over a first set of transmission lines and second data in the pattern over a second set of transmission lines, wherein the interface comprises the first set of transmission lines and the second set of transmission lines; receiving, based at least in part on transmitting the first data and the second data, an indication of the connection status of the interface, wherein the indication of the connection status indicates that the interface has a faulty connection; and entering a safe mode based at least in part on the indication of the connection status indicating that the interface has the faulty connection, wherein entering the safe mode comprises: indicating for the vehicle to pull over; or transferring control of the vehicle from the vehicle to a user of the vehicle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the faulty connection comprises: an open transmission line; or a short between a transmission line of the interface and a voltage source, between a transmission line of the interface and a ground reference, or between a transmission line of the interface and another transmission line of the interface. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising: transmitting, after transmitting the first data and the second data, a request for the connection status, wherein the indication of the connection status is received based at least in part on transmitting the request. ### Claim 16 A method, comprising: determining that a timer for checking a connection status of an interface has expired; transmitting, at a host device, a command that indicates a memory device is to enter a mode for determining the connection status of the interface between the host device and the memory device, wherein the command to enter the mode for determining the connection status of the interface is transmitted based at least in part on the timer expiring; transmitting, to the memory device based at least in part on transmitting the command, first data according in a pattern over a first set of transmission lines and second data in the pattern over a second set of transmission lines, wherein the interface comprises the first set of transmission lines and the second set of transmission lines; and receiving, based at least in part on transmitting the first data and the second data, an indication of the connection status of the interface. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising: transmitting, to the memory device and based at least in part on transmitting the command, third data representative of a second pattern over the first set of transmission lines and fourth data representative of the second pattern over the second set of transmission lines, wherein the indication of the connection status is based at least in part on transmitting the third data and the fourth data. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the command comprises a write command for a mode register of the memory device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the first set of transmission lines is configured for communication of command and address information, and wherein the second set of transmission lines comprises a first subset of transmission lines configured for communication of data and a second subset of transmission lines configured for communication of control information. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising: transmitting a clock signal over a transmission line of the interface, wherein the first data and the second data are transmitted synchronously with the clock signal. ### Claim 21 An apparatus, comprising: a memory device; and a controller coupled with the memory device and configured to cause the apparatus to: receive, at the memory device, a command that indicates the memory device is to enter a mode for determining a connection status of an interface between a host device and the memory device; compare, based at least in part on entering the mode for determining the connection status of the interface, first data in a first pattern received over a first set of transmission lines to second data in a second pattern received over a second set of transmission lines different than the first set of transmission lines, wherein the interface comprises the first set of transmission lines and the second set of transmission lines; and transmit, based at least in part on receiving the first data and the second data, an indication of the connection status of the interface. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the apparatus to: determine that the first pattern and the second pattern are equal, wherein the indication of the connection status indicates that the interface has correct connections. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the apparatus to: determine that the first pattern and the second pattern are different, wherein the indication of the connection status indicates that the interface has a faulty connection. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the apparatus to: determine the connection status based at least in part on comparing the first data to the second data, wherein the indication of the connection status is transmitted based at least in part on determining the connection status.