# US 12,112,789 B2 · Apparatuses and methods for input buffer enable clock synchronization > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,112,789 B2 - Document ID: US12112789B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/752,553 - Filed: 2022-05-24 - Published: 2023-12-21 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2022-05-24 - Assignees: Micron Technology, Inc. - Applicants: Micron Technology, Inc. - Inventors: Takayuki Miyamoto - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12112789B2 ## CPC - G11C 11/4076: Timing circuits (for regeneration management G11C11/406) - G06F 13/1673: {using buffers} - G11C 7/109: {Control signal input circuits} - G11C 7/1093: {Input synchronization} - G11C 11/4093: Input/output [I/O] data interface arrangements, e.g. data buffers - G11C 11/4096: Input/output [I/O] data management or control circuits, e.g. reading or writing circuits, I/O drivers or bit-line switches - H03K 19/20: characterised by logic function, e.g. AND, OR, NOR, NOT circuits (H03K19/003 - H03K19/01 take precedence) - G11C 7/222: {Clock generating, synchronizing or distributing circuits within memory device} - G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - 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 Apparatuses, systems, and methods for input buffer enable clock synchronization. A command shifter receives a command, such as a write command. The command shifter passes the command through latches of the shifter in synchronization with a clock signal. Data buffer enable logic provides a data buffer enable signal with a level based on how long it takes the command to pass through the command shifter. The data buffer enable logic synchronizes changes to the level of the data buffer enable signal to the clock signal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: data buffer enable logic configured to provide a first intermediate data buffer enable signal and a second intermediate data buffer signal in series responsive to a first command and a second command received in series and output a combined data buffer enable signal when a gap between the first intermediate data buffer enable signal and the second intermediate data buffer enable signal is less than a predetermined period of time wherein the data buffer enable logic comprises: a first shifter which includes a plurality of latches in series, each configured to provide one of a plurality of internal command signals; and a logic gate configured to provide the first and the second intermediate data buffer enable signal based on the plurality of internal command signals. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predetermined period of time is based on a period of a clock signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data buffer enable logic further comprises: a second shifter configured to provide the combined data buffer enable signal based on the first and the second intermediate data buffer enable signal, wherein the second shifter is synchronized to the clock signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first command and the second command are write commands. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein rising and falling edges of the combined data buffer enable signal are synchronized to a clock signal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an input buffer configured to activate responsive to the combined data buffer enable signal. ### Claim 7 An apparatus comprising: a command shifter configured to provide a plurality of internal command signals responsive to a command, the plurality of internal command signals having respective amount of delay each defined as one or multiple number of cycles of a clock signal; and data buffer enable logic configured to provide a data buffer enable signal based, at least in part, on the plurality of internal command signals, wherein each of rising and falling edges of the data buffer enable signal are synchronized to the clock signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the data buffer enable logic includes: a logic gate configured to provide an initial data buffer enable signal at an active level when any of the plurality of internal command signals is active; and a second shifter synchronized to the clock signal, wherein the second shifter is configured to provide the data buffer enable signal with a level based on a level of the initial data buffer enable signal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the second shifter comprises a plurality of latches coupled in series, each having a clock terminal coupled to the clock signal, wherein a first of the plurality of latches has an input coupled to the initial data buffer enable signal and wherein a last of the plurality of latches provides the data buffer enable signal. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the command is a write command. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising data input buffers configured to receive data from data terminals when the data buffer enable signal is at the active level. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the clock signal is a first divided clock signal, and wherein the command shifter comprises a first plurality of latches and a second plurality of latches, wherein the first plurality of latches is configured to provide a first plurality of internal command signals synchronized to the first divided clock signal, and wherein the second plurality of latches is configured to provide a second plurality of internal command signals synchronized to the second divided clock signal, and wherein each of the rising and the falling edges of the data buffer enable signal are synchronized to the first divided clock signal or the second divided clock signal. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the data buffer enable logic is configured to provide the data buffer enable signal at an active level when any of the first or the second plurality of internal command signal signals is active. ### Claim 14 An apparatus comprising: a first shifter comprising a first plurality of flip-flops, the first shifter configured to receive a command and pass the command through the first plurality of flip-flops in synchronization with a clock signal; a logic gate configured to provide an initial data buffer enable signal with a level based on whether the command is in any of the first plurality of flip-flops; and a second shifter comprising a second plurality of flip-flops, the second shifter configured to receive the initial data buffer enable signal from the logic gate and pass the data buffer enable signal through the second plurality of flip-flops in synchronization with the clock signal to generate a data buffer enable signal. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a plurality of data buffers configured to receive data from data terminals when the data buffer enable signal is at an active level. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the command is a write command. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein each of the first plurality of flip-flops is configured to provide a respective one of a plurality of internal command signals, and wherein the logic gate is configured to provide the initial data buffer enable signal with a level based on the plurality of internal command signals. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the clock signal is a first divided clock signal, the apparatus further comprising a divided circuit configured to provide the first divided clock signal and a second divided clock signal based on an initial clock signal. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a third shifter comprising a third plurality of flip-flops, the third shifter configured to receive the command and pass the command through the third plurality of flip-flops in synchronization with the second divided clock signal. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the logic gate is further configured to provide the initial data buffer enable signal with a level based on whether the command is in any of the first plurality of flip-flops or the second plurality of flip-flops. ### Claim 21 A method comprising: passing a command through a command shifter in synchronization with a clock signal; determining a level of a data buffer enable signal based on an amount of time the command is passing through the command shifter; changing the level of the data buffer enable signal in synchronization with the clock signal; activating data input buffer circuits responsive to the data buffer enable signal at an active level; and receiving data from data terminals when the data input buffer circuits are active. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, further comprising receiving a write command as the command as part of a write operation. ### Claim 23 A method comprising: passing a command through a command shifter in synchronization with a clock signal; determining a level of a data buffer enable signal based on an amount of time the command is passing through the command shifter; changing the level of the data buffer enable signal in synchronization with the clock signal; dividing an initial clock signal into a first divided clock signal which is the clock signal and a second divided clock signal; and passing the command through a second command shifter in synchronization with the second divided clock signal. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, further comprising: synchronizing rising and falling edges of the data buffer enable signal to the clock signal. ### Claim 25 A method comprising: passing a command through a command shifter in synchronization with a clock signal; determining a level of a data buffer enable signal based on an amount of time the command is passing through the command shifter; and changing the level of the data buffer enable signal in synchronization with the clock signal, wherein the command shifter includes a plurality of latches each configured to provide a respective one of a plurality of internal command signals, the method further comprising setting the data buffer enable signal at an active level based on the plurality of internal command signals. ### Claim 26 A method comprising: passing a command through a command shifter in synchronization with a clock signal; determining a level of a data buffer enable signal based on an amount of time the command is passing through the command shifter; and changing the level of the data buffer enable signal in synchronization with the clock signal; receiving the command at a first time; receiving a second command at a second time; and maintaining the level of the data buffer enable signal at the active level if the different between the first time and the second time is less than a predetermined period of time.