# US 12,223,998 B2 · Apparatuses and methods for input receiver circuits and receiver masks for same

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- Number: US 12,223,998 B2
- Document ID: US12223998B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/606,198
- Filed: 2024-03-15
- Published: 2024-07-04
- Granted: 2025-02-11
- Earliest claimed: 2018-10-04
- Applicants: Lodestar Licensing Group LLC
- Inventors: Dean D. Gans; John D. Porter
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12223998B2

## CPC

- G11C 11/4076: Timing circuits (for regeneration management G11C11/406)
- G06F 3/0604: {Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management}
- G06F 3/0659: {Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling}
- G06F 3/0673: {Single storage device}
- G06F 13/1689: {Synchronisation and timing concerns (synchronisation on a memory bus G06F13/4234)}
- G11C 7/1009: {Data masking during input/output}
- G11C 7/1084: {Data input buffers, e.g. comprising level conversion circuits, circuits for adapting load}
- G11C 7/1093: {Input synchronization}
- G11C 11/4074: Power supply or voltage generation circuits, e.g. bias voltage generators, substrate voltage generators, back-up power, power control circuits
- G11C 11/4093: Input/output [I/O] data interface arrangements, e.g. data buffers
- G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

Apparatuses and methods for input receiver circuits and receiver masks for electronic memory are disclosed. Embodiments of the disclosure include memory receiver masks having shapes other than rectangular shapes. For example, a receiver mask according to some embodiments of the disclosure may have a hexagonal shape. Other shapes of receiver masks may also be included in other embodiments of the disclosure. Circuits, timing, and operating parameters for achieving non-rectangular and various shapes of receiver mask are described.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A memory device comprising:
a memory array;
a command address input circuit configured to receive a command address signal, the command address input circuit comprising a command address input receiver configured to capture an input command address signal that is based at least in part on a predefined receiver mask, wherein the receiver mask has a first timing parameter associated with a first voltage level and further has a second timing parameter associated with a second voltage level, wherein the second timing parameter is greater than the first timing parameter, wherein the predefined receiver mask has a hexagonal shape; and
an external clock terminal configured to receive a clock signal, wherein a center of the receiver mask is at a cross point of the clock signal.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The memory device of claim 1, wherein the command address signals operate in a double data rate mode.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The memory device of claim 1, wherein a pulse of the input command address signal is defined, at least in part, by a third timing parameter indicating a length of time between intersections of the pulse with a reference voltage, a first voltage parameter indicating a peak-to-peak voltage centered around the reference voltage, and a second voltage parameter indicating an upper voltage and a lower voltage, wherein the second voltage parameter further corresponds to a voltage parameter of the receiver mask.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The memory device of claim 3, wherein an upper voltage peak of the peak-to-peak voltage is greater than the upper voltage and a lower voltage peak of the peak-to-peak voltage is less than the lower voltage.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The memory of claim 3, wherein the third timing parameter represents a pulse width of the input command address signal.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The memory of claim 3, wherein the first voltage parameter represents a pulse amplitude of the input command address signal.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

The memory of claim 3, wherein the pulse is further defined by a fourth timing parameter indicating a length of time between intersections of the pulse with an upper voltage and a lower voltage.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The memory of claim 7, wherein the fourth timing parameter represents a pulse width above or below the upper voltage or the lower voltage of the input command address signal.

### Claim 9

A method, comprising:
receiving, at a command address input receiver of a memory device, an input command address signal;
receiving, at an external clock terminal of the memory device, a clock signal; and
capturing a pulse of the input command address signal with a time-variant voltage characteristic that is based at least in part on a receiver mask, wherein the receiver mask is a hexagonal mask shape, wherein the pulse is center aligned to device cross point of the clock signal.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising:
providing an address to an address decoder based on the input command address signal; and
providing a command to a command decoder based on the input command address signal.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the clock comprises a first clock signal and a second clock signal, wherein the first and second clock signals are complementary and the cross point comprises a point where a voltage of the first clock signal and a voltage of the second clock signal are equal.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein a definition of the receiver mask includes a first timing parameter at a first voltage and by a second timing parameter at a second voltage, wherein the first timing parameter is longer than the second timing parameter.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the first timing parameter represents a mask width at the first voltage and the second timing parameter represents a mask width at the second voltage.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the definition of the receiver mask further includes a voltage parameter, the voltage parameter defined as a voltage difference between the first voltage and the second voltage.

### Claim 15

An apparatus comprising:
a command address input circuit of a memory device configured to receive a command address input signal, wherein the command address input signal comprises a pulse defined, at least in part, by a first timing parameter indicating a length of time between intersections of the pulse with a reference voltage, a first voltage parameter indicating a peak-to-peak voltage, and second voltage parameter indicating an upper voltage and a lower voltage, wherein the second voltage parameter further corresponds to a voltage parameter of a receiver mask; and
an external clock terminal configured to receive a clock signal, wherein the pulse is center aligned to a cross point of the clock signal.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the pulse is further defined by a second timing parameter indicating a length of time between intersections of the pulse with an upper voltage and a lower voltage.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the pulse is outside the receiver mask.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the reference voltage represents a voltage that is used to determine a logic level of the input command address signal.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the memory device comprises a low power dynamic random access memory.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the receiver mask comprises a hexagonal-shape.

### Claim 21

A system comprising:
a memory device; and
a memory controller communicatively coupled to the memory device, the memory controller configured to:
provide to the memory device a clock signal; and
provide to the memory device a command address input signal outside a hexagonal receiver mask of the memory device, wherein the command address input signal is center aligned to a cross point of the clock signal,
wherein the memory device is configured to capture the command address input signal.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The system of claim 21, further comprising a command address bus coupling the memory device and the memory controller, wherein the memory controller is configured to provide the command address input signal via the command address bus.

### Claim 23 (depends on 21)

The system of claim 21, further comprising a clock bus coupling the memory device and the memory controller, wherein the memory controller is configured to provide the clock signal via the clock bus.

### Claim 24 (depends on 21)

The system of claim 21, wherein the clock signal comprises a pair of complementary clock signals, wherein the cross point of the clock signal comprises a time when voltages of the pair of clock signals are equal.

### Claim 25

An apparatus comprising:
a memory controller communicatively coupled to a memory device, the memory controller configured to:
provide to the memory device a clock signal; and
provide to the memory device a command address input signal including a pulse defined, at least in part, by a first timing parameter indicating a length of time between intersections of the pulse with a reference voltage, a first voltage parameter indicating a peak-to-peak voltage, and second voltage parameter indicating an upper voltage and a lower voltage, wherein the second voltage parameter further corresponds to a voltage parameter of a receiver mask of the memory device, wherein the pulse is center aligned to a cross point of the clock signal.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the receiver mask of the memory device comprises a hexagonal shape.

### Claim 27 (depends on 25)

The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the pulse is further defined by a second timing parameter indicating a length of time between intersections of the pulse with an upper voltage and a lower voltage.

### Claim 28 (depends on 25)

The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the pulse is outside the receiver mask.

### Claim 29 (depends on 25)

The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the clock signal comprises a pair of complementary clock signals, wherein the cross point of the clock signal comprises a time when voltages of the pair of clock signals are equal.