# US 2017/0255249 A1 · Apparatuses and methods of entering unselected memories into a different power mode during multi-memory operation

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- Number: US 2017/0255249 A1
- Document ID: US20170255249A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/601,792
- Filed: 2017-05-22
- Published: 2017-09-07
- Earliest claimed: 2014-06-30
- Assignees: Micron Technology, Inc.
- Applicants: Micron Technology, Inc.
- Inventors: Terry M. Grunzke; Ryan G. Fisher
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170255249A1

## CPC

- G06F 1/3275: {Power saving in memory, e.g. RAM, cache}
- G06F 1/3203: Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
- G06F 1/3287: by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
- Y02D 10/00: Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- 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

Disclosed are examples of apparatuses including memory devices and systems comprising memories sharing a common enable signal, wherein the memories may be put into different power modes. Example methods for setting the different power modes of the memories are disclosed. In some examples, different power modes may be set by issuing memory group-level commands, memory-level commands, or combinations thereof.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus, comprising:
a memory group including a plurality of memories configured to receive an active enable signal at a memory group and in response to the active enable signal, transition the plurality of memories from a first mode of operation to a second mode of operation, wherein the memory group is further configured to receive a select command to select a selected memory of the plurality of memories for a memory operation, wherein the memory group is further configured to receive a group-level command and, in response to the group-level command, transition unselected memories of the memory of the plurality of memories to a third mode of operation.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to set the active enable signal.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the third mode of operation includes a lower power mode as compared with the second mode of operation.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a memory of the plurally of memories comprises:
an input-output controller; and
control logic configured to receive the active enable signal, wherein the control logic is further configured to receive commands from the input-output controller and provide internal control signals responsive to the commands from the input-output controller.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the memory of the plurally of memories is included in the unselected memories, wherein the input-output controller is disabled from receiving input responsive to the memory of the plurally of memories being unselected.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a host; and
a controller coupled to the host and to the memory group, wherein the controller is configured to control a mode of operation of the memories of the memory group responsive to command signals received from the host.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the memory group is included in a memory device that is external to the controller.

### Claim 8

An apparatus, comprising:
a memory group including a plurality of memories configured to receive an active enable signal at a memory group and, in response to the active enable signal, transition the plurality of memories from a first mode of operation to a second mode of operation, the memory group further configured to receive separate commands for each of the plurality of memories of the memory group except a selected memory from the plurality of memories of the memory group and in response to the separate commands for each of the plurality of memories except the selected memory individually transition each of the plurality of memories except the selected memory into a respective second power mode, wherein each of the separate commands includes an address associated with a respective memory of the plurality of memories and a setting for the respective memory of the plurality of memories.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein a power mode of the first mode of operation is different than a power Triode of the third mode of operation.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein a power mode of the first mode of operation is a low power mode, a power mode of the second mode of operation is an increased power mode and a power mode of the third mode of operation is an intermediate power mode.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein a power mode of the operation is the same as a power mode of the third mode of operation.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a communication channel coupled to the memory group and configured to provide the active enable signal.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a controller configured to provide the active enable signal to of the plurality of memories of the memory group.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the memory group is included in a memory device that is external to the controller.

### Claim 15

An apparatus, comprising:
a memory group including a plurality of memories configured to transition from a first power mode a second power mode in response to an enable signal, wherein the plurality of memories is further configured to receive a group-level feature command, wherein the group-level feature command includes a set of sub-feature parameters, the set of sub-feature parameters including a respective sub-feature setting for each memory of the of memories, wherein, in response to the group-level feature command, a selected memory of the plurality of memories is configured to receive a respective sub-feature setting to set the selected memory of the plurality of memories of the memory group to a selected status wherein each unselected memory of the plurality of memories is configured to transition into a respective desired power mode based on the respective sub-feature setting of the sub-feature parameters, wherein the respective desired power mode is selected from a group comprising a first power mode, a second power mode, and a third power mode, and wherein the first power mode, the second power mode, and the third power mode are different from each other.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the second power mode for at least one of the plurality of memories allows the at least one of the plurality of memories a memory to sniff a data bus.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the group-level feature command designates the respective desired power modes.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising the selected memory of the plurality of memories is configured to receive and execute a command.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a controller configured to set the enable signal.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising in response to receiving an inactive enable signal, putting each of the plurality of memories in the first power mode.