# US 2022/0044753 A1 · Method for memory storage and access

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- Number: US 2022/0044753 A1
- Document ID: US20220044753A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/392,415
- Filed: 2021-08-03
- Published: 2022-02-10
- Earliest claimed: 2020-08-05
- Assignees: Infineon Technologies AG
- Applicants: Infineon Technologies AG
- Inventors: Thomas Kern; Thomas Rabenalt; Michael Goessel
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220044753A1

## CPC

- G06F 11/08: Error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation, e.g. by using checking codes
- G06F 11/1012: {using codes or arrangements adapted for a specific type of error (G06F11/1048 takes precedence)}
- G11C 7/1006: {Data managing, e.g. manipulating data before writing or reading out, data bus switches or control circuits therefor}
- G11C 29/18: Address generation devices; Devices for accessing memories, e.g. details of addressing circuits
- G11C 29/42: using error correcting codes [ECC] or parity check
- G11C 29/4401: {for self repair}
- G11C 29/52: Protection of memory contents; Detection of errors in memory contents
- G11C 2029/0411: {Online error correction}
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B)

## Abstract

A method for storing data bits in memory cells, in which the data bits have at least one byte-filling bit, where at least one predefined functionality for a subset of the data bits is coded in the at least one byte-filling bit, and in which the data bits are stored in the memory cells. A method for reading data bits from memory cells, in which the data bits have at least one byte-filling bit, where at least one predefined functionality for a subset of the data bits is coded in the at least one byte-filling bit, and in which the data bits are read from the memory cells based on the coded predefined functionality. Corresponding apparatuses and memories are also disclosed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for storing data bits having at least one byte-filling bit in memory cells, the method comprising:
coding, in the at least one byte-filling bit, at least one predefined functionality for a subset of the data bits; and
storing the data bits in the memory cells.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
storing the data bits in the memory cells based on the at least one predefined functionality coded in the at least one byte-filling bit.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of the claim 1, wherein the subset of the data bits comprises the data bits excluding the at least one byte-filling bit.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method the of claim 1, wherein the subset of the data bits comprises all of the data bits.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one predefined functionality coded in the at least one byte-filling bit comprises one of:
a first value of the byte-filling bit indicates that the subset of the data bits is stored in an inverted manner and a second value of the byte-filling bit indicates that the subset of the data bits is stored in a non-inverted manner;
a first value of the byte-filling bit indicates that the subset of the data bits is invalid and a second value of the byte-filling bit indicates that the subset of the data bits is valid;
a first value of the byte-filling bit indicates that the subset of the data bits can be overwritten and a second value of the byte-filling bit indicates that the subset of the data bits cannot be overwritten;
a first value of the byte-filling bit indicates that the subset of the data bits cannot be read and a second value of the byte-filling bit indicates that the subset of the data bits can be read; or
a first value of the byte-filling bit indicates that the subset of the data bits is protected and a second value of the byte-filling bit indicates that the subset of the data bits is not protected.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one byte-filling bit is used to detect errors in the data bits.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the data bits are grouped, together with check bits, into bytes, wherein at least one of these bytes can be corrected based on a byte error code, and wherein the data bits and the check bits are stored in the memory cells.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein, in an error-free case, the data bits and the check bits represent a code word of the byte error code or are parts of a code word of the byte error code.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8,
wherein the byte error code has N check bytes having check bits,
wherein a byte comprises m bits,
wherein there is a byte which has Kbyte-filling bits and m−K data bits,
wherein m is determined as a smallest positive integer so that
m·(2m−1)≥n+(N·m)+K
where m≥3, 1≤K≤m−1, N≥2 and n>(N+2)·m, and
where n is a number of data bits.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the check bits are determined based on address bits.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10,
wherein the byte error code has N check bytes,
wherein the byte error code has R address bytes determined from address bits,
wherein a byte comprises m bits,
wherein there is a byte which has Kbyte-filling bits and m−K data bits, wherein m is determined as a smallest positive integer so that
m·(2m−1)≥n+(N·m)+(R·m)+K
where m≥3, 1≤K≤m−1, N≥2, 1 R≥1 and n>(N+R+2)·(m),
and
where n is a number of data bits.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the address bits are part of the code word of the byte error code.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the address bits are not part of the code word of the byte error code.

### Claim 14

A method for reading data bits having at least one byte-filling bit from memory cells, the method comprising:
coding, in the at least one byte-filling bit, at least one predefined functionality for a subset of the data bits; and
reading the data bits from the memory cells based on the at least one predefined functionality coded in the at least one byte-filling bit.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further comprising:
determining, based on the data bits which have been read, whether there is a code word of a byte error code; and
detecting and/or correcting at least one error if there is no code word of the byte error code.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein, if there is a code word of the byte error code and if at least one detected error has been corrected, the data bits which have been read are processed further.

### Claim 17

An apparatus for storing and reading data bits having at least one byte-filling bit in memory cells of a memory, the apparatus configured to:
code, in the at least one byte-filling bit, at least one predefined functionality for a subset of the data bits;
store the data bits in the memory cells; and
read the data bits from the memory cells based on the at least one predefined functionality coded in the at least one byte-filling bit.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the apparatus is part of the memory or part of a memory management system.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the memory comprises at least one of: a cache memory, a register or a register array, a flash memory, an MRAM, an SRAM, an RE-RAM, a PC-RAM, an FE-RAM, a CB-RAM, a multi-bit memory, a multi-level memory.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the apparatus is further configured to:
determine, based on the data bits which have been read, whether there is a code word of a byte error code; and
detecting and/or correcting at least one error if there is no code word of the byte error code.