Embedded DRAM having low power self-correction capability
AssigneeQUALCOMM Incorporated
InventorJungwon Suh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatuses and methods for low power combined self-refresh and self-correction of a Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) array. During a self-refresh cycle, a first portion of a first row of the DRAM array is accessed and analyzed for one or more errors, wherein a bit width of the first portion is less than a bit width of the first row. If one or more errors are detected, the one or more errors are corrected to form a corrected first portion. The corrected first portion is selectively written back to the first row. If no errors are detected in the first portion, a write back of the first portion to the first row is prevented.
Claims57
A method of accessing a Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) array comprising:
- accessing a first portion of a first row of the DRAM array, wherein a bit width of the first portion is less than a bit width of the first row;
- analyzing the first portion for one or more errors;
- correcting the one or more errors to form a corrected first portion if one or more errors are detected;
- and
- selectively writing back the corrected first portion to the first row.
A Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) array comprising:
- a first row;
- logic to detect one or more errors in a first portion of the first row, wherein a bit width of the first portion is less than a bit width of the first row;
- logic to correct errors if errors are detected in the first portion, in order to form a corrected first portion;
- and
- logic to selectively write back the corrected first portion to the first row.
A Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) array comprising:
- means for accessing a first portion of a first row of the DRAM array, wherein a bit width of the first portion is less than a bit width of the first row;
- means for analyzing the first portion for one or more errors;
- if one or more errors are detected, means for correcting the one or more errors to form a corrected first portion;
- and
- means for selectively writing back the corrected first portion to the first row.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising code, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations for accessing a Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) array, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising:
- code for accessing a first portion of a first row of the DRAM array, wherein a bit width of the first portion is less than a bit width of the first row;
- code for analyzing the first portion for one or more errors;
- code for correcting the one or more errors to form a corrected first portion, if one or more errors are detected;
- and
- code for selectively writing back the corrected first portion to the first row.
A method of accessing a Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) array comprising:
- step for accessing a first portion of a first row of the DRAM array, wherein a bit width of the first portion is less than a bit width of the first row;
- step for analyzing the first portion for one or more errors;
- step for correcting the one or more errors to form a corrected first portion if one or more errors are detected;
- and
- step for selectively writing back the corrected first portion to the first row.
A method of accessing a Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) array comprising:
- reading a first row of the DRAM array;
- analyzing a first portion of the first row for one or more errors, wherein a bit width of the first portion is less than a bit width of the first row;
- correcting the one or more errors to form a corrected first portion if one or more errors are detected;
- and
- selectively writing back only the corrected first portion to the first row.
A method of refreshing a Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) array comprising:
- during a refresh operation on a first row of the DRAM array:
- accessing a first portion of the first row, wherein a bit width of the first portion is less than a bit width of the first row;
- analyzing the first portion for one or more errors;
- correcting the one or more errors to form a corrected first portion if one or more errors are detected;
- and
- selectively writing back the corrected first portion to the first row.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.