Circuit, system and method for selectively turning off internal clock drivers
AssigneeConversant Intellectual Property Management Inc.
InventorGeorge B. Raad
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention includes a circuit, system and method for selectively turning off internal clock drivers to reduce operating current. The present invention may be used to reduce power consumption by reducing operating current in a memory device. Operating current may be reduced by turning off internal clock drivers that deliver a clock signal during selected periods of time. According to an embodiment of clock control circuitry of the present invention, an internal clock is disabled if a no operation command is detected during periods of time when no read or write burst operation is taking place. Methods, memory devices and computer systems including the clock control circuitry and its functionality are also disclosed.
Claims15
A memory device, comprising:
- a memory array;
- and
- clock control circuitry in communication with the memory array and for receiving a system clock, the clock control circuitry comprising:
- a first circuit element operable to generate a first signal indicating idle time in a memory device;
- a second circuit element operable to generate a second signal indicating an absence of a read/write burst operation;
- and
- clock gating circuitry operable to selectively gate the system clock in response to a gating signal, the gating signal generated based at least in part on the first signal and the second signal.
Clock control circuitry comprising:
- a first circuit element operable to generate a first signal indicating idle time in a memory device;
- a second circuit element operable to generate a second signal indicating an absence of a read/write burst operation;
- and
- clock gating circuitry operable to selectively gate a system clock in response to a gating signal, the gating signal generated based at least in part on the first signal and the second signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.