System and method for multiple bit optical data transmission in memory systems

• US 20060204247A1
• Filed: 05/10/2006
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tim Murphy
• Original Assignee: Tim Murphy
• Inventors: Murphy, Tim
• Granted Patent: US 7,489,875 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/139
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/801 using optical interconnects, e.g. light coupled isolators, circuit board interconnections

Abstract

The disclosed system and method data increases data transmission speed through a memory system by using optical signals comprising a plurality of wavelengths of light so that each pulse of optical signals can represent more than a single bit of data. An optical transmitter comprises multiple, separately controllable light-emitting sections which generate light at different wavelengths. A photoreceptor, comprising sections of materials responsive to light received at different wavelengths, provides an output signal corresponding to the light signals received at the different wavelengths. The photoreceptor therefore can decode the received optical signals into a multiple bit output sequence corresponding with the multiple bit sequence originally transmitted. The disclosed method and system can be used to communicate signals between a plurality of memory devices and a memory hub within a memory module or directly to a system memory controller, and/or between a plurality of memory hubs and a system memory controller.

Claims

1. A memory device comprising:

an array of memory cells;

a control/address unit coupled with the array of memory cells, the control/address unit receiving and responding to control signals, address signals, and data write signals;

an optical receiver coupled with the control/address unit and the array of memory cells, the optical receiver being operable to receive a multiple bit optical signal comprising a plurality of wavelengths of light, combinations of the plurality of wavelengths of light representing a combination of data bits in each transmission pulse, the optical receiver further operable to decode the multiple bit optical reception signal into the control signals, the address signals, and the data write signals; and

an optical output signal coupled with the array of memory cells operable to communicate data read signals.

2-89. -89. (canceled)