Systems and Methods for Determining Refresh Rate of Memory Based on RF Activities

• US 20090013127A1
• Filed: 07/06/2007
• Published: 01/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Atkinson, Lee
• Granted Patent: US 7,966,447 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/106
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/00 Error detection; Error correction; Monitoring error detection, correction or monitoring in information storage based on relative movement between record carrier and transducer G11B20/18; monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing G11B27/36; in static stores G11C29/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength

Abstract

Systems and methods for determining a refresh rate of volatile memory are provided. In this regard, a representative system, among others, includes a radio frequency (RF) device; a computing device that communicates with the RF device, the computing device including a refresh manager that monitors activities of the RF device; and volatile memory that communicates with the refresh manager of the computing device, wherein the refresh manager determines a refresh rate of the volatile memory based on the monitored activities of the RF device. A representative method, among others, for determining the refresh rate of volatile memory, includes monitoring activities of a radio frequency (RF) device; and adjusting a refresh rate of volatile memory based on the monitored activities of the RF device.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) device;

a computing device that communicates with the RF device, the computing device including a refresh manager that monitors activities of the RF device; and

volatile memory that communicates with the refresh manager of the computing device, wherein the refresh manager determines a refresh rate of the volatile memory based on the monitored activities of the RF device.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the RF device includes at least one of a transmitter, receiver, and transceiver.

3. The system as defined in claim 1, further comprising a wireless communication device that communicates with the RF device, the wireless communication device including at least one of a transmitter, receiver, transceiver, RF tower, and RF network router.

4. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the volatile memory includes a random access memory (RAM), the RAM including at least one of dynamic RAM (DRAM), static RAM (SRAM), static dynamic RAM (SDRAM).

5. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the refresh manager decreases and increases the refresh rate of the volatile memory based on the decreased and increased activities of the RF device, respectively, the activities of the RF device including at least one of the number of times the RF device is receiving and transmitting RF signals and the signal strengths of the received RF signals.

6. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the computing device further comprises a timer that is electrically coupled to the volatile memory, the timer having a timer rate that facilitates determining the refresh rate of the volatile memory, wherein the refresh manager determines the refresh rate by instructing the timer to adjust the timer rate based on the monitored activities of the RF device.

7. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the volatile memory comprises a clock and a refresh control logic, the refresh control logic being configured to adjust a clock rate that facilitates determining the refresh rate of the volatile memory, wherein the refresh manager determines the refresh rate by instructing the refresh control logic to adjust the clock rate based on the monitored activities of the RF device.

8. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the computing device further comprises an error-rate manager that communicates with the refresh manager, the error-rate manager being configured to monitor and transmit a bit error rate of the volatile memory to the refresh manager, wherein the bit error rate is the ratio of the number of bits incorrectly received to the total number of bits sent to the volatile memory, wherein the refresh manager determines the refresh rate of the volatile memory based on the monitored bit error rate.

9. A method for determining a refresh rate of volatile memory, the method comprising:

monitoring activities of a radio frequency (RF) device; and

adjusting a refresh rate of volatile memory based on the monitored activities of the RF device.

10. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein monitoring the activities of the RF device comprises detecting the transmission of the RF signals.

11. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein monitoring the activities of the RF device comprises detecting the reception of the RF signals, the detection of the RF signals further includes detecting the signal strengths of the received RF signals.

12. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein adjusting the refresh rate of the volatile memory comprises decreasing and increasing the refresh rate of the volatile memory based on the decreased and increased activities of the RF device, respectively, the activities of the RF device including at least one of the number of times the RF device is receiving and transmitting RF signals and the signal strengths of the received RF signals.

13. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein adjusting the refresh rate of the volatile memory comprises instructing a timer to adjust a timer rate based on the monitored activities of the RF device, the timer being configured to be electrically coupled to the volatile memory, wherein the timer facilitates determining the refresh rate of the volatile memory.

14. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein adjusting the refresh rate of the volatile memory comprises instructing a refresh control logic of the volatile memory to adjust a clock rate based on the monitored activities of the RF device, wherein the refresh control logic facilitates determining the refresh rate of the volatile memory.

15. The method as defined in claim 9, further comprising:

monitoring an bit error rate;

determining whether to adjust the refresh rate of volatile memory based on the monitored bit error rate; and

responsive to determining that the refresh rate is to be adjusted, adjusting the refresh rate of the volatile memory based on the monitored bit error rate.

16. A computing device comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) device;

a refresh manager that monitors activities of the RF device; and

volatile memory that communicates with the refresh manager, wherein the refresh manager determines the refresh rate of the volatile memory based on the monitored activities of the RF device.

17. The computing device as defined in claim 16, wherein the refresh manager decreases and increases the refresh rate of the volatile memory based on the decreased and increased activities of the RF device, respectively, the activities of the RF device including at least one of the number of times the RF device is receiving and transmitting RF signals and the signal strengths of the received RF signals.

18. The computing device as defined in claim 16, further comprising a timer that is electrically coupled to the volatile memory, the timer having a timer rate that facilitates determining the refresh rate of the volatile memory, wherein the refresh manager determines the refresh rate by instructing the timer to adjust the timer rate based on the monitored activities of the RF device.

19. The computing device as defined in claim 16, wherein the volatile memory comprises a clock and a refresh control logic, the refresh control logic being configured to adjust a clock rate that facilitates determining the refresh rate of the volatile memory, wherein the refresh manager determines the refresh rate by instructing the refresh control logic to adjust the clock rate based on the monitored activities of the RF device.

20. The computing device as defined in claim 16, further comprising an error-rate manager that communicates with the refresh manager, the error-rate manager being configured to monitor and transmit the bit error rate of the volatile memory to the refresh manager, wherein the bit error rate is the ratio of the number of bits incorrectly received to the total number of bits sent to the volatile memory, wherein the refresh manager determines the refresh rate of the volatile memory based on the monitored bit error rate.