FLEXIBLE PROCESSORS AND FLEXIBLE MEMORY

• US 20140136755A1
• Filed: 11/30/2012
• Published: 05/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Pasch, Nicholas F., Tegreene, Clarence T.
• Granted Patent: US 9,582,465 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/103
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6801 specially adapted to be attached to or worn on the body surface
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6846 specially adapted to be brought in contact with an internal body part, i.e. invasive
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/7814 Specially adapted for real time processing, e.g. comprising hardware timers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An apparatus includes but is not limited to a non-volatile memory array and a processor integrated with the apparatus. The processor is operable to operate in combination with the non-volatile memory array to accumulate information associated with a product. In addition to the foregoing, other aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a non-volatile memory array; and

a processor integrated with and distributed over the non-volatile memory array and integrated with the apparatus, the processor operable to operate in combination with the non-volatile memory array to accumulate information associated with a product.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

the product integrated with the non-volatile memory array and the processor.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

the processor is operable to accumulate and communicate information about use of the product.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

the processor is operable to accumulate and communicate information about at least one entity in association with the product.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

the processor is operable to accumulate and communicate information about at least one entity in communication with the product.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

the processor is operable to accumulate and communicate information about at least one entity in contact with the product.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

the processor and the non-volatile memory array are integrated onto a printed polymer for integration with the product.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

the processor and the non-volatile memory array are integrated onto a printed flexible polymer for integration with the product.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

a communication interface integrated with the processor and the non-volatile memory array, the communication interface operable for communication with a network.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

a communication interface integrated with the processor and the non-volatile memory array, the communication interface operable for communication with a network wherein;

the processor is operable to perform data preprocessing, history tracking, and manage data and history communication.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

a volatile memory integrated with the non-volatile memory array and the processor.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

the processor is operable to monitor tactile contact with the product.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

the processor is operable to monitor tactile contact with the product, determine statistics on type, characteristics, and number of occurrences of tactile contact with the product, and store the statistics for access.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

the processor is operable to monitor conditions of the product independently of commands received from a source external to the product.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

the non-volatile memory array is partitioned into a plurality of memory blocks; and

the processor includes control logic partitioned into a plurality of command logic blocks spatially distributed over the non-volatile memory array wherein ones of the plurality of command logic blocks are associated with ones of the plurality of memory blocks.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

the processor includes control logic integrated with and distributed over the non-volatile memory array, the control logic operable to selectively distribute functionality across the non-volatile memory array.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

the non-volatile memory array includes a plurality of memory blocks characterized by a plurality of different operating characteristics; and

the processor includes control logic operable to selectively distribute functionality over the plurality of memory blocks.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

the non-volatile memory array includes a plurality of memory blocks characterized by a plurality of different operating characteristics; and

the processor includes control logic operable to analyze conditions of the product and selectively distribute functionality over the plurality of memory blocks based on the analysis.

19. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

at least one sensor operable to detect an operating condition of the product, wherein;

the processor includes control logic operable to monitor the operating condition.

20. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

at least one sensor operable to detect an operating condition of the product, wherein;

the processor includes control logic operable to monitor the operating condition, derive data derived from the operating condition, process data derived from the operating condition, and store the processed data.

21. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

a communication interface integrated with the processor and the non-volatile memory array; and

at least one sensor operable to detect an operating condition of the product, wherein;

the processor includes control logic operable to monitor the operating condition, derive data from the operating condition, process data derived from the operating condition, and communicate the processed data via the communication interface.

22. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

optical silicon operable to communicate optically, independently of a bus structure coupled to the apparatus wherein;

the processor is operable to operate in combination with the non-volatile memory array to accumulate information about the product using the optical silicon independently of communication on the bus structure.

23. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

optical silicon operable to communicate optically, independently of a bus structure coupled to the apparatus wherein;

the processor is operable to operate in combination with the non-volatile memory array to receive instructions for controlling accumulation of information about the product using the optical silicon independently of communication on the bus structure.

24. An apparatus comprising:

a non-volatile memory array integrated into a product; and

control logic integrated with and distributed over the non-volatile memory array, the control logic operable to monitor phenomena detectable at the product.

25. The apparatus according to claim 24 further comprising:

the product integrated with the non-volatile memory array and the control logic.

26. The apparatus according to claim 24 wherein the control logic operable to monitor phenomena detectable at the product includes:

control logic operable to accumulate and communicate information about phenomena associated with use of the product.

27. The apparatus according to claim 24 wherein the control logic operable to monitor phenomena detectable at the product includes:

control logic operable to accumulate and communicate information about phenomena associated with at least one entity in association with the product.

28. The apparatus according to claim 24 wherein the control logic operable to monitor phenomena detectable at the product includes:

control logic operable to accumulate and communicate information about phenomena associated with at least one entity in communication with the product.

29. The apparatus according to claim 24 wherein the control logic operable to monitor phenomena detectable at the product includes:

control logic operable to accumulate and communicate information about phenomena associated with at least one entity in contact with the product.

30. The apparatus according to claim 24 wherein the control logic operable to monitor phenomena detectable at the product includes:

control logic operable to monitor tactile contact with the product.

31. The apparatus according to claim 24 wherein the control logic operable to monitor phenomena detectable at the product includes:

control logic operable to monitor tactile contact with the product, determine statistics on type, characteristics, and number of occurrences of tactile contact with the product, and store the statistics for access.

32. The apparatus according to claim 24 wherein the control logic operable to monitor phenomena detectable at the product includes:

control logic operable to monitor conditions of the product independently of commands received from a source external to the product.

33. The apparatus according to claim 24 further comprising:

a communication interface integrated with the control logic and the non-volatile memory array, the communication interface operable for communicating information associated with the phenomena with a network.

34. The apparatus according to claim 24 further comprising:

at least one sensor operable to detect an operating condition of the product;

wherein;

the control logic operable to monitor phenomena detectable at the product includes;

control logic operable to monitor the operating condition.

35. The apparatus according to claim 24 further comprising:

at least one sensor operable to detect an operating condition of the product;

wherein;

the control logic operable to monitor phenomena detectable at the product includes;

control logic operable to monitor the operating condition, derive data from the operating condition, process data derived from the operating condition, and store the processed data.

36. The apparatus according to claim 24 further comprising:

a communication interface integrated with the control logic and the non-volatile memory array; and

at least one sensor operable to detect an operating condition of the product, wherein;

the control logic operable to monitor phenomena detectable at the product includes;

control logic operable to monitor the operating condition, derive data from the operating condition, process data derived from the operating condition, and communicate the processed data via the communication interface.

37-73. -73. (canceled)

74. An information handling system comprising:

means for operating a processor integrated with a non-volatile memory array; and

means for accumulating information associated with a product.

75. (canceled)