APPARATUSES AND METHODS FOR CONVERTING A MASK TO AN INDEX

• US 20160155482A1
• Filed: 12/01/2015
• Published: 06/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: La Fratta, Patrick A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,747,960 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/06 Sense amplifiers; Associated circuits , e.g. timing or triggering circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/1006 Data managing, e.g. manipulating data before writing or reading out, data bus switches or control circuits therefor

Abstract

The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods related to converting a mask to an index. An example apparatus comprises an array of memory cells and periphery logic configured to: generate an indicator mask by resetting, in response to a first control signal, a second digit of a mask different from a first digit of the mask that is set; and convert, in response to a second control signal, a digit position in the indicator mask of the first digit that is set to an identifier value as an index.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an array of memory cells; and

periphery logic coupled to the array, the periphery logic being configured to;

generate an indicator mask by resetting, in response to a first control signal, a second digit of a mask different from a first digit of the mask that is set; and

convert, in response to a second control signal, a digit position of the first digit that is set in the indicator mask to an identifier value as an index.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to provide the first and the second control signals.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to cause sensing circuitry to determine a revised mask as a result of an XOR logical operation between the mask and the indicator mask.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the periphery logic is further configured to reset all digits of the revised mask that are less significant than a first digit of the revised mask that is set.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to cause loading of the mask from sensing circuitry coupled to the array to periphery sense amplifiers distinct from the sensing circuitry.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the periphery logic configured to convert further comprises the periphery logic configured to:

provide the indicator mask to an encoder;

encode the indicator mask to the identifier value, the identifier value being a quantity expressed in base N where N is an integer greater than 1; and

provide the quantity to a register of a controller coupled to the array.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to cause:

loading of a revised mask into a compute component of sensing circuitry associated with a sense line of the array;

loading of the revised mask into a periphery sense amplifier of the periphery logic;

loading of a revised indicator mask into the periphery sense amplifier; and

loading the revised indicator mask from the periphery sense amplifier to an encoder.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a controller and sensing circuitry coupled to the array, the sensing circuitry comprising a plurality of compute components and corresponding sense amplifiers, the controller being configured to control the sensing circuitry to implement logical operations and store results of the logical operations in the sensing circuitry and/or in memory cells of the array.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the periphery logic comprises:

a plurality of sense amplifiers coupled to respective pairs of complementary sense lines; and

an encoder.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

an array of memory cells;

a first quantity of sensing circuitries coupled to the array via respective sense lines, each sensing circuitry including a sense amplifier and a compute component; and

periphery logic coupled to the array, the periphery logic including a second quantity of periphery sense amplifiers and logic configured to convert a mask to column indices.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the periphery logic includes:

a first periphery sense amplifier;

a first AND gate having a first input coupled to a first logic signal line, and a second input coupled to an output of the first periphery sense amplifier;

an inverter having an input coupled to the output of the first periphery sense amplifier;

a second AND gate having a first input coupled to an output of the inverter, and a second input coupled to the first logic signal line; and

a first transistor coupled between an output of the first AND gate and an input of the first periphery sense amplifier, a gate of the first transistor being coupled to the first logic signal line.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a second periphery sense amplifier;

a third AND gate having a first input coupled to an output of the second AND gate, and a second input coupled to an output of the second periphery sense amplifier;

a second inverter having an input coupled to the output of the second periphery sense amplifier;

a fourth AND gate having a first input coupled to the output of the second inverter, and a second input coupled to the output of the second AND gate; and

a second transistor coupled between an output of the third AND gate and an input of the second periphery sense amplifier, a gate of the second transistor being coupled to the first logic signal line.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a third periphery sense amplifier;

a fifth AND gate having a first input coupled to an output of the fourth AND gate, and a second input coupled to an output of the third periphery sense amplifier;

a third inverter having an input coupled to the output of the third periphery sense amplifier;

a sixth AND gate having a first input coupled to the output of the second inverter, and a second input coupled to the output of the fourth AND gate; and

a third transistor coupled between an output of the fifth AND gate and an input of the third periphery sense amplifier, a gate of the third transistor being coupled to the first logic signal line.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising an encoder having an input coupled to the outputs of the first periphery sense amplifier, the second periphery sense amplifier, and the third periphery sense amplifier, the encoder having an output coupled to a controller.

15. An apparatus comprising:

an array of memory cells;

periphery logic coupled to the array, wherein the periphery logic is configured to;

reset a second digit of a first mask different than a first digit of the first mask that is set; and

convert a digit position of a first digit that is set in an indicator mask to an identifier value as an index; and

a controller configured to cause;

copying of a second mask as the first mask; and

saving of the first mask after all digits other than the first digit are reset as the indicator mask.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the periphery logic is configured to:

reset the second digit in response to receiving a first control signal from the controller; and

convert the digit position in response to receiving a second control signal from the controller.

17. A method, comprising:

determining a digit position of a first set digit in a mask;

generating an indicator mask by resetting all digits of the mask other than the first set digit; and

converting the indicator mask to an identifier value as a first index.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining a revised mask by performing an XOR logical operation between the mask and the indicator mask.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein determining the digit position of the first set digit comprises loading the mask from an array of memory cells to periphery sense amplifiers distinct from sensing circuitry coupled to columns of the array.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

determining a first revised mask by performing an XOR logical operation between the mask and the indicator mask using the sensing circuitry;

storing the first revised mask in the sensing circuitry and copying the first revised mask to the periphery sense amplifiers;

determining a digit position of a first set digit in the revised mask;

generating a revised indicator mask by resetting all digits of the revised mask other than the first set digit in the revised mask; and

converting the revised indicator mask to an identifier value as a second index.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the digit position corresponds to a column identifier of an array of memory cells.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein converting the indicator mask to the identifier comprises:

transferring the indicator mask to an encoder;

encoding the indicator mask to the identifier value, the identifier value being a quantity expressed in base N where N is an integer greater than 1; and

transferring the quantity to a register of a controller.

23. A method, comprising:

storing a first mask; and

performing a number of iterations of operations, each iteration comprising;

determining a second mask from the first mask, the second mask having all digits reset other than for one digit that is set which corresponds to one digit that is set in the first mask;

encoding a digit position of the digit that is set in the second mask as an index; and

resetting in the first mask a digit corresponding to the digit that is set in the second mask.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising ending each of the number of iterations responsive to the digit of the first mask being reset.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein resetting the digit that is set in the first mask includes performing an XOR logical operation involving the first mask and the second mask.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein determining the second mask from the first mask includes:

making a copy of the first mask;

resetting all digits of the copy of the first mask that are less significant than a most significant digit (MSD) that is set in the copy of the first mask; and

storing the copy of the first mask with only the MSD set as the second mask.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein determining the second mask from the first mask includes:

making a copy of the first mask;

resetting all digits of the copy of the first mask that are more significant than a least significant digit (LSD) that is set in the copy of the first mask; and

storing the copy of the first mask with only the LSD set as the second mask.