Multi-column addressing mode memory system including an integrated circuit memory device

• US 8,154,947 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2011
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rambus Inc.
• Original Assignee: Rambus Inc.
• Inventors: Ware, Frederick A., Lai, Lawrence, Bellows, Chad A., Richardson, Wayne S.
• Primary Examiner(s): LANE, JOHN A
• Application Number:
  US13/239,846
• Publication Number:
  US 20120020178A1
• Time in Patent Office: 201 Days
• Field of Search: 711/5, 711/168, 365/189.04, 365/230.03, 365/230.06, 365/233, 345/519, 345/545, 345/567
• US Class Current: 365/230.06
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 8/10 Decoders
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 8/12 Group selection circuits, e.g. for memory block selection, chip selection, array selection
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 8/16 Multiple access memory array, e.g. addressing one storage element via at least two independent addressing line groups

Abstract

A memory system includes a master device, such as a graphics controller or processor, and an integrated circuit memory device operable in a dual column addressing mode. The integrated circuit memory device includes an interface and column decoder to access a row of storage cells or a page in a memory bank. During a first mode of operation, a first row of storage cells in a first memory bank is accessible in response to a first column address. During a second mode of operation, a first plurality of storage cells in the first row of storage cells is accessible in response to a second column address during a column cycle time interval. A second plurality of storage cells in the first row of storage cells is accessible in response to a third column address during the column cycle time interval. The first and second pluralities of storage cells are concurrently accessible from the interface.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit memory device, comprising:

at least one storage array having storage cells arranged in plural rows and plural columns;

a row decoder to select a row of storage cells within the at least one storage array;

an interface to couple the integrated circuit memory device with an external interconnect; and

circuitry to concurrently convey data between the interface and a subset of the selected row corresponding to at least two selectively non-contiguous column addresses.

2. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 1, where:

a minimum time interval comprising a minimum number of clock cycles must elapse between successive accesses to an open row of storage cells in each storage array the at least one storage array; and

the memory device outputs data read from the subset during a time period less than twice the minimum time interval.

3. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 2, further comprising multiple modes of operation including a first mode of operation in which a contiguous set of read data is output from the open row within the time period, and a second mode of operation in which two selectively non-contiguous columns of read data are output within the time period, the two selectively non-contiguous columns of read data in the second mode each representing smaller data granularity than the set of read data in the first mode.

4. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 2, where the memory device outputs data read from the open row for columns representing at least three different, selectively non-contiguous column addresses to the external interconnect via the interface during the time period.

5. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 1, where the circuitry is to concurrently select the subset of the selected row corresponding to the at least two selectively non-contiguous column addresses in response to a single request packet.

6. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 1, where:

the storage array includes two banks;

the circuitry includes two independent column decoders, one respective to each bank; and

the integrated circuit memory device further comprises at least thirty-two selectable columns for each bank.

7. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 1, where the interface includes plural contacts to exchange data with a remote memory controller via the external interconnect, and where the integrated circuit memory device is to output data associated with a first one of the at least two selectively non-contiguous column addresses on a first subset of the plural contacts associated with the external interconnect and to concurrently output data associated with a second one of the at least two selectively non-contiguous column addresses on a second subset of the plural contacts associated with the external interconnect, the first and second subsets being mutually exclusive.

8. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 1, further comprising at least one contact to exchange data with a remote memory controller via the external interface, and where the integrated circuit memory device is to output data associated with each of the at least two selectively non-contiguous column addresses in a time multiplexed manner over the at least one contact.

9. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 1, further comprising circuitry to mask a portion of at least one column in response to an externally provided mask command.

10. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 1, where the circuitry is to generate respective addresses for the subset of the selected row from a single request packet.

11. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 10, where the single request packet includes at least two independent column addresses within the selected row, including the at least two selectively non-contiguous column addresses.

12. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 1, where the at least one storage array includes at least two banks.

13. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 12, where the at least two banks are accessed together to access respective portions of a page of data, and where one column address of the at least two selectively non-contiguous column addresses corresponds to a first one of the at least two banks and where another column address of the at least two selectively non-contiguous column addresses corresponds to a second one of the banks.

14. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 12, where each one of the at least two banks includes separate read and write pipes.

15. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 12, where the banks are organized as bank groups.

16. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 12, where the banks are to be alternated between to provide full utilization of the external interconnect.

17. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 1, where each of the at least two selectively non-contiguous columns stores a tile of image data.

18. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 1, further comprising at least one sense array, where the circuitry is to concurrently output read data corresponding to the at least two selectively non-contiguous column addresses from the at least one sense array to the interface.

19. An integrated circuit memory device, comprising:

at least one storage array having storage cells arranged in plural rows and plural columns;

a row decoder to select a row of storage cells within the at least one storage array;

an interface to couple the integrated circuit memory device with an external interconnect; and

circuitry to generate multiple column addresses for accessing respective, selectively non-contiguous portions of the selected row during a single column cycle time interval and to exchange data via the interface with the external interconnect.

20. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 19, where:

a minimum time interval comprising a minimum number of clock cycles must elapse between successive accesses to an open row of storage cells in the at least one storage array; and

the memory device outputs data read from the subset of the open row during a time period less than twice the minimum time interval.

21. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 20, further comprising multiple modes of operation including a first mode of operation in which a set of read data is output from a contiguous section of the open row within the time period, and a second mode of operation in which two selectively-non-contiguous columns of read data are output from the open row within the time period.

22. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 21, where the two selectively-non-contiguous columns of read data in the second mode each represent smaller data granularity than the set of read data in the first mode.

23. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 20, where the memory device outputs data read from the open row for columns representing at least three different, selectively non-contiguous column addresses to the external interconnect via the interface during the time period.

24. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 19, where the circuitry is to concurrently select the at least two selectively non-contiguous columns in the selected row in response to a single request packet.

25. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 19, where:

the storage array includes two banks;

the circuitry includes two independent column decoders, one respective to each bank; and

the integrated circuit memory device further comprises at least thirty-two selectable columns for each bank.

26. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 19, where the interface includes plural contacts to exchange data with a remote memory controller via the external interconnect, and where the integrated circuit memory device is to output data associated with a first one of the multiple addresses on a first subset of the plural contacts associated with the external interconnect and to concurrently output data associated with a second one of the multiple column addresses on a second subset of the plural contacts associated with the external interconnect, the first and second subsets being mutually exclusive.

27. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 19, further comprising at least one contact to exchange data with a remote memory controller via the external interface, and where the integrated circuit memory device is to output data associated with each of the multiple column addresses in a time multiplexed manner over the at least one contact.

28. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 19, further comprising circuitry to mask a portion of at least one column in response to an externally provided mask command.

29. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 19, where the circuitry is to generate the multiple column addresses from a single request packet.

30. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 29, where the single request packet includes at least two independent column addresses for the selected row.

31. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 19, where the at least one storage array includes at least two banks.

32. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 31, where the at least two banks are accessed together to access respective portions of a page of data, and where one column corresponding to the multiple column addresses is in a first one of the at least two banks and where another column corresponding to the multiple column addresses is in a second one of the banks.

33. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 31, where each one of the at least two banks includes separate read and write pipes.

34. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 31, where the banks are organized as bank groups.

35. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 31, where the banks are to be alternated between to provide full utilization of the external interconnect.

36. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 19, further comprising multiple columns within each row, where each column stores a tile of image data.

37. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 19, further comprising at least one sense array, where the circuitry is to concurrently output read data for the selectively noncontiguous portions of the selected row to the interface as a contiguous set of data.

38. An integrated circuit memory device, comprising:

first, second, third and fourth storage arrays each having storage cells arranged in plural rows and plural columns;

a first row decoder to select a row of storage cells within the first array and the second array;

a second row decoder to select a row of storage cells within the third array and the fourth array;

an interface to couple the first and third storage arrays with a first portion of an external interconnect and to couple the third and fourth storage arrays with a second portion of an external interconnect;

circuitry to concurrently convey data between first and second columns within the first and second storage arrays, respectively, and the interface, and to concurrently convey data between third and fourth columns within the third and fourth storage arrays, respectively, and the interface, so as to concurrently exchange data between at least two columns for each selected row and the interface where the column addresses for the first and second columns are selectively non-contiguous, and

where column addresses for the third and fourth columns are selectively non-contiguous.

39. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 38, where column addresses for the first and second columns are generated by the circuitry from a single request packet, and where column addresses for the third and fourth columns are generated by the circuitry from a single request packet.