Method and apparatus for reducing power consumption in a memory by employing a conditional write controller
US5784320A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 27, 1996 |
| Grant date | Jul 21, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 27, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11C16/349
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A write control unit, coupled to a memory cell, for controlling write operations to the memory cell is disclosed. The write control unit includes a write qualification unit that qualifies the write operation. The write qualification unit includes a first input for receiving a first data signal that indicates a current data value of the memory cell. The write qualification unit also includes a second input for receiving a second data signal that indicates a data value to be written to the memory cell. The write qualification unit enables a write operation to the memory cell only if the first data signal is different from the second data signal (i.e., the first data value and the second data value are different). If the first data value and the second data value are the same, the write qualification unit suppresses the write operation.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.