Patent · US Expired

Dram with hidden refresh

US5835401A · kind A · utility

44Cited by
13References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 5, 1996
Grant dateNov 10, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 5, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C11/406
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and circuit for hiding a refresh of DRAM cells in a memory device. One embodiment of the circuit includes a selection circuit configured to select a first row of DRAM cells in the memory circuit in response to an active control signal. As a result, data may be read from or written to at least one of the DRAM cells in the first row. The selection circuit is also configured to couple a refresh address to a second row of DRAM cells in the memory circuit in response to an inactive state control signal. The second row of cells is refreshed when the selection circuit accesses the second row. For one embodiment, the DRAM cells are four transistor DRAM cells.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.