Method and apparatus to conditionally precharge a partitioned read-only memory with shared wordlines for low power operation
US6671216B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 22, 2003 |
| Grant date | Dec 30, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 22, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11C17/12
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A ROM or other memory may include two or more partitions and a precharge circuit. Each of the partitions may be coupled to separate sets of output conductors, to which the precharge circuit may be coupled. The precharge circuit may precharge the conductors of the partition to be read, while not precharging the other conductors. In one embodiment, the precharge may be to a voltage representing a binary value. In one implementation, the non-precharged conductors may be held to a predetermined voltage different from the voltage to which the precharged conductors are precharged. The predetermined voltage may represent the opposite binary value to the binary value represented by the precharge voltage. The ROM may also include an output circuit which may, in certain embodiments, comprise a logic circuit which logically combines the signals on respective conductors from each partition to provide output signals from the ROM.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.