US Patent No: 7,046,568

Number of patents in Portfolio can not be more than 2000

Memory sensing circuit and method for low voltage operation

ALSO PUBLISHED AS: 20050169082
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Abstract

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A sensing module operates with a sense amplifier sensing a conduction current of a memory cell via a coupled bit line under constant voltage condition in order to minimize bit-line to bit-line coupling. The rate of discharge of a dedicated capacitor as measured by a change in the voltage drop there across in a predetermined period is used to indicate the magnitude of the conduction current. The voltage cannot drop below a minimum level imposed by a circuit for maintaining the constant voltage condition on the bit line. A voltage shifter is used to boost the voltage during the discharge and to unboost the voltage after the discharge, so that the change in voltage drop properly reflects the rate of discharge without running into the minimum level.

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Patent Owner(s)

Patent OwnerAddressTotal Patents
SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES INC.PLANO, TX1789

International Classification(s)

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Inventor(s)

Inventor Name Address # of filed Patents Total Citations
Cernea, Raul-Adrian Santa Clara, CA 162 4474

Cited Art Landscape

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Patent Citation Ranking

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Patent Info (Count) # Cites Year
 
SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES INC. (119)
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Other [Check patent profile for assignment information] (1)
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