Memory Data Protection Encoder Sub-Block Comparison

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Solution Overview

Problem

Modern integrated circuits face challenges in signal integrity and transfer rate due to interconnect capacitance, which leads to voltage drops and data retention corruption, especially in scenarios like simultaneous switching of wide buses.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a transmitter with an encoder that divides data into sub-blocks, compares portions across sub-blocks, and inserts error correction security data using schemes like Hamming codes, allowing for error detection and correction without increasing the overall data size transmitted.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If error correction codes are added to data transmissions, then data reliability is improved, but data size increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata reliabilityVSAvoiddata size
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies partial error correction by identifying and correcting only the most significant bit errors that cause data corruption, rather than applying full error correction codes to all data. The system monitors for specific error patterns (such as single-bit errors in critical data portions) and applies correction only when needed, thus improving reliability without systematically increasing data size for all transmissions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements local error correction by focusing protection on specific critical portions of data (such as header information, address fields, or important payload sections) rather than uniformly protecting all data bits. This allows targeted reliability improvement in critical areas without adding redundancy overhead to the entire data transmission.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If more data is transmitted with error correction, then data protection is improved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata protectionVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent reduces power consumption by activating error correction mechanisms only partially - specifically when error conditions are detected or for critical data portions - rather than continuously applying full error correction to all transmissions. This selective approach significantly reduces the energy overhead associated with error correction operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts and handles error correction as a separate, conditional operation rather than embedding it in all data transmissions. By separating the error detection and correction functions from the main data transmission flow, the system only consumes additional power when actual error correction is performed, rather than continuously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP4260192B1Method and apparatus for data protection in memory devices
Publication Date: 2025.03.05 ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES INC
  • EP4260192B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4260192B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4260192B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An apparatus and method for efficiently transmitting data are described. A transmitter sends data to a receiver. An encoder of the transmitter divides a received first block of data into multiple sub-blocks. The encoder selects a portion of each sub-block to compare to one another. A portion in a particular sub-block has a same offset and a same size as other portions of other sub-blocks. If the encoder determines the multiple portions match one another, the encoder sends, to the receiver, a second block of data corresponding to the first block of data. The second block of data has a same size as a size of the received first block of data, and the second block of data includes security data from one of multiple error correction schemes. Therefore, the second block of data provides security without increasing an amount of data to transmit.