Memory Line Compression Marker for Early Status Detection

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing memory devices face challenges in efficiently utilizing existing interfaces due to limitations in memory bandwidth and speed, which can be costly to improve and lead to increased power consumption and heat generation.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of data compression techniques within memory devices, where a single compressed value is stored per line with a marker at the beginning, allows for more efficient use of memory interfaces by reducing the amount of data that needs to be transferred.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If memory bandwidth and speed are increased to improve data transfer efficiency, then data transfer efficiency is improved, but power consumption and heat generation increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata transfer efficiencyVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The memory line is segmented into a marker portion and a data portion. The marker (fewest significant bits) is separated and placed at the beginning of the memory line, allowing the system to read only the marker to determine compression status without reading the entire data line, thus reducing power consumption while maintaining data transfer efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The marker indicating compression status is extracted from the data and placed at the beginning of the memory line. This extraction allows the read operation to stop early once the marker is processed, avoiding the need to read and transfer the entire memory line, thereby reducing power consumption and heat generation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Productivity

If memory bandwidth and speed are increased to improve data transfer efficiency, then data transfer efficiency is improved, but heat generation increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata transfer efficiencyVSAvoidheat generation

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The memory line is segmented into a marker portion and a data portion. The marker (fewest significant bits) is separated and placed at the beginning of the memory line, allowing the system to read only the marker to determine compression status without reading the entire data line, thus reducing power consumption and heat generation while maintaining data transfer efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The marker indicating compression status is extracted from the data and placed at the beginning of the memory line. This extraction allows the read operation to stop early once the marker is processed, avoiding the need to read and transfer the entire memory line, thereby reducing power consumption and heat generation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS20250078886A1Early detection of compression status using inline metadata

Publication Date: 2025.03.06 MICRON TECHNOLOGY INC

AI summary

Disclosed in some examples are methods, systems, memory devices, and machine-readable mediums which store a single compressed value per line with a marker value in a front of the compressed version of the memory line. In some examples, the only value stored in the memory line is the value normally stored therein. This removes the complexity of the prediction tables and the inclusion of invalid values as well as preventing the penalty when those prediction tables are wrong. Furthermore, by inclusion of the marker in the beginning of the memory line, the system can quickly determine the compression status of the memory line without having to read the entire line. That is, it can quickly stop reading the rest of the memory line once the compressed data is read out which saves the memory device from having to read the entire line.