Modular memory device

Details Modular memory device Modular memory device

2000-08-14

2003-04-08

Lam, David (Department: 2818)

Static information storage and retrieval

Format or disposition of elements

C365S052000, C365S063000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06545891

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND
The present invention relates to modular memory devices and that include non-volatile, solid-state memory arrays.
A variety of portable consumer products capture and store digital data in a non-volatile manner. Digital cameras and digital audio players are two examples of such products. The memory devices for this class of products are preferably modular devices that are small enough to be hand-held and easily transported by a user. Ideally, these storage devices should be removable and lightweight, and they should provide a multi-megabyte storage capacity and achieve a low actual sales price (ASP).
One prior-art approach to such memory devices is known as the flash memory card. Such cards fit into the palm of a user's hand, are lightweight, and provide storage capabilities that are matched to the needs of the portable device segment of the consumer market. However, flash memory cards do not adequately address the cost requirements of this market segment. The cost per megabyte as of June 2000 for flash memory cards, such as CompactFlash cards, is between $2-4 at the forty megabyte level (ASP). Since most consumer applications in the portable device segment of the market require at least forty megabytes of non-volatile storage, flash memory cards represent a significant portion of the cost of the overall device.
Other memory cards built to address this market segment include the Multi-Media Card (MMC), that has a cost per megabyte as of June 2000 of between $3-5 (ASP). All of these memory cards use conventional two-dimensional memory arrays.
BRIEF SUMMARY
The preferred embodiments described below satisfy the size, weight, storage and cost requirements of consumer applications requiring non-volatile digital storage. These embodiments include a memory array and a memory array controller carried by a support element, and an electrical connector carried by the support element and coupled with the memory array controller. The memory array is preferably, though not necessarily, a write-once, three-dimensional, field-programmable memory array. Such memory arrays provide the advantage of substantially reduced cost per bit. When a device interface unit is used, it is preferably highly integrated to minimize cost. By reducing cost of both the memory unit and the device interface unit, the overall price of the modular memory device is substantially reduced as compared with the prior art described above.
This section has been provided by way of general introduction, and it is not intended to limit the scope of the following claims.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4272880 (1981-06-01), Pashley
patent: 4442507 (1984-04-01), Roesner
patent: 4489478 (1984-12-01), Sakurai
patent: 4498226 (1985-02-01), Inoue et al.
patent: 4499557 (1985-02-01), Holmberg et al.
patent: 4646266 (1987-02-01), Ovshinsky et al.
patent: 4677742 (1987-07-01), Johnson
patent: 5070384 (1991-12-01), McCollum et al.
patent: 5283759 (1994-02-01), Smith
patent: 5306935 (1994-04-01), Esquivel et al.
patent: 5427979 (1995-06-01), Chang
patent: 5441907 (1995-08-01), Sung et al.
patent: 5535156 (1996-07-01), Levy et al.
patent: 5553019 (1996-09-01), Sandvos et al.
patent: 5561628 (1996-10-01), Terada et al.
patent: 5568361 (1996-10-01), Ward et al.
patent: 5602987 (1997-02-01), Harari et al.
patent: 5640343 (1997-06-01), Gallagher et al.
patent: 5699317 (1997-12-01), Sartore et al.
patent: 5721862 (1998-02-01), Sartore et al.
patent: 5745407 (1998-04-01), Levy et al.
patent: 5818748 (1998-10-01), Bertin et al.
patent: 5835396 (1998-11-01), Zhang
patent: 5856221 (1999-01-01), Clementi et al.
patent: 5877975 (1999-03-01), Jigour et al.
patent: 5889694 (1999-03-01), Shepard
patent: 5911104 (1999-06-01), Smayling et al.
patent: 5943254 (1999-08-01), Bakeman et al.
patent: 5991194 (1999-11-01), Jigour et al.
patent: 6034882 (2000-03-01), Johnson et al.
patent: 6124157 (2000-09-01), Rahim
patent: 6160718 (2000-12-01), Vakilian
patent: 6207991 (2001-03-01), Rahim
patent: 6263398 (2001-07-01), Taylor et al.
patent: 6266272 (2001-07-01), Kirihata et al.
patent: WO 99/14763 (1999-03-01), None
Douglas, John H., “The Route To 3-D Chips”, High Technology, Sep. 1983, vol. 3, No. 9, pp. 55-59.
Edited by Cappelletti, Paulo et al., “Flash Memories”, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1999.
Kawashima, Shoichiro et al., “A Charge-Transfer Amplifier and an Encoded-Bus Architecture for Low-Power SRAM's”, IEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, vol. 33, No. 5, May 1998, pp. 793-799.
Zhang, Ph.D., Guobiao, “Three-Dimensional Read-Only Memory(3D-ROM)”, presentation from website zhangpatents, pp. 1-29.
Zhang, Ph.D., Guobiao, “3D-ROM—A First Practical Step Towards 3D-IC” Semiconductor International, Jul. 2000, from website zhangpatents, pp. 1-7.
“A 10ns Read and Write Non-Volatile Memory Array Using a Magnetic Tunnel Junction and FET Switch in each Cell,” Scheuerlein et al., ISSCC 2000/Session 7/TD: Emerging Memory & Device Technologies/Paper TA 7.2, 4 pages, Feb. 8, 2000.
“MultiMediaCard System Specification Version 2.2 Official Release,” pp. 10, 12, and 14, Jan. 2000.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Modular memory device does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Modular memory device, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Modular memory device will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3067958