Memory activation method and apparatus, and memory controller

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10127955-B2
Application number	US-201715607360-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2017
Priority date	Nov 28, 2014
Publication date	Nov 13, 2018
Grant date	Nov 13, 2018

Abstract

A first memory access request is obtained, where the first memory access request is used to request to access a first sub-row in a memory. A to-be-scheduled queue of the memory is searched for a second memory access request, where the to-be-scheduled queue of the memory includes multiple memory access requests, the second memory access request is used to request to access a second sub-row in the memory. The first sub-row and the second sub-row are located in a same row in the memory. The first memory access request and the second memory access request are combined to generate a first activation instruction, where the first activation instruction is used to instruct to activate the first sub-row and the second sub-row in the memory. The first activation instruction is sent to the memory.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A memory activation method, comprising:
obtaining, by a request distribution module of a memory controller, a first memory access request for requesting access to a first sub-row in a memory and sending the first memory access request to a memory scheduler of the memory controller;
receiving, by the memory scheduler, the first memory access request and searching, by the memory scheduler, a to-be-scheduled queue of the memory for a second memory access request, wherein the to-be-scheduled queue of the memory comprises multiple memory access requests, the second memory access request for requesting access to a second sub-row in the memory, and the first sub-row and the second sub-row are located in a same row in the memory;
combining, by the memory scheduler, the first memory access request and the second memory access request to generate a first activation instruction for activating the first sub-row and the second sub-row in the memory and sending the first activation instruction to a command scheduler of the memory controller; and
receiving, by the command scheduler, the first activation instruction and sending, by the command scheduler, the first activation instruction to the memory.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein after searching, by the memory scheduler, the to-be-scheduled queue of the memory for a second memory access request, the method further comprises:
generating, by the memory scheduler, a sub-row selection vector, and sending, by the memory controller, the sub-row selection vector to the memory, wherein the sub-row selection vector is used to identify that sub-rows to be activated are the first sub-row and the second sub-row.

3. A memory controller, comprising:
a request distribution module;
a memory scheduler;
a command scheduler;
a processor;
and
a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium coupled to the processor and storing programming instructions for execution by the processor, the programming instructions when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
configure the request distribution module to obtain a first memory access request for requesting access to a first sub-row in a memory and to send the first memory access request to the memory scheduler,
configure the memory scheduler to receive the first memory access request from the request distribution module and to search a to-be-scheduled queue of the memory for a second memory access request, wherein the to-be-scheduled queue of the memory comprises multiple memory access requests, the second memory access request for requesting access to a second sub-row in the memory, and the first sub-row and the second sub-row are located in a same row in the memory,
further configure the memory scheduler to combine the first memory access request and the second memory access request to generate a first activation instruction for activating the first sub-row and the second sub-row in the memory and send the first activation instruction to the command scheduler, and
configure the command scheduler to receive the first activation instruction from the memory scheduler and to send the first activation instruction to the memory.

4. The memory controller according to claim 3 , wherein the programming instructions when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:
configure the memory scheduler to generate a sub-row selection vector, and configure the memory controller to send the sub-row selection vector to the memory, wherein the sub-row selection vector is used to identify that sub-rows to be activated are the first sub-row and the second sub-row.

5. A memory controller, comprising:
a request distribution module;
a memory scheduler;
a command scheduler;
a processor;
a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium coupled to the processor and storing programming instructions for execution by the processor, the programming instructions when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
configure the request distribution module to obtain a first memory access request for requesting access to a first sub-row in a memory and to send the first memory access request to the memory scheduler,
configure the memory scheduler to receive the first memory access request from the request distribution module and to generate a first activation instruction according to the first memory access request, and send the first activation instruction to the command scheduler,
configure the command scheduler to send the first activation instruction obtained from the memory scheduler to the memory,
further configure the memory scheduler to search a to-be-scheduled queue of the memory for a second memory access request, wherein the to-be-scheduled queue of the memory comprises multiple memory access requests, the second memory access request for requesting access to a second sub-row in the memory, the first sub-row is located in a first subarray, and the second sub-row is located in a second subarray, and
further configure the memory scheduler to generate a second activation instruction according to the second memory access request, and send the second activation instruction to the command scheduler,
configure the command scheduler to send the second activation instruction obtained from the memory scheduler to the memory;
wherein both the first subarray and the second subarray comprise at least one row, any row in the at least one row comprises at least one sub-row, any sub-row in the at least one sub-row comprises at least one storage unit, and any storage unit is corresponding to one row number identifier and one column number identifier; and
wherein a column number identifier corresponding to any storage unit comprised in the second sub-row is different from a column number identifier corresponding to any storage unit comprised in the first sub-row.

6. The memory controller according to claim 5 , wherein the programming instructions when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:
configure the request distribution module to obtain a third memory access request for requesting access to a third sub-row in the memory, the third sub-row and the first sub-row are located in a same row, and a column number identifier corresponding to any storage unit comprised in the second sub-row is different from a column number identifier corresponding to any storage unit comprised in the third sub-row and send the third memory access request to the memory scheduler; and
configure the memory scheduler to receive the third memory access request from the request distribution module and to combine the first memory access request and the third memory access request to generate the first activation instruction.

7. The memory controller according to claim 6 , wherein the programming instructions when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:
configure the request distribution module to obtain a fourth memory access request for requesting access to a fourth sub-row in the memory, the fourth sub-row and the second sub-row are located in a same row, and a column number identifier corresponding to any storage unit comprised in the fourth sub-row is different from a column number identifier corresponding to any storage unit comprised in the first sub-row and send the fourth memory access request to the memory scheduler; and
configure the memory scheduler to receive the fourth memory access request from the request distribution module and to combine the second memory access request and the fourth memory access request to generate the second activation instruction.

8. The memory controller according to claim 7 , wherein a column number identifier corresponding to any storage unit comprised in the fourth sub-row is diffe

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Xiao Shihai
• Yang Wei
• Zhao Junfeng

Classifications

• G06F13/1668 Primary

  Details of memory controller · CPC title

• G11C8/10 Primary

  Decoders · CPC title

• G06F3/0659

  Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling · CPC title

• G11C8/16 Primary

  Multiple access memory array, e.g. addressing one storage element via at least two independent addressing line groups · CPC title

• G11C8/14

  Word line organisation; Word line lay-out · CPC title