Patent ID: 7701791

Claim:
A method for reading data, comprising: providing a plurality of word lines, a plurality of bit lines, and a plurality of two-terminal memory elements, each two-terminal memory element positioned at an intersection of one of the plurality of word lines with one of the plurality of bit lines, and each two-terminal memory element having a first terminal electrically coupled with its respective word line and a second terminal electrically coupled with its respective bit line; pre-charging the plurality of bit lines by applying a first voltage to the plurality of bit lines; energizing a selected word line by applying a second voltage to only one of the plurality of word lines, wherein the word line with the second voltage applied to it is a selected word line and word lines not having the second voltage applied to them are un-selected word lines; charging the un-selected word lines by applying the first voltage to the un-selected word lines; disconnecting the first voltage from the plurality of bit lines so that the plurality of bit lines are floating; and charging each bit line by a select current flow between the selected word line and each bit line during the energizing of the selected word line, the select current flow in each bit line operative to progressively charge the bit line from its voltage while floating, to an intermediate voltage, to a final voltage.