Patent Document ID: 9349490
Application ID: 14597824

Base Claim:
1. A method for reading a differential memory device comprising a plurality of memory locations each comprising a direct memory cell and a complementary memory cell, the method comprising: receiving a request of reading a selected data word associated with a selected code word comprising a plurality of logic values stored in at least one selected memory location with an error correction code; reading a differential code word representing a differential version of the selected code word by comparing a state of the direct memory cell with a state of the complementary memory cell of each selected memory location; verifying the differential code word according to the error correction code; setting the selected data word according to the differential code word in response to a positive verification of the differential code word; reading at least one single-ended code word representing a single-ended version of the selected code word by at least one of comparing the state of the direct memory cell of each selected memory location with a direct reference and comparing the state of the complementary memory cell of each selected memory location with a complementary reference; verifying the single-ended code word according to the error correction code; and setting the selected data word according to the single-ended code word in response to a negative verification of the differential code word and to a positive verification of the single-ended code word.

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Claim 3:
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein reading at least one single-ended code word comprises reading a direct code word representing a direct version of the selected code word by comparing the state of the direct memory cell of each selected memory location with the direct reference, and reading a complementary code word representing a complementary version of the selected code word by comparing the state of the complementary memory cell of each selected memory location with the complementary reference; and wherein setting the selected data word according to the single-ended code word comprises: setting the selected data word according to the direct code word in response to a negative verification of the differential code word and to a positive verification of the direct code word; and setting the selected data word according to the complementary code word in response to a negative verification of the differential code word and of the direct code word and to a positive verification of the complementary code word.