PATENT CLAIM ANALYSIS

Application Number: 15863404
Application Type: Utility
Filing Date: 2018-01
Publication Date: 2019-07
Patent Classification: ["365", "185020"]

Abstract:
A bad block of memory cells is quickly detected and removed from further programming during concurrent multi-block program operations, to minimize a threshold voltage upshift in a good block. A difference in program speeds between the blocks can be quickly detected by detecting when the memory cells in each block pass a verify test, such as a verify test of a lowest programmed data state. If a first block passes the verify test at a reference program loop, a determination is made as to whether a second block passes the verify test within a specified number of additional program loops. If the second block meets this criterion, the program operation can continue for both blocks. However, if the second block does not meet this criterion, the program operation is terminated for the second block by isolating it from subsequent program and verify signals.

Claim (Index 16):
A method, comprising:\n beginning a program operation concurrently for a first set of memory cells and a second set of memory cells, the first set of memory cells comprises first memory cells assigned to one data state, the second set of memory cells comprises second memory cells assigned to the one data state, the program operation comprises successive program loops in which a program voltage is applied to, and a verify test is performed for, the first memory cells and the second memory cells; determining a reference program loop of the successive program loops in which a specified portion of the first memory cells passes the verify test; determining whether a specified portion of the second memory cells pass the verify test within a specified number of additional program loops of the successive program loops, wherein the specified portion of the first memory cells is less than half of the first memory cells; and in response to determining that the specified portion of the second memory cells do not pass the verify test within the specified number of additional program loops, terminating the program operation for the second set of memory cells and continuing the program operation for the first set of memory cells.

Metadata:
- Claim Count in Document: 33.0
- Percentile: 86.0
- Lexical Diversity: 1.90123
- Patent Class: 365.0
- Transitional Phrase Type: open
- Component Type: 1
- Foreign Priority: False
- Related Applications: ['15062661', '15814769', '14928853', '14617182', '14887976']

Analysis Scores:
- 35 USC 101 Eligibility (BERT): 0.7742498018108531
- 35 USC 102 Novelty (BERT): 0.4983842300832364
- Combined Prediction Score: 0.7466632446380914
- Mean Citation Score: 246.733848
- Max Citation Score: 266.43085
- Similarity Product: 205.4446178974688

Labels:
- Claim Label 101: 1
- Claim Label 102: 1
- Claim Label 103: 1
- Claim Label 112: 0
- Combined Label: 1
- Label 101 Adjusted: 1

Dataset: test