Apple patents chip that slows memory refresh when temperature is stable
Apple describes a method where a chip uses built-in temperature sensors to monitor how quickly its heat changes. If the temperature stays steady, the chip refreshes its memory less often to save power, but speeds up if the temperature shifts rapidly.
In the filing’s own words
In an embodiment, a memory controller in an integrated circuit may generate refreshes for one or more DRAMs coupled to the integrated circuit according to a refresh rate. The integrated circuit may include one or more temperature sensors. A rate of change of the temperature may be determined from the temperature sensors. If the rate is greater than a threshold, the memory controller may generate refreshes according to a refresh rate specified by the DRAMs. If the rate is less than the threshold, the memory controller may generate refreshes at a reduced refresh rate.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. An integrated circuit, comprising: a plurality of temperature sensors; and a memory controller configured to: determine, for at least one dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a refresh rate based on a temperature change rate determined from the plurality of temperature sensors, wherein the temperature change rate is based on a plurality of consecutive temperatures sensed by a given temperature sensor of the plurality of temperature sensors; and refresh the DRAM at the determined refresh rate.
Facts
- Company
- Apple (Apple Inc.)
- Official title
- Dynamic refresh rate control
- Patent number
- US12763126B2
- Application number
- 18488656
- Filed
- Oct 17, 2023
- Granted
- Oct 13, 2026
- Inventors
- 4
- Claims
- 20
Classified under
G11C 11/40626 Physics & computingG11C 11/4074 Physics & computingG11C 11/4091 Physics & computingG11C 2211/4061 Physics & computingMore from Apple in Chips & hardware
- Apple patents glass chip base that uses light to move data Oct 8, 2026
- Apple patents radar that maps rooms using moving objects Sep 1, 2026
- Apple patents display method that reuses static images to save power Sep 1, 2026
- Apple patents stretchable OLED displays with sealed pixel islands Sep 8, 2026
- Apple patents method to fix color fringes in high-resolution displays Sep 8, 2026
Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.