1. A multilevel FLASH cell architecture comprising:
at least one FLASH cell;
a plurality of reference generators;
a plurality of comparators coupled to the FLASH cell via a sensing node and coupled to the plurality of reference generators; the plurality of comparators for comparing a signal of the sensing node to a full spectrum of reference voltage signals in parallel from the plurality of reference generators; and providing outputs; and
translation logic coupled to the plurality of comparators for decoding the outputs to determine the state of the FLASH cell, wherein the plurality of reference generators are coupled together such that a first reference generator provides a base current and subsequent reference generators add sequentially increasing amount of delta current to the base current.
2. The FLASH cell architecture of claim 1 wherein the most significant bit (MSB) and the least significant bit (LSB) of the state is provided from the translation logic.
3. The FLASH cell architecture of claim 2 wherein the translation logic detects underprogramming and overprogramming of a FLASH cell by comparing the sensing node to limits for each state.
4. The FLASH cell architecture of claim 2 wherein the translation logic detects when the cell is properly programmed.
5. The FLASH cell architecture of claim 2 wherein the translation logic detects if the current state of the FLASH cell matches the desired data to indicate successful data validation.
6. The FLASH cell architecture of claim 2 wherein if the translation logic detects that the current state of the FLASH cell is less than the desired state further programming is necessary to provide the data within the desired state limits.
7. The FLASH cell architecture of claim 2 wherein if the translator logic detects that the cell is overprogrammed an error signal is detected.
8. The FLASH cell architecture of claim 1 wherein the full spectrum of reference signals include boundary reference voltages between states and upper and lower target voltages within a state.
9. The FLASH cell architecture of claim 1 wherein a margin between reference generators is adjusted by arbitration codes that select currents for summing.
10. The FLASH cell architecture of claim 1 wherein each reference voltage generator generates a current for each boundary between 2n states and for an upper limit and a lower limit for each state.
11. The FLASH cell architecture of claim 1 which includes a control engine for decoding received addresses wherein the row address causes a row of cells to be activated and a column address activates the reference generators and a multichannel cell address.
12. The FLASH cell architecture of claim 1 wherein the at least one FLASH cell comprises a memory cell array.
13. The FLASH cell architecture of claim 12 wherein there are multi-level states per cell.
14. The FLASH cell architecture of claim 12 which includes an IO buffer coupled to the translation logic.
15. The FLASH cell architecture of claim 14 which includes a writecache buffer coupled to the translation logic.
16. The FLASH cell architecture of claim 15 which includes a fast one stage readwrite control engine with progressive state indicators coupled to translation logic.
17. The FLASH cell architecture of claim 16 which includes a set of external and auto calibration registers coupled to the control engine.
18. The FLASH cell architecture of claim 17 which includes a set of reference calibration commands in addition to the read, erase and program commands.
19. The FLASH cell architecture of claim 18 which includes a voltagecurrent reference generator coupled to the FLASH cell memory array and the calibration registers.
20. The FLASH cell architecture of claim 19 which includes a plurality of address registers coupled to a row address decoder and a calendar address decoder.
21. The FLASH memory device of claim 12, further comprising:
a plurality of memory cell strings each connected to x-y addressable word lines and bit lines.
22. A multilevel FLASH cell architecture comprising:
at least one FLASH cell;
a plurality of reference generators;
a plurality of comparators coupled to the FLASH cell via a sensing node and coupled to the plurality of reference generators; the plurality of comparators for comparing a signal of the sensing node to a full spectrum of reference voltage signals in parallel from the plurality of reference generators; and providing outputs; and
translation logic coupled to the plurality of comparators for decoding the outputs to determine the state of the FLASH cell, wherein the translation logic detects underprogramming and overprogramming of a FLASH cell by comparing the sensing node to limits for each state.
23. A multilevel FLASH cell architecture comprising:
at least one FLASH cell;
a plurality of reference generators;
a plurality of comparators coupled to the FLASH cell via a sensing node and coupled to the plurality of reference generators; the plurality of comparators for comparing a signal of the sensing node to a full spectrum of reference voltage signals in parallel from the plurality of reference generators; and providing outputs; and
translation logic coupled to the plurality of comparators for decoding the outputs to determine the state of the FLASH cell, wherein the most significant bit (MSB) and the least significant bit (LSB) of the state is provided from the translation logic, and wherein the translation logic detects if the current state of the FLASH cell matches the desired data to indicate successful data validation.
24. The FLASH cell architecture of claim 23 wherein if the translation logic detects that the current state of the FLASH cell is less than the desired state further programming is necessary to provide the data within the desired state limits.
25. The FLASH cell architecture of claim 24 wherein if the translator logic detects that the cell is overprogrammed an error signal is detected.
26. A multilevel FLASH cell architecture comprising:
at least one FLASH cell;
a plurality of reference generators;
a plurality of comparators coupled to the FLASH cell via a sensing node and coupled to the plurality of reference generators; the plurality of comparators for comparing a signal of the sensing node to a full spectrum of reference voltage signals in parallel from the plurality of reference generators; and providing outputs;
translation logic coupled to the plurality of comparators for decoding the outputs to determine the state of the FLASH cell; and
a control engine for decoding received addresses wherein the row address causes a row of cells to be activated and a column address activates the reference generators and a multichannel cell address.
27. A multilevel FLASH cell architecture comprising:
a memory cell array wherein
a plurality of reference generators;
a plurality of comparators coupled to the memory cell array via a sensing node and coupled to the plurality of reference generators; the plurality of comparators for comparing a signal of the sensing node to a full spectrum of reference voltage signals in parallel from the plurality of reference generators; and providing outputs;
translation logic coupled to the plurality of comparators for decoding the outputs to determine the state of the memory cell array; and
a IO buffer coupled to the translation logic.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A method of simultaneous trading of a derivative contract andor combinations thereof and a contract in an underlying instrument in an automated exchange system, the system comprising a matching module and a deal capture module, the method comprising the steps of:
forming and displaying a virtual derivative contract andor combinations thereof, the virtual derivative contract implying a simultaneous trade in a derivative contract and its underlying instrument.
receiving bids and offers in said virtual derivative contract
matching the bids and offers in the virtual derivative contract andor combinations thereof in the matching module, and
forwarding the data relating to the matched deal to the deal capture module where a combined deal, one deal in the derivative contract and one deal in its underlying instrument, is formed in accordance with the data related to the from the virtual derivative contract when there is a match in the virtual optionfuture contract andor combinations thereof.
2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the price of the underlying contract and or the delta value is displayed in the same view as the virtual derivative contract.
3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a price feed in the underlying contract from an external execution point, when the underlying contract is not traded on the exchange listing the virtual derivative contract.
4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the virtual derivatives contract corresponds to a covered option contract.
5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the number of contracts traded in the underlying instrument is calculated as: (size of virtual covered option instrument)*(delta value)*(nominal reference contract)(nominal virtual covered option instrument).
6. An automated exchange system for simultaneous trading of a derivative contract andor combinations thereof and a contract in an underlying instrument, the system comprising a matching module and a deal capture module, comprising:
means for forming and displaying a virtual derivative contract andor combinations thereof, the virtual derivative contract implying a simultaneous trade in a derivative contract and its underlying instrument.
means for receiving bids and offers in said virtual derivative contract
means in the matching module for matching the bids and offers in the virtual derivative contract andor combinations thereof, and
means for forwarding the data relating to the matched deal to the deal capture module where a combined deal, one deal in the derivative contract and one deal in its underlying instrument, is formed in accordance with the data related to the from the virtual derivative contract when there is a match in the virtual optionfuture contract andor combinations thereof.
7. A system according to claim 6, wherein the price of the underlying contract and or the delta value is displayed in the same view as the virtual derivative contract.
8. A system according to claim 6, further comprising means for providing a price feed in the underlying contract from an external execution point.
9. A system according to claim 6, wherein the virtual derivatives contract corresponds to a covered option contract.
10. A system according to claim 9, comprising means for calculating the number of contracts traded in the underlying instrument as: (size of virtual covered option instrument)*(delta value)*(nominal reference contract)(nominal virtual covered option instrument).
11. An exchange system, the system comprising a number of remote input terminals for entering bids and offers in a financial instrument implying the simultaneous execution of a derivative contract and a contract underlying said derivative contract (a virtual derivative contract), to be matched by the exchange system, the remote terminals being linked to a central computer server hosting an automated matching process of said entered bids and offers, the system further comprising a deal capture module provided to receive data output from the matching process relating to matched bids and offers given for said virtual derivative contracts, the deal capture module being programmed to capture a deal in the derivative contract and in the contract underlying the derivative contract in accordance with the specification of the particular virtual derivative contract matched by the matching process.
12. A computer program product storing a computer program, which when executed on a computer performs the following steps:
forms and displays a virtual derivative contract andor combinations thereof, the virtual derivative contract implying a simultaneous trade in a derivative contract and its underlying instrument.
receives bids and offers in said virtual derivative contract
matches the bids and offers in the virtual derivative contract andor combinations thereof, and
forwards the data relating to the matched deal to a deal capture module where a combined deal, one deal in the derivative contract and one deal in its underlying instrument, can be formed in accordance with the data related to the from the virtual derivative contract when there is a match in the virtual optionfuture contract andor combinations thereof.