Visualization and information display for shapes in displayed graphical images
Granted: May 7, 2013
Patent Number:
8438531
Graphical viewing of shapes and descriptive information in displayed graphical images. In one aspect, shape information is displayed in a graphical interface using a computer system and includes causing a display of an image on a display device with or more shapes, and causing a display of multiple labels on the display device. Each of the labels is associated with a different one of the displayed shapes, and the labels are derived from stored connectivity information for the one or more…
Method and apparatus to use physical design information to detect IR drop prone test patterns
Granted: May 7, 2013
Patent Number:
8438528
A method is provided to evaluate whether one or more test patterns is power safe for use during manufacturing testing of an integrated circuit that includes a nonuniform power grid and that includes a scan chain, the method comprising: assigning respective toggle count thresholds for respective power grid regions of the non-uniform power grid; and determining whether respective numbers of toggles by scan elements of the scan chain within one or more respective power grid regions meet…
Method and system for distributing clock signals on non Manhattan semiconductor integrated circuits
Granted: May 7, 2013
Patent Number:
8438525
The present invention introduces methods, systems, and architectures for routing clock signals in an integrated circuit layout. The introduced clock signal clock signal structures are rendered with non Manhattan routing. In a first embodiment, the traditional recursive H clock signal structure is rendered after transforming the coordinates system such that a rotated recursive H clock signal structure is rendered. In another embodiment, a recursive Y structure is used to create a clock…
Hierarchical editing of printed circuit board pin assignment
Granted: May 7, 2013
Patent Number:
8438524
An interface object library tool for manipulating interface objects for a printed circuit board (PCB) tool is disclosed. The interface object library tool includes a hierarchical interface display module, an input module, and a store. The hierarchical interface display module is configured to display an interrelation between a plurality of interface objects and a plurality of groups each including a plurality of signal, power and ground lines. The plurality of interface objects are…
Method and system for implementing efficient locking to facilitate parallel processing of IC designs
Granted: May 7, 2013
Patent Number:
8438512
Disclosed is an improved method and system for implementing parallelism for execution of electronic design automation (EDA) tools, such as layout processing tools. Examples of EDA layout processing tools are placement and routing tools. Efficient locking mechanism are described for facilitating parallel processing and to minimize blocking.
Minimal logic duplication for preserving reset behavior post-retiming
Granted: May 7, 2013
Patent Number:
8438511
Methods, systems, and devices for logic synthesis that preserve a reset behavior of a circuit are provided. A method for logic synthesis may include providing the circuit. A memory element may be identified at a first location within the circuit, where the memory element is reset with a first reset value. The memory element may be relocated across a first portion of the circuit resulting in a one relocated memory element. The relocated memory element may be duplicated. The relocated…
Method and system for implementing controlled breaks between features using sub-resolution assist features
Granted: May 7, 2013
Patent Number:
8438506
Disclosed is a method, system, and computer program product for implementing controlled breaks using sub-resolution assist features. Sub-resolution bridging features are added to implement controlled breaks between features on the layout. The bridging features may also be used to facilitate or optimize multiple mask/exposure techniques that split a layout or features on a layout to address pitch problems.
Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for smart pattern capturing and layout fixing
Granted: April 23, 2013
Patent Number:
8429582
Various embodiments are directed at methods and systems for implementing automatic fixing of a layout, implementing fuzzy pattern replacement, and implementing pattern capturing in a layout of an electronic circuit design. Various processes or modules comprise the act or module of identifying a first pattern from within an electronic circuit layout. The processes or modules also comprise identifying a fixing process or a replacement pattern for the first pattern and the act of performing…
Method and apparatus to use physical design information to detect IR drop prone test patterns
Granted: April 23, 2013
Patent Number:
8429593
A method is provided to evaluate whether one or more test patterns is power safe for use during manufacturing testing of an integrated circuit that includes a nonuniform power grid and that includes a scan chain, the method comprising: assigning respective toggle count thresholds for respective power grid regions of the non-uniform power grid; and determining whether respective numbers of toggles by scan elements of the scan chain within one or more respective power grid regions meet…
Method and mechanism for extraction and recognition of polygons in an IC design
Granted: April 23, 2013
Patent Number:
8429588
Disclosed is an improved approach for organizing, analyzing, and operating upon polygon data which significantly reduces the amount of data required for processing while keeping elements non-interfacing with each other. According to one approach, clusters of elements are extracted which are then handled separately. In some approaches, a set of polygons forms a cluster if for any two polygons from the set of polygons there exists a sequence of polygons from the set such that the distance…
Dual-pattern coloring technique for mask design
Granted: April 23, 2013
Patent Number:
8429574
A hierarchical schematic design editor displays mask layers for each shape as mask specific colors and alerts a user to mask layer conflicts during the design and editing process. According to an embodiment, mask colors may be assigned at the time the shapes or geometries and cells are placed in a circuit design layout, or when a mask layer condition indicating that two or more shapes should be set to different mask layers is detected. In an embodiment, if the distance between two shapes…
Method and system for implementing controlled breaks between features using sub-resolution assist features
Granted: April 23, 2013
Patent Number:
8429572
Disclosed is a method, system, and computer program product for implementing controlled breaks using sub-resolution assist features. Sub-resolution bridging features are added to implement controlled breaks between features on the layout. The bridging features may also be used to facilitate or optimize multiple mask/exposure techniques that split a layout or features on a layout to address pitch problems.
Method and apparatus for transferring data between asynchronous clock domains
Granted: April 23, 2013
Patent Number:
8429438
An invention is provided for transferring data between asynchronous clock domains. The asynchronous clock domains include a source clock domain operating with a source clock signal and a receiving clock domain operating with a receiving clock signal. The invention includes determining a phase shift relationship between the source clock signal and a signal. When the phase shift relationship is below a predetermined threshold the data is transferred between the source clock domain and the…
System and method for dynamically representing repetitive loads of a circuit during simulation
Granted: April 23, 2013
Patent Number:
8428928
A system for dynamically representing repetitive loads of a circuit during simulation includes a simulator module having one or more computer programs for 1) identifying one or more driver circuits for driving a plurality of repetitive receiver circuits, where each driver circuit has an output port and each repetitive receiver circuit has an input port, 2) creating a branch node driver for connecting the input ports of the plurality of repetitive receiver circuits and the output ports of…
Context-aware non-linear graphic editing
Granted: April 23, 2013
Patent Number:
8427502
A graphical editor displays graphical representations of underlying data items in a distribution of information-bearing states across a bounded region of a display. One or more of the data items are selected as belonging to a context of a user task or operation. The information-bearing states are redistributed in the bounded region of the display so that an amount of information sufficient to the task is provided through the graphical representations of the data items in the context and…
System and method for compressed post-OPC data
Granted: April 16, 2013
Patent Number:
8423924
According to various embodiments of the invention, systems and methods for system and methods for compressed post-OPC data created during the design and manufacturing of integrated circuits. In one embodiment of the invention, the method begins by generating a post-OPC layout from a circuit layout during the design phase of a circuit. This post-OPC layout is generated by way of an OPC process. Next, a set of differences between the post-OPC layout and the circuit layout are calculated…
Boundary buffers to model register incompatibility during pre-retiming optimization
Granted: April 16, 2013
Patent Number:
8423939
Methods, systems, and machine-readable storage medium for logic synthesis that adjust a timing model of a circuit are provided. A first memory element from multiple memory elements of the circuit may be determined, where the first memory element is connected with a first portion of the circuit and is controlled by at least one first control signal. A combinational element within the first portion of the circuit may be determined. The combinational element may include at least one input…
Model validation cockpit
Granted: April 16, 2013
Patent Number:
8423934
An electronic design automation (EDA) tool to validate representations of a design is disclosed. Reference and compared representations of the design are intended to respond to stimulus in the same way, but at different levels of abstraction. The reference and compared representations are simulated, at some point, to each generate waveform signals and measured results. Simulation can be with the same tool or different tools. The same or different testbench can be used on the reference…
System and method for model based multi-patterning optimization
Granted: April 16, 2013
Patent Number:
8423928
Some embodiments provide a method for optimally decomposing patterns within particular spatial regions of interest on a particular layer of a design layout for a multi-exposure photolithographic process. Specifically, some embodiments model the spatial region using a mathematical equation in terms of two or more intensities. Some embodiments then optimize the model across a set of feasible intensities. The optimization yields a set of intensities such that the union of the patterns…
System and method for compressed post-OPC data
Granted: April 16, 2013
Patent Number:
8423925
According to various embodiments of the invention, systems and methods for system and methods for compressed post-OPC data created during the design and manufacturing of integrated circuits. In one embodiment of the invention, the method begins by generating a post-OPC layout from a circuit layout during the design phase of a circuit. This post-OPC layout is generated by way of an OPC process. Next, a set of differences between the post-OPC layout and the circuit layout are calculated…
