Rapid chip management system
AssigneeLSI Logic Corporation
InventorDan Weed
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and system for automatically guiding a user through a design flow for an integrated circuit are disclosed. The method and system include displaying a design flow user interface on a user's computer, where the user interface includes symbols corresponding to design flow process steps. The design flow process steps are defined with a set of rules, and user input for each step is analyzed for compliance with the rules. The user is allowed to proceed to a next step in the flow once it is determined that the previous steps have been completed successfully.
Claims26
A computer-implemented method for automatically guiding a user through a design flow for an integrated circuit, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) displaying a design flow user interface on a user's computer, where the user interface includes symbols corresponding to design flow process steps;
- (b) defining the design flow process steps with a set of rules, and analyzing whether user input for each step complies with the rules;
- and
- (c) allowing the user to proceed to a next step if it is determined that previous steps have been completed successfully.
A web-based expert system for automatically guiding a user through a design flow for an integrated circuit, comprising:
- a master database for storing a plurality of reference chip designs that serve as starting point for a design of a custom chip;
- a design-specific database for storing design parameters values defining the custom chip;
- and
- a set of rules, the set of rules for:
- defining how the user inputs the design parameter values for the custom design, and for verifying that the values comply with design specifications for a selected reference chip design,
- invoking third-party EDA tools at points in the flow for analysis, verification, and simulation, and
- controlling a display of a user interface to a user that graphically depicts steps in the design flow and in a sequence that the steps are to be completed, such that only after it has been determined that the user has correctly performed a step in the flow, will the user be allowed to proceed to a next step in the flow.
A computer-readable medium containing programming instructions for automatically guiding a user through a design flow for an integrated circuit, the program instructions for:
- (a) displaying a design flow user interface on a user's computer, where the user interface includes symbols corresponding to design flow process instructions;
- (b) defining the design flow process instructions with a set of rules, and analyzing whether user input for each instruction complies with the rules;
- and
- (c) allowing the user to proceed to a next instruction if it is determined that previous instructions have been completed successfully.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.