Menu system for data processor
AssigneeMatsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
InventorsNoriko Matsumoto, Toshiro Furusawa, Tamotsu Nishiyama
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Abstract
In a data processor such as a CAD system for LSI design, a hierarchical structure of a plurality of objects each having a circuit data is represented in a relation between a window on a menu screen and a plurality of figure blocks on the window. One of the plural figure blocks on the window is represented in a different window so as to represent a multi-hierarchical structure of the objects, and a block figure group is arranged on the different window. A user selects, using a mouse, an object to be processed on a menu screen representing a floor plan.
Claims14
A computer system for designing a circuit, wherein the circuit is represented by a hierarchical structure of connected circuit blocks, the computer system comprising:
- object memory means for memorizing a plurality of objects, each object having information on a single circuit block, including physical information describing the shape and scale of a layout area of the circuit block;
- object specifying means for specifying objects from said plurality of objects memorized by said object memory means;
- menu creation means including
- object input means for inputting objects specified by said object specifying means, and
- hierarchy design means for designing a hierarchical structure of a menu corresponding to information of the objects input by said object input means;
- menu display means for displaying a first window to represent a first object specified by said object specifying means and for displaying a first figure block group on said first window to represent the objects specified by said object specifying means and displayed in accordance with said menu creation means to represent that each object displayed in the first figure block group belongs to a lower hierarchy of the object represented by said first window, and wherein said hierarchy design means determines floor plan data of the circuit to be designed based on the respective shapes and scales of said objects displayed on said first window by said first figure block group;
- object selection means for selecting an object to be processed from the objects in said first figure block group on said first window;
- processing specifying means for specifying a design processing step to be applied to an object selected by said object selection means to be processed;
- and
- processing execution means for executing the design processing step specified by said processing specifying means on the object selected by said object selection means.
A method of creating graphical menus for selecting an object from a plurality of objects arranged in a hierarchical structure, to be processed on a screen of a computer system, comprising the steps of:
- displaying a first window on the screen to represent one of the plurality of objects;
- displaying a first figure block group on the first window to represent at least one object belonging to a lower hierarchy of the object represented by the first window;
- deriving physical information determinative of the shapes and scales of the first window and the first figure block group from the respectively corresponding objects, wherein the steps of displaying the first window and the first figure block reflect the derived physical information;
- displaying a second window on the screen to represent an object represented in the first figure block group;
- and
- displaying a second figure block group on the second window to represent at least one object belonging to a lower hierarchy of the object represented by the second window.
A method of creating graphical menus for selecting an object from a plurality of objects arranged in a hierarchical structure, to be processed on a screen of a computer system, comprising the steps of:
- displaying a first window on the screen to represent one of the plurality of objects;
- displaying a first figure block group on the first window to represent at least one object belonging to a lower hierarchy of the object represented by the first window;
- deriving physical information determinative of the shapes and scales of the first window and the first figure block group from the respectively corresponding objects, wherein the steps of displaying the first window and the first figure block reflect the derived physical information;
- displaying a second window on the screen to represent an object belonging to an upper hierarchy of the object represented by the first window;
- and
- displaying a second figure block group on the second window to represent at least one object belonging to a lower hierarchy of the object represented by the second window, wherein the at least one object includes the object represented by the first window.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.