System and method for populating a computer-aided design program's database with design parameters

• US 20050125747A1
• Filed: 12/04/2003
• Published: 06/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Frank, Mark D., Nelson, Jerimy, Bois, Karl
• Granted Patent: US 7,069,095 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 716/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/30 Circuit design

Abstract

According to at least one embodiment, a method comprises generating a data file having design parameters for an electrical design, and with a computer-executable program, accessing the data file and populating a computer-aided design (CAD) program'"'"'s database with the design parameters.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating a data file having design parameters for an electrical design; and

with a computer-executable program, accessing the data file and populating a computer-aided design (CAD) program'"'"'s database with the design parameters.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the design parameters include parameters for a plurality of layers of the electrical design.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said generating comprises:

receiving user input specifying the design parameters.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said receiving user input comprises:

receiving said user input via an interface of the CAD program.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said generating further comprises:

retrieving the design parameters input via the interface of the CAD program; and

populating the data file with the design parameters.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the data file includes the design parameters in a CAD-independent format.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the data file is a text file.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical design comprises a design selected from the group consisting of:

an integrated circuit design, a printed circuit board design, a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) design, and a nanoelectromechanical system (NEMS) design.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said generating comprises:

retrieving the design parameters from the CAD program'"'"'s database; and

populating the data file with the design parameters.

10. A system comprising:

a database;

a parameter entry program operable to access a data file and populate the database with design parameters included in the data file for an electrical design; and

a computer-aided design (CAD) program, wherein the CAD program is operable to communicatively access the database and retrieve the design parameters stored therein.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the design parameters comprise parameters for a stack of layers of the electrical design.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the design parameters include at least one selected from the group consisting of:

layer type and layer thickness.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said layer type is any selected from the group consisting of:

metal, dielectric, crossover, plane, bonding wire, optical wave guide, and thermal glue coating.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein said electrical design comprises a design selected from the group consisting of:

an integrated circuit design, a printed circuit board design, a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) design, and a nanoelectromechanical system (NEMS) design.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein the parameter entry program is part of the CAD program.

16. The system of claim 10 wherein the parameter entry program is a stand-alone program separate from the CAD program.

17. The system of claim 10 wherein the data file is in a CAD-independent format.

18. The system of claim 10 wherein the data file is editable by an interface.

19. The system of claim 10 wherein the data file is a text file.

20. A system comprising:

computer-aided means for designing an electrical design that comprises a plurality of layers;

means for storing parameters for the plurality of layers, wherein the storing means is communicatively accessible by the computer-aided design means for representing said electrical design; and

means for accessing a data file and populating the storing means with said parameters.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein said data file is a text file.

22. The system of claim 20 further comprising:

means for generating the data file.

23. A method comprising:

interacting with an interface of a computer-aided design (CAD) program for defining parameters for an electrical design;

storing, by said CAD program, the parameters to a database for use in representing the electrical design; and

retrieving, by a parameter entry program, the parameters from the database and generating a data file having at least a portion of the parameters for said electrical design.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said at least a portion of the parameters includes parameters for a plurality of layers of the electrical design.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the data file includes said at least a portion of the parameters in a CAD-independent format.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein the data file is a text file.

27. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

editing the parameters in the data file; and

with a computer-executable program, accessing the data file and populating the database with the edited parameters of the data file.

28. A computer comprising:

a data storage mechanism having software code for a parameter entry program stored thereto; and

at least one processor for executing said software code to access a data file and populate a database with design parameters included in the data file for an electrical design, wherein said database is communicatively accessible by a computer-aided design (CAD) program for retrieving the design parameters stored in the database.

29. The computer of claim 28 comprising:

a data storage mechanism having said data file stored thereto.

30. The computer of claim 28 comprising:

a data storage mechanism having said database stored thereto.

31. The computer of claim 28 comprising:

a data storage mechanism having software code for said CAD program stored thereto, wherein said at least one processor is operable to execute said software code of said CAD program.

32. The computer of claim 28 wherein the parameter entry program is part of the CAD program.

33. The computer of claim 28 wherein the parameter entry program is a stand-alone program separate from the CAD program.

34. The computer of claim 28 wherein the data file is in a CAD-independent format.

35. The computer of claim 28 further comprising:

a data storage mechanism having software code for a file editing program stored thereto, wherein the file editing program is executable by the at least one processor to provide an interface for enabling a user to edit the data file.

36. The computer of claim 35 wherein file editing program comprises any selected from the group consisting of:

text editor, word processor, and spreadsheet.