Method Of Enforcing A Contract For A CAD Tool

• US 20080288897A1
• Filed: 07/28/2008
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synopsys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synopsys Incorporated
• Inventors: Bettadapur, Dineshchandra R., Benkoski, Jacques, Cullen, Aidan
• Granted Patent: US 7,925,532 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 716/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0213 Consumer transaction fees
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A method for enforcing a contract for a computer-aided-design (CAD) tool is provided. In this method, a first payment for the CAD tool is made in accordance with the contract. The first payment is associated with user access to the CAD tool. At this point, the CAD tool can be used, wherein the computer system running the CAD tool includes criteria for requesting at least one additional payment for the CAD tool. Each additional payment is associated with generating an output. The computer system is responsive to one or more trigger conditions corresponding to the criteria. A payment request is received when an output generated by the CAD tool satisfies a trigger condition. For example, one trigger condition adds a watermark to the output for identifying the output as having been produced by the CAD tool.

Claims

1. A method of designing an integrated circuit, the method using a computer system running a computer-aided design (CAD) tool to generate one or more outputs, the method comprising:

making a first payment that provides user access to the CAD tool in accordance with a contract;

running the CAD tool to facilitate designing the integrated circuit, wherein the computer system automatically requests an additional payment in response to a predetermined CAD tool output; and

receiving a payment request for the additional payment when the computer system identifies the predetermined CAD tool output.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending an additional payment to a vendor of the CAD tool in response to the payment request and in accordance with the contract.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the CAD tool comprises an integrated circuit design tool.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined CAD tool output has a form of at least one of hardware description language (HDL), register transfer level description (RTL), a macro, a hard macro, a soft macro, a core, a hard core, a soft core, a net-list, a synthesizable net-list, a layout, a process-independent layout, and a process-dependent layout.

5. A method of making an integrated circuit, the method using a computer system running a computer-aided design (CAD) tool to generate one or more outputs, the method comprising:

making a first payment that provides user access to the CAD tool in accordance with a contract;

running the CAD tool to facilitate designing the integrated circuit;

generating a predetermined CAD tool output by running the CAD tool; and

receiving a payment request for an additional payment in response to generating the predetermined CAD tool output and meeting predetermined post-design criteria associated with the integrated circuit,

wherein the predetermined post-design criteria include at least one of;

a request for prototype manufacturing, a receipt of manufactured prototypes, a request for manufacturing of production units, a receipt of production units, operation of production units meeting a predefined quality level, and production units having at least a predefined yield.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising sending an additional payment to a vendor of the CAD tool in response to the payment request and in accordance with the contract.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the CAD tool comprises an integrated circuit design tool.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the predetermined CAD tool output has a form of at least one of hardware description language (HDL), register transfer level description (RTL), a macro, a hard macro, a soft macro, a core, a hard core, a soft core, a net-list, a synthesizable net-list, a layout, a process-independent layout, and a process-dependent layout.

9. A method for contracting a use of a computer-aided design (CAD) tool for generating one or more outputs, the method comprising:

receiving a first payment for the CAD tool as a vendor of the CAD tool in accordance with a contract, wherein the first payment is associated with user access to the CAD tool;

configuring a computer system running the CAD tool to identify when the CAD tool generates a predetermined CAD tool output; and

generating a payment request for the additional payment when the computer system identifies the predetermined CAD tool output.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving another payment as the vendor of the CAD tool in response to the payment request and in accordance with the contract.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the CAD tool comprises an integrated circuit design tool.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the predetermined CAD tool output has a form of at least one of hardware description language (HDL), register transfer level description (RTL), a macro, a hard macro, a soft macro, a core, a hard core, a soft core, a net-list, a synthesizable net-list, a layout, a process-independent layout, and a process-dependent layout.

13. A method for contracting a use of a computer-aided design (CAD) tool for generating one or more outputs, the method comprising:

receiving a first payment for the CAD tool as a vendor of the CAD tool in accordance with a contract, wherein the first payment is associated with user access to the CAD tool;

configuring a computer system running the CAD tool to identify when the CAD tool generates a predetermined CAD tool output;

determining when predetermined post-design criteria associated with the integrated circuit are met; and

generating a payment request for an additional payment when the computer system identifies the predetermined CAD tool output and the predetermined post-design criteria are met,

wherein the predetermined post-design criteria include at least one of;

a request for prototype manufacturing, a receipt of manufactured prototypes, a request for manufacturing of production units, a receipt of production units, operation of production units meeting a predefined quality level, and production units having at least a predefined yield.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving another payment as the vendor of the CAD tool in response to the payment request and in accordance with the contract.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the CAD tool comprises an integrated circuit design tool.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the predetermined CAD tool output has a form of at least one of hardware description language (HDL), register transfer level description (RTL), a macro, a hard macro, a soft macro, a core, a hard core, a soft core, a net-list, a synthesizable net-list, a layout, a process-independent layout, and a process-dependent layout.

17. A method of operating under a contract, the contract associated with using a tool to generate one or more outputs, the method comprising:

making a first payment that provides user access to the tool in accordance with the contract;

running the tool, wherein a computer system running the tool automatically requests an additional payment in response to a predetermined tool output; and

receiving a payment request for the additional payment when the computer system identifies the predetermined tool output.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the tool is an analysis tool applied to one of signal processing, statistical analysis, financial analysis, data mining, and search engines.

19. A method for contracting a use of a tool for generating one or more outputs, the method comprising:

receiving a first payment for the tool as a vendor of the tool in accordance with a contract, wherein the first payment is associated with user access to the tool;

configuring a computer system running the tool to identify when the tool generates a predetermined tool output; and

generating a payment request for the additional payment when the computer system identifies the predetermined tool output.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the tool is an analysis tool applied to one of signal processing, statistical analysis, financial analysis, data mining, and search engines.