System design/evaluation CAD system and program storage medium

• US 6,304,790 B1
• Filed: 10/22/1998
• Issued: 10/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Saitoh, Takashi, Kubota, Kenichi, Ohtsuka, Masato, Kobuchi, Eiko, Kobayashi, Yukiyasu, Nakamura, Takeo
• Primary Examiner(s): Gordon, Paul P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CABRERA, ZOILA E
• Application Number:
  US09/177,301
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: 700/182, 700/121, 700/97, 700/86, 700/87, 700/18, 703/1, 703/2, 345/964, 345/967
• US Class Current: 700/97
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/12 Symbolic schematics
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/30 Circuit design
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/964 CAD or CAM, e.g. interactive design tools

Abstract

In a CAD system, an electronic system is arranged by receiving an aid of a computer, and also a designing work of an architecture of this electronic system is carried out under the aid of the computer. An estimation with a high usability can be realized in high precision in an upstream stage, namely an earlier designating stage. The acquired design information is stored as know-how, and this stored know-how can be succeeded to the design information in a downstream stage. In this CAD system, a block diagram is edited by a block diagram input/editing unit, and this block diagram contains symbols indicative of independent functions, and lines used to connect these symbols. These symbols and lines are represented as the same design information. Both design information and parameter information may be applied to the symbols and the lines in a similar manner. Furthermore, the respective design information owns such a structure having a plurality of detailed level information with an architecture idea of a layer. The estimation parameter information to be applied to the symbols and the lines is prepared as templates in a parameter template holding unit. As a result, this template may prompt a user to input the necessary information.

Claims

1. A system designing/evaluating CAD system for aiding a system design by way of a computer, comprising:

means for editing a block diagram containing symbols representative of an independent function, and lines for connecting these symbols with each other;

means for setting design information to said symbols and said lines in the same formats, respectively;

means for storing thereinto design information in such a data structure that each of said setting design information holds a plurality of detailed level information for each level layer;

means for holding a template used to input estimation parameter information which is applied to one of said symbols and said lines entered by said block editing means; and

means for entering the estimation parameter information applied to one of said symbols and said lines from a user while prompting said user to input said estimation parameter information in accordance with said template.

2. A system designing/evaluating CAD system for aiding a system design by way of a computer, comprising:

means for editing a block diagram containing symbols representative of an independent function, and lines for connecting these symbols with each other;

means for setting design information to said symbols and said lines in the same formats, respectively;

means for storing thereinto design information in such a data structure that each of said setting design information holds a plurality of detailed level information for each level layer;

means for linking design information to evaluation result information acquired at a time instant when a design evaluation is carried out in a halfway stage of the system designing work and for automatically storing said linked design information and evaluation result information.

3. A system designing/evaluating CAD system for aiding a system design by way of a computer, comprising:

means for editing a block diagram containing symbols representative of an independent function, and lines for connecting these symbols with each other;

means for setting design information to said symbols and said lines in the same formats, respectively;

means for storing thereinto design information in such a data structure that each of said setting design information holds a plurality of detailed level information for each level layer; and

means, in such a case that one block is constituted by a plurality of blocks having more detailed levels while the designing work is performed more in detail, for evaluating overlapped parameter information by utilizing a parameter applied to a more detailed lower-level setting level.

4. A system designing/evaluating CAD system for aiding a system design by way of a computer, comprising

means which, when in a block diagram including symbols respectively representing independent functions and lines connecting the symbols, positions for connecting the lines are specified at optional locations of the symbols, automatically creates a signal input port or a signal output port of the symbols;

means for referring to a parameter template owned by each of the symbols and lines and for displaying a parameter setting window based on the parameter template;

means for inputting a parameter which is specific to the symbol and the line when used by the displayed parameter setting window; and

means for storing a plurality of pieces of design information, in each design information the symbol and the line are set in the same mode and each design information is stored in such a data structure so as to have a plurality of detailed level information with different abstracts but the same functions according to level layers.

5. A system designing/evaluating CAD system as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

design information editing means for editing

design information while referring to plural level of information for each level layer information having a plurality.

6. A system designing/evaluating CAD system as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

document data linking means for linking document data to said design information; and

document data editing means for editing the document data while the design information is edited.

7. A system designing/evaluating CAD system as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

means for linking another design information to one symbol to thereby allocate a plurality of hierarchical information to the linked symbol, whereby a plurality of hierarchies are defined to one symbol.

8. A system designing/evaluating CAD system as claim in claim 4, further comprising:

symbol automatic creating means for automatically creating symbol-shaped data by dragging and dropping a symbol forming description language and data of a block diagram on a symbol creating panel.

9. A system designing/evaluating CAD system as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

hierarchy editing means for designating a plurality of blocks, and for merging said plural blocks into a single hierarchy, or for dividing said single hierarchy into said original plural blocks.

10. A method for aiding a system design by way of a computer using a program storage medium of a system designing /evaluating CAD system, comprising:

editing a block diagram containing symbols representative of an independent function, and lines for connecting these symbols with each other;

setting design information to said symbols and said lines in the same formats, respectively;

storing thereinto design information in such a data structure that each of said setting design information holds a plurality of detailed level information for each level layer;

holding a template used to input estimation parameter information which is applied to one of said symbols and said lines entered by said block editing step; and

entering the estimation parameter information applied to one of said symbols and said lines from a user while prompting said user to input said estimation parameter information in accordance with said template.

11. A method for aiding a system design by way of a computer using a program storage medium of a system designing/evaluating CAD system, comprising:

editing a block diagram containing symbols representative of an independent function, and lines for connecting these symbols with each other;

setting design information to said symbols and said lines in the same formats, respectively;

storing thereinto design information in such a data structure that each of said setting design information holds a plurality of detailed level information for each level layer; and

linking design information to evaluation result information acquired at a time instant when a design evaluation is carried out in a halfway stage of the system designing work, and for automatically storing said linked design information and evaluation result information.

12. A method for aiding a system design by way of a computer using a program storage medium of a system designing/evaluating CAD system, comprising:

editing a block diagram containing symbols representative of an independent function, and lines for connecting these symbols with each other;

setting design information to said symbols and said lines in the same formats, respectively;

storing thereinto design information in such a data structure that each of said setting design information holds a plurality of detailed level information for each level layer; and

in such a case that one block is constituted by a plurality of blocks having more detailed levels while the designing work is performed more in detail, evaluating overlapped parameter information by utilizing a parameter applied to a more detailed lower-level setting level.

13. A method for aiding a system design by way of a computer using a program storage medium of a system designing/evaluating CAD system, comprising:

automatically creating a signal input port or a signal output port of the symbols, when in a block diagram including symbols respectively representing independent functions and lines connecting the symbols, positions for connecting the lines are specified at optional locations of the symbols;

referring to a parameter template owned by each of the symbols and lines and displaying a parameter setting window based on the parameter template;

inputting a parameter which is specific to the symbol and the line when used by the displayed parameter setting window; and

storing a plurality of pieces of design information, in each design information the symbol and the line are set in the same mode and each design information is stored in such a data structure so as to have a plurality of detailed level information with different abstracts but the same functions according to level layers.