Distributed computer aided design system and method

• US 6,397,117 B1
• Filed: 05/28/1998
• Issued: 05/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bell Semiconductor, LLC (Hilco Inc. (d/b/a Hilco Global))
• Original Assignee: LSI Logic Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Choy, Kwok Wing, Burrows, David F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Backer, Firmin
• Application Number:
  US09/085,717
• Time in Patent Office: 1,461 Days
• Field of Search: 700/97,121,98,182 345/331,964 707/201,203 709/204 716/21
• US Class Current: 700/97
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/02 CAD in a network environment, e.g. collaborative CAD or distributed simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]

Abstract

A distributed computer aided design (CAD) system includes a CAD server station and one or more CAD client stations remote from the server station but connectable thereto via a communications medium such as an intranet or the internet. The CAD server station includes a CAD tool for performing CAD tasks and a communications interface. The CAD client stations include display and data entry facilities for displaying a design parameter entry document to a user and for accepting design parameters entered by the user, as well as a communications interface for transmitting entered design parameters via the communications medium to the server station. The CAD tool at the server station is configured to receive the design parameters from the client station, to perform CAD tasks based on the design parameters and to return processed design data to the server station via the communications medium. The client station can include a workstation with a web browser capability. The server station can be configured to respond to a request from a client station to supply a design parameter input form. Integrated circuit design can be performed by providing circuit design executables and circuit design libraries (e.g for memory cells) at the CAD tool. The CAD tool can also provide simulation tools.

Claims

1. A distributed computer aided design system comprising:

a server station including (i) a computer aided design tool for performing a plurality of computer aided design tasks and (ii) a communications interface; and

one or more client stations remote from said server station and connectable to said server station via a communications medium, each of said client stations comprising (i) a display for displaying a parameter input form to a user, (ii) an input device for accepting a plurality of design parameters entered by said user and (iii) a communications interface for transmitting said design parameters via said communications medium to said server station;

wherein (a) said server station is configured to respond to a request communicated from said client stations to supply said parameter input form, (b) said computer aided design tool is configured to (i) receive said design parameters from said client station, (ii) perform at least one of said computer aided design tasks based on said design parameters and (iii) return a design task product to said client station via said communications medium and (c) said computer aided design tool comprises (i) a plurality of circuit design executables and (ii) a plurality of circuit design libraries, said circuit design executables being responsive to said design parameters to access said circuit design libraries automatically to perform a circuit design.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said communications medium is an intranet or internet medium.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein each of said client stations further comprise a computer workstation having web browser capability.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said computer aided design tool further comprises:

a plurality of memory design executables; and

a plurality of memory design libraries.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said computer aided design tool comprises a simulation tool.

6. A method of performing computer aided design comprising the steps of:

(A) supplying a parameter input form from a server station to a client station remotely located from said server station in response to a request from said client station;

(B) presenting said parameter input form to a user at said client station;

(C) transmitting a plurality of computer aided design parameters via a communications medium from said client station to a computer aided design tool of said server station, wherein said computer aided design tool comprises (i) a plurality of integrated circuit design executables and (ii) a plurality of circuit design libraries;

(D) automatically performing at least one of a plurality of computer aided design tasks in response to said design parameters;

(D1) accessing said circuit design libraries automatically with said integrated circuit design executables responsive to said design parameters to perform a circuit design; and

(E) transmitting a design task product to said client station via said communications medium.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said communications medium is an intranet or internet medium.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein Step (A ) comprises the sub-steps of:

accessing said server station from said client station via said communications medium using a web browser; and

receiving said parameter input form at said client station from said server station.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein said computer aided design tool further comprises a plurality of memory design executables and a plurality of memory design libraries.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein Step (D ) comprises the sub-step of performing a design simulation task.

11. A method of conducting computer aided design, comprising the steps of:

(A) providing a distributed computer aided design system which includes a server station having (i) a computer aided design tool for performing a plurality of computer aided design tasks and (ii) a communications interface, wherein said computer aided design tool comprises (i) a plurality of circuit design executables and (ii) a plurality of circuit design libraries;

(B) providing a client station remote from said server station and connectable to said server station via a communications medium, said client station including (i) a display for displaying a parameter input form to a user, (ii) an input device for accepting a plurality of design parameters entered by said user, and (iii) a communications interface for transmitting said design parameters via said communications medium to said server station;

(C) configuring said server station to supply said parameter input form to said client station in response to a request from said client station;

(D) configuring said computer aided design tool to (i) receive said design parameters from said client station, (ii) perform at least one of said computer aided design tasks based on said design parameters, (iii) accesses said circuit design libraries automatically with said integrated circuit design executables responsive to said design parameters to perform a circuit design, and (iv) return a design task product to said client station via said communications medium; and

(E) configuring said client station to (i) display said parameter input form to said user, (ii) transmit said design parameters via said communications medium to said server station, and (iii) receive said design task product via said communications medium from said server station.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said communications medium is an intranet or internet medium.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said client station comprises a computer workstation having web browser capability.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein said computer aided design tool further comprises a plurality of memory design executables and a plurality of memory design libraries.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein said computer aided design tool comprises a simulation tool.