System and method for design, procurement and manufacturing collaboration

• US 7,134,096 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2003
• Issued: 11/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flextronics America LLC (Flextronics International Limited)
• Original Assignee: Flextronics International USA Incorporated (Flex, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Brathwaite, Nicholas E., Burns, Paul N., Durkan, Michael Anthony, Ganapathy, Visvanathan, Maddox, Douglas Edward, Bommakanti, Ram Gopal
• Primary Examiner(s): Garbowski, Leigh M.
• Application Number:
  US10/372,022
• Publication Number:
  US 20030221172A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 716/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/00 Details relating to CAD techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/02 CAD in a network environment, e.g. collaborative CAD or distributed simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/12 Symbolic schematics
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2119/18 Manufacturability analysis or optimisation for manufacturability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/30 Circuit design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/398 Design verification or optimisation, e.g. using design rule check [DRC], layout versus schematics [LVS] or finite element methods [FEM] optical proximity correction [OPC] design processes G03F1/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/00 Systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial or supervisory purposes, not involving significant data processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

A method for designing an electronic component includes receiving a device criteria (e.g., a parametric value, procurement value, etc.) from a designer, querying a database for devices corresponding to the device criteria, querying the database for procurement data and/or engineering data associated with the corresponding devices, presenting the devices to the designer based on the procurement data, and receiving input from the designer identifying one of the presented devices as a selected device. In a particular method, the returned devices are sorted based on one or more procurement values (e.g., manufacturer, price, availability, manufacturer status, etc.), and presented to the designer in a ranked list. Objects representative of the selected devices are then entered into a design file, and the objects are associated with the device'"'"'s engineering and/or procurement data. In a particular embodiment, the objects are associated with the engineering data by embedding the engineering data in the file object. Optionally, data can be associated with the objects via links to the database. Types of engineering data that can be associated with design file objects include, but are not limited to, device footprint data, device pinout data, device physical dimension data, parametric data, and packaging data. Additionally, connection data and annotation data can be entered into the design file objects by the designer.

Claims

1. A method for designing an electronic component, said method comprising:

receiving a parametric value from a designer;

querying a database for devices corresponding to said parametric value;

querying said database for procurement data associated with said devices;

presenting said devices to said designer based on said procurement data, including presenting said devices based on whether said devices are approved devices within a company'"'"'s supply chain; and

receiving input from said designer identifying one of said devices as a selected device.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of presenting said devices to said designer includes:

ranking each of said devices based on said procurement data; and

presenting said devices according to said rank.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein said ranking depends on a weighted average of a plurality of procurement values.

4. A computer-readable medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 3.

5. A method according to claim 2, wherein said ranking depends at least in part on the prices of said devices.

6. A computer-readable medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 5.

7. A method according to claim 2, wherein said ranking depends at least in part on the manufacturers of said devices.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein said ranking depends at least in part on a preferred status of said manufacturers.

9. A computer-readable medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 8.

10. A method according to claim 7, wherein said ranking depends at least in part on the geographical locations of said manufacturers.

11. A computer-readable medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 10.

12. A computer-readable medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 7.

13. A method according to claim 2, wherein said ranking depends at least in part on the availability of said devices.

14. A computer-readable medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 13.

15. A method according to claim 2, wherein said ranking depends at least in part on delivery terms associated with said devices.

16. A computer-readable medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 15.

17. A computer-readable medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 2.

18. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of querying said database for engineering data associated with said selected device.

19. A method according to claim 18, further comprising:

inserting an object representative of said selected device into a design file; and

associating said engineering data with said object associated with said selected device.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein said engineering data includes geometric data associated with said selected device.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein said geometric data associated with said selected device includes a footprint associated with said selected device.

22. A computer-readable medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 21.

23. A method according to claim 20, wherein said geometric data associated with said selected device includes a pin layout associated with said selected device.

24. A computer-readable medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 23.

25. A method according to claim 20, wherein said geometric data associated with said selected device includes physical dimensions associated with said selected device.

26. A computer-readable medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 25.

27. A computer-readable medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 20.

28. A method according to claim 19, wherein said engineering data includes parametric data associated with said selected device.

29. A method according to claim 28, wherein said parametric data includes a response function associated with said selected device.

30. A computer-readable medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 29.

31. A computer-readable medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 28.

32. A method according to claim 19, further including:

receiving data front said designer defining connections between said selected device and other devices in said design file; and

associating said connection data with said object representing said selected device.

33. A computer-readable medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 32.

34. A method according to claim 19, further comprising associating at least a portion of said procurement data with said object representing said selected device.

35. A method according to claim 34, wherein said procurement data includes indicia of a manufacturer of said device.

36. A computer-readable medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 35.

37. A method according to claim 34, wherein said procurement data includes indicia of a price of said device.

38. A computer-readable medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 37.

39. A computer-readable medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 34.

40. A method according to claim 19, further comprising:

receiving data front said designer annotating changes in said selected device; and

associating said annotation data with said object representing said selected device.

41. A computer-readable medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 40.

42. A method according to claim 19, further comprising:

associating at least a portion of said procurement data with said object; and

associating connection data with said object.

43. A computer-readable medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 42.

44. A method according to claim 19, further comprising:

recieving design rules; and

performing a design analysis on said design file.

45. A method according to claim 44, wherein said design analysis includes a design for manufacturability test.

46. A computer-readable medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 45.

47. A method according to claim 44, wherein said design analysis includes a design for testability test.

48. A computer-readable medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 47.

49. A method according to claim 44, wherein said design analysis includes a design for fabrication test.

50. A computer-readable medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 49.

51. A method according to claim 44, wherein said design analysis includes a design for procurement test.

52. A computer-readable medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 51.

53. A method according to claim 44, wherein said design analysis includes a design for quality test.

54. A computer-readable medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 53.

55. A method according to claim 44, wherein said design analysis includes a design for reliability test.

56. A computer-readable medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 55.

57. A computer-readable medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 44.

58. A method according to claim 19. further comprising:

associating connection data defining connections between said selected device and other devices in said design file with said object; and

generating a schematic drawing of said electronic component from said design file.

59. A computer-readable medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 58.

60. A method according to claim 19, further comprising:

associating connection data defining connections between said selected device and other devices in said design file with said object; and

generating a net list of said electronic component from said design file.

61. A computer-readable medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 60.

62. A method according to claim 19, further comprising:

associating at least a portion of said procurement data with said object; and

generating a bill of materials from said design file.

63. A computer-readable medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 62.

64. A computer-readable medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 19.

65. A computer-readable medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 18.

66. A computer-readable medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 1.

67. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of presenting said devices to said designer includes filtering out devices that are not approved devices within a company'"'"'s supply chain.

68. A system for designing an electronic component, said system comprising:

a designer interface for receiving data and commands from a designer;

a schematic design tool responsive to receiving parametric data from said user, and operative to query a database for devices corresponding to said parametric data, to query said database for procurement data associated with said devices, to display said devices to said designer via said designer interface based on said procurement data including data indicative of whether said devices are approved devices within a company'"'"'s supply chain, and to receive input from said designer identifying one of said displayed devices as a selected device.

69. A system according to claim 68, wherein said schematic design tool is operative to present said devices to said designer according to a set of business rules.

70. A system according to claim 68, wherein said schematic design tool is further operative to:

insert an object representative of said selected device into a design file;

and associate said procurement data with said object.

71. A system according to claim 70, further comprising a bill of materials generator, responsive to said procurement data associated with objects in said design file, and operative to generate a bill of materials.

72. A system according to claim 68, wherein said schematic design tool is further operative to query a database for engineering data associated with said selected device.

73. A system according to claim 72, wherein said schematic design tool is further operative to:

insert an object representative of said selected device into a design file;

and associate said engineering data with said object.

74. A system according to claim 73, further comprising a design analyzer, operative to analyze said design file.

75. A system according to claim 74, further comprising a net list generator, operative to generate a net list based on said engineering data associated with objects in said design file.

76. A system according to claim 68, further comprising a filter operative to prevent the presentation of said devices that are not approved devices within a company'"'"'s supply chain to said designer.