System and method for process rules editors

• US 8,327,315 B1
• Filed: 05/02/2008
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cadence Design Systems Incorporated (Cadence Group)
• Original Assignee: Cadence Design Systems Incorporated (Cadence Group)
• Inventors: Fangaria, Pawan, Ghosh, Sandipan, Marwah, Hitesh, Kumar, Arbind
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Paul
• Application Number:
  US12/114,530
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 Days
• Field of Search: 716100-108, 716/111, 716/122, 716/139
• US Class Current: 716/139
• 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

Abstract

According to various embodiments of the invention, a system and method for editing process rules for circuit design through a graphical editor is provided. In some embodiments, the graphical editor is a circuit design tool that provides the user of the tool, such as a circuit designer or process engineer, the ability to visualize, modify, create, or remove process rules through a graphical user interface (“GUI”). These process rules, also known as constraints or circuit design constraints, relate to the layout of circuits and is grouped into constraint groups (also known as “circuit design constraint groups”) that can be associated to specific circuit design objects.

Claims

1. A method for graphically editing process rules for circuit designs, comprising:

using a computer system to receive a selection of a circuit design object or a circuit design constraint, wherein the selection comes from a circuit design integrated design environment;

using a computer system to query a circuit design object store based on the circuit design object or circuit design selected, wherein the circuit design object store contains a plurality of relationships between circuit design objects and circuit design constraint groups;

using a computer system to receive a first list from the circuit design object store, wherein the first list comprises a plurality of circuit design constraint groups based on the selection;

using a computer system to display in a graphical user interface the first list received, wherein each circuit design constraint group in the first list is selectable; and

when a circuit design constraint group in the first list is selected, performing the operations of;

(a) retrieving from a registry a second list, wherein the second list comprises a plurality of circuit design constraints applicable to the circuit design constraint group selected,

(b) querying the design object store for circuit design constraints contained in the second list,

(c) receiving a third list from the design object store, wherein the third list comprises the plurality of circuit design constraints from the second list and a plurality of data belonging to the circuit design constraints from the second list, and

(d) displaying the third list in the graphical user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first list displayed in the graphical user interface is presented in a browser tree having a plurality of entries and a plurality of subentries, the entries corresponding to different circuit design constraint groups in the first list.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein when a new circuit design constraint group is created through the graphical user interface, the new circuit design constraint group is added to the circuit design object store, and when an existing circuit design constraint group is removed through the graphical user interface, the existing circuit design constraint group is removed from the circuit design object store.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining when an entry on the browser tree is selected; and

determining whether the entry selected is a circuit design constraint group or a circuit design constraint.

5. The method of claim 4, for a selection that is a circuit design constraint, performing the operations of:

(a) querying a design object store for the circuit design constraint selected,

(b) receiving a data from the registry store relating to the circuit design constraint selected, wherein the data comprises the circuit design constraint'"'"'s attributes,

(c) invoking a graphical user interface widget for the circuit design constraint, and

(d) passing the graphical user interface widget the data retrieved from the design object store.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein for a selection that is a circuit design constraint group, when an existing circuit design group is added to or removed from the circuit design constraint group through the graphical user interface, the design object store updated accordingly.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein for a selection that is a circuit design constraint, the circuit design constraint has a precedence order in relation to other circuit design constraints in a second list, the subentry is displayed based upon the precedence order of the circuit design constraint it represents, and the precedence order of the circuit design constraint is modified and updated to the circuit design object store through the graphical user interface.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the graphical user interface further presents an editor panel and the editor panel is configured based upon a value type of the circuit design constraint.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the graphical user interface further presents an editor panel and the editor panel can display or edit an attribute, a description, or an image of the circuit design constraint stored in the registry store.

10. A method for graphically editing process rules for circuit designs performed by a computer program product having computer readable program codes stored in a non-transitory computer useable medium, the computer readable program codes when executed by a computer, enable the computer to perform operations comprising:

receiving a selection of a circuit design object or a circuit design constraint, wherein the selection comes from a circuit design integrated design environment;

querying a circuit design object store based on the circuit design object or the circuit design constraint selected, wherein the circuit design object store contains a plurality of relationships between circuit design objects and circuit design constraint groups;

receiving a first list from the circuit design object store, wherein the first list comprises a plurality of circuit design constraint groups based on the selection; and

using a computer system to display in a graphical user interface the first list received, wherein each circuit design constraint group in the first list is selectable; and

when a circuit design constraint group in the first list is selected, performing the operations of;

(a) retrieving from a registry a second list, wherein the second list comprises a plurality of circuit design constraints applicable to the circuit design constraint group selected,

(b) querying the design object store for circuit design constraints contained in the second list,

(c) receiving a third list from the design object store, wherein the third list comprises the plurality of circuit design constraints from the second list and a plurality of data belonging to the circuit design constraints from the second list, and

(d) displaying the third list, wherein the circuit design constraint in the third list is displayed in the browser tree as a subentry under the circuit design constraint group to which it belongs.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein when a new circuit design constraint group is created through the graphical user interface, the new circuit design constraint group is added to the circuit design object store, and when an existing circuit design constraint group is removed through the graphical user interface, the existing circuit design constraint group is removed from the circuit design object store.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first list displayed in the graphical user interface is presented in a browser tree having a plurality of entries and a plurality of subentries, the entries corresponding to different circuit design constraint groups in the first list, the method further comprising:

determining when an entry on the browser tree is selected; and

determining whether the entry selected is a circuit design constraint group or a circuit design constraint.

13. A system for graphically editing process rules for circuit designs, comprising:

a processor,

a memory, coupled to the processor and configured to cause the processor to perform a stored sequence of instructions comprising;

receiving a selection of a circuit design object, wherein the selection is made by a user on a circuit layout canvas presented by a graphical user interface of a circuit design integrated design environment, and wherein the circuit layout canvas displays the circuit design object within a circuit design schematic;

for the selection, querying a circuit design object store based on the selection, wherein the circuit design object store contains a plurality of relationships between a circuit design object and circuit design constraint groups, and

receiving a first list from the circuit design object store relevant to the selection, wherein the first list comprises a plurality of circuit design constraint groups based on the selection; and

displaying in the graphical user interface the first list received, wherein each circuit design constraint group in the first list is selectable; and

when a circuit design constraint group is selected, performing the operations of;

(a) retrieving from a registry a second list, wherein the second list comprises a plurality of circuit design constraints applicable to the circuit design constraint group selected,

(b) querying the design object store for circuit design constraints contained in the second list,

(c) receiving a third list from the design object store, wherein the third list comprises the plurality of circuit design constraints from the second list and a plurality of data belonging to the circuit design constraints from the second list, and

(d) displaying the third list, wherein the circuit design constraint in the third list is displayed in the browser tree as a subentry under the circuit design constraint group to which it belongs.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first list displayed in the graphical user interface is presented in a browser tree having a plurality of entries and a plurality of subentries, the entry corresponding to a different circuit design constraint group in the first list.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

determining when an entry on the browser tree is selected; and

determining whether the entry selected is a circuit design constraint group or a circuit design constraint.

16. The system of claim 15, for a selection that is a circuit design constraint, performing the operations of:

(a) querying a design object store for the circuit design constraint selected,

(b) receiving a data from the registry store relating to the circuit design constraint selected, wherein the data comprises the circuit design constraint'"'"'s attributes,

(c) invoking a graphical user interface widget for the circuit design constraint, and

(d) passing the graphical user interface widget the data retrieved from the design object store.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein for a selection that is a circuit design constraint group, when an existing circuit design group is added to or removed from the circuit design constraint group through the graphical user interface, the design object store updated accordingly.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein for a selection that is a circuit design constraint, the circuit design constraint has a precedence order in relation to other circuit design constraints in a second list, the subentry is displayed based upon the precedence order of the circuit design constraint it represents, and the precedence order of the circuit design constraint is modified and updated to the circuit design object store through the graphical user interface.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the graphical user interface further presents an editor panel and the editor panel is configured based upon a value type of the circuit design constraint.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the graphical user interface further presents an editor panel and the editor panel can display or edit an attribute, a description, or an image of the circuit design constraint stored in the registry store.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein when a new circuit design constraint group is created through the graphical user interface, the new circuit design constraint group is added to the circuit design object store, and when an existing circuit design constraint group is removed through the graphical user interface, the existing circuit design constraint group is removed from the circuit design object store.