Patents Examined by Nghia M. Doan
  • Patent number: 10896280
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for creating a netlist abstraction that provides full-chip context for performing circuit design floorplanning. The netlist abstraction can include a top-level netlist abstraction that corresponds to the top-level portion of the netlist, and a physical block netlist abstraction for each physical block in the circuit design. Each physical block netlist abstraction can retain macros that are in the physical block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: Synopsys, Inc.
    Inventors: Balkrishna R. Rashingkar, Leonardos J. van Bokhoven, Peiqing Zou
  • Patent number: 10896277
    Abstract: In the described examples, an electronic design automation formal verification EDA application is configured to receive an initial evaluation of a circuit design of an integrated circuit (IC) chip. The circuit design of the IC chip includes a list of properties for the IC chip, and the list of properties includes a list of assertions for the IC chip. The formal verification EDA program extracts a counter-example trace from the initial evaluation. The counter-example trace characterizes a set of signals over a plurality of cycles that reach a state in which a given assertion in the list of assertions does not hold true. The formal verification EDA program identifies a subset of signals in the counter-example trace that remain in a specific constant value over the plurality of cycles. The formal verification EDA program executes an over-constrained formal verification for the circuit design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: CADENCE DESIGN SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventor: Mike Pedneau
  • Patent number: 10897144
    Abstract: An apparatus has connectors to receive batteries. A power multiplexer is connected to the connectors. A processor is connected to the power multiplexer to execute a battery charge protocol including the operations of selecting at least one battery for charging, where the at least one battery is in a fast charge state that allows for substantially linear charge performance. Direct current is applied to the battery until the fast charge state is terminated. The selecting and applying operations are repeated until the fast charge state is terminated in each of the batteries. Direct current is then directed to the batteries until a full charge state is reached for each of the batteries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: AMPL LABS, INC.
    Inventors: Michael Patton, Keith Resch, Rafael Calderon, Tomoko Nishioka-Patton
  • Patent number: 10878163
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a power grid layer (including a first metallization layer) and a set of cells. The first metallization layer includes: conductive first and second portions which provide correspondingly a power-supply voltage and a reference voltage, and which have corresponding long axes oriented substantially parallel to a first direction; and conductive third and fourth portions which provide correspondingly the power-supply voltage and the reference voltage, and which have corresponding long axes oriented substantially parallel to a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction. The set of cells is located below the PG layer. Each cell lacks a conductive structure which is included in the first metallization layer. The cells are arranged to overlap at least one of the first and second portions in a repeating relationship with respect to at least one of the first or second portions of the first metallization layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiranmay Biswas, Chung-Hsing Wang, Kuo-Nan Yang
  • Patent number: 10878164
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for probing a multi-fabric electronic design that spans across multiple design fabrics. These techniques identify a single layout editor, a first electronic design in a first design fabric, and a second electronic design in a second design fabric. An input for probing a circuit component in the first electronic design may further be identified at a user interface of a computing system. The circuit component being probed is connected to an instance of the second electronic design. In response to the input, one or more co-design modules render a representation of the first layout with emphasized circuit components in the first design fabric and the second design fabric, wherein the one or more co-design modules are stored at least partially in memory of and function in conjunction with at least one microprocessor of a computing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Arnold Jean Marie Gustave Ginetti
  • Patent number: 10872185
    Abstract: Example systems and methods are disclosed for estimating wire capacitance in an RTL circuit design. In an embodiment, a reference post-layout design is received from a non-transitory storage medium, and gate-level nets within the reference post-layout design are classified as either long nets or short nets based, at least in part, on an average fanout length within the gate-level net. A parasitic model may be generated for each of the gate-level nets, and the gate-level nets and associated parasitic models may be stored within either a long net database or a short net database based on the classification of the gate-level net. A net from the RTL circuit design may be classified as either long or short based, at least in part, on a number of modules crossed by one or more fanouts within the net. If the net from the RTL circuit design is classified as long, then capacitance for the net may be estimated using a parasitic model selected from the long net database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: Ansys, Inc.
    Inventors: Seema Naswa, Praveen Singhal, Paul Traynar
  • Patent number: 10872192
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for reducing interferences and disturbances in a multi-fabric electronic design. These techniques identify connectivity for an electronic design that includes design data in multiple design fabrics. One or more interference modules are executed to detect a loop in the electronic design with at least the connectivity. These techniques further execute the one or more interference reduction modules to determine at least one critical circuit component upon which the loop exerts a negative impact. One or more remedial actions are then triggered to reduce or eliminate the negative impact on the critical circuit component design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Arnold Jean Marie Gustave Ginetti, Jean-Noel Pic
  • Patent number: 10867090
    Abstract: A method for designing a system on a target device is disclosed. The system is synthesized from a register transfer level description. The system is placed on the target device. The system is routed on the target device. A configuration file is generated that reflects the synthesizing, placing, and routing of the system for programming the target device. A modification for the system is identified. The configuration file is modified to effectuate the modification for the system without changing the placing and routing of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Gregg William Baeckler, Martin Langhammer, Sergey Gribok, Scott J. Weber, Gregory Steinke
  • Patent number: 10867095
    Abstract: An integrated circuit may include a reconfigurable functional circuit block coupled to a microcontroller. The microcontroller may monitor a trigger register that receives trigger signals at a reconfiguration portion. The trigger signals may initiate corresponding reconfiguration operations by triggering the execution of instructions in a reconfiguration sequence program to load appropriate configuration data to configuration registers. The configuration registers may determine the operating mode of the functional circuit block by activating a subcomponent module in the functional circuit block. By providing a reconfiguration port that has full control of the reconfiguration of the functional circuit block, sensitive information regarding the implementation of the functional circuit block, the microcontroller, and connections therebetween may be protected while simplifying the design process for a custom logic circuit generated based on the reconfigurable functional circuit block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Han Hua Leong, Nigel Gulstone
  • Patent number: 10867093
    Abstract: Disclosed approaches for guiding actions in processing a circuit design include a design tool identifying first violations of design checks and determining severity levels of the first violations. The design tool determines for each violation, suggested actions associated with the violation and presents on a display, first data indicative of the suggested actions in order of the severity levels of the first violations. The first data include selectable objects, and each selectable object has an associated executable procedure. The design tool can execute the procedure associated with one of the selectable objects in response to selection and modify the circuit design in response to execution of the procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: John Blaine, Srinivasan Dasasathyan, Meghraj Kalase, Frederic Revenu, Veeresh Pratap Singh, Satish Bachina, Shail Bains, Padmini Gopalakrishnan, Sumit Nagpal, Gaurav Dutt Sharma
  • Patent number: 10860765
    Abstract: Some examples described herein provide for clock tree generation for a programmable logic device, and more specifically, for clock tree generation in conjunction or simultaneous with placement of logic for a programmable logic device. In an example, a design system includes a processor and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory stores instruction code. The processor is configured to execute the instruction code to: generate clock trees in conjunction with placing logic for an application to be implemented in a programmable logic region of a programmable logic device; generate data routes between the placed logic; and generate a physical implementation of the application based on the placed logic, the clock trees, and the data routes. The physical implementation is capable of being loaded on the programmable logic region of the programmable logic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: XILINX, INC.
    Inventors: Wuxi Li, Mehrdad Eslami Dehkordi, Xiaojian Yang
  • Patent number: 10847982
    Abstract: A battery control system including a secondary battery within which gas is generated with use, and a controller configured to control charging/discharging of the secondary battery. In the controller, a measurer is configured to measure a resistance of the secondary battery, and a stop director is configured to stop charging/discharging of the secondary battery when the resistance of the secondary battery has exceeded a predetermined resistance threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Norikazu Adachi, Tomoki Yamane
  • Patent number: 10847978
    Abstract: A rechargeable battery installed in a battery powered device is charged using a separate battery charging device. A charging signal is provided from the battery charging device to the battery powered device. The charging signal includes energy to charge the battery during a charging session. In the battery charging device from the battery powered device, a plurality of values of a charging parameter is received. The values reflect an amount of energy being received by the battery powered device from the charging signal provided by the battery charging device. In the battery charging device, the plurality of values of the charging parameter received from the battery powered device are analyzed. In the battery charging device, the charging signal is adjusted based on the analyzing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: CIRTEC MEDICAL CORP.
    Inventors: Benjamin Cottrill, Les Halberg, Michael Labbe, Joey Chen
  • Patent number: 10846451
    Abstract: This application is directed to methods and systems of verifying integrated circuit including an irregular shaped transistor device. The irregular shaped transistor device has a gate, a source, a drain, and a first channel connecting the source and drain and having an irregular shape. An equivalent resistance of the first channel is determined based on the irregular shape of the first channel. A length of the first channel is determined optionally based on locations of the source and drain. An equivalent width of the first channel of the irregular shaped transistor device is determined based on the equivalent resistance and length of the first channel, thereby enabling representation of the irregular shaped transistor device, by a regular shaped transistor device having a second channel, in analysis of the integrated circuit. The second channel optionally has a rectangular shape measured by the equivalent width and the length of the first channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Cobham Colorado Springs Inc.
    Inventor: Jan Kolnik
  • Patent number: 10839123
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for simulating an integrated circuit system. A file representative of an integrated circuit design is received, the integrated circuit design including a plurality of cells and characteristics of power supply and ground paths to each cell. A vulnerable cell of the integrated circuit design based on a vulnerability metric of the vulnerable cell. A power analysis of a portion of the integrated circuit design is performed to determine a plurality of power and ground levels within a timing window for each of a plurality of cells including the vulnerable cell. A timing analysis of the vulnerable cell is performed, where the timing analysis receives a single power level and single ground level for the vulnerable cell and determines a slack level for the vulnerable cell. An at risk path is identified based on the vulnerable cell slack level, and a dynamic power/ground simulation of one or more cells in the at risk path is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Ansys, Inc.
    Inventors: Joao Geada, Nick Rethman, Ankur Gupta
  • Patent number: 10831968
    Abstract: An improved placement and routing method for circuit simulation includes receiving setup input controls to set up an initial arrangement of two blocks (e.g., a synthesized block and an IP block), and a designation of permutable interconnections; performing permutations of permutable interconnect signals on the, e.g., design block (or any other block)-IP block arrangement to determine an optimal permutation; compiling a bitstream comprising a final placement and route of a circuit based on the optimal permutation and generating the bitstream to be loaded onto a target FPGA; and sending the final order of the permutable signals to a permutable signals control memory structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: SYNOPSYS, INC.
    Inventors: Yoon Kah Leow, Ting-Mao Chang
  • Patent number: 10824783
    Abstract: Systems and methods for generating an RTL description based on logical signal groupings are described. Logical interfaces are declared in a compressed form, and logical signal grouping is defined in a markup document. The definitions from the markup document are used by expansion scripts to populate RTL modules and encapsulate block connectivity and functionality. Multiple interfaces can be created instantly, and interface definitions for common interfaces may be easily re-defined. Default values may be assigned to module outputs for testing purposes, allowing for multi-module simulations where certain modules are shelled-out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte, Ltd.
    Inventors: Premshanth Theivendran, Weihuang Wang, Guy Hutchison, Gerald Schmidt
  • Patent number: 10816997
    Abstract: A grid to vehicle system is described. In some examples, the system selectively controls one or more electric vehicles connected to an electric grid based on conditions associated with the electric grid. For example, the system may control charging operations of the electric vehicles based on load balancing conditions associated with the electric grid, based on cost conditions associated with electric power provided by the electric grid, and so on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: RECARGO, INC.
    Inventors: Forrest North, Armen Petrosian, Lucas Mansfield
  • Patent number: 10803218
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for simulating quantile behavior of a physical system. A plurality of parameter samples to a physical system are accessed and a subset of the parameter samples are identified, each of the plurality of parameter samples including a variation of parameters for the physical system. The physical system is simulated based on the subset of the parameter samples to generate simulation results, each of the subset of the parameter samples corresponding to a respective one of the simulation results. A neural network is trained to predict the simulation results based on the subset of the parameter samples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: ANSYS, INC
    Inventors: Qian Shen, Joao Geada, Robert Geada
  • Patent number: 10803215
    Abstract: A method includes detecting submission of a first quantum circuit for compilation, the first quantum circuit comprising a first set of quantum logic gates; generating a first gate index, the first gate index comprising an ordered table of a subset of the set of quantum logic gates, each quantum logic gate of the subset of quantum logic gates including a corresponding set of qubits acted on by the quantum logic gate; comparing the first gate index with a second gate index to determine a structural equality of the first quantum circuit and the second quantum circuit; and parameterizing, in response to determining a structural equality of the first quantum circuit and the second quantum circuit, a first set of parameters of a second set of quantum logic gates of the second quantum circuit with a second set of parameters of the first set of quantum logic gates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Don Greenberg, Marco Pistoia, Ali Javadiabhari, Richard Chen, Jay M. Gambetta