Patents by Inventor Kevin W. McCullen
Kevin W. McCullen has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
-
Patent number: 9158885Abstract: Methods of the present disclosure can include: using a computing device to perform actions including: applying a design rule check (DRC) on a proposed integrated circuit (IC) layout, wherein the DRC applies a set of restrictive design rules (RDRs) in response to the proposed IC layout being a contact area (CA) layout; computing a conflict graph for the proposed IC layout in response to one of the IC layout being a metal layer layout and the set of RDRs being satisfied; determining whether the IC layout is one of non-colorable, indeterminate, partially colorable, and fully colorable; and partially coloring the IC layout and identifying non-colorable nodes in response to the IC layout being indeterminate or partially colorable.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2014Date of Patent: October 13, 2015Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES, Inc.Inventors: Michael S. Gray, Matthew T. Guzowski, Alexander Ivrii, Lars W. Liebmann, Kevin W. McCullen, Gustavo E. Tellez, Michael Gester
-
Publication number: 20140019931Abstract: Approaches are provided for fixing pin mismatches from swapping library cells in layout migration. Specifically, a method is provided that includes collecting information about a first technology pin from a library cell in a first technology. The method further includes swapping the library cell in the first technology with a library cell in a second technology. The method further includes collecting information about a second technology pin from the library cell in the second technology. The method further includes building a pin-mapping table that is configured to map the first technology pin to the second technology pin. The method further includes scaling a layout from the first technology to the second technology. The method further includes modifying the layout based on the pin-mapping table to match the at least one first technology pin to the at least one second technology pin while satisfying ground rules of the second technology.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 11, 2012Publication date: January 16, 2014Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Kevin W. MCCULLEN, Matthew T. GUZOWSKI, Rani NARAYAN, Xiaoping TANG, Xin YUAN
-
Patent number: 8627247Abstract: Approaches are provided for fixing pin mismatches from swapping library cells in layout migration. Specifically, a method is provided that includes collecting information about a first technology pin from a library cell in a first technology. The method further includes swapping the library cell in the first technology with a library cell in a second technology. The method further includes collecting information about a second technology pin from the library cell in the second technology. The method further includes building a pin-mapping table that is configured to map the first technology pin to the second technology pin. The method further includes scaling a layout from the first technology to the second technology. The method further includes modifying the layout based on the pin-mapping table to match the at least one first technology pin to the at least one second technology pin while satisfying ground rules of the second technology.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2012Date of Patent: January 7, 2014Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Kevin W. McCullen, Matthew T. Guzowski, Rani Narayan, Xiaoping Tang, Xin Yuan
-
Patent number: 8538825Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for informing a user of purchase information in an online purchase situation are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes determining whether an activation device indicator is within a predetermined proximity of a purchase-initiating button in a web browser; and initiating a tip message displaying the purchase information including at least one of: an historical balance, an existing balance, an available amount of credit, or a payment method.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2010Date of Patent: September 17, 2013Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventor: Kevin W. McCullen
-
Patent number: 8464189Abstract: A method, system and program product for migrating an integrated circuit (IC) design from a source technology without radical design restrictions (RDR) to a target technology with RDR, are disclosed. The invention implements a minimum layout perturbation approach that addresses the RDR requirements. The invention also solves the problem of inserting dummy shapes where required, and extending the lengths of the critical shapes and/or the dummy shapes to meet ‘edge coverage’ requirements.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2010Date of Patent: June 11, 2013Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Robert J. Allen, Cam V. Endicott, Fook-Luen Heng, Jason D. Hibbeler, Kevin W. McCullen, Rani Narayan, Robert F. Walker, Xin Yuan
-
Publication number: 20120233576Abstract: Method, system, computer, etc., embodiments receive an original integrated circuit design into a computerized device. The methods herein automatically replace at least some of the original cells within the original integrated circuit design with replacement cells using the computerized device. Each of the replacement cells has an initial cell size that is unassociated with any specific design size. The methods herein automatically change the original design size of the integrated circuit design to a changed design size, and automatically individually change the initial cell size of each of the replacement cells to different sizes. At least two different replacement cells are changed from the initial cell size by different size reduction amounts based on different amounts of space required within the changed design size for each of the replacement cells.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 9, 2011Publication date: September 13, 2012Applicant: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Geoffrey R. Barrows, Derick G. Behrends, William J. Craig, Michael S. Gray, Matthew T. Guzowski, Kevin W. McCullen, Rani Narayan, Robert F. Walker
-
Publication number: 20120054073Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for informing a user of purchase information in an online purchase situation are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes determining whether an activation device indicator is within a predetermined proximity of a purchase-initiating button in a web browser; and initiating a tip message displaying the purchase information including at least one of: an historical balance, an existing balance, an available amount of credit, or a payment method.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2010Publication date: March 1, 2012Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventor: Kevin W. McCullen
-
Patent number: 8095897Abstract: A method of laying out features for alternating aperture phase shift masks. The method includes defining features on a grid of a uniform basic pitch, orienting the features such that those of the features defined, at least in part, by phase shifting shapes are oriented along a primary direction, and spacing two features terminating adjacent one another such that the two features have space between them sufficient to prevent phase conflicts if both of the two features are defined, at least in part, by phase shifting shapes.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2008Date of Patent: January 10, 2012Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventor: Kevin W. McCullen
-
Patent number: 7895562Abstract: An adaptive weighting method for layout optimization differentiates different priorities by assigning the weight of a higher priority (pi) to be multiple of the weight of a lower priority (pi?1) where W(pi)=mi % W(pi?1. To avoid numerical imprecision, this method keeps the total cost in the objective function within a trustable range by scaling the initial weights in the objectives, while maintaining relativity, to produce the scaled weights.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2007Date of Patent: February 22, 2011Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Michael S. Gray, Matthew T. Guzowski, Kevin W. McCullen, Xiaoping Tang, Robert F. Walker, Xin Yuan
-
Patent number: 7882463Abstract: The invention includes a solution for selectively scaling an integrated circuit (IC) design by: layer, region or cell, or a combination of these. The selective scaling technique can be applied in a feedback loop with the manufacturing system with process and yield feedback, during the life of a design, to increase yield in early processes in such a way that hierarchy is preserved. The invention removes the need to involve designers in improving yield.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2008Date of Patent: February 1, 2011Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Fook-Luen Heng, Jason D. Hibbeler, Kevin W. McCullen, Rani R. Narayan, Stephen L. Runyon, Robert F. Walker
-
Publication number: 20100185997Abstract: A method, system and program product for migrating an integrated circuit (IC) design from a source technology without radical design restrictions (RDR) to a target technology with RDR, are disclosed. The invention implements a minimum layout perturbation approach that addresses the RDR requirements. The invention also solves the problem of inserting dummy shapes where required, and extending the lengths of the critical shapes and/or the dummy shapes to meet ‘edge coverage’ requirements.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 18, 2010Publication date: July 22, 2010Applicant: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Robert J. Allen, Cam V. Endicott, Fook-Luen Heng, Jason D. Hibbeler, Kevin W. McCullen, Rani Narayan, Robert F. Walker, Xin Yuan
-
Patent number: 7761821Abstract: A method, system and program product for migrating an integrated circuit (IC) design from a source technology without radical design restrictions (RDR) to a target technology with RDR, are disclosed. The invention implements a minimum layout perturbation approach that addresses the RDR requirements. The invention also solves the problem of inserting dummy shapes where required, and extending the lengths of the critical shapes and/or the dummy shapes to meet ‘edge coverage’ requirements.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2007Date of Patent: July 20, 2010Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Robert J. Allen, Cam V. Endicott, Fook-Luen Heng, Jason D. Hibbeler, Kevin W. McCullen, Rani Narayan, Robert F. Walker, Xin Yuan
-
Patent number: 7752589Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product for visually indicating the interaction between one or more edges of a design that contribute to a defined critical area pattern.Type: GrantFiled: January 5, 2007Date of Patent: July 6, 2010Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Robert J. Allen, Sarah C. Braasch, Matthew T. Guzowski, Jason D. Hibbeler, Daniel N. Maynard, Kevin W. McCullen, Evanthia Papadopoulou, Mervyn Y. Tan, Robert F. Walker
-
Patent number: 7735042Abstract: A method, system and program product for context aware sub-circuit layout modification are disclosed. The method may include defining at least one context for the sub-circuit for each circuit that uses the sub-circuit; in the case that a plurality of contexts are defined, minimizing a number of contexts for the sub-circuit by combining contexts into at least one stage; placing each stage into a staged layout; and modifying the sub-circuit by modifying the staged layout.Type: GrantFiled: August 1, 2007Date of Patent: June 8, 2010Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Michael S. Gray, Matthew T. Guzowski, Jason D. Hibbeler, Kevin W. McCullen, Robert F. Walker, Xin Yuan
-
Patent number: 7610565Abstract: A method, system and program product for migrating an integrated circuit (IC) design from a source technology without radical design restrictions (RDR) to a target technology with RDR, are disclosed. Also, a method, system and program product for migrating an integrated circuit design from a source technology without RDR to a target technology with RDR in which space may be reserved for late insertion of a feature and in which migration first occurs in a primary compaction direction having less tolerant ground rules.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2007Date of Patent: October 27, 2009Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Robert J. Allen, Cam V. Endicott, Fook-Luen Heng, Jason D. Hibbeler, Kevin W. McCullen, Rani Narayan, Robert F. Walker, Xin Yuan
-
Patent number: 7568173Abstract: Methods of independently migrating a hierarchical design are disclosed. A method for migrating a macro in an integrated circuit comprises: determining an interface strategy between a base cell in the macro and the macro, the base cell including an interface element involved in the interface strategy; migrating the base cell independently with respect to the macro based on the interface strategy; initially scaling the macro; swapping the migrated base cell into the macro; and legalizing content of the initially scaled macro.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2007Date of Patent: July 28, 2009Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Veit Gernhoefer, Matthew T. Guzowski, Jason D. Hibbeler, Kevin W. McCullen, Rani Narayan, Stephen L. Runyon, Leon J. Sigal, Robert F. Walker, Pieter J. Woeltgens, Xiaoyun K. Wu, Xin Yuan
-
Publication number: 20090158223Abstract: An adaptive weighting method for layout optimization differentiates different priorities by assigning the weight of a higher priority (pi) to be multiple of the weight of a lower priority (pi?1) where W(pi)=mi % W(pi?1. To avoid numerical imprecision, this method keeps the total cost in the objective function within a trustable range by scaling the initial weights in the objectives, while maintaining relativity, to produce the scaled weights.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2007Publication date: June 18, 2009Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Michael S. Gray, Matthew T. Guzowski, Kevin W. McCullen, Xiaoping Tang, Robert F. Walker, Xin Yuan
-
Patent number: 7543252Abstract: Method, system and program product for migrating an integrated circuit (IC) layout for, for example, alternating aperture phase shift masks (AltPSM), are disclosed. In order to migrate a layout to phase compliance, jogs are identified on a first (AltPSM) layer and shifted to another second layer. Isolated or clustered jogs are shifted into an open channel portions on the second layer where possible. Remaining clustered jogs are shifted into as few new channels as possible on the second layer. The jog removal process leaves unidirectional wires that can be trivially phase colored. Standard technology migration techniques are then used to legalize the results on the layers.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2007Date of Patent: June 2, 2009Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventor: Kevin W. McCullen
-
Publication number: 20090106727Abstract: A method of laying out features for alternating aperture phase shift masks. The method includes defining features on a grid of a uniform basic pitch, orienting the features such that those of the features defined, at least in part, by phase shifting shapes are oriented along a primary direction, and spacing two features terminating adjacent one another such that the two features have space between them sufficient to prevent phase conflicts if both of the two features are defined, at least in part, by phase shifting shapes.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 22, 2008Publication date: April 23, 2009Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventor: Kevin W. McCULLEN
-
Publication number: 20090037851Abstract: A method, system and program product for context aware sub-circuit layout modification are disclosed. The method may include defining at least one context for the sub-circuit for each circuit that uses the sub-circuit; in the case that a plurality of contexts are defined, minimizing a number of contexts for the sub-circuit by combining contexts into at least one stage; placing each stage into a staged layout; and modifying the sub-circuit by modifying the staged layout.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 1, 2007Publication date: February 5, 2009Inventors: Michael S. Gray, Matthew T. Guzowski, Jason D. Hibbeler, Kevin W. McCullen, Robert F. Walker, Xin Yuan