Patents by Inventor Michael A. Minter

Michael A. Minter 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: 8336012
    Abstract: A method for reducing a timing violation in a negative slack path from an integrated circuit design, by identifying the negative slack path in the integrated circuit design with a processor, and then identifying positive slack paths by determining timing slack for the paths that are disposed before and after the negative slack path. A prediction is made as to whether margin can be obtained from the positive slack paths by performing additional timing optimization on the positive slack paths, and it is determined whether that margin is sufficient to reduce the timing violation to at least a desired level. If the margin is sufficient, then additional timing optimization is performed on the positive slack paths, and the margin is used to manipulate the clock skew and reduce the timing violation on the negative slack path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: LSI Corporation
    Inventors: Randall P. Fry, Michael A. MInter
  • Publication number: 20100262941
    Abstract: A method for reducing a timing violation in a negative slack path from an integrated circuit design, by identifying the negative slack path in the integrated circuit design with a processor, and then identifying positive slack paths by determining timing slack for the paths that are disposed before and after the negative slack path. A prediction is made as to whether margin can be obtained from the positive slack paths by performing additional timing optimization on the positive slack paths, and it is determined whether that margin is sufficient to reduce the timing violation to at least a desired level. If the margin is sufficient, then additional timing optimization is performed on the positive slack paths, and the margin is used to manipulate the clock skew and reduce the timing violation on the negative slack path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2009
    Publication date: October 14, 2010
    Applicant: LSI Corporation
    Inventors: Randall P. Fry, Michael A. MInter
  • Patent number: 7290194
    Abstract: A tool for facilitating automatic test pin assignment for a programmable platform device including a process for collecting information related to the programmable platform device, a process for automatically initializing a test pin assignment for the programmable platform device, a process configured to receive user specifications for IOs and a process for performing dynamic test pin reassignment in response to the user specifications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: LSI Corporation
    Inventors: Donald Gabrielson, Todd Youngman, John Nordman, Michael A. Minter
  • Publication number: 20070044056
    Abstract: A design tool includes a first module, a second module, a third module and a fourth module. The first module may be configured to select a platform for implementing an integrated circuit design in response to input from a user. The second module may be configured to select a macro block to be placed on the platform in response to input from the user. A description of the macro block may be configured to indicate whether the macro block has connectivity placement data. The third module may be configured to determine whether the macro block has the connectivity placement data based on the description of the macro block. The fourth module may be configured to automatically place the macro block on the platform based on the connectivity placement data, when the description of the macro block indicates the connectivity placement data is present.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2005
    Publication date: February 22, 2007
    Inventors: Michael Minter, Donald Amundson, Donald Gabrielson
  • Publication number: 20060156142
    Abstract: A tool for facilitating automatic test pin assignment for a programmable platform device comprising: a process for collecting information related to the programmable platform device, a process for automatically initializing a test pin assignment for the programmable platform device, a process configured to receive user specifications for IOs and a process for performing dynamic test pin reassignment in response to the user specifications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2004
    Publication date: July 13, 2006
    Inventors: Donald Gabrielson, Todd Youngman, John Nordman, Michael Minter
  • Patent number: 7062736
    Abstract: A method for generating a plurality of timing constraints for a circuit design is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) identifying a plurality of clock signals by analyzing the circuit design, (B) determining a plurality of relationships among the clock signals and (C) generating the timing constraints for the circuit design in response to the clock signals and the relationships.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: LSI Logic Corporation
    Inventors: Nicholas A. Oleksinski, Michael A. Minter
  • Publication number: 20040268279
    Abstract: A method for generating a plurality of timing constraints for a circuit design is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) identifying a plurality of clock signals by analyzing the circuit design, (B) determining a plurality of relationships among the clock signals and (C) generating the timing constraints for the circuit design in response to the clock signals and the relationships.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2003
    Publication date: December 30, 2004
    Applicant: LSI LOGIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nicholas A. Oleksinski, Michael A. Minter