Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing an exchange of multimedia products between a plurality of users is disclosed. For example, a user has a multimedia product to be given up in exchange for either another product desired or exchangeable denomination of value, including cash and/or value points, which may be used in exchange to acquire said multimedia product desired. The method includes collating each user's exchange criteria into a data system, matching a user willing to part with a multimedia product with another user desiring said multimedia product in said data system; collecting said multimedia product desired from said willing user; and dispensing said multimedia product desired to said desiring user. A mutual exchange between 2 matched users is also possible. Kiosks housing a jukebox-like apparatus for depositing and retrieving the products which are in operative control by a data system implemented over the Internet are also disclosed.

Abstract: The invention relates to an IC chip-planning system and method to provide automatic creation and optimisation of chip-level design plan alternatives that can meet user-specific target chip area/design density, chip shape/aspect ratio, delay/timing closure, and/or congestion/routability objectives at each level of the design—architectural, RTL, gate, structural and physical levels. By combining global searching and local searching, a multi-objective optimisation process and a single-objective optimisation process, the invention can greatly reduce searching and optimisation time. Flexible system structure allows for generation of the optimised chip-planning solutions via an open optimisation train, a small optimisation loop, and/or a large optimisation loop.