Design Verification (functional Simulation, Model Checking) Patents (Class 716/106)
  • Patent number: 12265122
    Abstract: A method for determining a sparse memory size during emulation, the method including: determining, by a profiler memory coupled to a user memory, that one or more pages of the user memory are used by a first test sequence of a testbench during the emulation; identifying, by the profiler memory, a first set of indexes of the one or more pages of the user memory used by the first test sequence; determining a number of unique pages of the user memory that are used by the first test sequence for the emulation based on the first set of indexes; determining, by a processor, the sparse memory size for the user memory based on the number of unique pages of the user memory that are used by the testbench for the emulation and a page size of the user memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: SYNOPSYS, INC.
    Inventors: Prashant Kumar Mishra, Kiran Lokhande, Mikhail Bershteyn, Srivatsan Raghavan
  • Patent number: 12242788
    Abstract: A method includes providing a placing layout of the integrated circuit; generating a routed layout including a layout region with a systematic design rule check (DRC) violation; and performing a loop when the DRC the systematic DRC violation exists. The loop includes: generating an adjusted routing layout of the integrated circuit by adjusting the layout region with the systematic DRC violation according to a target placement recipe; extracting features of the placing layout to obtain extracted data; extracting features of the layout region with the systematic DRC violation to obtain extracted routing data; generating a plurality of aggregated-cluster models based upon the extracted data and the extracted routing data; selecting a target aggregated-cluster model from the plurality of aggregated-cluster models by comparing the extracted data to the plurality of aggregated-cluster models; and selecting the target placement recipe from a plurality of placement recipes to generate the adjusted routing layout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
    Inventors: Shih-Yao Lin, Yi-Lin Chuang, Yin-An Chen, Shih Feng Hong
  • Patent number: 12176928
    Abstract: Disclosed are a VCD vector compression method and device based on circuit toggle behaviors. The method comprises: converting a VCD format file into a current matrix model, wherein three dimensions of the current matrix model are one time dimension and two spatial dimensions; performing preliminary screening based on an overall toggle feature: dividing the current matrix into several time segments in accordance with an equal interval in the time dimension, and performing screening according to the overall toggle feature, and forming a preliminary screened current distribution matrix by the screened time segments; performing fine screening based on region toggle features: performing further screening according to local toggle features, and forming a fine screened current distribution matrix by the screened time segments; and re-outputting the fine screened current distribution matrix as a VCD format file after vector compression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: ZHEJIANG UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Cheng Zhuo, Yufei Chen
  • Patent number: 12175177
    Abstract: A system verification method includes generating a first verification vector as a result of a first action of an agent, the first verification vector referring to an observation corresponding to at least one state already covered, from among states of elements of a target system, identifying a first coverage corresponding to at least one state covered by the first verification vector, from among the states of the elements, updating the observation by reflecting the first coverage in the observation, and generating a second verification vector through a second action of the agent, the second verification vector referring to the updated observation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Haeng Lee, Youngmin Oh, Hyun Sun Park, Yongwoo Lee, Jaecheol Lee, Hyojin Choi, Younsik Park, Seungju Kim, Changwook Jeong, In Huh
  • Patent number: 12175179
    Abstract: A hardware monitor arranged to assess performance of a hardware design for an integrated circuit to complete a task. The hardware monitor includes monitoring and counting logic configured to count a number of cycles between start and completion of the symbolic task in the hardware design; and property evaluation logic configured to evaluate one or more formal properties related to the counted number of cycles to assess the performance of the hardware design in completing the symbolic task. The hardware monitor may be used by a formal verification tool to exhaustively verify that the hardware design meets a desired performance goal and/or to exhaustively identify a performance metric (e.g. best case and/or worst case performance) with respect to completion of the task.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: Imagination Technologies Limited
    Inventors: Ashish Darbari, Iain Singleton
  • Patent number: 12153805
    Abstract: Examples of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus comprising interface circuitry to receive memory access commands directed to a memory device, each memory access command specifying a memory address to be accessed. The apparatus comprises scheduler circuitry to store a representation of a plurality of states accessible to the memory device and, based on the representation, determine an order for the received memory access commands. The apparatus comprises dispatch circuitry to receive the received memory access commands from the scheduler circuitry and issue the received memory access commands, in the determined order, to be performed by the memory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignee: Arm Limited
    Inventors: Michael Andrew Campbell, Matteo Maria Andreozzi, Lorenzo Biagini, Giovanni Stea, Ankit Mehta
  • Patent number: 12141512
    Abstract: An approach is disclosed herein to sequence selection in a UVM environment. Generally, this approach includes a training phase for each machine learning model of a plurality of machine learning models. Each model is trained to achieve a particular target state and is rewarded when a selected action or sequence of actions causes movement that might be beneficial to achieving that target state. Once a respective model is trained, the trained model can then be used to determine which one action or sequence of actions (or ordered multiple thereof) to take to achieve the corresponding target state. Thus, by training and using a plurality of machine learning models to achieve a plurality of target states, and stimulating those machine learning models once trained, one or more actions and/or sequences of actions are generated as the selected sequences to be used to verify functionality or operation of a design under test.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Shadi Saba, Roque Alejandro Arcudia Hernandez, Uyen Huynh Ha Nguyen, Pedro Eugênio Rocha Medeiros, Claire Liyan Ying
  • Patent number: 12124789
    Abstract: Techniques regarding parameter tuning for an EDA protocol are provided. For example, one or more embodiments described herein can comprise a system, which can comprise a memory that can store computer executable components. The system can also comprise a processor, operably coupled to the memory, and that can execute the computer executable components stored in the memory. The computer executable components can comprise a tuning component that tunes an electronic design automation protocol via a cooperative co-evolutionary optimization framework that shares parameter knowledge across multiple stages of the electronic design automation protocol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gi-Joon Nam, Jinwook Jung, Alexey Y. Lvov, Lakshmi N. Reddy, Hua Xiang, Rongjian Liang
  • Patent number: 12124778
    Abstract: This invention expresses the stochastic system in a tree branching structure form. Successive nodes of the tree each contain a finite state model of the system which maintains information of the state of the system attained to that point and the branches represent decisions made that take the system to subsequent nodes. The branching tree structure affords a general method of approximating a stochastic system in a form that affords specific methods of speeding up the computations required to predict its behavior. The methods exploit the nature of the finite state representation to efficiently identify the state and output transitions associated with branching, the branching probabilities. Moreover, once a (state, branch) pair have been encountered and the resulting (state, output) pair have been computed by simulation, the next time this (state, branch) pair is encountered the resulting (state, output) is found by table lookup, a faster process than simulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: RTSYNC CORP.
    Inventors: Bernard Zeigler, Doohwan Kim
  • Patent number: 12112110
    Abstract: The present invention belongs to the technical field of simulation of power semiconductor modules, and discloses a multi-physics co-simulation method of a power semiconductor module. The multi-physics co-simulation method of the power semiconductor module comprises: adopting professional circuit simulation software PSpice supporting a spice model to be imported into a device, and by designing a specific collaborative analysis method and performing secondary development of a software data exchange interface, i.e. constructing a coupling interface of co-simulation, performing electricity-heat-force co-simulation of two types of software PSpice and COMSOL by adopting an indirect coupling manner. The simulation time is greatly shortened, and the simulation efficiency is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignees: Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen Union Semiconductor Co., LTD
    Inventors: Zhiqiang Wang, Yayong Yang, Yuxin Ge, Guoqing Xin, Xiaojie Shi
  • Patent number: 12066911
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for testing the operation of a target computer system constrained by a set of timed requirements. For each of a plurality of subsets of the set, the method includes: searching for a witness trace satisfying a criterion for detecting a conflict between timed requirements of the subset; when a witness trace is found: searching for a contradicting timed requirement among the timed requirements of the set which are not present in the subset; when a contradicting timed requirement is found: adding the contradicting timed requirement to the incremental subset. An inconsistency of the operation of the target computer system is detected when a witness trace is found for and no contradicting timed requirement is found.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Reiya Noguchi, Thierry Jeron, Nicolas Markey, Ocan Sankur
  • Patent number: 12055503
    Abstract: A thermal analysis model includes an intermediate node that imitates an intermediate portion and a first thermal resistance connecting to the intermediate node, and imitates the terminal portions on both sides. A terminal portion inside node connected to the first thermal resistance is configured to imitate an inside area adjacent to the intermediate portion and serves as a starting point of a first heat dissipation path to the substrate. A terminal outside node is configured to imitate an outside area separated from the intermediate portion and adjacent to the inside area in the terminal portions and serves as a starting point of a second heat dissipation path to the substrate. A second thermal resistance connects the terminal portion inside node and the terminal portion outside node and is arranged parallel to a different element imitating a thermal resistance of an electrode layer in a surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignee: KOA Corporation
    Inventors: Hirotoshi Aoki, Koichi Hirasawa
  • Patent number: 12051137
    Abstract: Methods for visualizing directed graphs and their hierarchies are provided that completely depart from known approaches. The methods compute readable hierarchical visualizations that contain the complete reachability information of a graph. In one embodiment, only the necessary edges are drawn in the drawing, thus reducing the visual complexity of the resulting drawing. The methods require only polynomial time. In one aspect, the vertices of the graph are (vertically) partitioned into paths/channels, having cross edges that connect various vertices in different paths/channels. A corresponding graph drawing method is implemented in principally two steps: (a) a cycle removal step (if the graph contains cycles) and (b) a channel decomposition and hierarchical drawing step. A corresponding framework may offer a suite of solutions depending on requirements, does not introduce any dummy vertices, and keeps the vertices of a path/channel vertically aligned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Inventors: Ioannis G Tollis, Giacomo Ortali
  • Patent number: 12032894
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for identifying net text in a net list at each hierarchical level of the net list is disclosed. The identified net text is then associated with the hierarchical level in which the net text was found. Each cell in the net list can then be optimized by exploding the net list of at least one cell. Once exploded, the identified net text together with the associated hierarchical level of each progeny cell of each exploded cell is associated with the net list of the exploded cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: Synopsys, Inc.
    Inventors: Louis Schaffer, Kenter Lin, Soo Han Choi
  • Patent number: 12026091
    Abstract: A technique includes allocating, by a memory manager, a first region of a memory. The allocation includes selecting a logically contiguous first lane of the memory. The first lane is associated with a first identifier. The allocation further includes selecting a logically contiguous second lane of the memory. The second lane is a child of the first lane, and the second lane is orthogonal to the first lane. The second lane is associated with a second identifier. The technique includes, responsive to a request to access the first region, managing, by the memory manager, the access to the first region based on the first identifier and the second identifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
    Inventor: Somasundaram Arunachalam
  • Patent number: 12019970
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a design support method includes inputting a design value group to a simulator. The design value group includes design values relating to a semiconductor element. The method further includes acquiring a characteristic value group output from the simulator according to the input of the design value group. The characteristic value group includes characteristic values of the semiconductor element. The characteristic values include a first and a second characteristic values respectively indicating an on-resistance and a breakdown voltage. The method further includes calculating an acquisition function of a Bayesian inference from history data including not less than one data set. The data set includes the design value group and a score. The portion of the characteristic value group includes the first and second characteristic values. The method further includes generating a new design value group based on the acquisition function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2024
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hiro Gangi, Yasunori Taguchi
  • Patent number: 12014130
    Abstract: A method includes receiving a source code for executing a plurality of operations associated with a machine learning algorithm, classifying each operation into a fast operation group and/or a slow operation group, defining a neuron network for executing operations of the slow operation group, and mapping the neuron network to an initial machine learning hardware configuration. The method also includes executing the slow operation group operation on the machine learning hardware configuration, finalizing the machine learning hardware configuration capable of successfully executing least one test data set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Kai-Yuan Ting, Sandeep Kumar Goel, Tze-Chiang Huang, Yun-Han Lee
  • Patent number: 12008298
    Abstract: A system for evaluating fault criticality using machine learning includes a first machine learning module that is trained on a subset of a circuit and used for evaluating whether a node in a netlist of the entire circuit is a critical node, and a second machine learning module specialized to minimize classification errors in nodes predicted as benign. A generative adversarial network can be used to generate synthetic test escape data to supplement data used to train the second machine learning module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: DUKE UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Krishnendu Chakrabarty, Arjun Chaudhuri, Jonti Talukdar
  • Patent number: 11995386
    Abstract: A hardware design for a main data transformation component is verified. The main data transformation component is representable as a hierarchical set of data transformation components which includes (i) leaf data transformation components which do not have children, and (ii) parent data transformation components which comprise one or more child data transformation components. For each of the leaf data transformation components, it is verified that an instantiation of the hardware design for the leaf data transformation component generates an expected output transaction. For each of the parent data transformation components, it is formally verified that an instantiation of an abstracted hardware design generates an expected output transaction in response to each of test input transactions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: Imagination Technologies Limited
    Inventor: Sam Elliott
  • Patent number: 11983474
    Abstract: A method for verifying an integrated circuit (IC) design described in a hardware description or hardware verification language (HDHVL) is provided. The method includes identifying connections between random variables and coverage areas of the IC design, as described in HDHVL code, the connections being identified by determining which coverage areas of the IC design will be influenced during simulation by which random variables. The method can further include storing the identified connections in a database, and using, by a processor, connections retrieved from the database to simulate and verify the coverage areas of the IC design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: Synopsys, Inc.
    Inventors: Parijat Biswas, Badri Gopalan, Enzhi Ni, Danish Jawed, Ying Chen, Jiang Chen
  • Patent number: 11941337
    Abstract: A method of modeling a nonlinear component includes providing a physical model for modeling a characteristic of the nonlinear component defined by a physical expression having a physical nonlinear function depending on variables and parameters of the nonlinear component; determining performance data for the characteristic; extracting global parameter values for the parameters based on the performance data; extracting local parameter values for the selected parameter, while keeping fixed the extracted global parameter values for the remaining parameters, based on the performance data corresponding to the characteristic using the physical expression; training an ANN function from the extracted local parameter values for the selected parameter depending on a variable; and determining a hybrid model for modeling the characteristic of the nonlinear component defined by a modified physical expression including the physical nonlinear function, the remaining parameters, and the trained ANN function depending on the v
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: KEYSIGHT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Jianjun Xu, David E. Root
  • Patent number: 11900035
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described herein for attribute-point-based timing formal verification of application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and system on chip (SoC) designs. A target circuit design having a first set of netlists and timing constraints is received. A plurality of key clock-pin-net-load-setting attributes are extracted from the first ported netlists and timing constraints. The clock-pin-net-load-setting attribute mismatch in the result report is checked between the target circuit design and a golden circuit design by comparing the plurality of target attributes with a plurality of golden attributes of the golden circuit design after the target design database is loaded for static timing analysis (STA).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chao-Chun Lo, Boh-Yi Huang, Chih-yuan Stephen Yu
  • Patent number: 11893331
    Abstract: A device verification method, a UVM verification platform, an electronic apparatus, and a storage medium are provided. The method includes: determining a transaction class corresponding to a device under test, and instantiating a first interface in a callback function; sending input data to the device under test based on a bus protocol, and sequentially adding the input data to an array of the first interface according to addresses of the input data; instantiating a second interface in a monitor device, and sequentially adding output data to an array of the second interface according to addresses of the output data; and comparing the input data and the output data that have same addresses in the array of the first interface and the array of the second interface, and outputting a verification result of the device under test according to a comparison result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: INSPUR SUZHOU INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ying Wang
  • Patent number: 11853681
    Abstract: A method includes: identifying a first design rule check (DRC) violation in a cluster box on an integrated circuit layout; locating a first target cell at a first original location in the cluster box, the first target cell being connected to the first DRC violation; detecting a first plurality of candidate locations for the first target cell in the cluster box; calculating resource costs associated with the first plurality of candidate locations; determining a first relocation location, among the first plurality of candidate locations, associated with a minimum resource cost for the first target cell; and relocating the first target cell from the first original location to the first relocation location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Ching Hsu, Heng-Yi Lin, Yi-Lin Chuang
  • Patent number: 11841619
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a lithographic mask for an integrated circuit includes performing an optical proximity correction (OPC) process to an integrated circuit mask layout to produce a corrected mask layout. The method further includes performing an inverse lithographic technology (ILT) process to the corrected mask layout to enhance the corrected mask layout to produce an OPC-ILT-enhanced mask layout. The method also includes performing an inverse lithographic technology (ILT) process to the corrected mask layout to enhance the corrected mask layout to produce an OPC-ILT-enhanced mask layout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMINCONDUTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Hsu-Ting Huang, Tung-Chin Wu, Shih-Hsiang Lo, Chih-Ming Lai, Jue-Chin Yu, Ru-Gun Liu, Chin-Hsiang Lin
  • Patent number: 11816409
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to a system and method for analyzing strongly connected components (SCCs) in a design of an integrated circuit. In one embodiment, a design of an integrated circuit is received, and a set of loops are identified in the received design. Based on the identified loops, one or more SCCs are determined. Each SCC includes multiple loops having shared paths. For instance, an SCC includes a first loop having a first set of nodes connected via a first set of paths and a second loop having a second set of nodes connected via a second set of paths, such that the first loop and the second loop have at least one path in common. The identified SCCs are then analyzed and presented to the user for consideration when reviewing the design of the integrated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Synopsys, Inc.
    Inventor: Ribhu Mittal
  • Patent number: 11789077
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are method, system, and storage-medium embodiments for single-pass diagnosis of multiple chain defects in circuit-design testing. Embodiments include processor(s) to select a plurality of a scan chains in a circuit under test and determine presence of at least a first defect in the first scan chain, and a second defect in the first scan chain or in the second scan chain. The plurality of scan chains may include specific scan chains that each have respective pluralities of scan cells. Processor(s) may map the first defect to a first range of first scan cells, and the second defect to a second range of second scan cells. Based at least in part on a failing capture-pattern set, processor(s) may locate the first defect in a first scan cell of the first range, and the second defect in a second scan cell of the first range or the second range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Synopsys, Inc.
    Inventor: Emil Gizdarski
  • Patent number: 11789110
    Abstract: Systems and methods for fault detection, exclusion, isolation, and re-configuration of navigation sensors using an abstraction layer are provided. In certain embodiments, a system includes a plurality of sensors that provide redundant sensor measurements, wherein redundancy of the redundant sensor measurements is achieved based on an independence between measurements from different physical sensor units in the plurality of sensors. The system additionally includes a fusion function configured to receive the redundant sensor measurements from each sensor in the plurality of sensors and calculate fused navigation parameters. Further, the system includes an abstraction layer that calculates an estimated state based on the fused navigation parameters, wherein the estimated state comprises safety assessment information for the fused navigation parameters and the fused navigation parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Mark A. Ahlbrecht, Mats Anders Brenner, Bruce G Johnson, Milos Sotak, Zdenek Kana, James Arthur McDonald
  • Patent number: 11775269
    Abstract: A multi-threaded imperative programming language includes a language construct defining a function call. A circuit implementation for the construct includes a first pipeline, a second pipeline, and a third pipeline. The first hardware pipeline outputs variables to a first queue and outputs parameters for the function to a second queue. The second hardware pipeline obtains the function parameters from the second queue, performs the function, and stores the results of the function in a third queue. The third hardware pipeline retrieves the results generated by the second pipeline from the second queue and retrieves the variables from the first queue. The third hardware pipeline performs hardware operations specified by the source code using the variables and the results of the function. A single instance of the circuit implementation can be utilized to implement calls to the same function made from multiple locations within source code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Blake D. Pelton, Adrian Michael Caulfield
  • Patent number: 11768237
    Abstract: This document describes techniques and systems for leakage screening based on power prediction. In particular, the described systems and techniques estimate, during a silicon manufacturing process, use-case power (e.g., low power, ambient power, high power, gaming power) to apply leakage screening for apart (e.g., a chip package). In some aspects, measurable silicon parameters (e.g., leakage values, bin values, processor sensor values) may be used for use-case power prediction. Using the described techniques, a maximum allowable predicted use-case power can be determined and used for leakage screening regardless of an individual rail leakage or voltage bin assignment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Emre Tuncer, Kaushik Balamukundhan, Yiran Li
  • Patent number: 11755801
    Abstract: Implementing a circuit design within an integrated circuit can include converting the circuit design, specified in a hardware description language, into a data flow graph and creating range set data structures in a memory. The range set data structures correspond to nodes of the data flow graph. Each range set data structure can be initialized with a range of values the corresponding node can take as specified by the circuit design. The method can include determining actual values the nodes are capable of taking by propagating the values through the data flow graph. The range set data structures are updated to store the actual values for the corresponding nodes. The method also can include modifying a selected node of the data flow graph based on the actual values stored in the range set data structure of the selected node and semantics of the selected node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Kishore Vedavyasan, Sumanta Datta, Aman Gayasen, Sriram Govindarajan
  • Patent number: 11748536
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for automated generation of integrated circuit designs and associated data. These allow the design of processors and SoCs by a single, non-expert who understands high-level requirements; allow the en masse exploration of the design-space through the generation processors across the design-space via simulation, or emulation; allow the easy integration of IP cores from multiple third parties into an SoC; allow for delivery of a multi-tenant service for producing processors and SoCs that are customized while also being pre-verified and delivered with a complete set of developer tools, documentation and related outputs. Some embodiments, provide direct delivery, or delivery into a cloud hosting environment, of finished integrated circuits embodying the processors and SoCs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: SiFive, Inc.
    Inventors: Yunsup Lee, Michael Cave
  • Patent number: 11748553
    Abstract: A system performs mask rule checks (MRC) for curvilinear shapes. The width of a curvilinear shape is different along different parts of the shape. A medial axis for a curvilinear shape is determined. The medial axis is trimmed to exclude portions that are within a threshold distance from corners or too far from edges. The trimmed medial axis is used to perform width checks for mask rules. The system generates medial axis between geometric shapes and uses it to determine whether two geometric shapes are at least a threshold distance apart. The system performs acute angle checks for sharp corners. The system determines angles using lines drawn from vertices to end points on the boundary of the shape that are at a threshold distance. These angles are used for checking acute angle mask rule violations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Synopsys, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Christopher Cecil
  • Patent number: 11720720
    Abstract: A method of automatically generating AutoCAD drawings includes: generating a data sheet by using only input data which is necessary for generating drawings of a heat exchanger and obtained from strength calculation data provided by a strength calculation program; loading the data sheet by a loading unit; and generating AutoCAD drawings of the heat exchanger by activating an automatic AutoCAD drawing generation interface by a user's selection, the automatic AutoCAD drawing generation interface being activatable only after the data sheet may be loaded, wherein the input data includes both machine data and thermal data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignees: SAMSUNG ENGINEERING CO., LTD., TAE WOOG KANG
    Inventors: Gyun Ho Ha, Nae Hyuck Lee, Jong In Yoon, Jin Kim, Geun Yong Choi, Sung Mo Park, Ji Yoon Hyun, Hu Jung Nam, Jun Soo Park, Byueong Kook Cheo, Dae Seong Kim
  • Patent number: 11714943
    Abstract: A parallel analog circuit automatic optimization method based on genetic algorithm and machine learning comprises global optimization based on genetic algorithm and local optimization based on machine learning, with the global optimization and the local optimization performed alternately. The global optimization based on genetic algorithm utilizes parallel SPICE simulations to improve the optimization efficiency while guaranteeing the optimization accuracy, combined with parallel computing. The local optimization based on machine learning establishes a machine learning model near the global optimal point obtained by the global optimization, and uses the machine learning model to replace the SPICE simulator, thus reducing the time costs brought by a large number of simulations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: SHAN DONG UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Ranran Zhou, Yaping Li, Yong Wang, Yusong Li, Xuezheng Huang, Juanjuan Sun
  • Patent number: 11709982
    Abstract: The present invention pertains to a method of verifying a design of an integrated circuit. The methods executes an iteration of simulation test cycle using a digital representation of the design. Next, the method obtains simulation results from the iteration of the simulation test cycle and calculates, during the simulation test cycle, a test coverage value associated with the simulation results of the iteration of the simulation test cycle. If the test coverage value is less than a target value, the method determines if the simulation test cycle fails to satisfies an iteration limiting metric. If the simulation test cycle satisfies the iteration limiting metric, the method, dynamically adjusts one or more simulation test cycle parameter during the simulation test cycle and iterates the simulation test cycle and recalculating the test coverage value until the test coverage value is at least the target value or the simulation test cycle fails to satisfy the iteration limiting metric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Kioxia Corporation
    Inventors: Duncan Beadnell, Francesco Forte
  • Patent number: 11663385
    Abstract: Methods and systems for verifying, via formal verification, a hardware design for a data transformation pipeline comprising one or more data transformation elements that perform a data transformation on one or more inputs, wherein the formal verification is performed under conditions that simplify the data transformations calculations that the formal verification tool has to perform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Imagination Technologies Limited
    Inventor: Sam Elliott
  • Patent number: 11636244
    Abstract: Some aspects of this disclosure are directed automated performance tuning of a hardware description language (HDL) simulation system. For example, some aspects of this disclosure relate to a method, including generating, by a first subsystem optimizer, a plurality of recommendations corresponding to a first subsystem of a hardware description language (HDL) simulation system. The plurality of recommendations are generated by the first subsystem optimizer using one or more optimization applications. The method further includes generating, by the first subsystem optimizer, a first aggregate recommendation by combining the plurality of recommendations corresponding to the first subsystem of the HDL simulation system. The method further includes updating a configuration of the first subsystem of the HDL simulation system based on the first aggregate recommendation, wherein the HDL simulation system is configured to simulate a circuit design using the updated configuration during execution of the first subsystem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: SYNOPSYS, INC.
    Inventors: Badri Prasad Gopalan, Melvin Cardozo, Deepesh Puthiya-Purayil, Vamsi Krishna Doppalapudi, Trinanjan Chatterjee, Yichun Wang
  • Patent number: 11620423
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described herein for attribute-point-based timing formal verification of application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and system on chip (SoC) designs. A target circuit design having a first set of netlists and timing constraints is received. A plurality of key clock-pin-net-load-setting attributes are extracted from the first ported netlists and timing constraints. The clock-pin-net-load-setting attribute mismatch in the result report is checked between the target circuit design and a golden circuit design by comparing the plurality of target attributes with a plurality of golden attributes of the golden circuit design after the target design database is loaded for static timing analysis (STA).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chao-Chun Lo, Boh-Yi Huang, Chih-yuan Stephen Yu
  • Patent number: 11580284
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for electronic circuit design. Embodiments may include receiving, using a processor, an electronic circuit design and performing a deadlock check on the electronic circuit design using a using a linear temporal logic property and a proof engine. Embodiments may further include analyzing a counterexample associated with the electronic circuit design for a loop escape condition, wherein analyzing includes proving a cover trace of a liveness obligation. If the loop escape condition is reachable from the counterexample, embodiments may include extracting one or more events associated with the loop escape condition and adding a waiver constraint to the deadlock check to force a no deadlock outcome.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Craig Franklin Deaton, Christopher William Komar, Lars Lundgren
  • Patent number: 11562521
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for generating a machine-learned model to generate facial position data based on audio data comprising training a conditional variational autoencoder having an encoder and decoder. The training comprises receiving a set of training data items, each training data item comprising a facial position descriptor and an audio descriptor; processing one or more of the training data items using the encoder to obtain distribution parameters; sampling a latent vector from a latent space distribution based on the distribution parameters; processing the latent vector and the audio descriptor using the decoder to obtain a facial position output; calculating a loss value based at least in part on a comparison of the facial position output and the facial position descriptor of at least one of the one or more training data items; and updating parameters of the conditional variational autoencoder based at least in part on the calculated loss value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Electronic Arts Inc.
    Inventors: Jorge del Val Santos, Linus Gisslén, Martin Singh-Blom, Kristoffer Sjöö, Mattias Teye
  • Patent number: 11556676
    Abstract: A security verification system performs security verification of a circuit design. The security verification system simplifies formal security verification of the circuit design by replacing circuit blocks of the circuit with black box circuit blocks. The security verification system instruments the circuit design so that black-boxing can be performed for security verification without changing the security decision over the data paths. The security verification system uses dependence information of the inputs and outputs of the black box to connect inputs of the circuit block with outputs of the circuit block. The black-box circuit block keeps the logic inside the cone of influence of clocks and resets. The system performs security verification of the circuit design by proving a non-interference property of the instrumented circuit design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: Synopsys, Inc.
    Inventors: Alfred Koelbl, Naiyong Jin, Sudipta Kundu
  • Patent number: 11552085
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes at least one memory cell and at least one logic cell. The at least one logic cell is disposed next to the at least one memory cell and includes a plurality of fins. The plurality of fins are separated into a plurality of fin groups for forming transistors. A distance between two adjacent groups of the plurality of fin groups is different from a distance between another two adjacent groups of the plurality of fin groups. A method is also disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: You-Cheng Xiao, Jhih-Siang Hu, Ru-Yu Wang, Jung-Hsuan Chen, Ting-Wei Chiang
  • Patent number: 11531799
    Abstract: A hardware monitor arranged to assess performance of a hardware design for an integrated circuit to complete a task. The hardware monitor includes monitoring and counting logic configured to count a number of cycles between start and completion of the symbolic task in the hardware design; and property evaluation logic configured to evaluate one or more formal properties related to the counted number of cycles to assess the performance of the hardware design in completing the symbolic task. The hardware monitor may be used by a formal verification tool to exhaustively verify that the hardware design meets a desired performance goal and/or to exhaustively identify a performance metric (e.g. best case and/or worst case performance) with respect to completion of the task.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Imagination Technologies Limited
    Inventors: Ashish Darbari, Iain Singleton
  • Patent number: 11526643
    Abstract: Formal verification methods are used to solve a valid model of a design-under-test (DUT) to enumerate valid coverage points based on an architectural specification of the DUT. A formal solver can be queried to solve for valid solutions by crossing one or more fields of a variable. After each valid solve, values of the variable fields can be recorded and a count for number of valid solutions can be incremented. A new rule can be added to the solving process after each valid solve to invalidate the recorded values of the variable fields for subsequent solves. The count for the number of valid solutions can provide a running total of the valid solutions found for the query. Results of the query can be processed to convert the recorded values to provide the enumerated coverage points. The enumerated coverage points can be converted to test cases for running simulations on the DUT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Todd Swanson
  • Patent number: 11520968
    Abstract: The present application discloses a verification platform for a system on chip and a verification method thereof, the method comprises: generating, by an Universal Verification Methodology test instance, constrained random parameters and random controls, and storing them to a storage area of a bus function model unit; reading, by a software test instance, the random parameters and the random controls through the central processing unit, and configuring a test of the system on chip; storing execution status information of the software test instance in the storage area; reading, by the Universal Verification Methodology test instance, the execution status information, and adjusting constraint condition for generating random parameters and random controls based on the execution status information to exclude having been tested scenarios, and converting the execution status information into coverage data for coverage analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: MONTAGE LZ TECHNOLOGIES (Chengdu) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Huimin Mao, Shunlin Li
  • Patent number: 11507720
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to signal observability rating. In an example, a method can include propagating a clock signal through a respective module of a circuit design in a forward and backward direction, evaluating clock signal propagation results for the respective module based on a forward and backward clock signal propagation of the clock signal to compute an observability rating for a data signal to be processed by the respective module during formal verification, and updating a current observability rating of the respective property for the data signal to the computed observability rating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: CADENCE DESIGN SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Matheus Nogueira Fonseca, Thamara Karen Cunha Andrade, Lars Lundgren, Breno Guimaraes
  • Patent number: 11501048
    Abstract: A machine learning model predicts the hardness of unsolved properties. For example, the machine learning model may predict the relative hardness of pairs of properties—i.e., which property in the pair is harder to solve. These hardness predictions may then be used to formulate a priority order for a formal verification process to attempt to solve the unsolved properties. As the formal verification process progresses, it generates results. For example, certain properties may be solved. These results are used to update a training set, which is used to further train the machine learning model. The machine learning model is trained at runtime with incremental fine-tuning as the formal verification process progresses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Synopsys, Inc.
    Inventors: Arunava Saha, Chuan Jiang, Manish Pandey
  • Patent number: 11500644
    Abstract: An extensible processor can include an execution pipeline, one or more extensible control engines and architectural visible control states. The extensible processor can be configured to determine a control state of the one or more extensible control engines from the architectural visible control states. The extensible processor can be further configured to initiate execution of a given one of the extensible control engines when a control state in the architectural visible control states corresponding to the given one of the extensible control engines is enabled, wherein the given one of the extensible control engines comprises control input and control outputs based on one or more control transitions of an instruction. The extensible processor can also be further configured to output a result of execution of the given one of the extensible control engines to the architectural visible control states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Limited
    Inventor: Fei Sun
  • Patent number: 11501049
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a computer-implemented method for use in an electronic design. Embodiments may include performing, using a processor, a simulation of a multi-layered electronic structure and extracting a circuit model of the multi-layered electronic structure, wherein the circuit model includes at least two plates. Embodiments may also include extracting one or more parasitic parameters of at least one via associated with the circuit model and calculating a coupling coefficient associated with a controlled source of the circuit model. Embodiments may further include extracting a transmission line mode from the circuit model and linking the circuit model, at least one via, and the transmission line mode to an external circuit to generate a modeled system. Embodiments may also include solving the modeled system using a modified nodal analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Feng Miao, Jing Wang, Zhen Mu, Xuegang Zeng