Computer-aided design of integrated circuits

Abstract

A software system for facilitating the design process and minimizing the time and effort required to complete the design and fabrication of an integrated circuits (IC) is described. The software system utilizes a data center having a plurality of repositories, rules engines and design and verification tools to automatically produce a hardened GDSII description or other representation of the device in response to the formation of a electronic license agreement. Designers select contractual terms for incorporating third party intellectual property and then design and initiate manufacture of the IC by way of a network portal.

1 - 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . A system for design and analysis of a configurable integrated circuit, the system comprising:
 a tools module configured to receive data corresponding to a suite of components provided by at least one intellectual property vendor and made accessible to a designer designing the configurable integrated circuit via a data center owned or operated by an operator;   a functional description module in electronic communication with the tools module;   a parameter description module in electronic communication with the tools module;   a workload analysis module in electronic communication with the tools module; and   a display configured to illustrate the suite of components for selection by the designer, so that the designer can arrange the selected components to design a representation of the configurable integrated circuit and test the representation of the configurable integrated circuit.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the system facilitates forming a first contract between the designer and the operator, said first contract granting the designer access to the suite of components, and forming a second contract between the operator and the at least one intellectual property vendor. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the system is further configured to:
 receive payment from the designer for the selection and testing of the selected components in accordance with the first contract;   distribute the payment to the operator; and   distribute a second payment from the operator to the at least one intellectual property vendor in accordance with the second contract.   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the tools module is configured to generate at least one hardware definition language description file describing the configurable integrated circuit. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the system is further configured to distribute the second payment from the operator to at least one tools vendor in accordance with a third contract between the operator and the at least one tools vendor. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the system is further configured to distribute a third payment from the operator to a foundry in accordance with a fourth contract between the operator and the foundry. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the system is further configured to distribute a fourth payment to an operating system vendor in accordance with a fifth contract between the operator and the operating system vendor. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the fourth payment distributed to the operating system vendor is calculated based on the selected components. 
     
     
         27 . A computer readable storage medium comprising instructions for designing a configurable integrated circuit using a suite of components provided by at least one intellectual property (IP) vendor and made accessible to a designer designing the configurable integrated circuit via a data center owned or operated by an operator, wherein when executed by a processor said instructions cause causes the processor to:
 enable the designer to access the suite of components via the data center;   enable the designer to select components from the suite of components to design a representation of the configurable integrated circuit using the selected components;   enable the designer to test the representation of the integrated circuit;   generate at least one hardware definition language (HDL) description file describing the configurable integrated circuit;   enable the designer to make a payment to the operator for the selection of the selected components; and   distribute a second payment from the operator to the at least one intellectual property vendor.   
     
     
         28 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 27 , wherein said instructions:
 create a first contract between the designer and the operator, said first contract granting the designer access to the suite of components; and   forming a second contract between the operator and the at least one intellectual property vendor.   
     
     
         29 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 28 , wherein said instructions are further configured to:
 receive payment from the designer for the selection and testing of the selected components in accordance with the first contract;   distribute the payment to the operator; and   distribute a second payment from the operator to the at least one intellectual property vendor in accordance with the second contract.   
     
     
         30 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 27 , and further comprising a tools module configured to generate at least one HDL description file describing the configurable integrated circuit. 
     
     
         31 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 28 , wherein the instructions are further configured to distribute the second payment from the operator to at least one tools vendor in accordance with a third contract between the operator and at least one tools vendor. 
     
     
         32 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 27 , wherein the instructions are further configured to distribute a third payment from the operator to a foundry in accordance with a fourth contract between the operator and the foundry. 
     
     
         33 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 32 , wherein the system is further configured to distribute a fourth payment to an operating system vendor in accordance with a fifth contract between the operator and an operating system vendor. 
     
     
         34 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 33 , wherein the fourth payment distributed to the operating system vendor is calculated based on the selected components. 
     
     
         35 . A method for computer-aided design of an integrated circuit, including logic synthesis, technology mapping, and optimization, the method comprising:
 storing, at a data center owned or operated by an owner, a plurality of performance specifications associated with each of a plurality of components usable to form the integrated circuit;   providing an interface to the data center, wherein the interface is available to at least one designer, and wherein the interface is configured to display a matrix of the performance specifications associated with each of the components;   receiving, from the designer, selected components; and   initiating at least one payment between at least two of the owner, the designer, and an intellectual property owner, wherein the intellectual property owner owns intellectual property associated with at least one of the plurality of components.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , and further comprising generating at least one hardware definition language (HDL) description file describing the integrated circuit associated with the selected components. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the plurality of performance characteristics comprises:
 operating clock frequency;   gate count;   target die size;   maximum power dissipation;   operating voltage; and   foundry design rules.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein a first one of the plurality of components is associated with an intellectual property right held by an intellectual property owner, and wherein, in the event that the first one of the plurality of components is among the selected components, the method further comprises providing a payment from the developer to the intellectual property owner.