US4510616A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Design rule checking using serial neighborhood processors
Assignee: ERIM International Inc
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Filing: 1984-02-06
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Granted: 1985-04-09
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Expires: 2004-02-06
Abstract
Abstract A pipeline of programmable serial neighborhood stages is used to automatically check for adherence to a set of predetermined geometrical constraints or design rules used in the fabrication of electronic components such as integrated circuit devices. In a disclosed embodiment, bit-map representations of several IC masks are superimposed in one composite image matrix for processing in the pipeline. Advantages in processing speed, especially for design rule checking requiring data from more than one mask, are obtained since all necessary data is available to the stages in the pipeline.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert M. Lougheed
- 👤 Trevor N. Mudge
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 18:27
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F30/00; G06F30/30; G06F30/39; G06F30/398; G06V; G06V10/00; G06V10/20; G06V10/36
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
76 words
A method of checking bit-map representations of an article for compliance with preselected geometrical constraints, said method comprising: feeding said bit-map representations in a raster scan line format to an input of a system having at least one serial neighborhood transformation stage; performing a series of neighborhood transformations in said system to detect regions in the bit-map not complying with said geometrical constraints; and generating an output of the system flagging said detected regions in noncompliance.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
76 words
A method of checking bit-map representations of an article for compliance with preselected geometrical constraints, said method comprising: feeding said bit-map representations in a raster scan line format to an input of a system having at least one serial neighborhood transformation stage; performing a series of neighborhood transformations in said system to detect regions in the bit-map not complying with said geometrical constraints; and generating an output of the system flagging said detected regions in noncompliance.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
107 words
A method of checking plural bit-map representations each associated with one of a plurality of related articles for compliance with preselected geometrical constraints, said method comprising: superimposing said plural bit-map representations by combining bits of corresponding spatial location into a composite matrix of multi-bit pixels; feeding said pixels in a raster scan line format to an image processing system having at least one serial neighborhood transformation stage; performing a series of neighborhood transformations in said system to detect for regions in at least one of the bit-maps not in compliance with said geometrical constraints; and generating an output of the system flagging said detected regions in noncompliance.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
107 words
A method of checking plural bit-map representations each associated with one of a plurality of related articles for compliance with preselected geometrical constraints, said method comprising: superimposing said plural bit-map representations by combining bits of corresponding spatial location into a composite matrix of multi-bit pixels; feeding said pixels in a raster scan line format to an image processing system having at least one serial neighborhood transformation stage; performing a series of neighborhood transformations in said system to detect for regions in at least one of the bit-maps not in compliance with said geometrical constraints; and generating an output of the system flagging said detected regions in noncompliance.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
113 words
A method of checking plural bit-map representations, each associated with one of a plurality of related articles for compliance with preselected geometrical constraints, said method comprising: arranging the plural bit-map representations according to a predetermined relationship; combining bits of corresponding position in the bit-map representations into a composite matrix of multi-bit pixels; feeding said pixels in a raster scan line format to an image processing system having at least one serial neighborhood transformation stage; performing a series of neighborhood transformations in said system to detect for regions in at least one of the bit-maps not in compliance with said geometrical constraints; and generating an output of the system flagging detected regions in noncompliance.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
113 words
A method of checking plural bit-map representations, each associated with one of a plurality of related articles for compliance with preselected geometrical constraints, said method comprising: arranging the plural bit-map representations according to a predetermined relationship; combining bits of corresponding position in the bit-map representations into a composite matrix of multi-bit pixels; feeding said pixels in a raster scan line format to an image processing system having at least one serial neighborhood transformation stage; performing a series of neighborhood transformations in said system to detect for regions in at least one of the bit-maps not in compliance with said geometrical constraints; and generating an output of the system flagging detected regions in noncompliance.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1988-04-08 | 1988-10-08 | 1989-04-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1992-04-08 | 1992-10-08 | 1993-04-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1996-04-08 | 1996-10-08 | 1997-04-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |