System which directionally sums signals for identifying and resolving timing inconsistencies

Claim 2

Apparatus for detecting incompatibilities among related signals, the apparatus comprising: a. memory means for storing data representative of relationships among a plurality of signals, the data for each signal relationship including a comparison parameter, a time interval having magnitude and direction, a signal location and a priority level; b. output means for communicating with a user; and c. processor means for detecting incompatibilities among the signals characterized by the data, such means including i. means for identifying at least one group of signals characterized by locations and timing intervals that are related to one another as a loop; ii. means for determining whether the sum of the time intervals within the loop, taking account of interval directions, equals zero; and iii. means for causing the output means to report compatibility among the signals in each group in which the sum equals zero.

Claim 3

Apparatus for detecting incompatibilities among related signals, the apparatus comprising: a. memory means for storing data representative of relationships among a plurality of signals, the data for each signal relationship including a comparison parameter, a time interval having magnitude and direction, a signal location and a priority level; b. output means for communicating with a user; and c. processor means for detecting incompatibilities among the signals characterized by the data, such means including i. means for identifying at least one group of signals characterized by locations and timing intervals that are related to one another as a loop; ii. means for determining whether the sum of the time intervals within the loop, taking account of interval directions, equals zero; iii. means for causing the output means to report compatibility among the signals in each group in which the sum equals zero; v. means for searching for at least one signal relationship eligible for conversion to a lower priority level if said sum does not equal zero; and vi. means for altering the timing interval of each eligible signal relationship to bring said sum to zero.

Claim 4

Apparatus for detecting incompatibilities among related signals, the apparatus comprising: a. memory means for storing data representative of relationships among a plurality of signals, the data for each signal relationship including a comparison parameter, a time interval having magnitude and direction, a signal location and a priority level; b. output means for communicating with a user; and c. processor means for detecting incompatibilities among the signals characterized by the data, such means including i. means for identifying at least one group of signals characterized by locations and timing intervals that are related to one another as a loop; ii. means for determining whether the sum of the time intervals within the loop, taking account of interval directions, equals zero; iii. means for causing the output means to report compatibility among the signals in each group in which the sum equals zero; v. means for searching for at least one signal relationship eligible for conversion to a lower priority level if said sum does not equal zero; and vi. means for altering the timing interval of each eligible signal relationship to bring said sum to zero.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein a signal relationship is identified as eligible if the necessary alteration of its interval is not inconsistent with the comparison parameter, and its priority level is sufficiently low.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein a signal relationship is identified as eligible if the boolean function of the form, as applied to the signal relationship, is true.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the processor means is further adapted to cause the output means to report the identity of each eligible signal relationship.

Claim 8

Apparatus for detecting incompatibilities among related signals, the apparatus comprising: a. first memory means for storing data representative of relationships among a plurality of signals, the data for each signal relationship including a comparison parameter, a time interval having magnitude and direction, two signal transitions and a priority level; b. second memory means for storing graphical signal-relationship data; and c. processor means for detecting incompatibilities among the signals characterized by the data stored in the first memory means, such means including i. means for constructing, in the second memory means, a graph representative of the data in the first memory means, the vertices of the graph corresponding to the signal transitions and the edges of the graph corresponding to and having values representative of the time intervals; ii. means for analyzing the data to identify loops within the graph; iii. means for calculating the sums of the edge values of each loop, taking account of interval directions; iv. means for identifying signal relationships eligible for conversion to a lower priority level; v. means for searching, in each loop in which the sum of the edge values is non-zero, for at least one signal relationship identified as eligible for conversion to a lower priority level so that its edge value may be altered to bring the sum of the edge values of the loop to zero; and d. output means for communicating each such signal relationship to a user.

Claim 9

Apparatus for detecting incompatibilities among related signals, the apparatus comprising: a. first memory means for storing data representative of relationships among a plurality of signals, the data for each signal relationship including a comparison parameter, a time interval having magnitude and direction, two signal transitions and a priority level; b. second memory means for storing graphical signal-relationship data; and c. processor means for detecting incompatibilities among the signals characterized by the data stored in the first memory means, such means including i. means for constructing, in the second memory means, a graph representative of the data in the first memory means, the vertices of the graph corresponding to the signal transitions and the edges of the graph corresponding to and having values representative of the time intervals; ii. means for analyzing the data to identify loops within the graph; iii. means for calculating the sums of the edge values of each loop, taking account of interval directions; iv. means for identifying signal relationships eligible for conversion to a lower priority level; v. means for searching, in each loop in which the sum of the edge values is non-zero, for at least one signal relationship identified as eligible for conversion to a lower priority level so that its edge value may be altered to bring the sum of the edge values of the loop to zero; and d. output means for communicating each such signal relationship to a user.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein loops are identified as the graph is constructed.

Claim 13

The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of searching, if said sum does not equal zero, for at least one signal relationship eligible for conversion to a lower priority level, and thereafter altering the timing interval of as many eligible signal relationships as necessary to bring said sum to zero.

Claim 14

The method of claim 9 wherein a signal relationship is identified as eligible if the necessary alteration of its interval is not inconsistent with the comparison parameter, and its priority level is sufficiently low.

Claim 15

The method of claim 10 wherein a signal relationship is identified as eligible if a boolean function of the form, as applied to the signal relationship, is true.

Claim 16

The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of reporting the identity of each eligible signal relationship.

Claim 19

The method of claim 13 wherein loops are identified as the graph is constructed.