Method for determining the intersections of Delaunay partitioned tetrahedra with the boundary of a body to be analyzed

Claim 1

A method of making a device simulator by storing an executable device simulating application program in a computer system, and executing the stored executable device simulating application program to impart device simulating functionality to the computer system by controlling the operation of the computer system with a central processing unit (CPU), thus changing a state of the CPU by analyzing data representing a body exhibiting physical structure having physical and/or electrical characteristics and having a boundary including edges and faces by determining an intersection of said boundary with each of Delaunay partitioned tetrahedra of said body, said method comprising the steps of: (a) producing a plurality of first tetrahedra of said body by dividing said body into a plurality of triangular prisms and then dividing each triangular prism into a plurality of tetrahedra; (b) finding any face of each first tetrahedron, which is a face segment of said body, and finding any edge of each first tetrahedron which is an edge segment of said body; (c) producing a plurality of second tetrahedra of said body based on said first tetrahedra, each second tetrahedron of the second tetrahedra being Delaunay partitioned; (d) cyclically implementing following steps (e) to (i) to investigate in sequence all of said second tetrahedra; (e) finding a unique point of said body within said each second tetrahedron; (f) finding, among said first tetrahedra, a third tetrahedron of said body which includes said unique point therewithin; (g) determining if any edge of said third tetrahedron, which is an edge segment of said body, intersects any face of said each second tetrahedron; (h) determining if any face of said third tetrahedron, which is a face segment of said body, intersects any edge of said each second tetrahedron; (i) obtaining intersection information for said body if an outcome of a determination at one of steps (g) and (h) is affirmative; (j) finding a plurality of groups of said first tetrahedra of said body neighboring to each other after step (b); (k) implementing steps (e) to (i) with respect to each of said groups of said first tetrahedra of said body; (l) determining the physical and/or electrical characteristics from the obtained intersection information; and (m) using the physical and/or electrical characteristics in device simulation.

Claim 2

A method of making a device simulator by storing an executable device simulating application program in a computer system, and executing the stored executable device simulating application program to impart device simulating functionality to the computer system by controlling the operation of the computer system with a central processing unit (CPU), thus changing a state of the CPU by analyzing data representing a body exhibiting physical structure having physical and/or electrical characteristics and having a boundary including edges and faces by determining an intersection of said boundary with each of Delaunay partitioned tetrahedra of said body, said method comprising the steps of: (a) producing a plurality of first tetrahedra of said body by dividing said body into a plurality of triangular prisms and then dividing each triangular prism into a plurality of tetrahedra; (b) finding any face of each first tetrahedron, which is a face segment of said body, and finding any edge of each first tetrahedron which is an edge segment of said body; (c) producing a plurality of second tetrahedra of said body based on said first tetrahedra, each second tetrahedron of the second tetrahedra being Delaunay partitioned; (d) cyclically implementing following steps (e) to (i) to investigate in sequence all of said second tetrahedra; (e) finding a unique point of said body within said each second tetrahedron; (f) finding, among said first tetrahedra, a third tetrahedron of said body which includes said unique point therewithin; (g) determining if any edge of said third tetrahedron, which is an edge segment of said body, intersects any face of said each second tetrahedron; (h) determining if any face of said third tetrahedron, which is a face segment of said body, intersects any edge of said each second tetrahedron; (i) obtaining intersection information for said body if an outcome of a determination at one of steps (g) and (h) is affirmative; (j) finding a plurality of groups of said first tetrahedra of said body neighboring to each other after step (b); (k) implementing steps (e) to (i) with respect to each of said groups of said first tetrahedra of said body; (l) determining the physical and/or electrical characteristics from the obtained intersection information; and (m) using the physical and/or electrical characteristics in device simulation.