Distributed computer aided design system and method

Claim 1

A distributed computer aided design system comprising: a server station including (i) a computer aided design tool for performing a plurality of computer aided design tasks and (ii) a communications interface; and one or more client stations remote from said server station and connectable to said server station via a communications medium, each of said client stations comprising (i) a display for displaying a parameter input form to a user, (ii) an input device for accepting a plurality of design parameters entered by said user and (iii) a communications interface for transmitting said design parameters via said communications medium to said server station; wherein (a) said server station is configured to respond to a request communicated from said client stations to supply said parameter input form, (b) said computer aided design tool is configured to (i) receive said design parameters from said client station, (ii) perform at least one of said computer aided design tasks based on said design parameters and (iii) return a design task product to said client station via said communications medium and (c) said computer aided design tool comprises (i) a plurality of circuit design executables and (ii) a plurality of circuit design libraries, said circuit design executables being responsive to said design parameters to access said circuit design libraries automatically to perform a circuit design.

Claim 7

A method of performing computer aided design comprising the steps of: (A) supplying a parameter input form from a server station to a client station remotely located from said server station in response to a request from said client station; (B) presenting said parameter input form to a user at said client station; (C) transmitting a plurality of computer aided design parameters via a communications medium from said client station to a computer aided design tool of said server station, wherein said computer aided design tool comprises (i) a plurality of integrated circuit design executables and (ii) a plurality of circuit design libraries; (D) automatically performing at least one of a plurality of computer aided design tasks in response to said design parameters; (D1) accessing said circuit design libraries automatically with said integrated circuit design executables responsive to said design parameters to perform a circuit design; and (E) transmitting a design task product to said client station via said communications medium.

Claim 8

A method of performing computer aided design comprising the steps of: (A) supplying a parameter input form from a server station to a client station remotely located from said server station in response to a request from said client station; (B) presenting said parameter input form to a user at said client station; (C) transmitting a plurality of computer aided design parameters via a communications medium from said client station to a computer aided design tool of said server station, wherein said computer aided design tool comprises (i) a plurality of integrated circuit design executables and (ii) a plurality of circuit design libraries; (D) automatically performing at least one of a plurality of computer aided design tasks in response to said design parameters; (D1) accessing said circuit design libraries automatically with said integrated circuit design executables responsive to said design parameters to perform a circuit design; and (E) transmitting a design task product to said client station via said communications medium.

Claim 13

A method of conducting computer aided design, comprising the steps of: (A) providing a distributed computer aided design system which includes a server station having (i) a computer aided design tool for performing a plurality of computer aided design tasks and (ii) a communications interface, wherein said computer aided design tool comprises (i) a plurality of circuit design executables and (ii) a plurality of circuit design libraries; (B) providing a client station remote from said server station and connectable to said server station via a communications medium, said client station including (i) a display for displaying a parameter input form to a user, (ii) an input device for accepting a plurality of design parameters entered by said user, and (iii) a communications interface for transmitting said design parameters via said communications medium to said server station; (C) configuring said server station to supply said parameter input form to said client station in response to a request from said client station; (D) configuring said computer aided design tool to (i) receive said design parameters from said client station, (ii) perform at least one of said computer aided design tasks based on said design parameters, (iii) accesses said circuit design libraries automatically with said integrated circuit design executables responsive to said design parameters to perform a circuit design, and (iv) return a design task product to said client station via said communications medium; and (E) configuring said client station to (i) display said parameter input form to said user, (ii) transmit said design parameters via said communications medium to said server station, and (iii) receive said design task product via said communications medium from said server station.

Claim 14

A method of conducting computer aided design, comprising the steps of: (A) providing a distributed computer aided design system which includes a server station having (i) a computer aided design tool for performing a plurality of computer aided design tasks and (ii) a communications interface, wherein said computer aided design tool comprises (i) a plurality of circuit design executables and (ii) a plurality of circuit design libraries; (B) providing a client station remote from said server station and connectable to said server station via a communications medium, said client station including (i) a display for displaying a parameter input form to a user, (ii) an input device for accepting a plurality of design parameters entered by said user, and (iii) a communications interface for transmitting said design parameters via said communications medium to said server station; (C) configuring said server station to supply said parameter input form to said client station in response to a request from said client station; (D) configuring said computer aided design tool to (i) receive said design parameters from said client station, (ii) perform at least one of said computer aided design tasks based on said design parameters, (iii) accesses said circuit design libraries automatically with said integrated circuit design executables responsive to said design parameters to perform a circuit design, and (iv) return a design task product to said client station via said communications medium; and (E) configuring said client station to (i) display said parameter input form to said user, (ii) transmit said design parameters via said communications medium to said server station, and (iii) receive said design task product via said communications medium from said server station.