Appeal No. 96-3949
Application No. 08/230,383
of the specification that cell placements are represented by
an initial cell placement in combination with a list of
individual cell transpositions or swaps by which the cell
placement can be derived from the initial cell placement.
Representative claim 1 is reproduced as follows:
1. A physical design automation system for determining
a highest fitness cell placement for an integrated circuit
chip, comprising:
a memory for storing a first cell placement as including
an initial cell placement and a first list of cell
transpositions by which said first cell placement can be
derived from said initial
cell placement, and for storing a second cell placement as
including said initial cell placement and a second list of
cell transpositions by which said second cell placement can be
derived from said initial cell placement; and
a fitness processor for determining which of said first
and second cell placements has highest fitness in accordance
with a predetermined fitness algorithm.
The Examiner relies on the following references:
Okude et al. (Okude) 5,187,668 Feb. 16,
1993
Shahookar, K. et al. (Shahookar), "VLSI Cell Placement
Techniques," ACM Computing Surveys, Vol. 23, No. 2, June 1991,
pages 143-219.
Claims 1, 2, 7-9, and 15 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C.
2
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