Appeal No. 1998-2263
Application No. 08/692,612
BACKGROUND
Appellant's invention relates to an automated positioning of relative instances along
a given dimension such as time or distance. The system and method adjust the relative
positions of objects in the given dimension so as to meet both hard and soft constraints.
An understanding of the invention can be derived from a reading of exemplary claim 28,
which is reproduced below.
28. In a computer based system comprising a storage device coupled to a
processor, the method for modifying a distance between a plurality of objects, each of the
objects representing one of blocks, components, and circuit cells in a physical circuit
design, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) determining a position of a first object and a second object of said plurality
of objects in a physical circuit design;
(b) selecting an axis in said physical circuit design;
(c) determining a first limitation and a second limitation between said first object
and said second object, said first limitation representing an absolute minimum separation
between said first object and said second object along said selected axis, said second
limitation representing a desired minimum separation between said first object and said
second object along said selected axis;
(d) determining if said plurality of objects form an over-constrained system, said
over-constrained system occurring if said positions of said plurality of objects cause a
violation of one of said first limitation and said second limitation;
(e) automatically determining a first value representing a degree of said
violation for each of said violations determined in step (d), including the steps of:
(1) obtaining a function from one of a user and the storage device, said
function defining a convex function representing a potential energy of a hypothetical elastic
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