The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 14, 2002
Filed:
Jul. 26, 1999
William Lam, Fremont, CA (US);
Zhaoyun Xing, San Jose, CA (US);
Sun Microsystems, Inc., Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
The invention is a method and apparatus for generating one or more Steiner trees representing a connection of at least two points. In accordance with an embodiment of the method, a Boolean network function is generated which represents a network of interconnects connecting the at least two points. A binary decision diagram (BDD) for the Boolean network function is generated, the BDD having a root and at least one variable node. The number of vertices for at least one variable node of the BDD is determined. The solution values for one or more of the variables of the Boolean network function are determined in accordance with a path(s) through the BDD from the root to one or more of the variable nodes. In one embodiment, the Boolean network function represents interconnects in an encoded space containing the points to be connected, the interconnects having no greater than “n” segments and arranged to join at a joint. In accordance with this embodiment, the solution values yielded by the BDD path(s) comprise the coordinates of the interconnect joint.