IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
UP-0869923
(2004-06-18)
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등록번호 |
US-7587695
(2009-09-22)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Petunin, Vladimir V.
- Pfeil, Charles L.
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출원인 / 주소 |
- Mentor Graphics Corporation
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대리인 / 주소 |
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
14 인용 특허 :
70 |
초록
▼
Multiple users may simultaneously edit a shared area of a printed circuit board design. In order to prevent conflicts between multiple users, a user draws a protection border around a portion of his or her workspace so as to temporarily reserve the protected portion and prevent editing by other user
Multiple users may simultaneously edit a shared area of a printed circuit board design. In order to prevent conflicts between multiple users, a user draws a protection border around a portion of his or her workspace so as to temporarily reserve the protected portion and prevent editing by other users. The protection border may be broadcast to other users. The protection border may also define a protected region in which a user may evaluate alternative design changes without requesting corresponding changes to a master PCB design.
대표청구항
▼
The invention claimed is: 1. A computer-implemented method for editing a printed circuit board design maintained in a common database storing printed circuit board design data incorporating edits from multiple clients, comprising: (a) receiving design data from the common database at each of first
The invention claimed is: 1. A computer-implemented method for editing a printed circuit board design maintained in a common database storing printed circuit board design data incorporating edits from multiple clients, comprising: (a) receiving design data from the common database at each of first and second clients, wherein the design data is graphically displayable at the first and second clients as a pattern of electronic components and connections between those components for at least a portion of the printed circuit board design, and the pattern of electronic components and connections between those components corresponds to a shared area of the printed circuit board design throughout which the first and second clients have simultaneous access to edit design objects and to cause modification of the common database to reflect said design object edits; (b) subsequent to step (a), receiving an instruction at the first client to protect a portion of the shared area from editing by the second client, wherein the instruction comprises a line drawn around the protected portion at the first client that defines a boundary of the protected portion; (c) subsequent to step (b), transmitting an edit request from the second client regarding the protected portion; and (d) receiving data at the second client reflecting rejection of the edit request, said rejection being based on the presence of the protected portion. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: (e) receiving at the second client data indicating the presence of the protected portion; and (f) displaying the protected portion at the second client. 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: (e) detecting user actions at each of the clients during an editing session in which the protected portion remains in place, the user actions pertaining to portions of the shared area not within the protected portion, wherein the first and second clients continue to have simultaneous access to edit design objects in portions of the shared area outside the protected portion and to cause modification of the common database to reflect said edits; (f) transmitting during the editing session, edit requests corresponding to the actions detected in step (e); (g) receiving synchronization data messages at the clients during the editing session, the synchronization data permitting update of displays at the first and second clients to reflect application to the shared area of at least one of the transmitted edit requests which did not violate a design rule; and (h) receiving rejection notification data at one of the clients during the editing session, wherein the client receiving the rejection notification data transmitted, in step (f), an edit request violating a design rule, and the rejection notification data indicates non-application to the shared area of the edit request violating the design rule. 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: (e) subsequent to step (b), detecting multiple user actions at the first client editing the protected portion of the shared area, wherein the first and second clients continue to have simultaneous access to edit design objects in portions of the shared area outside the protected portion and to cause modification of the common database to reflect said edits; and (f) incorporating, into a copy of the design data stored at the first client, local edits corresponding to the user actions detected in step (e), wherein edit requests corresponding to the local edits are not transmitted from the first client prior to receipt of a specific instruction, and the specific instruction is independent of the actions detected in step (e). 5. The method of claim 4, further comprising: (g) receiving at the first client an instruction to transmit an edit request corresponding to one or more of the local edits; and (h) transmitting an edit request in response to the instruction received in step (g). 6. The method of claim 5, wherein steps (g) and (h) further comprise: receiving an instruction to transmit a first edit request corresponding to one of the local edits, transmitting the first edit request, receiving an instruction to transmit a second edit request corresponding to another of the local edits, and transmitting the second edit request. 7. The method of claim 5, wherein steps (g) and (h) further comprise: receiving an instruction to transmit a single edit request corresponding to plural local edits, transmitting the single edit request. 8. The method of claim 5, wherein steps (g) and (h) further comprise: receiving a single instruction to transmit plural edit requests corresponding to plural local edits, transmitting, in response to the single instruction, plural edit requests corresponding to the plural local edits. 9. The method of claim 4, further comprising: (g) saving the design data copy with the local edits incorporated in step (f); (h) repeating steps (e) and (f) for a second copy of the design data; and (i) saving, without discarding the copy saved in step (g), the second design data copy with the local edits incorporated in step (h). 10. The method of claim 9, further comprising: (j) receiving at the first client a selection of the copy saved in step (g) or the copy saved in step (i); and (k) transmitting edit requests corresponding to the copy selected in step (j). 11. The method of claim 4, wherein step (b) comprises receiving an instruction to draw the line such that a portion of a straddling design object is inside a region bounded by the line and a portion of the staddling design object is outside the region bounded by the line, and further comprising: (g) automatically expanding the protected portion to include the entire straddling design object. 12. A computer-implemented method for editing a printed circuit board design maintained in a common database storing printed circuit board design data incorporating edits from multiple clients, comprising: (a) receiving design data from the common database at a first client, wherein the design data is graphically displayable at the first client and at one or more other clients as a pattern of electronic components and connections between those components for at least a portion of the printed circuit board design, and the pattern of electronic components and connections between those components corresponds to a shared area of the printed circuit board design throughout which the first client and the one or more other clients have simultaneous access to edit design objects and to cause modification of the common database to reflect said object edits; (b) subsequent to step (a), receiving an instruction at the first client to protect a portion of the shared area that is defined by a line drawn around the protected portion to prevent editing within the protected portion by the one or more other clients; and (c) transmitting, in response to the instruction received in step (b) and for broadcast to the one or more other clients, a protection border indicating reservation of the protected portion of the shared area for the first client. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: (d) receiving, while the protected portion of the shared area is reserved for the first client, synchronization data messages permitting update of a first client display to reflect application to a non-protected portion of the shared area of at least one edit request from one of the one or more other clients, said applied edit request not violating a design rule. 14. The method of claim 12, further comprising: (d) detecting, subsequent to step (b), multiple user actions made through the first client including edits to the protected portion of the shared area; and (e) incorporating, into a local copy of the design data stored at the first client, local edits corresponding to the user actions detected in step (d), wherein edit requests seeking incorporation of the local edits into the common database are not transmitted from the first client prior to receipt of a specific instruction, and the specific instruction is independent of the actions detected in step (d). 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising: (f) receiving at the first client one or more instructions to transmit one or more edit requests corresponding to one or more of the local edits; and (g) transmitting one or more edit requests in response to the one or more instructions received in step (f). 16. The method of claim 14, further comprising: (f) saving the design data copy with the local edits incorporated in step (e); (g) repeating steps (d) and (e) for a second copy of the design data; and (h) saving, without discarding the copy saved in step (f), the second design data copy with the local edits incorporated in step (g). 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising: (i) receiving at the first client a selection of the copy saved in step (f) or the copy saved in step (h); and (j) transmitting one or more edit requests corresponding to the copy selected in step (i). 18. The method of claim 12, wherein step (b) comprises receiving an instruction to draw the line such that a portion of a straddling design object is inside a region bounded by the line and a portion of the straddling design object is outside the region bounded by the line, and further comprising: (d) automatically expanding the protected portion to include the entire straddling design object. 19. A computer-implemented method for editing design data for a printed circuit board maintained in a common database storing printed circuit board design data incorporating edits from multiple clients, comprising: clients, comprising: (a) transmitting the design data from the common database to each of first and second clients, wherein the design data is graphically displayable at the first and second clients as a pattern of electronic components and connections between those components for at least a portion of the printed circuit board design, and the pattern of electronic components and connections between those components corresponds to a shared area of the printed circuit board design throughout which the first and second clients have simultaneous access to edit design objects and to cause modification of the common database to reflect said design object edits; (b) subsequent to step (a), receiving from the first client a designation of a protected portion of the shared area, said protected portion defined by a line drawn at the first client; (c) transmitting the line to the second client for display thereon; and (d) preventing the second client from editing parts of the shared area within the protected portion. 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising: (e) receiving a request from the second client to edit a part of the shared area within the protected portion; and (f) transmitting notification to the second client of rejection of the edit request received in step (e). 21. The method of claim 19, further comprising: (e) receiving a request from the second client to edit a part of the shared area not within the protected portion; and (f) transmitting synchronization data to the first client, said synchronization data permitting update of a first client display to reflect application to the shared area of the edit request received in step (e). 22. The method of claim 19, further comprising: (e) receiving from the first client one or more requests to edit parts of the shared area within the protected portion; and (f) applying to the protected portion the one or more edit requests received in step (e). 23. A tangible machine-readable storage device having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform steps of method for editing a printed circuit board design maintained at a common database storing printed circuit board design data incorporating edits from multiple clients, the steps comprising: (a) receiving design data from the common database at each of first and second clients, wherein the design data is graphically displayable at the first and second clients as a pattern of electronic components and connections between those components for at least a portion of the printed circuit board design, and the pattern of electronic components and connections between those components corresponds to a shared area of the printed circuit board design throughout which the first and second clients have simultaneous access to edit design objects and to cause modification of the common database to reflect said design object edits; (b) subsequent to step (a), receiving an instruction at the first client to protect a portion of the shared area from editing by the second client, wherein the instruction comprises a line drawn around the protected portion at the first client that defines a boundary of the protected portion; (c) subsequent to (b), transmitting an edit request from the second client regarding the protected portion; and (d) receiving data at the second client reflecting rejection of the edit request, said rejection being based on the presence of the protected portion. 24. The tangible machine-readable storage device of claim 23, comprising further instructions for performing steps comprising: (e) receiving at the second client data indicating the presence of the protected portion; and (f) displaying the protected portion at the second client. 25. The tangible machine readable-storage device of claim 23, comprising further instructions for performing steps comprising: (e) detecting user actions at each of the clients during an editing session in which the protected portion remains in place, the user actions pertaining to portions of the shared area not within the protected portion, wherein the first and second clients continue to have simultaneous access to edit design objects in portions of the shared area outside the protected portion and to cause modifications of the common database to reflect said edits; (f) transmitting, during the editing session, edit requests corresponding to the actions detected in step (e); (g) receiving synchronization data messages at the clients during the editing session, the synchronization data permitting update of displays at the first and second clients to reflect application to the shared area of at least one of the transmitted edit requests which did not violate a design rule; and (h) receiving rejection notification data at one of the clients during the editing session, wherein the client receiving the rejection notification data transmitted, in step (f), an edit request violating a design rule, and the rejection notification data indicates non-application to the shared area of the edit request violating the design rule. 26. The tangible machine-readable storage device of claim 23, comprising further instructions for performing steps comprising: (e) subsequent to step (b), detecting multiple user actions at the first client editing the protected portion of the shared area, wherein the first and second clients continue to have simultaneous access to edit design objects in portions of the shared area outside the protected portion and to cause modification of the common database to reflect said edits; and (f) incorporating into a copy of the design data stored at the first client local edits corresponding to the user actions detected in step (e), wherein edit requests corresponding to the local edits are not transmitted from the first client prior to receipt of a specific instruction, and the specific instruction is independent of the actions detected in step (e). 27. The tangible machine-readable storage device of claim 26, comprising further instructions for performing steps comprising: (g) saving the design data copy with the local edits incorporated in step (f); (h) repeating steps (e) and (f) for a second copy of the design data; and (i) saving, without discarding the copy saved in step (g), the second design data copy with the local edits incorporated in step (h). 28. The tangible machine-readable storage device of claim 26, wherein step (b) comprises receiving an instruction to draw the line such that a portion of a straddling design object is inside a region bounded by the line and a portion of the straddling design object is outside the region bounded by the line, and comprising further instructions for performing steps comprising: (g) automatically expanding the protected portion to include the entire straddling design object. 29. The tangible machine-readable storage device of claim 27, comprising further instructions for performing steps comprising: (j) receiving at the first client a selection of the copy saved in step (g) or the copy saved in step (i); and (k) transmitting edit requests corresponding to the copy selected in step (j). 30. The tangible machine-readable storage device of claim 26, comprising further instructions for performing steps comprising: (g) receiving at the first client an instruction to transmit an edit request corresponding to one or more of the local edits; and (h) transmitting an edit request in response to the instruction received in step (g). 31. The tangible machine-readable storage device of claim 30, wherein steps (g) and (h) further comprise: receiving an instruction to transmit a first edit request corresponding to one of the local edits, transmitting the first edit request, receiving an instruction to transmit a second edit request corresponding to another of the local edits, and transmitting the second edit request. 32. The tangible machine-readable storage device of claim 30, wherein steps (g) and (h) further comprise: receiving an instruction to transmit a single edit request corresponding to plural local edits, transmitting the single edit request. 33. The tangible machine-readable storage device of claim 30, wherein steps (g) and (h) further comprise: receiving a single instruction to transmit plural edit requests corresponding to plural local edits, transmitting, in response to the single instruction, plural edit requests corresponding to the plural local edits. 34. A tangible machine-readable storage device having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform steps of method for editing a printed circuit board design maintained in a common database storing printed circuit board design data incorporating edits from multiple clients, the steps comprising: (a) receiving design data from the common database base at a first client, wherein the design data is graphically displayable at the first client and at one or more other clients as a pattern of electronic components and connections between those components for at least a portion of the printed circuit board design, and the pattern of electronic components and connections between those components corresponds to a shared area of printed circuit board design throughout which the first client and the one or more other clients have simultaneous access to edit design objects and to cause modification of the common database to reflect said design objects edits; (b) subsequent to step (a), receiving an instruction at the first client to protect a portion of the shared area that is defined by a line drawn around the protected portion to prevent editing within the protected portion by the one or more other clients; and (c) transmitting, in response to the instruction received in step (b) and for broadcast to the one or more other clients, a protection border indicating reservation of the protected portion of the shared area for the first client. 35. The tangible machine-readable storage device of claim 34, comprising further instructions for performing steps comprising: (d) receiving, while the protected portion of the shared area is reserved for the first client, synchronization data messages permitting update of a first client display to reflect application to a non-protected portion of the shared area of at least one edit request from one of the one or more other clients, said applied edit request not violating a design rule. 36. The tangible machine-readable storage device of claim 34, comprising further instructions for performing steps comprising: (d) detecting, subsequent to step (b), multiple user actions made through the first client including edits to the protected portion of the shared area; and (e) incorporating, into a local copy of the design data stored at the first client, local edits corresponding to the user actions detected in step (d), wherein edit requests seeking incorporation of the local edits into the common database are not transmitted from the first client prior to receipt of a specific instruction, and the specific instruction is independent of the actions detected in step (d). 37. The tangible machine-readable storage device of claim 36, comprising further instructions for performing steps comprising: (f) receiving at the first client one or more instructions to transmit one or more edit requests corresponding to one or more of the local edits; and (g) transmitting one or more edit requests in response to the one or more instructions received in step (f). 38. The tangible machine-readable storage device of claim 36, comprising further instructions for performing steps comprising: (f) saving the design data copy with the local edits incorporated in step (e); (g) repeating steps (d) and (e) for a second copy of the design data; and (h) saving, without discarding the copy saved in step (f), the second design data copy with the local edits incorporated in step (g). 39. The tangible machine-readable storage device of claim 38, comprising further instructions for performing steps comprising: (i) receiving at the first client a selection of the copy saved in step (f) or the copy saved in step (h); and (j) transmitting one or more edit requests corresponding to the copy selected in step (i). 40. The tangible machine-readable storage device of claim 34, wherein step (b) comprises receiving an instruction to draw the line such that a portion of a straddling design object is inside a region bounded by the line and a portion of the straddling design object is outside the region bounded by the line, and comprising further instructions for performing steps comprising: (d) automatically expanding the protected portion to include the entire straddling design object. 41. A tangible machine-readable storage device having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform steps of method for editing a printed circuit board design maintained in a common database storing printed circuit board design data incorporating edits from multiple clients, the steps comprising: (a) transmitting design data from the common database to each of first and second clients, wherein the design data is graphically displayable at the first and second clients as a pattern of electronic components and connections between those components for at least a portion of the printed circuit board design, and the pattern of electronic components and connections between those components corresponds to a shared area of the printed circuit board design throughout which the first and second clients have simultaneous access to edit design objects and to cause modification of the common database to reflect said design object edits; (b) subsequent to step (a), receiving from the first client a designation of a protected portion of the shared area, said protected portion defined by a line drawn at the first client; (c) transmitting the line to the second client for display thereon; and (d) preventing the second client from editing parts of the shared area within the protected portion. 42. The tangible machine-readable storage device of claim 41, comprising further instructions for performing steps comprising: (e) receiving a request from the second client to edit a part of the shared area within the protected portion; and (f) transmitting notification to the second client of rejection of the edit request received in step (e). 43. The tangible machine-readable storage device of claim 41, comprising further instructions for performing steps comprising: (e) receiving a request from the second client to edit a part of the shared area not within the protected portion; and (f) transmitting synchronization data to the first client, said synchronization data permitting update of a first client display to reflect application to the shared area of the edit request received in step (e). 44. The tangible machine-readable storage device of claim 41, comprising further instructions for performing steps comprising: (e) receiving from the first client one or more requests to edit parts of the shared area within the protected portion; and (f) applying to the protected portion the one or more edit requests received in step (e).
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