IP Library Granted Patent US 12,417,329
Granted Patent B2
US 12,417,329 · App. 17/845,796 · Granted Sep 16, 2025

Architecting an integrated circuit or system using machine learning

Inventors: Darius Bunandar (Boston, MA); Nicholas C. Harris (Boston, MA)
Assignee: Lightmatter, Inc.
G06F30/32G06N3/084
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,417,329
App. No.
17/845,796
Granted
Sep 16, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods for designing a chip configured to perform computing processes are provided. The described techniques include obtaining information associated with the chip and determining, using a trained machine learning model and the information associated with the chip, selections of one or more circuit building blocks to be included in the chip. The chip architecture may then be generated to be used in fabrication of the chip based on the selections of the one or more circuit building blocks.

Claims (39)

1. A method for designing a chip configured to perform computing processes, the method comprising:

obtaining information associated with the chip including representative workloads to be implemented on the chip and target metrics associated with the chip;

determining, using a trained machine learning model and the information associated with the chip, selections of one or more circuit building blocks to be included in the chip by:

obtaining an output based on evaluating at least one cost function indicative of the target metrics associated with the chip when the representative workloads are applied to a first selection of the one or more circuit building blocks; and

updating the first selection of the one or more circuit building blocks to obtain a second selection of the one or more circuit building blocks based on the obtained output; and

generating a chip architecture to use in fabrication of the chip based on the second selection of the one or more circuit building blocks.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the information associated with the chip further comprises obtaining one or more of: representative datasets, circuit building blocks and parameters related to the circuit building blocks, and/or a parameter constraint.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the parameters related to the circuit building blocks comprise performance and/or cost information.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the parameter constraint comprises at least one of power, performance, and/or area constraints.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the selections of one or more circuit building blocks comprises determining selections of electronic circuit blocks and/or photonic circuit blocks.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein determining selections of the electronic circuit blocks and/or the photonic circuit blocks comprises determining selections of one or more of: a memory block, a microcontroller block, a microprocessor block, a photonic tensor multiplier block, a multiply and accumulate (MAC) block, a scheduler block, a control flow and/or logic block, and/or a networks on chip (NoCs) block.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising obtaining the trained machine learning model by training a machine learning model, the training comprising using unsupervised learning.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein using unsupervised learning comprises using reinforcement learning.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein using reinforcement learning comprises:

obtaining an output from the machine learning model;

calculating a reward using a reward function and the output, the reward function being a function of power, latency, area, and/or throughput of the chip; and

determining new parameter values of the machine learning model based on the calculated reward.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising obtaining the trained machine learning model by training a machine learning model, the training comprising using supervised learning based on a set of chip architectures.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining, using the trained machine learning model, a physical arrangement of the one or more circuit building blocks on the chip.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising obtaining the trained machine learning model by training a machine learning model using backpropagation, the backpropagation comprising using stochastic gradient-based optimizers.

13. At least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method for designing a chip configured to perform computing processes, the method comprising:

obtaining information associated with the chip including representative workloads to be implemented on the chip and target metrics associated with the chip;

determining, using a trained machine learning model and the information associated with the chip, selections of one or more circuit building blocks to be included in the chip by:

obtaining an output based on evaluating at least one cost function indicative of the target metrics associated with the chip when the representative workloads are applied to a first selection of the one or more circuit building blocks; and

updating the first selection of the one or more circuit building blocks to obtain a second selection of the one or more circuit building blocks based on the obtained output; and

generating a chip architecture to use in fabrication of the chip based on the second selection of the one or more circuit building blocks.

14. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein obtaining the information associated with the chip further comprises obtaining one or more of: representative datasets, circuit building blocks and parameters related to the circuit building blocks, and/or a parameter constraint.

15. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein determining the selections of one or more circuit building blocks comprises determining selections of electronic circuit blocks and/or photonic circuit blocks.

16. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein determining selections of the electronic circuit blocks and/or the photonic circuit blocks comprises determining selections of one or more of: a memory block, a microcontroller block, a microprocessor block, a photonic tensor multiplier block, a multiply and accumulate (MAC) block, a scheduler block, a control flow and/or logic block, and/or a networks on chip (NoCs) block.

17. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , further comprising obtaining the trained machine learning model by training a machine learning model, the training comprising using unsupervised learning.

18. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , further comprising determining, using the trained machine learning model, a physical arrangement of the one or more circuit building blocks on the chip.

19. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , further comprising obtaining the trained machine learning model by training a machine learning model using backpropagation, the backpropagation comprising using stochastic gradient-based optimizers.

20. A system comprising:

at least one processor configured to perform a method for designing a chip configured to perform computing processes, the method comprising:

obtaining information associated with the chip including representative workloads to be implemented on the chip and target metrics associated with the chip;

determining, using a trained machine learning model and the information associated with the chip, selections of one or more circuit building blocks to be included in the chip by:

obtaining an output based on evaluating at least one cost function indicative of the target metrics associated with the chip when the representative workloads are applied to a first selection of the one or more circuit building blocks; and

updating the first selection of the one or more circuit building blocks to obtain a second selection of the one or more building blocks based on the obtained output; and

generating a chip architecture to use in fabrication of the chip based on the second selection of the one or more circuit building blocks.

Assignments (4)
TERMINATION OF IP SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 5, 2024
From: EASTWARD FUND MANAGEMENT, LLC
To: LIGHTMATTER, INC.
Reel/Frame 069304/0700 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 31, 2023
From: EASTWARD FUND MANAGEMENT, LLC
To: LIGHTMATTER, INC.
Reel/Frame 063209/0966 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 27, 2022
From: LIGHTMATTER, INC.
To: EASTWARD FUND MANAGEMENT, LLC
Reel/Frame 062230/0361 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 12, 2022
From: BUNANDAR, DARIUS; HARRIS, NICHOLAS C.
To: LIGHTMATTER, INC.
Reel/Frame 060795/0863 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63213573 · Jun 22, 2021
Related Publication 20220405450A1 · Dec 22, 2022
References Cited (11)
US 9792397B1 · Nagaraja · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 10949585B1 · Winefeld · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 11775720B2 · Mahmud · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 12099788B2 · Salahuddin · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 20100049963A1 · Bell, Jr. · 2010 [cited by examiner]
US 20190377847A1 · Sha · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20210097224A1 · Lin · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20220004900A1 · Salahuddin · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20250086522A1 · Veefkind · 2025 [cited by examiner]
Baddouh et al., Principal Kernel Analysis: A Tractable Methodology to Simulate Scaled GPU Workloads. Micro. Oct. 18-22, 2021. pp. 724-737. [cited by applicant]
Mirhoseini et al., Chip Placement with Deep Reinforcement Learning. arXiv:2004; Apr. 22, 2020;10746(1).15 pages. [cited by applicant]