IP Library Granted Patent US 9,424,379
Granted Patent B2
US 9,424,379 · App. 14/398,901 · Granted Aug 23, 2016

Simulation system and method for testing a simulation of a device against one or more violation rules

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,424,379
App. No.
14/398,901
Granted
Aug 23, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A simulation system for testing a simulation of a device against one or more violation rules is described. The simulation system comprises a device simulator for executing the simulation of a device using a device design, a device model and a simulation scenario; and one or more violation monitors, one for each violation rule. Each violation monitor comprises a violation information detector for detecting one or more violations of the respective violation rule during the executing of the simulation and, for each violation, determining information representing the respective violation; a violation score unit for calculating, for each violation of the respective violation rule, a violation score in dependence on the information representing the violation and on a violation rule-specific scheme, and a rule score unit for determining, for the respective violation rule, a rule score from the violation scores of the one or more violations during the simulation. The simulation system further comprises a reporting unit for preparing a report of the rule scores associated with the one or more violation rules and for reporting the report to a user. A method of testing a simulation of a device against one or more violation rules is described.

Claims (44)

1. A simulation system for testing a simulation of a device against one or more violation rules, the simulation system comprising:

a device simulator for executing the simulation of a device using a device design, a device model and a simulation scenario; and

one or more violation monitors, one for each violation rule, each violation monitor comprising:

a violation information detector for detecting one or more violations of the respective violation rule during the executing of the simulation and, for each violation, determining information representing the respective violation,

a violation score unit for calculating, for each violation of the respective violation rule, a violation score in dependence on the information representing the violation and on a violation rule-specific scheme, and

a rule score unit for determining, for the respective violation rule, a rule score from the violation scores of the one or more violations during the simulation, wherein the rule score is used to determine a violation with a highest priority that needs to be addressed to improve the device.

2. The simulation system according to claim 1 , further comprising a reporting unit for preparing a report of the rule scores associated with the one or more violation rules.

3. The simulation system according to claim 2 , the reporting unit being arranged to perform a filtering and/or a sorting on the rule scores in preparing the report.

4. The simulation system according to claim 2 , the reporting unit being arranged to write the selection of the rule scores to a log file.

5. The simulation system according to claim 1 , the one or more violation monitors being part of the device simulator unit.

6. The simulation system according to claim 1 , the one or more violation monitors and the device simulator unit being separate units.

7. The simulation system according to claim 1 , each violation rule being associated with a violation of a different violation type of a plurality of violation types, the calculating of the violation score using a weighting factor dependent on the violation type.

8. The simulation system according to claim 1 , the information comprising at least a first violation parameter and a second violation parameter of a violation parameter group comprising a violation start time, a violation stop time, a violation duration, a violation count, a violation peak amplitude and a violation relaxation duration relative to a preceding violation,

each violation score being calculated using a violation rule-specific function of at least the first violation parameter and the second violation parameter.

9. A method of testing a simulation of a device against one or more violation rules, the method comprising:

providing a device design, a component library and a simulation scenario;

executing the simulation of the device using the device design, the component library and the simulation scenario;

detecting, for each violation rule of the plurality of violation rules, one or more violations of the respective violation rule during the executing of the simulation and determining information representing the violation;

calculating, for each violation of each violation rule of the plurality of violation rules, a violation score in dependence on the information representing the violation of the respective violation rule during the executing of the simulation; and

determining, for each violation rule of the plurality of violation rules, a respective rule score from the violation scores of the one or more violations during the simulation; and

prioritizing a violation rule associated with a largest one of the rule scores to determine how to improve the device.

10. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising preparing a report of the rule scores associated with the one or more violation rules.

11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising reporting the report.

12. The method according to claim 10 , the preparing the report comprising filtering and/or a sorting of the rule score.

13. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising writing the report into a log file and/or presenting the report on a display for presenting the report to a user.

14. The method according to claim 9 , each violation rule being associated with a violation of a different violation type of a plurality of violation types, the calculating of the violation score using a weighting factor dependent on the violation type.

15. The method according to claim 9 , the detecting comprising detecting at least a first violation parameter and a second violation parameter of a violation parameter group comprising a violation start time, a violation stop time, a violation duration, a violation count, a violation peak amplitude and a violation relaxation duration relative to a preceding violation,

the information comprising at least the first violation parameter and the second violation parameter as detected, and

each violation score being calculated using a violation rule-specific function of at least the first violation parameter and the second violation parameter.

16. The method according to claim 9 wherein:

the method comprises, prior to executing the simulation of a device, connecting at least one violation monitor to the device design or to the device model; and

each violation monitor being arranged to provide for one violation rule of the one or more violation rules:

the detecting of the violations of the respective violation rule during the executing of the simulation and the determining of the information representing the violation of the respective violation rule,

the calculating of the violation score in dependence on the information for representing the violation of the respective violation rule during the executing of the simulation, and

determining the rule score from the violation scores during the simulation.

17. A computer program product on tangible computer readable medium, the computer program product comprising a violation monitor library component for use in a simulation of a performance of a device component on a processor system, the violation monitor library component comprising instructions for causing the processor system to perform:

detecting a violation of a violation rule during the executing of the simulation;

determining information representing the violation of the violation rule during the executing of the simulation during the executing of the simulation;

calculating a violation score in dependence on the information representing the violation of the violation rule during the executing of the simulation;

determining a rule score from the violation score during the executing of the simulation;

providing the rule score to a program function executing the violation monitor library component; and

using the rule score to improve the device component.

18. The computer program product according to claim 17 , the violation monitor library component being part of a device library component arranged to simulate the device component.

19. The computer program product according to claim 17 , the library component being arranged to cooperate with a device library component arranged to simulate the device component.

Assignments (24)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REMOVE APPLICATION 11759915 AND REPLACE IT WITH APPLICATION 11759935 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 040925 FRAME 0001. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST. Recorded Feb 17, 2020
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
To: NXP, B.V. F/K/A FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
Reel/Frame 052917/0001 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REMOVE APPLICATION 11759915 AND REPLACE IT WITH APPLICATION 11759935 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 040928 FRAME 0001. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST. Recorded Jan 17, 2020
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
To: NXP B.V.
Reel/Frame 052915/0001 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REMOVE APPLICATION 12298143 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 038017 FRAME 0058. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECURITY AGREEMENT SUPPLEMENT. Recorded Oct 22, 2019
From: NXP B.V.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 051030/0001 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REMOVE APPLICATION 12298143 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 039361 FRAME 0212. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECURITY AGREEMENT SUPPLEMENT. Recorded Oct 22, 2019
From: NXP B.V.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 051029/0387 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REMOVE APPLICATION 12298143 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 042985 FRAME 0001. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECURITY AGREEMENT SUPPLEMENT. Recorded Oct 22, 2019
From: NXP B.V.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 051029/0001 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REMOVE APPLICATION 12298143 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 042762 FRAME 0145. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECURITY AGREEMENT SUPPLEMENT. Recorded Oct 22, 2019
From: NXP B.V.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 051145/0184 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 10, 2019
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
To: NXP B.V.
Reel/Frame 050745/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 10, 2019
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
To: NXP B.V.
Reel/Frame 050744/0097 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE NATURE OF CONVEYANCE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 040632 FRAME: 0001. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE MERGER AND CHANGE OF NAME. Recorded Sep 21, 2017
From: FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR INC.
To: NXP USA, INC.
Reel/Frame 044209/0047 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REMOVE APPLICATION 12681366 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 038017 FRAME 0058. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECURITY AGREEMENT SUPPLEMENT. Recorded May 9, 2017
From: NXP B.V.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 042985/0001 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REMOVE APPLICATION 12681366 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 039361 FRAME 0212. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECURITY AGREEMENT SUPPLEMENT. Recorded May 9, 2017
From: NXP B.V.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 042762/0145 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 8, 2016
From: FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
To: NXP USA, INC.
Reel/Frame 040632/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 7, 2016
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
To: NXP B.V.
Reel/Frame 040928/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 21, 2016
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
To: NXP, B.V., F/K/A FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
Reel/Frame 040925/0001 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REMOVE APPLICATION 12092129 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 038017 FRAME 0058. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECURITY AGREEMENT SUPPLEMENT. Recorded Jul 14, 2016
From: NXP B.V.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 039361/0212 →
SUPPLEMENT TO THE SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 16, 2016
From: FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 039138/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT SUPPLEMENT Recorded Mar 7, 2016
From: NXP B.V.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
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ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Jan 5, 2016
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ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Jan 5, 2016
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PATENT RELEASE Recorded Dec 21, 2015
From: CITIBANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
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SUPPLEMENT TO IP SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 18, 2015
From: FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
To: CITIBANK, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
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SUPPLEMENT TO IP SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 18, 2015
From: FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
To: CITIBANK, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
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ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 4, 2014
From: HOURS, XAVIER; CAUNEGRE, PASCAL; OGER, CHRISTOPHE; SHROFF, MEHUL
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