IP module management method and system, chip, equipment and medium
By obtaining and deleting useless IP module version files, the problem of inability to automatically manage IP module version files in the existing technology is solved, and automated management and efficiency improvements are achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202510591622.4
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-05-08
- Publication Date
- 2025-08-15
AI Technical Summary
The existing technology cannot automatically identify and delete the version files of useless IP modules, resulting in excessive disk space occupied, affecting the progress of chip research and development, and unable to achieve automatic management of the version files of IP modules.
By obtaining the retained version files that each IP module needs to retain, combining the preset version control system and local version files, deleting the remaining version files in the local version files except the retained version files, and achieving automated management of the IP module version files.
It realizes automatic management of IP module version files, eliminates the problem of missing version files, ensures project research and development progress, and improves management efficiency.
Smart Images
Figure CN120492016A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of integrated circuit technology, and in particular to a method, system, chip, device, and medium for managing an IP module. Background Art
[0002] With the advancement of chip technology, chips are becoming increasingly large, and the number of chip types used has reached tens of thousands. During the chip development process, various IP modules (Intellectual Property Modules) are used, as well as their sub-versions. These IP modules contain a large amount of data, occupying a large amount of disk storage space.
[0003] Existing technologies all manage IP modules manually, manually identifying and deleting version files of useless IP modules to save disk space. However, this method has certain problems of accidental deletion and missed deletion, which affects the progress of chip research and development and cannot achieve automated management of IP module version files. Summary of the Invention
[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present disclosure is to overcome the defects in the prior art that the version files of useless IP modules cannot be automatically identified and deleted, and the version files of IP modules cannot be automatically managed. A management method, system, chip, device and medium for IP modules are provided.
[0005] The present disclosure solves the above technical problems through the following technical solutions:
[0006] In a first aspect, a method for managing an IP module is provided, the method comprising:
[0007] Obtain the retained version files that need to be retained for each IP module;
[0008] Among them, each IP module includes several version files;
[0009] Obtaining local version files of each IP module stored in a local storage device;
[0010] Delete the remaining version files in the local version file except the reserved version file.
[0011] Optionally, the step of obtaining the retained version file that each IP module needs to retain includes:
[0012] Obtaining a first version file corresponding to a preset design process node of each IP module based on a preset version control system;
[0013] Obtaining a second version file corresponding to the latest operation node of each IP module based on the local version file;
[0014] The first version file and the second version file are aggregated to obtain the retained version file.
[0015] Optionally, the preset version control system includes Git (a distributed version control system) or SVN (Subversion, a centralized version control system).
[0016] Optionally, the preset design process nodes include at least one of an RTL0.1 node (a key node in the chip design process), an RTL0.5 node (a key node in the chip design process), an RTL0.9 node (a key node in the chip design process) and a TO node (a key node in the chip design process).
[0017] Optionally, the operation node includes a modification node; and the step of obtaining the second version file corresponding to the latest operation node of each IP module based on the local version file includes:
[0018] Obtaining the actual modification time interval corresponding to the local version file of each IP module;
[0019] The version file whose actual modification time interval is less than the preset modification time threshold is used as the second version file;
[0020] And / or, the operation node includes a reading node, and the step of obtaining the second version file corresponding to the latest operation node of each IP module based on the local version file includes:
[0021] Obtaining an actual reading time interval corresponding to the local version file of each IP module;
[0022] The version file whose actual reading time interval is less than the preset reading time threshold is used as the second version file.
[0023] Optionally, the management method further includes:
[0024] In response to the first version file not existing in the local version file, obtaining the first version file from the preset version control system and storing the first version file in the local storage device;
[0025] And / or, the management method further comprises:
[0026] Get the version number of the IP module to be restored.
[0027] A target version file corresponding to the version number to be restored is obtained from the preset version control system, and the target version file is stored in the local storage device.
[0028] Optionally, the management method further includes:
[0029] The step of obtaining the reserved version files that need to be retained by each IP module is performed after a preset period of time.
[0030] In a second aspect, a management system for an IP module is provided, the management system comprising:
[0031] The reserved file acquisition module is used to obtain the reserved version files that need to be retained by each IP module;
[0032] Among them, each IP module includes several version files;
[0033] A local file acquisition module is used to obtain the local version files of each IP module stored in the local storage device;
[0034] The file deletion module is used to delete the remaining files in the local version file except the reserved version file.
[0035] In a third aspect, a chip is provided, comprising at least one processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute program instructions to perform the above-mentioned IP module management method.
[0036] In a fourth aspect, a chip module is provided for use in electronic devices, including a transceiver component and a chip, wherein the chip is used to execute the above-mentioned IP module management method.
[0037] In a fifth aspect, an electronic device is provided, comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and for running on the processor, wherein the processor implements the above-mentioned IP module management method when executing the computer program.
[0038] In a sixth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which a computer program is stored, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the above-mentioned IP module management method is implemented.
[0039] In a seventh aspect, a computer program product is provided, comprising a computer program, which implements the above-mentioned IP module management method when executed by a processor.
[0040] On the basis of conforming to the common sense in this field, the above-mentioned preferred conditions can be arbitrarily combined to obtain the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0041] The positive progress of this disclosure is:
[0042] The present invention discloses an IP module management method, system, chip, device and medium. The IP module management method includes obtaining the retained version files that need to be retained for each IP module, obtaining the local version files of each IP module stored in a local storage device, and deleting the remaining version files in the local version files except the retained version files to achieve management of the version files of the IP module; it realizes the automation of the management of the version files of the IP module, eliminates the problem of missing and deleting version files, ensures the progress of project research and development, and improves the management efficiency of the version files of the IP module. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0043] Figure 1 A first flow chart of the IP module management method provided in Example 1 of the present disclosure;
[0044] Figure 2 A second flow chart of the IP module management method provided in Example 1 of the present disclosure;
[0045] Figure 3 A third flow chart of the IP module management method provided in Example 1 of the present disclosure;
[0046] Figure 4 A fourth flow chart of the IP module management method provided in Example 1 of the present disclosure;
[0047] Figure 5 A fifth flow chart of the IP module management method provided in Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure;
[0048] Figure 6 A sixth flow chart of the IP module management method provided in Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure;
[0049] Figure 7 A seventh flow chart of the IP module management method provided in Example 1 of the present disclosure;
[0050] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of the management system of the IP module provided in Example 2 of the present disclosure;
[0051] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electronic device provided in Example 3 of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0052] The present disclosure is further illustrated below by way of examples, but the present disclosure is not limited to the scope of the examples.
[0053] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, prefixes such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish different description objects and have no limiting effect on the position, order, priority, quantity or content of the described objects. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the use of prefixes such as ordinal numbers to distinguish description objects does not constitute a restriction on the described objects. For the statement of the described objects, please refer to the description in the context of the embodiments, and the use of such prefixes should not constitute an unnecessary restriction. In addition, in the description of this embodiment, unless otherwise specified, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more.
[0054] Example 1
[0055] This embodiment provides a method for managing an IP module. Figure 1 As shown, the management method includes:
[0056] S1. Obtain the retained version files that need to be retained for each IP module.
[0057] S2. Obtain the local version files of each IP module stored in the local storage device.
[0058] S3. Delete the remaining version files in the local version file except the retained version file.
[0059] Each IP module includes several version files. The local storage device can be a disk in the user's computer, and the remaining version files are the version files to be deleted.
[0060] The IP module management method of this embodiment obtains the retained version files that need to be retained by each IP module, obtains the local version files of each IP module stored in the local storage device, and deletes the remaining version files in the local version files except the retained version files, thereby achieving the deletion of useless version files and managing the version files of the IP module; it realizes the automation of the management of the version files of the IP module, eliminates the problem of missed deletion of version files, ensures the progress of project research and development, and improves the management efficiency of the version files of the IP module.
[0061] In an optional embodiment, if Figure 2 As shown, the above step S1 includes:
[0062] S11. Obtain a first version file corresponding to a preset design process node of each IP module based on a preset version control system.
[0063] S12. Obtain the second version file corresponding to the latest operation node of each IP module based on the local version file.
[0064] S12. Aggregate the first version file and the second version file to obtain a retained version file.
[0065] Specifically, the preset version control system includes but is not limited to Git or SVN.
[0066] Git is an open-source distributed version control system that efficiently and quickly manages versions of projects from small to very large. Git supports cloning complete Git repositories (including code and version information) from a server to a local machine, allowing users to create branches and modify code based on different development purposes on their local machine.
[0067] SVN (Subversion) is a centralized version control system primarily used for code and document management in collaborative development scenarios. SVN uses a client-server architecture, with all version histories stored centrally on the server, while the client retains only the current working copy. Developers retrieve code from the server through a checkout operation and, after making modifications, submit them to the server through a commit operation to complete the version update.
[0068] The preset design flow node includes at least one of an RTL0.1 node, an RTL0.5 node, an RTL0.9 node, and a TO node.
[0069] RTL0.1 is the starting node of the chip design process, which mainly completes the module-level architecture design and interface definition to form a verifiable preliminary RTL code framework. In the RTL0.5 stage, the RTL code completes the main functional implementation, and the verification coverage reaches a medium level (such as 60%-70%). RTL0.9 marks the freezing of the RTL (register transfer level) code function. Only limited modifications are allowed through ECO (engineering change order), and the verification coverage must reach more than 95%. The TO (Tape-Out) node is the final stage of the chip design process. The GDSII (data exchange standard for integrated circuit layout) file is delivered to the wafer fab for tape-out and enters the mass production stage. It usually requires two tape-out verifications to ensure mass production stability. These nodes are some key nodes in the chip design process.
[0070] Those skilled in the art may adjust the preset design process nodes according to actual needs.
[0071] Based on the preset version control system, the first version file corresponding to the preset design flow node of each IP module can be obtained. Since the preset design flow nodes are some key nodes in the chip design process, the first version file is a relatively important version file and needs to be retained rather than deleted. Specifically, the tag information of the preset design flow node can be obtained through the cfg (configuration file), and these tags and the version file of the IP module used in the Git master (branch) warehouse can be obtained through Git.
[0072] Based on the local version file, the second version file corresponding to the latest operation node of each IP module is obtained. The latest operation node is related to the user's daily operations and needs to be retained, not deleted. Therefore, the second version file is the version file that the user frequently operates. Specifically, the second version file can be obtained by identifying user operations through a script.
[0073] At the same time, considering the preset design process nodes and the latest operation nodes, the first version file and the second version file are summarized to obtain the retained version file, so that the retained version file comprehensively covers the version files required by users on a daily basis, eliminates the problem of missing and deleting version files, ensures the progress of project research and development, and improves the management efficiency of IP module version files.
[0074] In an optional embodiment, operating a node includes modifying a node; Figure 3 As shown, the above step S12 includes:
[0075] S121 : Obtain the actual modification time interval corresponding to the local version file of each IP module.
[0076] S122: The version file whose actual modification time interval is less than the preset modification time threshold is used as the second version file.
[0077] The version files that are frequently modified by users are common version files and need to be retained instead of deleted. The actual modification time interval corresponding to the local version files of each IP module can be identified through a script, and the actual modification time interval can be compared with the preset modification time threshold. The version file whose actual modification time interval is less than the preset modification time threshold can be used as the second version file.
[0078] The preset modification time threshold can be flexibly set according to the actual needs of the user, for example, it can be set at intervals of several days, weeks, or months.
[0079] In an optional embodiment, the operation node includes a read node, such as Figure 4 As shown, the above step S12 includes:
[0080] S123: Obtain the actual reading time interval corresponding to the local version file of each IP module.
[0081] S124: The version file whose actual reading time interval is less than the preset reading time threshold is used as the second version file.
[0082] The version files that users frequently read are common version files and need to be retained without being deleted. The actual reading time interval corresponding to the local version files of each IP module can be identified through a script, and the actual reading time interval can be compared with the preset reading time threshold. The version file whose actual reading time interval is less than the preset reading time threshold can be used as the second version file.
[0083] The preset reading time threshold can be flexibly set according to the actual needs of the user, for example, it can be set at intervals of several days, weeks, or months.
[0084] In an optional embodiment, if Figure 5 As shown, the IP module management method further includes:
[0085] S4. In response to the first version file not existing in the local version file, obtain the first version file from a preset version control system and save the first version file in a local storage device.
[0086] Since the first version file corresponds to the preset design process node, when the first version file does not exist in the local version file, the first version file can be obtained through the preset version control system and saved in the local storage device to implement supplementary operations on the version file.
[0087] In an optional embodiment, if Figure 6 As shown, the IP module management method further includes:
[0088] S5. Obtain the version number to be restored corresponding to the IP module to be restored.
[0089] S6. Obtain a target version file corresponding to the version number to be restored from a preset version control system, and store the target version file in a local storage device.
[0090] When a user accidentally deletes a version file, he or she can obtain the target version file corresponding to the version number to be restored from the preset version control system based on the version number to be restored corresponding to the IP module to be restored, and store the target version file in a local storage device to implement the version file recovery operation.
[0091] In an optional embodiment, if Figure 7 As shown, the IP module management method further includes: executing the step of obtaining the reserved version file that each IP module needs to retain after a preset period of time.
[0092] That is, the aforementioned step S1 is executed after a preset period of time to achieve a timed and periodic start. For example, a timed and periodic start can be set by a script to automatically and periodically delete useless version files, further improving the management efficiency of IP module version files.
[0093] The preset time period can be flexibly set according to the actual needs of the user.
[0094] Example 2
[0095] Corresponding to the aforementioned IP module management method embodiment, the present disclosure also provides an embodiment of an IP module management system, such as Figure 8 As shown, the management system of the IP module includes:
[0096] The reserved file acquisition module 1 is used to obtain the reserved version files that need to be retained by each IP module;
[0097] Among them, each IP module includes several version files;
[0098] Local file acquisition module 2, used to obtain the local version files of each IP module stored in the local storage device;
[0099] The file deletion module 3 is used to delete the remaining files in the local version file except the reserved version file.
[0100] In an optional embodiment, the reserved file acquisition module 1 includes:
[0101] The first file unit 11 is used to obtain a first version file corresponding to a preset design process node of each IP module based on a preset version control system;
[0102] The second file unit 12 is used to obtain the second version file corresponding to the latest operation node of each IP module based on the local version file;
[0103] The file aggregation unit 13 aggregates the first version file and the second version file to obtain a reserved version file.
[0104] In an optional embodiment, the preset version control system includes but is not limited to Git or SVN.
[0105] In an optional implementation, the preset design flow node includes at least one of an RTL0.1 node, an RTL0.5 node, an RTL0.9 node, and a TO node.
[0106] In an optional embodiment, the operation node includes a modification node; the second file unit 12 is used to obtain the actual modification time interval corresponding to the local version file of each IP module; and the version file whose actual modification time interval is less than the preset modification time threshold is used as the second version file.
[0107] In an optional embodiment, the operation node includes a reading node, and the second file unit 12 is used to obtain the actual reading time interval corresponding to the local version file of each IP module; and the version file whose actual reading time interval is less than the preset reading time threshold is used as the second version file.
[0108] In an optional embodiment, the management system of the IP module further includes:
[0109] The file supplement module 4 is configured to obtain the first version file from a preset version control system in response to a first version file not existing in the local version file, and save the first version file in a local storage device.
[0110] In an optional embodiment, the management system of the IP module further includes:
[0111] The file recovery module 5 is used to obtain the version number to be recovered corresponding to the IP module to be recovered; obtain the target version file corresponding to the version number to be recovered from the preset version control system, and store the target version file in the local storage device.
[0112] The management system of the IP module of this embodiment obtains the retained version files that need to be retained by each IP module, obtains the local version files of each IP module stored in the local storage device, and deletes the remaining version files in the local version files except the retained version files, thereby achieving the deletion of useless version files and managing the version files of the IP module; it realizes the automation of the management of the version files of the IP module, eliminates the problem of missed deletion of version files, ensures the progress of project research and development, and improves the management efficiency of the version files of the IP module.
[0113] Since the system embodiments generally correspond to the method embodiments, reference will be made to the description of the method embodiments for relevant details. The system embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components of the units may or may not be physical units, i.e., they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the modules may be selected based on actual needs to achieve the objectives of the disclosed solution.
[0114] The management system of the IP module provided in this embodiment may specifically be a separate chip, chip module or electronic device, or a chip or chip module integrated into an electronic device.
[0115] Regarding the various modules / units included in the management system of the IP module described in this embodiment, they can be software modules / units, hardware modules / units, or part of them can be software modules / units and part of them can be hardware modules / units. For example, for various devices and products applied to or integrated into a chip, the various modules / units included therein can all be implemented in the form of hardware such as circuits, or at least some of the modules / units can be implemented in the form of software programs, which run on the processor integrated inside the chip, and the remaining modules / units can be implemented in the form of hardware such as circuits; for various devices and products applied to or integrated into a chip module, the various modules / units included therein can all be implemented in the form of hardware such as circuits, and different modules / units can be located in the same component of the chip module (such as a chip, circuit module, etc.) or in different components, or at least some of the modules / units can be implemented in the form of hardware such as circuits. The element can be implemented in the form of a software program, which runs on the processor integrated inside the chip module, and the remaining modules / units can be implemented in the form of hardware such as circuits; for various devices and products applied to or integrated into electronic devices, the various modules / units contained therein can be implemented in the form of hardware such as circuits, and different modules / units can be located in the same component (for example, chip, circuit module, etc.) or different components in the terminal, or, at least some modules / units can be implemented in the form of a software program, which runs on the processor integrated inside the electronic device, and the remaining modules / units can be implemented in the form of hardware such as circuits.
[0116] Example 3
[0117] Figure 9 This is a structural diagram of an electronic device shown in this embodiment. The electronic device includes a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and used to run on the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the IP module management method provided in any of the above embodiments. Figure 9 The electronic device 90 shown is only an example and should not limit the functionality and scope of use of the embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0118] like Figure 9 As shown, the electronic device 90 may be a general-purpose computing device, such as a server device. Components of the electronic device 90 may include, but are not limited to, the at least one processor 91, the at least one memory 92, and a bus 93 connecting different system components (including the memory 92 and the processor 91).
[0119] The bus 93 includes a data bus, an address bus, and a control bus.
[0120] The memory 92 may include a volatile memory, such as a random access memory (RAM) 921 and / or a cache memory 922 , and may further include a read-only memory (ROM) 923 .
[0121] The memory 92 may also include a program tool 925 (or utility) having a set (at least one) of program modules 924, such program modules 924 including but not limited to: an operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules and program data, each of which or some combination may include an implementation of a network environment.
[0122] The processor 91 executes various functional applications and data processing by running computer programs stored in the memory 92, such as the IP module management method provided in any of the above embodiments.
[0123] The electronic device 90 can also communicate with one or more external devices 94 (e.g., a keyboard, pointing device, etc.). Such communication can occur via an input / output (I / O) interface 95. Furthermore, the electronic device 90 can communicate with one or more networks (e.g., a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), and / or a public network, such as the Internet) via a network adapter 96. As shown, the network adapter 96 communicates with other modules of the electronic device 90 via a bus 93. It should be understood that, although not shown, other hardware and / or software modules can be used in conjunction with the electronic device 90, including but not limited to microcode, device drivers, redundant processors, external disk drive arrays, RAID (RAID) systems, tape drives, and data backup storage systems.
[0124] It should be noted that although several units / modules or sub-units / modules of the electronic device are mentioned in the detailed description above, this division is merely exemplary and not mandatory. In fact, according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the features and functions of two or more units / modules described above can be embodied in one unit / module. Conversely, the features and functions of one unit / module described above can be further divided and embodied by multiple units / modules.
[0125] Example 4
[0126] This embodiment provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon. When the program is executed by a processor, the IP module management method provided in any of the above embodiments is implemented.
[0127] The readable storage medium may include, but is not limited to, a portable disk, a hard disk, a random access memory, a read-only memory, an erasable programmable read-only memory, an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination thereof.
[0128] Example 5
[0129] An embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a computer program product, including a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, implements the IP module management method provided in any of the above embodiments.
[0130] The program code for executing the computer program product of the present disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, and the program code may be executed entirely on the user device, partially on the user device, as a standalone software package, partially on the user device and partially on a remote device, or entirely on the remote device.
[0131] While specific embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, those skilled in the art will appreciate that these are merely illustrative and that the scope of protection of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims. Those skilled in the art may make various changes or modifications to these embodiments without departing from the principles and essence of the present disclosure, and such changes and modifications are intended to fall within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.
Claims
1. A method for managing an IP module, characterized in that: The management method includes: Obtain the retained version files that need to be retained for each IP module; Among them, each IP module includes several version files; Obtaining local version files of each IP module stored in a local storage device; Delete the remaining version files in the local version file except the reserved version file.
2. The IP module management method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step of obtaining the reserved version files that need to be retained by each IP module includes: Obtaining a first version file corresponding to a preset design process node of each IP module based on a preset version control system; Obtaining a second version file corresponding to the latest operation node of each IP module based on the local version file; The first version file and the second version file are aggregated to obtain the retained version file.
3. The IP module management method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The preset version control system includes Git or SVN.
4. The IP module management method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The preset design process node includes at least one of an RTL0.1 node, an RTL0.5 node, an RTL0.9 node and a TO node.
5. The IP module management method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The operation node includes a modification node; and the step of obtaining the second version file corresponding to the latest operation node of each IP module based on the local version file includes: Obtaining the actual modification time interval corresponding to the local version file of each IP module; The version file whose actual modification time interval is less than the preset modification time threshold is used as the second version file; And / or, the operation node includes a reading node, and the step of obtaining the second version file corresponding to the latest operation node of each IP module based on the local version file includes: Obtaining an actual reading time interval corresponding to the local version file of each IP module; The version file whose actual reading time interval is less than the preset reading time threshold is used as the second version file.
6. The IP module management method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The management method further comprises: In response to the first version file not existing in the local version file, obtaining the first version file from the preset version control system and storing the first version file in the local storage device; And / or, the management method further comprises: Get the version number of the IP module to be restored. A target version file corresponding to the version number to be restored is obtained from the preset version control system, and the target version file is stored in the local storage device.
7. The IP module management method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The management method further comprises: The step of obtaining the reserved version files that need to be retained by each IP module is performed after a preset period of time.
8. A management system for IP modules, characterized in that: The management system includes: The reserved file acquisition module is used to obtain the reserved version files that need to be retained by each IP module; Among them, each IP module includes several version files; A local file acquisition module is used to obtain the local version files of each IP module stored in the local storage device; The file deletion module is used to delete the remaining files in the local version file except the reserved version file.
9. A chip, characterized in that: The chip includes at least one processor, and the processor is configured to execute program instructions to perform the IP module management method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
10. A chip module, used in electronic equipment, characterized in that: The method comprises a transceiver component and a chip, wherein the chip is used to execute the IP module management method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
11. An electronic device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and configured to run on the processor, wherein: When the processor executes the computer program, the IP module management method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is implemented.
12. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that: When the computer program is executed by a processor, the method for managing an IP module according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is implemented.
13. A computer program product comprising a computer program, characterized in that When the computer program is executed by a processor, the method for managing an IP module according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is implemented.