Schematic Hierarchy Traversal via Scrolling Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Circuit designers face difficulties in navigating and editing complex hierarchical designs in integrated circuits due to voluminous information across multiple levels, leading to user distraction and inefficiency in debugging and editing processes.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for schematic hierarchy traversing and scrolling, allowing users to define a viewable scope and smoothly navigate through hierarchical levels using predefined keyboard keys, enabling efficient debugging and editing by controlling the viewable scope without being overwhelmed by excessive topological information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If all hierarchical design levels are displayed simultaneously, then complete design information is available, but user distraction and confusion increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the hierarchical design information into multiple viewable scopes, each corresponding to a specific hierarchical level. The display is divided into a first viewable scope showing a first hierarchical level and a second viewable scope showing a second hierarchical level, allowing users to focus on one level at a time while maintaining access to other levels through controlled traversal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a temporal dimension to the display of hierarchical levels by enabling smooth traversal between different hierarchical levels over time. Users can transition between the first and second hierarchical levels using scroll bar manipulation, creating a dynamic viewing experience that reduces cognitive load compared to static simultaneous display of all levels.
2Ease of operation
If users manually navigate through each hierarchical level, then complete control is achieved, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by providing a scroll bar that预先 (in advance) displays the hierarchical structure and allows users to quickly jump to desired levels without manually navigating through each intermediate level. The scroll bar is configured to show thumbnails or indicators of different hierarchical levels, enabling users to select and traverse to specific levels with a single action.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a simplified copy or representation of the hierarchical structure in the scroll bar interface. This copy allows users to interact with a condensed version of the full hierarchy, making navigation faster and more efficient while maintaining the ability to access the complete detailed view when needed.
3Loss of information
If voluminous hierarchical information is displayed, then comprehensive design data is accessible, but debugging and editing efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by allowing users to focus the display on specific local areas of interest within the hierarchical structure. When users traverse to a particular hierarchical level, the system enhances the visibility and detail of elements at that level while reducing the prominence of other levels, enabling users to concentrate their debugging and editing efforts on relevant portions of the design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the essential debugging and editing information from the voluminous hierarchical data by selectively displaying only the relevant hierarchical level in the main viewable area. The scroll bar serves as an extraction mechanism that separates navigation functionality from the detailed view, allowing users to access comprehensive design data when needed while maintaining a clean, distraction-free workspace for actual debugging and editing tasks.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and a system for displaying hierarchical navigating, debugging and editing of selected hierarchical levels of design of a plurality of hierarchical levels of design in graphical hierarchical design applications, by assigning, from a schematic of the integrated circuit, a viewable scope of a block element desired for traversing. Opening the viewable scope of the block element, by using a mouse scrolling device to cause a cursor to highlight and roll in a downward direction over the highlighted block element, while holding down a predefined keyboard key. Then closing the viewable scope of the block element, by causing the cursor to be positioned in an empty area of the schematic, while holding down an other predefined keyboard key and rolling the mouse scrolling device in an upward direction.