Traceability Management for Semiconductor Hardware

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for managing hardware traceability in computer devices fail to accurately identify the range of influence of failures or functional requirements due to dynamic modifications in hardware configurations, leading to inadequate traceability and potential damage.

Innovation Solution

A traceability management apparatus that includes software and hardware information acquisition parts, along with device extracting parts to identify failure-affected or requirement-satisfying devices, ensuring reliable traceability even with modified or added hardware components.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If hardware information is managed by model number only, then management is simple, but traceability accuracy deteriorates when hardware is modified or added

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehardware information management complexityVSAvoidtraceability accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments hardware information management into multiple layers: model number for basic categorization, and detailed component information (CPU type, memory size, storage capacity, etc.) for precise identification. This segmentation allows simple initial management while enabling accurate traceability when needed by accessing detailed component data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary action by collecting and storing detailed hardware component information in advance during device registration, before any modifications occur. This pre-collected data includes CPU type, memory specifications, storage details, and other components, enabling accurate traceability even after hardware changes without requiring real-time monitoring of each modification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If detailed hardware information is collected and stored, then traceability accuracy is improved, but information management complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetraceability accuracyVSAvoidinformation management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a universal hardware information management structure that serves multiple functions: initial device registration, failure traceability, functional requirement verification, and modification tracking. The same detailed hardware information database supports all these different purposes, reducing the need for separate management systems for each function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary hardware information management system that sits between the diverse hardware components and the various analysis needs. This intermediary layer standardizes hardware data collection and provides unified access points for different queries, simplifying management while maintaining comprehensive traceability capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If hardware configuration is allowed to be dynamically modified, then device adaptability is improved, but traceability reliability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehardware configuration flexibilityVSAvoidtraceability reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary action by collecting detailed hardware component information in advance during device registration, before any modifications occur. This pre-collected data includes CPU type, memory specifications, storage details, and other components, enabling accurate traceability even after hardware changes without requiring real-time monitoring of each modification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms that track hardware modifications over time. When components are changed, added, or removed, the system records these changes and updates the hardware information database accordingly. This feedback loop maintains traceability reliability by ensuring the database reflects the current actual hardware configuration, enabling accurate failure analysis and functional requirement verification despite dynamic changes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS7765439B2Traceability management apparatus, storage medium storing program, and tracing method

Publication Date: 2010.07.27 SCREEN HOLDINGS CO LTD

AI summary

A hardware-information acquisition part, in the case of modification or addition to hardware configurations of semiconductor manufacturing devices to be managed, obtains that update information. To check the range of influence of a failure, as a first step, a software-condition conforming device extracting part extracts devices which have installed software related to the failure. Then, a hardware-condition conforming device extracting part determines, according to the information obtained by the hardware information acquisition part, whether the extracted devices satisfy hardware conditions under which the failure occurs, and if so, extracts those devices as the ones affected by the failure. Accordingly, even in the case of modification or addition to hardware, it is possible to ensure traceability of failures or requirements and thereby to identify the range of influence of failures with efficiency and reliability.