Hierarchical functional verification

Computer-aided design and analysis of circuits and semiconductor – Nanotechnology related integrated circuit design

Reexamination Certificate

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C716S030000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06839884

ABSTRACT:
A method and apparatus are described that facilitate validation of a hardware design having multiple hierarchical levels. In one embodiment, a representation of the hardware design is received, and the hardware design is validated by performing validation processing on a plurality of sub-problems. Each of the plurality of sub-problems covers a computationally feasible size of the hardware design at a corresponding hierarchical level. In another embodiment, validation of a hardware design includes making use of validation processing previously performed with respect to one or more modules included in the hardware design based on the hierarchical relationship between these modules and other modules included in the hardware design.

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