Patent ID: 7515154

Claim:
A layout element arranging device for arranging N layout elements (where N is a positive integer) on at least one arrangement path selected from L paths (where L is a positive integer), the layout element arranging device having information concerning a layout element innate characteristic direction for each layout element that is to be sequentially arranged, each L path having M arrangement points (where M is a positive integer different for each path and specific to each path), each arrangement point having information concerning a path direction, the layout element arranging device comprising: a first selection circuit to select N arrangement points from the M arrangement points of each of the L paths, based on the information concerning the layout element innate characteristic directions of the N layout elements and the information concerning the path directions of the M arrangement points for each of the L paths; a second selection circuit to select from the L paths, K paths (where K is a positive integer from 1 to L) based on the information concerning layout element innate characteristic directions of the N layout elements and the information concerning the path directions of the N arrangement points selected by the first selection circuit for each of the L paths; and a third selection circuit to select at least one arrangement path from the K paths, based on a relation between the M arrangement points for each of the K paths selected by the second selection circuit and the N arrangement points selected by the first selection circuit for each of the K paths.