Patent ID: 7917870

Claim:
A method in a data processing system for automatically extending an existing power distribution system (PDS) in a three-dimensional particular design of a ceramic integrated circuit package, said method comprising: said package designed to be attached to an integrated circuit; said PDS including mesh power planes and supplying power to said integrated circuit; receiving said particular design, which includes a plurality of layers, by using a processor that is included in the data processing system; dividing said three-dimensional particular design into a three-dimensional plurality of three-dimensional blocks; loading information about each one of said three-dimensional plurality of blocks into a corresponding one of a plurality of cells in a three-dimensional matrix, said matrix capable of being traversed in any direction; for each one of said plurality of blocks, said information describing characteristics of a location of said each one of said plurality of blocks relative to other ones of said plurality of blocks and describes any via or trace that already passes through said each one of said plurality of blocks; traversing said matrix using said information; using the processor to automatically locate potential new via and trace locations while traversing said matrix; and transforming said particular design by adding at least one new via to said particular design.