Patent ID: 7546569

Claim:
An automatic trace determining method for determining an optimal trace route for an intended trace, on a substrate, that does not intersect with one or more other traces on the substrate by computer computation, comprising: inspecting an inspection line connecting a starting point and an end point of the intended trace to determine whether the inspection line intersects with one or more of the other traces; when said inspection line intersects with one or more of said other traces, generating candidates by determining a straight line section connecting the starting point and a terminal point of one of such other traces that exists in the nearest position to said starting point as a segment that constitutes a candidate for said optimal route; and resetting the terminal point used for generating candidates when said inspection line intersects with said other traces as a new starting point, wherein, based on inspection lines that are newly drawn between said end point and such new starting points, the acts of inspecting, generating, and resetting are further performed to generate said candidate constituted by said segments; wherein, with respect to the intended trace, the starting point and the end point are reversed and, then, the acts of inspecting, generating, and resetting are performed to generate another candidate; determining among a plurality of said generated candidates an optimal route having the shortest distance from said starting point to said end point as said optimal route; and correcting said optimal route to secure clearance between such optimal route and said other traces.