Patent ID: 7024636

Claim:
A web-based expert system for automatically guiding a user through a design flow for a chip, the method comprising: (a) displaying a design flow user interface on a user's computer, where the user interface includes symbols for user selection corresponding to a sequence of design flow process steps, the steps including any combination of “Initial Analysis and Fit to Slice,” “Import Cores and IP” “RapidWorks Tools,” “Simulation and Timing Models,” “Chip Place and Route,” and “Data Check and Preparation for Manufacturing”, wherein once selected at least a portion of the design flow process steps require the user to enter input; (b) defining the design flow process steps with a set of rules, and analyzing whether the user input for each step requiring user input complies with the rules; and (c) allowing the user to proceed to a next step in the sequence of design flow process steps if it is determined that previous steps have been completed successfully.