Patent Document ID: 6077307
Application ID: 08961672
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A computer system comprising: a computer; a computer monitor coupled to the computer for displaying a design feature, a second-design feature and a design-rule halo, the design feature and the second-design feature each having a corresponding location and outline; and a CAD software program operating on the computer for controlling the location and the outline of the design feature and the second-design feature, and the design-rule halo on the computer monitor, the CAD software program comprising: (a) instructions for obtaining design-rule information; (b) instructions for obtaining the outline and the location of the design feature; (c) instructions for defining the design-rule halo; (d) instructions for displaying the design feature on the computer monitor; and (e) instructions for displaying the design-rule halo on the computer monitor (f) instructions for obtaining the location and an outline of the second-design feature; (g) instructions for displaying the second-design feature on the computer monitor, wherein said design-rule halo is associated with the design feature and has a movement stop such that said design-rule halo stops automatically upon intersection with a second-design feature; (h) instructions, when the design rule is violated: and when an override of the movement stop of the design feature is not activated: for defining the location and the outline of the design-rule halo to stop at an intersection of the outline of the design-rule halo and the outline of the second-design feature; for defining the location and the outline of the design feature to be a design-rule distance from the design-rule halo; and for activating a stop indicator; and when the override of the movement stop of the design feature is activated: for removing the stop indicator; and for defining the location and the outline of the design feature and the design-rule halo.