Microprocessor Report: ARC Patent Looks Formidable

lingcore

ARC可重构计算机专利可能会对其他人研发可重构计算机造成障碍，这个动向值得注
意。
+++ ARC Patent Looks Formidable
Tom R. Halfhill - Senior Analyst, MPR (08/29/2005)
Rich Belgard - MPR Editorial Board
A showdown may be looming between ARC International and archrival
Tensilica over who invented the software tools and methods for customizing
synthesizable microprocessor cores. Both companies have won important
U.S. patents for the technology, and ARC's latest patent appears both
broad and strong. Whether or not ARC and Tensilica come to legal blows,
their growing patent portfolios should worry other companies working in
the expanding field of configurable processors.
ARC won its latest patent, U.S. 6,862,563 (hereinafter referred to as
the '563 patent), on March 1. (See the sidebar, "ARC Wins Key U.S.
Patent" in MPR 3/14/05, "ARC's Preconfigured Cores.") In general,
Microprocessor Report agrees with ARC that the patent lays claim to key
technology for automating the configuration of synthesizable processors and
other soft intellectual property (IP). However, the complex language and
convoluted history of the patent defy easy analysis and interpretation.
MPR believes the '563 patent is strong enough to concern ARC's
competitors, such as ARM, MIPS Technologies, Silicon Hive, and Tensilica.
Regular readers of MPR are aware that new configurable and reconfigurable
processors keep appearing all the time. ARC is claiming fundamental
rights to some automated configuration technology that other companies may
find difficult to avoid or circumvent.
Tensilica has strong patents, too, and one is about to become stronger.
In 2002, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) granted Tensilica
two U.S. patents for its system of automatically generating a custom
processor core and compatible software development tools. (See MPR
12/9/02, "Tensilica Patents Raise Eyebrows.") Within months, an anonymous
party challenged Tensilica's 6,477,683 patent by asking the USPTO to
reexamine the broadest claims and narrow their scope. (See MPR 6/2/03,
"Tensilica Patent Challenged.") After reexamination, the USPTO rejected all
104 claims in Tensilica's '683 patent, ruling that the claims were
invalid over the prior art or didn't represent a patentable advance. But
Tensilica appealed the ruling. Just a few weeks ago, the USPTO informed
Tensilica that all 104 claims will be reallowed.
Moreover, Tensilica took advantage of the reexamination to add 102
additional claims, for a total of 206. Although the revised patent isn't
official until issued this fall, it's all but certain, and it's a major
victory for Tensilica. Surviving a challenge and reexamination will make
the '683 patent almost impervious to another challenge on the same
grounds. With its patent portfolio restored to health, Tensilica is in a
much better position to defend its configurable-processor technology,
should a defense become necessary. Other companies in this field and
future arrivals must find their own armor.[DISABLELBCODE]