Patent ID: 8413093

Claim:
A method implemented with a processor for querying a layout data, comprising: using at least the processor to perform a process, the process comprising: receiving a database region query directed to a layout, the database region query comprising a search region, wherein the layout is represented using a set of hierarchical grids where a higher hierarchical grid has a larger grid size than a lower hierarchical grid, and a layout object is allocated to a specific hierarchical grid in the layout by sieving the layout object with the set of hierarchical grids based at least in part upon an layout object size and a grid size of the specific hierarchical grid in the set of hierarchical grids; computing a subset of the set of hierarchical grids corresponding to the search region; and searching the subset of hierarchical grids without traversing other hierarchical grids to identify one or more layout objects of an electronic design to satisfy the database region query.