Patent Document ID: 6026220
Application ID: 08752617
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A data processing system for incrementally optimizing a current version of a circuit design, wherein the current version of the circuit design is stored in a current circuit design database, and includes a number of incremental changes from a previous version of the circuit design, the previous version of the circuit design is stored in a previous circuit design database, the previous circuit design database further includes a corresponding previously optimized circuit design, the data processing system comprising: a. determining means for comparing the current circuit design database and the previous circuit design database to identify the number of incremental changes therebetween; b. merging means coupled to said determining means for merging selected ones of the number of incremental changes and the previously optimized circuit design, thereby resulting in a partially optimized circuit design; and c. optimizing means coupled to said merging means for optimizing at least a portion of the partially optimized circuit design, including selected ones of the number of incremental changes.