Device and method for comparing geometric files

1. A method of generating a digital signature for at least one geometric design represented by a geometric design file for each geometric design, the method comprising:

generating, by a data processing device, the digital signature based on a single axis projection for each geometric design, wherein generating the digital signature for each geometric design comprises performing, by the data processing device, the single axis projection to generate a vector comprising single axis coordinates of selected points for each geometric design; and

comparing a first digital signature with a second digital signature.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the digital signature further comprises applying, by the data processing device, a HASH function to said vector in order to reduce its length.

3. A method of detecting, by a data processing device, differences between a first geometric design defined by a first geometric design file and a second geometric design defined by a second geometric design file, the method comprising:

generating, by a data processing device, for at least the first geometric design file, a first digital signature based on a single axis projection of the first geometric design; and

comparing the first digital signature with a second digital signature associated with the second geometric design file.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein generating the first digital signature comprises performing, by the data processing device, the single axis projection to generate a vector comprising single axis coordinates of selected points in the first geometric design.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein generating the first digital signature further comprises applying, by the data processing device, a HASH function to said vector in order to reduce its length.

6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising, prior to said comparing: generating, for the second geometric design file, the second digital signature based on a single axis project of the second geometric design.

7. The method of claim 3 , further comprising, prior to said comparing: extracting, by the data processing device, the second digital signature from the second geometric design file.

8. The method of claim 3 , wherein generating the first digital signature comprises:

dividing, by the data processing device, the first geometric design into a plurality of windows;

generating a first sub-signature for each of said windows, wherein each first sub-signature is generated based on a single axis projection of the portion of the geometric design contained within the corresponding window; and

combining the first sub-signatures of said windows to generate said first digital signature.

9. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

generating, or extracting from the first geometric design file, a first boundary box associated with the first geometric design;

comparing said first boundary box with a second boundary box associated with the second geometric design; and

detecting a difference between the first and second geometric design files by detecting a difference between the first and second boundary boxes.

10. The method of claim 3 , wherein generating the first digital signature comprises:

identifying, by the data processing device, a hierarchy of common design elements each having one or more instantiations within said first geometric design file;

generating an elemental signature for each common design element identified in said first geometric design file; and

generating said first digital signature based on each of said elemental signatures and on one or more characteristics of the instantiation of each of the common design elements in the first geometric design file.

11. A non-transitory electronic storage medium storing a computer program comprising instructions for executing the method of claim 3 when executed by said data processing device.

12. A computing device comprising:

a memory storing a first geometric design file defining a first geometric design;

a memory storing a second geometric design file defining a second geometric design; and

a data processing device configured to:

generate a first digital signature for the first design file by performing a single axis projection of the first geometric design;

generate a second digital signature for the second design file by performing a single axis projection of the second geometric design;

store the first and second digital signatures to a memory; and

detect differences between the first geometric design and the second geometric design by comparing the first digital signature with a second digital signature associated with the second geometric design file, and to display on a display device an indication of the detected difference.