摘要:
An image buffer semiconductor chip is described that includes circuitry for decompressing, compressed pixel image data such data comprising at least a pair of color codes and a bit mask including bit positions with values that define which pixels in a pixel subset of the pixel image receive the encoded color code data. The chip comprises a matrix of memory modules with the pixels in a pixel subset stored in an interleaved fashion, one pixel per module. A data bus communicates with all of the memory modules and broadcasts the color codes. A mask register stores the bit mask when it appears on the data bus. Circuitry selectively writes a first color code in the modules in accordance with bit values of a first kind in the MASK and writes the second color code into the modules in accordance with bit values of a second kind in the MASK.
摘要:
An image display system (10) includes an image buffer (20,22) having a plurality of addressable locations for storing image pixel data. The system further includes circuitry (24,34,36) coupled to an output of the image buffer for converting image pixel data read therefrom to electrical signals for driving an image display (18). The circuitry is responsive to signals generated by an image display controller (16) for generating one of a plurality of different timing formats for the electrical signals for driving an image display having a specified display resolution. The apparatus further includes circuitry (40,42) for configuring the image buffer in accordance with the specified display resolution. The image buffer is configurable, by example, as two, 2048 location by 1024 location by 24-bit buffers and one 2048 location by 1024 location by 16-bit buffer; or as two, 2048 location by 2048 location by 24-bit buffers and one 2048 location by 2048 location by 16-bit buffer. Each of the 24-bit buffers store R,G,B pixel data and the 16-bit buffers each store a color index (CI) value and an associated window identifier (WID) value. Circuitry at the output of the image buffer decodes CI and WID values into R,G,B pixel data and a Key value specifying pixel mixing.
摘要:
A locking mechanism is incorporated in a high-resolution video display system including a high-resolution monitor, a computer for providing controls signals to said display system and two high-resolution frame buffers, one for storing computer generated graphics images and one for storing video data both of said buffers being operable under control of said computer for reading out data to the monitor. The locking mechanism includes an output lock functionally located between the output of both of the frame buffers and the high-resolution monitor for preventing video data from overwriting graphics data on said monitor screen. An input lock is also provided for preventing static video data stored in predetermined regions of the video frame buffer from being continually overwritten by motion video data being continually supplied to the video frame buffer. The output lock utilizes an extra bit-plane in the video buffer which stores a predetermined lock pattern and utilizes the normal monitor output port of the buffer operating under control of standard frame buffer addressing circuitry in combination with straight-forward combinational logic to achieve the locking function. The input lock utilizes a small DRAM which stores the input lock pattern data and utilizes this data in conjunction with normal write operations in the video buffer to control circuitry to disable the write function in predetermined regions of the video buffer.
摘要:
A method for mapping television images onto a graphics screen which can employ a standard digital-television technique to process the television signal is provided. The present invention is concerned with the sampling and storing of a color-television signal in accordance with both the requirements of digital television and the requirements of graphics displays - including windowing requirements - such as used with computers and computer workstations. The invention provides a method of contracting or expanding live color television images, which preferably had been sampled in accordance with a standard digital-television technique, while providing an output of graphics image of a reasonable visual quality for the graphics display.
摘要:
The present invention comprises a method for utilizing an socalled SIMD computer architecture in conjunction with a host processor and coordinate processor to render quality, three-dimensional, anti-aliased shaded color images into the frame buffer of a video display system. The method includes a parallel algorithm for rendering an important graphic primitive for accomplishing the production of a smoothly shaded color three-dimensional triangle with anti-aliased edges. By taking advantage of the SIMD architecture and said parallel algorithm, the very time consuming pixel by pixel computations are broken down for parallel execution. A single coordinate processor computes and transmits an overall triangle record which is essentially the same for all blocks of pixels within a given bounding box which box in turn surrounds each triangle. The individual pixel data is produced by a group of M x N pixel processors and stored in the frame buffer in a series of repetitive steps wherein each step corresponds to the processing of an M x N block of pixels within the bounding box of the triangle. Thus, each pixel processor performs the same operation, modifying its computations in accordance with triangle data received from the coordinate processor and positional data unique to its own sequential connectivity to the frame buffer, thus allowing parallel access to the frame buffer.