公开(公告)号：US06512517B1

公开(公告)日：2003-01-28

申请号：US09315742

申请日：1999-05-20

申请人： James M. Knittel ,  Stephen R. Burgess ,  Kenneth W. Correll ,  Jan C. Hardenbergh ,  Christopher J. Kappler ,  Hugh C. Lauer ,  Stephen F. Mason ,  Takahide Ohkami ,  William R. Peet ,  Hanspeter Pfister ,  Beverly J. Schultz ,  Jay C. Wilkinson

发明人： James M. Knittel ,  Stephen R. Burgess ,  Kenneth W. Correll ,  Jan C. Hardenbergh ,  Christopher J. Kappler ,  Hugh C. Lauer ,  Stephen F. Mason ,  Takahide Ohkami ,  William R. Peet ,  Hanspeter Pfister ,  Beverly J. Schultz ,  Jay C. Wilkinson

IPC分类号： G06T1700

CPC分类号： G06T15/08 ,  G06T1/20 ,  G06T15/005 ,  G06T2200/28

摘要： A volume rendering integrated circuit includes a plurality of interconnected pipelines having stages operating in parallel. The stages of the pipelines are interconnected in a ring, with data being passed in only one direction around the ring. The volume integrated circuit also includes a render controller for controlling the flow of volume data to and from the pipelines and for controlling rendering operations of the pipelines. The integrated circuit may further include interfaces for coupling the integrated circuit to various storage devices and to a host computer.

摘要翻译： 体绘制集成电路包括具有并行操作的多个相互连接的管道。 管道的阶段以环形相互连接，数据仅在围绕环的一个方向上传递。 音量集成电路还包括一个渲染控制器，用于控制到管道和从管道流出的数据流量，并用于控制管线的渲染操作。 集成电路还可以包括用于将集成电路耦合到各种存储设备和主计算机的接口。

公开(公告)号：US06532017B1

公开(公告)日：2003-03-11

申请号：US09315178

申请日：1999-05-20

申请人： James M. Knittel ,  Stephen R. Burgess ,  Jan C. Hardenbergh ,  Christopher J. Kappler ,  Hugh C. Lauer ,  William R. Peet ,  Takahide Ohkami ,  Hanspeter Pfister

发明人： James M. Knittel ,  Stephen R. Burgess ,  Jan C. Hardenbergh ,  Christopher J. Kappler ,  Hugh C. Lauer ,  William R. Peet ,  Takahide Ohkami ,  Hanspeter Pfister

IPC分类号： G06T120

CPC分类号： G06T15/005 ,  G06T15/08

摘要： A plurality of identical rendering pipelines are connected in parallel to read an array of voxels and to write an array of pixels. Each pipeline processes one voxel in one processing cycle of the pipelines. Each pipeline includes a plurality of serially connected different stages. The stages can include interpolation, classification, gradient estimation, illumination, and compositing stages. Interfaces connect identical stages in adjacent pipelines as one-way rings to communicate information associated with spatially adjacent voxels, and delay buffers connected parallel to particular stages communicate information associated with temporally adjacent voxels.

摘要翻译： 多个相同的呈现管线并联连接以读取体素数组并写入像素阵列。 每个管道在管道的一个处理循环中处理一个体素。 每个管道包括多个串联连接的不同级。 阶段可以包括插值，分类，梯度估计，照明和合成阶段。 接口将相邻管道中的相同级连接为单向环以传送与空间相邻体素相关联的信息，并且与特定级并联连接的延迟缓冲器传送与时间相邻体素相关联的信息。

公开(公告)号：US06407737B1

公开(公告)日：2002-06-18

申请号：US09315400

申请日：1999-05-20

申请人： Tiecheng Zhao ,  Vishal C. Bhatia ,  Jan C. Hardenbergh ,  James M. Knittel ,  Hugh C. Lauer ,  Hanspeter Pfister

发明人： Tiecheng Zhao ,  Vishal C. Bhatia ,  Jan C. Hardenbergh ,  James M. Knittel ,  Hugh C. Lauer ,  Hanspeter Pfister

IPC分类号： G06T1700

CPC分类号： G06T15/10

摘要： A volume data set having voxels arranged according to an object coordinate system is shear-warp rendered by partitioning, relative to the object coordinate system, the volume data set into a plurality of axis aligned sets of voxels. The selected axis aligned sets of voxels are rendered as pixels in intermediate baseplanes. There is one intermediate baseplane for each selected set of axis aligned voxels. The intermediate baseplanes are combined and warped to an image.

摘要翻译： 具有根据对象坐标系排列的体元的体数据集是通过相对于对象坐标系将体数据集分割成多个轴对齐的体元组而进行的剪切变形。 所选择的轴对齐的体素集被渲染为中间基板中的像素。 每个选定的一组轴对齐的体素有一个中间基准面。 将中间基板组合并翘曲成图像。

公开(公告)号：US06356265B1

公开(公告)日：2002-03-12

申请号：US09316122

申请日：1999-05-20

申请人： James M. Knittel ,  Jan C. Hardenbergh ,  Hanspeter Pfister ,  Drew R. Martin

发明人： James M. Knittel ,  Jan C. Hardenbergh ,  Hanspeter Pfister ,  Drew R. Martin

IPC分类号： G06T1700

CPC分类号： G06T15/506 ,  G06T15/005 ,  G06T15/08 ,  G06T15/50

摘要： An apparatus generates lighting modulation factors for samples in a volume rendering pipeline. The apparatus includes a first arithmetic logic unit squaring a gradient magnitude vector of a sample to produce a squared gradient magnitude. A second arithmetic logic unit produces a gradient magnitude from the squared gradient magnitude. A shift register, connected to the first arithmetic logic unit, truncates a predetermined number of high bits of the squared gradient magnitude. A gradient magnitude modulation register stores modulation parameters. A first multiplexer, connected to the second arithmetic logic unit and the shift register, selects the truncated squared gradient magnitude as an index if an index source signal is true, and the gradient magnitude if the index source signal is false, and a memory table is indexes by the index to produce modulated opacity, emissive, diffuse and specular modulation factors.

摘要翻译： 设备为体绘制流水线中的样品生成照明调制因子。 该装置包括第一算术逻辑单元，对样本的梯度幅度矢量进行平方以产生平方梯度幅度。 第二算术逻辑单元从平方梯度幅度产生梯度幅度。 连接到第一算术逻辑单元的移位寄存器截断预定数量的平方梯度幅度的高位。 梯度幅度调制寄存器存储调制参数。 如果索引源信号为真，连接到第二算术逻辑单元和移位寄存器的第一多路复用器选择截断的平方梯度幅度作为索引，如果索引源信号为假，则选择梯度幅值，存储表是 指数由指数产生调制不透明度，发射，漫反射和镜面调制因子。

公开(公告)号：US06411296B1

公开(公告)日：2002-06-25

申请号：US09315263

申请日：1999-05-20

申请人： James M. Knittel ,  Jan C. Hardenbergh ,  Hanspeter Pfister ,  Urs H. Kanus ,  Drew R. Martin ,  Frederic H. Mokren

发明人： James M. Knittel ,  Jan C. Hardenbergh ,  Hanspeter Pfister ,  Urs H. Kanus ,  Drew R. Martin ,  Frederic H. Mokren

IPC分类号： G06T1700

CPC分类号： G06T15/005 ,  G06T1/20 ,  G06T15/08

摘要： Samples of a volume are lighted in a rendering pipeline by having a first arithmetic unit combine a modulated emissive coefficient with a modulated diffuse coefficient and a modulated diffuse intensity. A second arithmetic logic unit combines a specular coefficient with a modulated specular intensity and an opacity component of the sample. A third arithmetic unit combines the output of the second arithmetic logic unit and specular colors of the sample. A fourth arithmetic logic unit combines the output of the first arithmetic unit with colors of the sample, and a fifth arithmetic logic unit combines the output of the third and fourth arithmetic units to illuminate the sample.

摘要翻译： 通过使第一运算单元将调制的发射系数与调制的漫射系数和调制的漫射强度相结合，体积的样本在渲染管线中被点亮。 第二算术逻辑单元将镜面系数与样本的调制镜面强度和不透明度分量相结合。 第三运算单元组合第二算术逻辑单元的输出和样本的镜面颜色。 第四算术逻辑单元将第一算术单元的输出与样本的颜色相结合，第五算术逻辑单元组合第三和第四运算单元的输出以照亮样本。

公开(公告)号：US06342885B1

公开(公告)日：2002-01-29

申请号：US09315661

申请日：1999-05-20

申请人： James M. Knittel ,  Jan C. Hardenbergh ,  Hanspeter Pfister ,  Urs H. Kanus ,  Drew R. Martin ,  Frederic H. Mokren

发明人： James M. Knittel ,  Jan C. Hardenbergh ,  Hanspeter Pfister ,  Urs H. Kanus ,  Drew R. Martin ,  Frederic H. Mokren

IPC分类号： G06T1500

CPC分类号： G06T15/506 ,  G06T15/50

摘要： An apparatus illuminates samples in a volume rendering pipeline. The apparatus includes the following units. A gradient magnitude modulation unit produces an opacity, emissive, diffuse and specular modulation factor from a gradient magnitude vector of each sample. A reflectance mapping unit produces a diffuse intensity and a specular intensity from the gradient magnitude vector of each sample and an eye vector of the volume. A first arithmetic logic unit combines an opacity of each sample with the corresponding opacity modulation factor to generate modulated opacities. A second arithmetic logic unit combines an emissive coefficient with the emissive modulation factor of each sample to generate modulated emissive coefficients. A third arithmetic logic unit combines the diffuse intensity with the diffuse modulation factor of each sample to generate modulated diffuse intensities. A fourth arithmetic logic unit combines the specular intensity with the specular modulation factor of each sample to generate modulated specular intensities, and a lighting unit applies the modulated emissive coefficient, modulated diffuse and specular intensities to color components of the samples to illuminate the volume sample.

摘要翻译： 设备照亮体绘制流水线中的样本。 该装置包括以下单元。 梯度幅度调制单元从每个样本的梯度幅度矢量产生不透明度，发射，漫反射和镜面调制因子。 反射映射单元从每个样本的梯度幅度向量和体积的眼矢量产生漫反射强度和镜面强度。 第一算术逻辑单元将每个样本的不透明度与相应的不透明度调制因子相结合，以产生调制的不透明度。 第二算术逻辑单元将发射系数与每个采样的发射调制因子相结合，以产生调制的发射系数。 第三算术逻辑单元将漫射强度与每个样本的漫射调制因子相结合，以产生调制的漫射强度。 第四算术逻辑单元将镜面强度与每个样本的镜面调制因子结合以产生调制镜面强度，并且照明单元将调制的发射系数，调制的漫射和镜面强度应用于样本的颜色分量以照亮体积样本。

公开(公告)号：US06262740B1

公开(公告)日：2001-07-17

申请号：US09318430

申请日：1999-05-25

申请人： Hugh C. Lauer ,  Randy B. Osborne ,  Hanspeter Pfister

发明人： Hugh C. Lauer ,  Randy B. Osborne ,  Hanspeter Pfister

IPC分类号： G06T1700

CPC分类号： G06T15/08 ,  G06T1/60 ,  G06T15/005 ,  G06T15/40

摘要： A method renders a volume data set including a plurality of voxels. In the method, a). the volume data set is apportioned into a plurality of sections. Then, b). a first one of the plurality of sections is rendered by sequentially reading groups of voxels from an external memory and rendering the groups of voxels in the section. Then, c). any accumulated data from the rendering of the first one of the plurality of sections is stored in a temporary storage device. Then, a next one of the plurality of sections is rendered by sequentially reading groups of voxels of the next one of the plurality of sections from an external memory and rendering the groups of voxels, the rendering incorporating accumulated data from the temporary storage device, and then any accumulated data from the rendering of the next one of the plurality of sections is stored in the temporary storage device. Steps d and e are repeated until each of the plurality of sections of the volume data set have been rendered.

摘要翻译： 一种方法呈现包括多个体素的体数据集。 在该方法中，a）。 音量数据集被分配成多个部分。 然后，b）。 通过从外部存储器中依次读取体素组并渲染该部分中的体素组来呈现多个部分中的第一部分。 然后，c）。 来自多个部分中的第一个部分的呈现的任何累积数据被存储在临时存储装置中。 然后，通过从外部存储器顺序地读取多个部分中的下一个部分的体素组，并且渲染结合来自临时存储装置的累积数据的体素组，并渲染多个部分中的下一个部分，以及 那么来自多个部分中的下一个部分的呈现的任何累积数据被存储在临时存储装置中。 重复步骤d和e，直到卷数据集的多个部分中的每一个已被渲染。

公开(公告)号：US06219061B1

公开(公告)日：2001-04-17

申请号：US09320365

申请日：1999-05-25

申请人： Hugh C. Lauer ,  Randy B. Osborne ,  Hanspeter Pfister

发明人： Hugh C. Lauer ,  Randy B. Osborne ,  Hanspeter Pfister

IPC分类号： G06T1700

CPC分类号： G06T15/08 ,  G06T1/60 ,  G06T15/005 ,  G06T15/40

摘要： A volume graphics device renders a volume data set. The volume data set is apportioned into blocks of volume data, and each of the blocks are apportioned into a plurality of mini-blocks, each mini-block includes at least two voxels of volume data. The volume graphics device includes memory apportioned into a plurality of portions, wherein neighboring blocks of the volume data set are each stored in different ones of the plurality of portions of the memory, and wherein the mini-blocks of each block are stored in consecutive locations in the portion of memory associated with the associated block.

摘要翻译： 卷图形设备呈现卷数据集。 音量数据组被分配成音量数据的块，并且每个块被分配成多个微块，每个迷你块包括体数据的至少两个体素。 体积图形装置包括分配到多个部分中的存储器，其中卷数据组的相邻块各自存储在存储器的多个部分的不同部分中，并且其中每个块的小块被存储在连续位置 在与相关块相关联的存储器部分中。

公开(公告)号：US06483507B2

公开(公告)日：2002-11-19

申请号：US09862901

申请日：2001-05-22

申请人： Randy B. Osborne ,  Ingmar Bitter ,  Hanspeter Pfister ,  James Knittel ,  Hugh C. Lauer

发明人： Randy B. Osborne ,  Ingmar Bitter ,  Hanspeter Pfister ,  James Knittel ,  Hugh C. Lauer

IPC分类号： G06T1500

CPC分类号： G06T15/08 ,  G06T15/005 ,  G06T15/10

摘要： A volume rendering processor renders a two-dimensional image from a volume data set of voxels constituting a three-dimensional representation of an object. Voxel memory interface logic retrieves the voxels from a voxel memory in a scanned order with respect to X, Y and Z coordinate axes, the Z axis being the axis most nearly parallel to a predefined viewing direction. The set of voxels having equal Z coordinate values are referred to as a “slice” of voxels. Interpolation logic calculates a sequence of samples from the retrieved voxels such that (i) each sample lies along a corresponding imaginary ray extending through the object parallel to the viewing direction, (ii) each sample results from interpolating the eight voxels surrounding the sample in the XYZ coordinate system. “Supersampling” in the Z dimension is performed such that the number of samples calculated for each ray is greater than the number of slices of voxels in the volume data set. Gradient calculation logic calculates for each sample respective gradients in the X, Y and Z directions for use by classification and illumination logic. The X and Y gradients are calculated from the samples emitted by the interpolation logic, and Z gradients are calculated by (i) calculating Z gradients at the voxel positions from voxel values retrieved from memory, and (ii) interpolating the voxel Z gradients to arrive at the Z gradients at the sample positions.

摘要翻译： 体绘制处理器从构成对象的三维表示的体素数据集合呈现二维图像。 体素存储器接口逻辑以相对于X，Y和Z坐标轴的扫描顺序从体素存储器检索体素，Z轴是最接近平行于预定观察方向的轴。 具有相等Z坐标值的一组体素被称为体素的“切片”。 插值逻辑从所检索的体素计算样本序列，使得（i）每个样本沿着平行于观察方向延伸穿过物体的相应假想射线位于（ii）每个样本由内插样本周围的八个体素 XYZ坐标系。 执行Z维度中的“超采样”，使得针对每个射线计算的样本数量大于体数据集中体素的数量。 梯度计算逻辑计算X，Y和Z方向上每个样本各个梯度的分类和照明逻辑使用的梯度。 由内插逻辑发射的样本计算X和Y梯度，并且（i）通过（i）从存储器检索的体素值计算体素位置处的Z梯度来计算Z梯度，以及（ii）内插体素Z梯度以到达 在Z样品位置的梯度。

公开(公告)号：US06243098B1

公开(公告)日：2001-06-05

申请号：US09318344

申请日：1999-05-25

申请人： Hugh C. Lauer ,  Randy B. Osborne ,  Hanspeter Pfister

发明人： Hugh C. Lauer ,  Randy B. Osborne ,  Hanspeter Pfister

IPC分类号： G06T1500

CPC分类号： G06T15/08 ,  G06T1/60 ,  G06T15/005 ,  G06T15/40

摘要： An apparatus renders a volume data set including a plurality of voxels stored in a voxel memory. The apparatus includes a plurality of pipelines operating in parallel. Each pipeline includes a buffer storing at least one block of at least two voxels of the volume data set. An interpolation stage reads the at least one block of at least two voxels from the buffer. A gradient estimation stage receives an output from the interpolation stage. A compositing stage receives an output from the gradient estimation stage. The apparatus also includes a plurality of interface devices, wherein each interface device couples a particular stage only to an adjacent identical stage in a neighboring pipeline so that identical stages of the pipelines are connected in a ring.

摘要翻译： 装置呈现包括存储在体素存储器中的多个体素的体数据集。 该装置包括并行操作的多条管线。 每个流水线包括存储体数据集的至少两个体素的至少一个块的缓冲器。 内插级从缓冲器读取至少两个体素的至少一个块。 梯度估计级接收来自插值级的输出。 合成阶段接收梯度估计阶段的输出。 该设备还包括多个接口设备，其中每个接口设备仅将特定级联在相邻管线中的相邻相同级，使得管道的相同级连接在环中。