公开(公告)号：US06650323B2

公开(公告)日：2003-11-18

申请号：US10194976

申请日：2002-07-12

申请人： Nathaniel David Naegle ,  Michael F. Deering ,  Michael G. Lavelle ,  Carol A. Lavelle ,  Scott R. Nelson

发明人： Nathaniel David Naegle ,  Michael F. Deering ,  Michael G. Lavelle ,  Carol A. Lavelle ,  Scott R. Nelson

IPC分类号： G06T1500

CPC分类号： G09G5/391 ,  G06T15/503 ,  G09G5/14 ,  G09G5/363 ,  G09G5/397 ,  G09G2340/0407 ,  G09G2354/00 ,  G09G2360/10 ,  G09G2360/121

摘要： A computer graphics system that utilizes a super-sampled sample buffer and a sample-to-pixel calculation unit for refreshing the display. The graphics system may have a graphics processor, a super-sampled sample buffer, and a sample-to-pixel calculation unit. The graphics processor renders samples into the sample buffer and may utilize a window ID that specifies attributes of pixels on a per object basis. The window ID may specify one or more of a sample mode, filter type, color attributes, or source attributes. The sample mode may include single sample per pixel mode and multiple samples per pixel mode. The graphics system may be further operable to generate a single sample per pixel for certain windows of the screen in order to provide backwards compatibility with legacy systems.

摘要翻译： 利用超采样采样缓冲器和用于刷新显示器的采样到像素计算单元的计算机图形系统。 图形系统可以具有图形处理器，超采样采样缓冲器和采样到像素的计算单元。 图形处理器将样本呈现到样本缓冲器中，并且可以利用在每个对象的基础上指定像素的属性的窗口ID。 窗口ID可以指定样本模式，过滤器类型，颜色属性或源属性中的一个或多个。 样本模式可以包括每像素模式的单个样本和每像素模式的多个采样。 图形系统可以进一步可操作以为屏幕的某些窗口生成每个像素的单个样本，以便向遗留系统提供向后兼容性。

公开(公告)号：US06496187B1

公开(公告)日：2002-12-17

申请号：US09472940

申请日：1999-12-27

申请人： Michael F. Deering ,  Nathaniel David Naegle ,  Scott R. Nelson

发明人： Michael F. Deering ,  Nathaniel David Naegle ,  Scott R. Nelson

IPC分类号： G06T1500

CPC分类号： G06T5/20 ,  G06T11/001 ,  G06T11/40 ,  G06T15/503

摘要： A graphics system that is configured to utilize a sample buffer and a plurality of parallel sample-to-pixel calculation units, wherein the sample-pixel calculation units are configured to access different portions of the sample buffer in parallel. The graphics system may include a graphics processor, a sample buffer, and a plurality of sample-to-pixel calculation units. The graphics processor is configured to receive a set of three-dimensional graphics data and render a plurality of samples based on the graphics data. The sample buffer is configured to store the plurality of samples for the sample-to-pixel calculation units, which are configured to receive and filter samples from the sample buffer to create output pixels. Each of the sample-to-pixel calculation units are configured to generate pixels corresponding to a different region of the image. The region may be a vertical or horizontal stripe of the image, or a rectangular portion of the image. Each region may overlap the other regions of the image to prevent visual aberrations.

摘要翻译： 被配置为利用采样缓冲器和多个平行的样本到像素计算单元的图形系统，其中采样像素计算单元被配置为并行地访问样本缓冲器的不同部分。 图形系统可以包括图形处理器，采样缓冲器和多个采样到像素的计算单元。 图形处理器被配置为接收一组三维图形数据并且基于图形数据呈现多个采样。 样本缓冲器被配置为存储用于样本到像素计算单元的多个样本，其被配置为从样本缓冲器接收和过滤样本以创建输出像素。 每个样本到像素计算单元被配置为生成与图像的不同区域相对应的像素。 该区域可以是图像的垂直或水平条纹，或图像的矩形部分。 每个区域可能与图像的其他区域重叠以防止视觉异常。

公开(公告)号：US6141013A

公开(公告)日：2000-10-31

申请号：US439034

申请日：1999-11-12

申请人： Scott R. Nelson ,  Michael F. Deering

发明人： Scott R. Nelson ,  Michael F. Deering

IPC分类号： G06T15/00 ,  G06T15/50 ,  G06F15/00

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

摘要： A rapid method for calculating a local eye vector in a fixed point lighting unit. For a given triangle primitive which is to be projected into a given viewport in screen space coordinates, the local eye vector corresponds to a given eye position and a first vertex of the given triangle primitive. (A different local eye vector is calculated for each vertex of the given triangle primitive). The method first comprises generating a view vector matrix which corresponds to the given eye position and corner coordinates of the given viewport, where the corner coordinates are expressed in screen space coordinates. The view vector matrix is usable to map screen space coordinates to an eye vector space which corresponds to the given viewport. The method next includes receiving a first set of coordinates (in screen space) which correspond to the first vertex. The first set of coordinates are then scaled to a numeric range which is representable by the fixed point lighting unit. Next, the first set of coordinates are transformed using the view vector matrix, which produces a non-normalized local eye vector within the eye vector space for the given viewport. The non-normalized local eye vector is normalized to form a normalized local eye vector. The normalized local eye vector is then usable to perform subsequent lighting computations such as computation of specular reflection values for infinite light sources, producing more realistic lighting effects than if an infinite eye vector were used. These more realistic lighting effects do not come at decreased performance, however, as the local eye vector may be calculated rapidly using this method.

公开(公告)号：US06947057B2

公开(公告)日：2005-09-20

申请号：US09752297

申请日：2000-12-29

申请人： Scott R. Nelson ,  Michael F. Deering ,  Nandini Ramani ,  Mark Tian ,  Patrick Shehane ,  Kevin Tang

发明人： Scott R. Nelson ,  Michael F. Deering ,  Nandini Ramani ,  Mark Tian ,  Patrick Shehane ,  Kevin Tang

IPC分类号： G06F12/02 ,  G06T11/20 ,  G09G5/00

CPC分类号： G06T11/40

摘要： A graphics system and method for displaying lines on a display device. The system may comprise a sample buffer, a rendering unit and a sample-to-pixel calculation unit. The rendering unit may (a) generate a plurality of sample positions in a two-dimensional space, (b) determine a sample normal distance for each of the sample positions with respect to a line defined by the line-draw command, (c) assign sample values to the sample positions based on the sample normal distance of each of the sample positions, and (d) store the sample values in the sample buffer. The sample-to-pixel calculation unit may read sample values from the sample buffer, filter them to determine a pixel value, and transmit the pixel value to the display device. The rendering unit may render the line sample values with a narrower width to pre-compensate for the line-expanding effect of the filtering performed by the sample-to-pixel calculation unit.

摘要翻译： 用于在显示设备上显示线的图形系统和方法。 系统可以包括采样缓冲器，渲染单元和采样到像素计算单元。 渲染单元可以（a）在二维空间中生成多个样本位置，（b）针对由划线命令定义的线确定每个样本位置的样本法线距离，（c） 根据每个样本位置的样本法线距离，将样本值分配给样本位置，（d）将样本值存储在样本缓冲区中。 样本到像素计算单元可以从样本缓冲器读取样本值，对它们进行滤波以确定像素值，并将像素值发送到显示设备。 渲染单元可以以较窄的宽度渲染线样本值，以对由采样到像素计算单元执行的滤波的线展宽效果进行预补偿。

公开(公告)号：US6014144A

公开(公告)日：2000-01-11

申请号：US17973

申请日：1998-02-03

申请人： Scott R. Nelson ,  Michael F. Deering

发明人： Scott R. Nelson ,  Michael F. Deering

IPC分类号： G06T15/00 ,  G06T15/50 ,  G06F15/00

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

摘要： A rapid method for calculating a local eye vector in a fixed point lighting unit. For a given triangle primitive which is to be projected into a given viewport in screen space coordinates, the local eye vector corresponds to a given eye position and a first vertex of the given triangle primitive. (A different local eye vector is calculated for each vertex of the given triangle primitive). The method first comprises generating a view vector matrix which corresponds to the given eye position and corner coordinates of the given viewport, where the corner coordinates are expressed in screen space coordinates. The view vector matrix is usable to map screen space coordinates to an eye vector space which corresponds to the given viewport. The method next includes receiving a first set of coordinates (in screen space) which correspond to the first vertex. The first set of coordinates are then scaled to a numeric range which is representable by the fixed point lighting unit. Next, the first set of coordinates are transformed using the view vector matrix, which produces a non-normalized local eye vector within the eye vector space for the given viewport. The non-normalized local eye vector is normalized to form a normalized local eye vector. The normalized local eye vector is then usable to perform subsequent lighting computations such as computation of specular reflection values for infinite light sources, producing more realistic lighting effects than if an infinite eye vector were used. These more realistic lighting effects do not come at decreased performance, however, as the local eye vector may be calculated rapidly using this method.

摘要翻译： 一种用于计算定点照明单元中局部眼矢量的快速方法。 对于要在屏幕空间坐标中投影到给定视口中的给定三角形原语，局部眼矢量对应于给定的眼睛位置和给定三角形原语的第一个顶点。 （为给定三角形原语的每个顶点计算不同的局部眼矢量）。 该方法首先包括生成对应于给定的眼睛位置和给定视口的角坐标的视图矢量矩阵，其中角坐标以屏幕空间坐标表示。 视图向量矩阵可用于将屏幕空间坐标映射到对应于给定视口的眼矢量空间。 该方法接下来包括接收与第一顶点相对应的第一组坐标（在屏幕空间中）。 然后将第一组坐标缩放到可由固定点照明单元表示的数值范围。 接下来，使用视图向量矩阵来转换第一组坐标，该视图向量矩阵在给定视口的眼矢量空间内产生非归一化局部眼矢量。 将非归一化局部眼矢量归一化以形成归一化局部眼矢量。 然后，归一化的局部眼矢量可用于执行随后的照明计算，例如计算无限光源的镜面反射值，产生比使用无限的眼矢量时更逼真的照明效果。 然而，由于可以使用该方法快速计算局部眼矢量，所以这些更逼真的照明效果不会降低性能。

公开(公告)号：US07587582B1

公开(公告)日：2009-09-08

申请号：US09640901

申请日：2000-08-16

申请人： Subramania Sudharsanan ,  Jeffrey Meng Wah Chan ,  Michael F. Deering ,  Marc Tremblay ,  Scott R. Nelson

发明人： Subramania Sudharsanan ,  Jeffrey Meng Wah Chan ,  Michael F. Deering ,  Marc Tremblay ,  Scott R. Nelson

IPC分类号： G06F7/38

CPC分类号： G06F9/30141 ,  G06F9/3001 ,  G06F9/3012 ,  G06F9/30145 ,  G06F9/3877

摘要： A method and apparatus for efficiently performing graphic operations are provided. This is accomplished by providing a processor that supports any combination of the following instructions: parallel multiply-add, conditional pick, parallel averaging, parallel power, parallel reciprocal square root and parallel shifts.

摘要翻译： 提供了一种用于有效执行图形操作的方法和装置。 这通过提供支持以下指令的任何组合的处理器来实现：并行乘法，条件选择，并行平均，并行功率，并行的平方根和平行移位。

公开(公告)号：US06577312B2

公开(公告)日：2003-06-10

申请号：US09755643

申请日：2001-01-04

申请人： Michael F. Deering ,  N. David Naegle ,  Scott R. Nelson

发明人： Michael F. Deering ,  N. David Naegle ,  Scott R. Nelson

IPC分类号： G06T1700

CPC分类号： G06T5/20 ,  G06T5/002

摘要： A computer graphics system may comprise a graphics processor, a sample buffer, and a sample-to-pixel calculation unit. The graphics processor renders samples into the sample buffer in response to received graphics data. The sample-to-pixel calculation unit generates a plurality of output pixels by filtering the rendered samples based on a filter function. The pixels may be computed by generating a weighted sum of sample values (e.g. red sample values) for samples falling within the filter support. The coefficients used in the weighted sum may be added to form a normalization factor. One weighted sum of sample values may be computed per pixel attribute such as red, green, blue and alpha. The normalization factor may be computed in parallel with one or more of the weighted sums. Normalized pixel values may be obtained by dividing the weighted-sums by the normalization factor.

摘要翻译： 计算机图形系统可以包括图形处理器，采样缓冲器和采样到像素的计算单元。 图形处理器响应于接收到的图形数据将样本呈现到采样缓冲器中。 采样到像素计算单元通过基于滤波函数对所渲染的采样进行滤波来产生多个输出像素。 可以通过生成落在滤波器支持中的样本的采样值（例如，红色采样值）的加权和来计算像素。 可以将加权和中使用的系数相加以形成归一化因子。 每个像素属性可以计算样本值的一个加权和，如红色，绿色，蓝色和alpha。 归一化因子可以与一个或多个加权和并行计算。 归一化像素值可以通过将加权和除以归一化因子来获得。

公开(公告)号：US06359630B1

公开(公告)日：2002-03-19

申请号：US09332734

申请日：1999-06-14

申请人： Wayne Morse ,  Michael F. Deering ,  Mike Lavelle ,  Ewa Kubalska ,  Huang Pan ,  Scott R. Nelson

发明人： Wayne Morse ,  Michael F. Deering ,  Mike Lavelle ,  Ewa Kubalska ,  Huang Pan ,  Scott R. Nelson

IPC分类号： G06T1530

CPC分类号： G06T15/30 ,  G09G5/393

摘要： A method and computer graphics system for clip testing using clip bits stored in a general-purpose register for each vertex of a geometric primitive. In one embodiment, a rendering unit or other processor sets bits in a clip bits register for each vertex of a geometric primitive. Each bit indicates whether the vertex is inside or outside of a clipping boundary with respect to a particular clipping plane. A frame buffer controller or other graphics processor performs clip testing on the entire geometric primitive by performing Boolean operations on the clip bits. The frame buffer controller may trivially accept or trivially reject the primitive based on the clip testing. If the primitive cannot be trivially rejected or trivially accepted, then the frame buffer controller sends an interrupt to the rendering unit. The rendering unit reads an exception register to determine that the reason for the interrupt is the need to clip the primitive. The rendering unit reads the vertices from the frame buffer controller, clips the primitive, and sends the new vertices to the frame buffer controller. The frame buffer controller clears the interrupt and resumes its graphics processing.

摘要翻译： 一种方法和计算机图形系统，用于使用存储在通用寄存器中的剪辑位来进行几何图元的每个顶点的剪辑测试。 在一个实施例中，渲染单元或其他处理器针对几何图元的每个顶点设置剪辑位寄存器中的位。 每个位指示顶点是否相对于特定剪切平面在剪切边界内部或外部。 帧缓冲控制器或其他图形处理器通过对剪辑位执行布尔运算来对整个几何图元执行剪辑测试。 帧缓冲控制器可以基于剪辑测试轻易地接受或简单地拒绝原语。 如果不能简单地拒绝或简单地接受原语，则帧缓冲控制器向渲染单元发送中断。 渲染单元读取一个异常寄存器，以确定中断的原因是需要剪切图元。 渲染单元从帧缓冲器控制器读取顶点，剪切原始图像，并将新顶点发送到帧缓冲控制器。 帧缓冲控制器清除中断并恢复其图形处理。

公开(公告)号：US06894698B2

公开(公告)日：2005-05-17

申请号：US09760512

申请日：2001-01-11

申请人： Michael F. Deering ,  N. David Naegle ,  Scott R. Nelson

发明人： Michael F. Deering ,  N. David Naegle ,  Scott R. Nelson

IPC分类号： G06K9/40 ,  G06K15/00 ,  G09G5/02

CPC分类号： G09G5/397 ,  G06T15/005 ,  G09G5/02 ,  G09G5/14 ,  G09G2340/0428 ,  G09G2340/10

摘要： A dithering system comprising a dithering unit, a storage medium, and an averaging unit. The dithering unit is configured to receive a set of data values, to add dither values to the data values, and to truncate the resultant addition values to L-bit truncated values. The storage medium is configured to store the L-bit truncated values. The averaging unit is configured to read the L-bit truncated values from the storage medium, and to compute an average value using at least a subset of the L-bit truncated values. The dither values may have an average value of approximately one-half. The dither values may approximate a uniform distribution of numbers between −A+½ and A+½, wherein A is greater than or equal to one. Alternatively, the dithering unit may receive a temporal stream of data values, and the average unit may perform a temporal average (e.g. an FIR filter). The dithering system may be incorporated in a graphics system. In this case, data values may represent rendered sample values (e.g. color or alpha).

摘要翻译： 一种抖动系统，包括抖动单元，存储介质和平均单元。 抖动单元被配置为接收一组数据值，以将抖动值添加到数据值，并将所得到的相加值截断为L位截断值。 存储介质被配置为存储L位截断值。 平均单元被配置为从存储介质读取L位截断的值，并且使用L位截断值的至少一个子集来计算平均值。 抖动值可以具有大约一半的平均值。 抖动值可以近似在-A +½和A +½之间的数字的均匀分布，其中A大于或等于1。 或者，抖动单元可以接收数据值的时间流，并且平均单元可以执行时间平均（例如FIR滤波器）。 抖动系统可以并入图形系统中。 在这种情况下，数据值可以表示渲染的样本值（例如，颜色或α）。

公开(公告)号：US06671796B1

公开(公告)日：2003-12-30

申请号：US09513494

申请日：2000-02-25

申请人： Subramania Sudharsanan ,  Jeffrey Meng Wah Chan ,  Michael F. Deering ,  Marc Tremblay ,  Scott R. Nelson

发明人： Subramania Sudharsanan ,  Jeffrey Meng Wah Chan ,  Michael F. Deering ,  Marc Tremblay ,  Scott R. Nelson

IPC分类号： G06F9302

CPC分类号： G06F9/30014 ,  G06F9/30025 ,  G06F9/3838

摘要： A method and apparatus are provided for performing efficient conversion operations between floating point and fixed point values on a general purpose processor. This is achieved by providing an instruction for converting a fixed point value fx into a floating point value fl in a general purpose processor. Accordingly, the invention advantageously provides a general purpose processor with the ability to execute conversion operation between fixed-point and floating-point values with a single instruction compared with prior art general purpose processors that require multiple instructions to perform the same function. Thus, the general purpose processor of the present invention allows for more efficient and faster conversion operations between fixed-point and floating-point values.

摘要翻译： 提供了一种方法和装置，用于在通用处理器上的浮点和固定点值之间执行有效的转换操作。 这通过在通用处理器中提供用于将固定点值fx转换为浮点值f1的指令来实现。 因此，本发明有利地提供了一种通用处理器，与通过需要多个指令执行相同功能的现有技术的通用处理器相比，能够以单个指令执行定点和浮点值之间的转换操作。 因此，本发明的通用处理器允许在定点和浮点值之间更有效和更快的转换操作。