3-dimensional graphic plotting apparatus

• US 20040125104A1
• Filed: 10/28/2003
• Published: 07/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Kato, Yoshiyuki, Torii, Akira, Inoue, Yoshitsugu, Kameyama, Masatoshi
• Granted Patent: US 6,950,106 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3218 of display devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/005 General purpose rendering architectures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/28 involving image processing hardware

Abstract

A clock control unit (7) detects completion of data processing based on a busy signal BSY1 output by a geometry processing unit (4) and a busy signal BSY2 output by a rendering processing unit (5). The clock control unit (7) controls supply of a clock signal CLK1 to the geometry processing unit (4) and supply of a clock signal CLK2 to the rendering processing unit (5) so as to cause the geometry processing unit (4) and the rendering processing unit (5) to alternately operate.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional graphic drawing apparatus including a geometry processing unit for receiving three-dimensional data, and for performing a geometry process on the three-dimensional data so as to generate vertex data, and a rendering processing unit for performing a rendering process on the vertex data generated by said geometry processing unit so as to generate pixel data, said apparatus comprising:

a clock control unit for controlling operations of said geometry processing unit and said rendering processing unit by using clock signals respectively supplied to said geometry processing unit and said rendering processing unit.

2. The three-dimensional graphic drawing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the geometry processing unit outputs a busy signal while performing the geometry process, the rendering processing unit outputs a busy signal while performing the rendering process, and the clock control unit supplies the clock signals to said geometry processing unit and said rendering processing unit by using the busy signal output by said geometry processing unit and the busy signal output by said rendering processing unit so that said geometry processing unit and said rendering processing unit operate alternately.

3. The three-dimensional graphic drawing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the geometry processing unit receives three-dimensional data about one polygon, performs a geometry process on the three-dimensional data, and outputs a busy signal, the rendering processing unit includes a setup processing unit for performing a setup process on data about vertices of the one polygon delivered thereto from said geometry processing unit and for outputting a busy signal, and a pixel processing unit for performing a rasterizing process and a pixel process on data delivered thereto from said setup processing unit so as to generate pixel data, and for outputting a busy signal, and the clock control unit supplies clock signals to said geometry processing unit, said setup processing unit and said pixel processing unit based on the busy signal delivered thereto from said geometry processing unit, the busy signal delivered thereto from said setup processing unit, and the busy signal delivered thereto from said pixel processing unit so that said geometry processing unit, said setup processing unit, and said pixel processing unit operate sequentially.

4. The three-dimensional graphic drawing apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the setup processing unit determines whether or not data on which said setup processing unit is performing the setup process are required for drawing and delivers a signal indicating a result of this determination to the clock control unit, and the clock control unit supplies clock signals to the geometry processing unit and the rendering processing unit based on the signal indicating the result of the determination delivered thereto from said setup processing unit so that either said geometry processing unit or the pixel processing unit operates.

5. The three-dimensional graphic drawing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the geometry processing unit includes a coordinate transformation processing unit for performing a coordinate transformation process on the received three-dimensional data and for outputting a busy signal, a lighting processing unit for performing a lighting process on data delivered thereto from said coordinate transformation processing unit and for outputting a busy signal, and a clipping processing unit for performing a clipping process on data delivered thereto from said lighting processing unit so as to generate vertex data, and for outputting a busy signal, the rendering processing unit outputs a busy signal while performing the rendering process, and the clock control unit supplies clock signals to said coordinate transformation processing unit, said lighting processing unit, said clipping processing unit, and said rendering processing unit based on the busy signal delivered thereto from said coordinate transformation processing unit, the busy signal delivered thereto from said lighting processing unit, the busy signal delivered thereto from said clipping processing unit, and the busy signal delivered thereto from said rendering processing unit so that said coordinate transformation processing unit, said lighting processing unit, said clipping processing unit, and said rendering processing unit operate sequentially.

6. The three-dimensional graphic drawing apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the clipping processing unit determines whether or not a polygon specified by the data delivered thereto is required for drawing and delivers a signal indicating a result of this determination to the clock control unit, and the clock control unit supplies a clock signal to either the rendering processing unit or the coordinate transformation processing unit based on the signal indicating the result of the determination, which is delivered thereto from said clipping processing unit.

7. The three-dimensional graphic drawing apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the clipping processing unit determines whether or not a polygon specified by the data delivered thereto is required for drawing, divides said polygon into a plurality of parts based on a result of the determination, performs the clipping process on the plurality of parts one by one, and delivers a busy signal to the clock control unit until delivering data about all of the plurality of parts into which said polygon is divided to the rendering processing unit, and said clock control unit supplies clock signals to said clipping processing unit and said rendering processing unit based on the busy signal delivered thereto from said clipping processing unit so that the clipping process and the rendering process can be sequentially performed on the plurality of parts into which said polygon is divided.

8. A three-dimensional graphic drawing apparatus including a geometry processing unit for receiving three-dimensional data, and for performing a geometry process on the three-dimensional data so as to generate vertex data, and a rendering processing unit for performing a rendering process on the vertex data generated by said geometry processing unit so as to generate pixel data, said apparatus being connected with an external host computer, said apparatus comprising:

a clock control unit for supplying clock signals to said geometry processing unit and said rendering processing unit according to an instruction from said external host computer so that said geometry processing unit and said rendering processing unit operate alternately or said geometry processing unit and said rendering processing unit operate in pipelines.

9. The three-dimensional graphic drawing apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the geometry processing unit includes a coordinate transformation processing unit for performing a coordinate transformation process on the received three-dimensional data, a lighting processing unit for performing a lighting process on data delivered thereto from said coordinate transformation processing unit, and a clipping processing unit for performing a clipping process on data delivered thereto from said lighting processing unit so as to generate vertex data, and the clock control unit supplies clock signals to said coordinate transformation processing unit, said lighting processing unit, and said clipping processing unit according to an instruction from said external host computer so that said coordinate transformation processing unit, said lighting processing unit, and said clipping processing unit operate sequentially or said coordinate transformation processing unit, said lighting processing unit, and said clipping processing unit operate in pipelines.

10. The three-dimensional graphic drawing apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the rendering processing unit includes a setup processing unit for performing a setup process on the vertex data delivered thereto from said geometry processing unit, and a pixel processing unit for performing a rasterizing process and a pixel process on data delivered thereto from said setup processing unit so as to generate pixel data, and the clock control unit supplies clock signals to said setup processing unit and said pixel processing unit according to an instruction from said external host computer so that said setup processing unit and said pixel processing unit operate sequentially or said setup processing unit and said pixel processing unit operate in pipelines.