Method, node, and network for transmitting viewable and non-viewable data in a compositing system

• US 20040179007A1
• Filed: 03/14/2003
• Published: 09/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Bower, K. Scott, Alcorn, Byron A., Lefebvre, Kevin T., Goeltzenleuchter, Courtney D., Schinnerer, James A.
• Application Number:
  US10/388,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20040179007A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/00 3D [Three Dimensional] image rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/40 Hidden part removal
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/52 Parallel processing

Abstract

A node of a network for generating image frames comprising a graphics device operable to generate a viewable data set and a non-viewable data set representative of a three-dimensional image frame, and a first output interface operable to transmit the non-viewable data set is provided. A network for generating image frames comprising a plurality of rendering nodes operable to respectively generate a viewable data set and a non-viewable data set, and further operable to transmit the viewable and non-viewable data sets, and a compositor interconnected with the plurality of rendering nodes and operable to respectively receive the viewable and non-viewable data sets from the plurality of rendering nodes and operable to assemble a composite image from the viewable and non-viewable data sets is provided.

Claims

1. A node of a network for generating image frames, comprising:

a graphics device operable to generate a viewable data set and a non-viewable data set representative of a three-dimensional image frame; and

a first output interface operable to transmit the non-viewable data set.

2. The node according to claim 1, wherein the first output interface is disposed on the graphics device.

3. The node according to claim 1, wherein the graphics device further comprises a second output interface, the node operable to transmit the viewable data set through the second output interface.

4. The node according to claim 3, wherein the first and second output interfaces respectively comprise first and second digital video interfaces.

5. The node according to claim 3, wherein the graphics device further comprises a first and second display unit communicatively coupled with a first and second frame buffer, the non-viewable and viewable data sets conveyed to the first and second output interfaces by the first and second display units.

6. The node according to claim 1, further comprising a graphics pipeline operable to receive a geometric data set, the viewable and the non-viewable data sets generated from the geometric data set.

7. The node according to claim 1, wherein the viewable data set is transmitted through the first output interface.

8. The node according to claim 1, wherein the first output interface comprises a digital video interface.

9. The node according to claim 1, wherein the viewable data comprises red-, green-, and blue-formatted pixel data.

10. The node according to claim 1, wherein the non-viewable data set comprises at least one of a depth value and a transparency value associated with pixel values of the viewable data set.

11. A method of generating an image frame for assembly by a compositing system, comprising:

generating a viewable data set and a non-viewable data set from a geometric data set; and

transmitting, by a rendering node, the viewable and non-viewable data sets to a compositor.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein transmitting the viewable and non-viewable data sets further comprises transmitting the viewable and non-viewable data sets through a first output interface of the rendering node.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein transmitting the viewable and non-viewable data sets further comprises transmitting the viewable and non-viewable data sets through respective first and second output interfaces of the rendering node.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein transmitting the viewable and non-viewable data sets further comprises transmitting the viewable and non-viewable data sets through a digital video interface.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein transmitting the viewable data set comprises transmitting a red-, green-, and blue-formatted pixel data set.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein transmitting the non-viewable data set comprises transmitting transparency and depth values of the viewable data set.

17. A network for generating image frames, comprising:

a plurality of rendering nodes operable to respectively generate a viewable data set and a non-viewable data set, and further operable to transmit the viewable and non-viewable data sets; and

a compositor interconnected with the plurality of rendering nodes and operable to respectively receive the viewable and non-viewable data sets from the plurality of rendering nodes and operable to assemble a composite image from the viewable and non-viewable data sets.

18. The network according to claim 17, wherein each of the rendering nodes further comprises a respective graphics device comprising an output interface, the viewable and non-viewable data sets transmitted through the output interface of the respective rendering node.

19. The network according to claim 17, wherein each of the rendering nodes further comprises a respective graphics device comprising first and second output interfaces, the viewable and non-viewable data sets of each rendering node transmitted to the compositor through the respective first and second output interfaces.

20. The network according to claim 19, wherein the first and second output interfaces each comprise a digital video interface.

21. The network according to claim 17, wherein the compositor further comprises a plurality of digital video interfaces, the viewable and non-viewable data sets transmitted by each rendering node received by the compositor on a respective digital video interface.

22. The network according to claim 17, wherein the compositor further comprises a plurality of first and second digital video interfaces, the viewable and non-viewable data sets transmitted by each rendering node respectively received by the compositor on respective first and second digital video interfaces.

23. The network according to claim 17, wherein the non-viewable data set comprises a depth value and a transparency value, the compositor operable to perform depth testing and alpha blending on the viewable data set.