Systems and methods for providing image rendering using variable rate source sampling

• US 20050093876A1
• Filed: 11/04/2004
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Olynyk, Kirk, Snyder, John Michael, Whitted, John Turner, Blank, William Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,956,870 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/582
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/04 Texture mapping
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/80 Shading

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for variable source rate sampling in connection with image rendering, which accumulate and resolve over all samples forward mapped to each pixel bin. In accordance with the invention, the textured surface to be rendered is sampled, or oversampled, at a variable rate that reflects variations in frequency among different regions, taking into account any transformation that will be applied to the surface prior to rendering and the view parameters of the display device, thus ensuring that each bin of the rendering process receives at least a predetermined minimum number of samples. A variety of image processing applications are contemplated wherein variable rate source sampling, and accumulation and resolution of forward mapped point samples can be applied, ranging from 3-D graphics applications to applications wherein images recorded in a recording/storage environment are mapped to the arbitrary requirements of a display environment.

Claims

1-69. -69. (canceled)

70. A method for determining a sampling rate for regions of a display surface, comprising:

forward mapping a plurality of point samples to a memory location representing a display surface;

dividing said memory location into a plurality of bins;

assessing that a first of said plurality of bins has a first frequency, wherein frequency is a measurement that increases when there is greater detail or greater contrast associated with a bin;

sampling said first bin at a first rate, wherein said first rate is calculated using the first frequency.

71. The method of claim 70, wherein said first rate is calculated using also at least one transformation that the first of said plurality of tiles undergoes prior to rendering.

72. The method of claim 70, wherein said first rate is calculated using also a parameter of a rendering device which renders the plurality of bins.

73. The method of claim 70, further comprising displaying an image on a rendering device, wherein at least one property of said image is based on samples generated by said sampling.

74. The method of claim 70, further comprising accumulating at least one point sample forward mapped to the memory location.

75. The method of claim 70, further comprising resolving over the at least one point sample based on at least one of (A) the location of the at least one point sample in a sample square of a destination device, (B) at least one value associated with the at least one point sample, (C) the location of at least one neighbor of the at least one point sample and (D) at least one value associated with the at least one neighbor of the at least one point sample.

76. The method of claim 70, wherein each point sample maps to only one bin.

77. The method of claim 70, wherein at least one bin receives at least a predetermined minimum number of the plurality of point samples from said forward mapping.

78. The method of claim 77, wherein said predetermined minimum number is one.

79. The method of claim 70, further comprising receiving the plurality of point samples into the plurality of bins based on said point samples'"'"' locations.

80. The method of claim 70, further comprising determining at least one value for at least one bin of the plurality of bins based on at least one sample in the at least one bin.

81. The method of claim 80, further comprising setting at least one of the grey value and color values in accordance with said at least one value.

82. The method of claim 70, further comprising applying at least one texture to said memory location to create a textured memory location, wherein said sampling is conducted on the textured memory location.

83. A computer readable medium bearing instructions for determining a sampling rate for regions of a display surface, the instructions comprising:

instructions for forward mapping a plurality of point samples to a memory location representing a display surface;

instructions for dividing said memory location into a plurality of bins;

instructions for assessing that a first of said plurality of bins has a first frequency, wherein frequency is a measurement that increases when there is greater detail or greater contrast associated with a bin;

instructions for sampling said first bin at a first rate, wherein said first rate is calculated using the first frequency.

84. The computer readable medium of claim 83, wherein said first rate is calculated using also at least one transformation that the first of said plurality of tiles undergoes prior to rendering.

85. The computer readable medium of claim 83, wherein said first rate is calculated using also a parameter of a rendering device which renders the plurality of bins.

86. The computer readable medium of claim 83, further comprising instructions for displaying an image on a rendering device, wherein at least one property of said image is based on samples generated by said sampling.

87. The computer readable medium of claim 83, further comprising instructions for accumulating at least one point sample forward mapped to the memory location.

88. The computer readable medium of claim 83, further comprising instructions for resolving over the at least one point sample based on at least one of (A) the location of the at least one point sample in a sample square of a destination device, (B) at least one value associated with the at least one point sample, (C) the location of at least one neighbor of the at least one point sample and (D) at least one value associated with the at least one neighbor of the at least one point sample.

89. The computer readable medium of claim 83, wherein each point sample maps to only one bin.

90. The computer readable medium of claim 83, wherein at least one bin receives at least a predetermined minimum number of the plurality of point samples from said forward mapping.

91. The method of claim 90, wherein said predetermined minimum number is one.

92. The computer readable medium of claim 83, further comprising instructions for receiving the plurality of point samples into the plurality of bins based on said point samples'"'"' locations.

93. The computer readable medium of claim 83, further comprising instructions for determining at least one value for at least one bin of the plurality of bins based on at least one sample in the at least one bin.

94. The method of claim 93, further comprising instructions for setting at least one of the grey value and color values in accordance with said at least one value.

95. The computer readable medium of claim 83, further comprising instructions for applying at least one texture to said memory location to create a textured memory location, wherein said sampling is conducted on the textured memory location.

96. A system comprising a processor, a memory, and a display surface for visual presentation of images, and further comprising means for determining a sampling rate for regions of an image corresponding to regions of the display surface, comprising:

means for forward mapping a plurality of point samples to a memory location representing a display surface;

means for dividing said memory location into a plurality of bins;

means for assessing that a first of said plurality of bins has a first frequency, wherein frequency is a measurement that increases when there is greater detail or greater contrast associated with a bin;

means for sampling said first bin at a first rate, wherein said first rate is calculated using the first frequency.

97. The system of claim 96, wherein said first rate is calculated using also at least one transformation that the first of said plurality of tiles undergoes prior to rendering.

98. The system of claim 96, wherein said first rate is calculated using also a parameter of a rendering device which renders the plurality of bins.

99. The system of claim 96, further comprising means for displaying an image on a rendering device, wherein at least one property of said image is based on samples generated by said sampling.

100. The system of claim 96, further comprising means for accumulating at least one point sample forward mapped to the memory location.

101. The system of claim 96, further comprising means for resolving over the at least one point sample based on at least one of (A) the location of the at least one point sample in a sample square of a destination device, (B) at least one value associated with the at least one point sample, (C) the location of at least one neighbor of the at least one point sample and (D) at least one value associated with the at least one neighbor of the at least one point sample.

102. The system of claim 96, wherein each point sample maps to only one bin.

103. The system of claim 96, wherein at least one bin receives at least a predetermined minimum number of the plurality of point samples from said forward mapping.

104. The system of claim 103, wherein said predetermined minimum number is one.

105. The system of claim 96, further comprising means for receiving the plurality of point samples into the plurality of bins based on said point samples'"'"' locations.

106. The system of claim 96, further comprising means for determining at least one value for at least one bin of the plurality of bins based on at least one sample in the at least one bin.

107. The system of claim 106, further comprising means for setting at least one of the grey value and color values in accordance with said at least one value.

108. The system of claim 96, further comprising means for applying at least one texture to said memory location to create a textured memory location, wherein said sampling is conducted on the textured memory location.