Graphics system with dynamic reposition of depth engine

• US 20070268289A1
• Filed: 05/16/2006
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Jiao, Guofang, Du, Yun, Yu, Chun, Ruttenberg, Brian
• Application Number:
  US11/435,454
• Publication Number:
  US 20070268289A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/422
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/005 General purpose rendering architectures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/40 Hidden part removal

Abstract

A graphics system includes a graphics processor comprising a plurality of units configured to process a graphics image and a depth engine configured to receive and process data selected from one of two units based on a selection value.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a plurality of units configured to process a graphics image; and

a depth engine configured to receive and process data selected from one of two units based on a selection value.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the depth engine is configured to perform a stencil test on each pixel to determine whether to discard the pixel, the stencil test comprising comparing a stored stencil value for each pixel against a reference value.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the depth engine is configured to receive at least one of an alpha test result and a fragment shader test result, perform a stencil test on each pixel, and determine whether to display the pixel.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the depth engine is configured to perform a depth test on each pixel to determine whether to discard the pixel, the depth test comprising comparing a current z value of each pixel against a corresponding stored z value in a buffer and determine whether to discard the pixel based on the comparison.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the depth engine is configured to receive at least one of an alpha test result and a fragment shader test result, perform a depth test on each pixel, and determine whether to display the pixel, the depth test comprising comparing a current z value of each pixel against a corresponding stored z value in a buffer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of units comprise at least two of a command engine, a triangle position and z setup unit, a rasterization engine, an attribute setup engine, a pixel interpolation engine, a texture engine and a fragment shader.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the two units comprise a rasterization engine and a fragment shader.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fragment shader is configured to perform at least one of modify z values and discard pixels.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising switching means to receive the selection value and selectively pass data from a first unit or a second unit to the depth engine.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a mobile phone.

11. A machine readable storage medium storing a set of instructions comprising:

processing a graphics image using several graphics processing modules; and

selectively switching data input to a depth engine from one of two units based on a selection value.

12. The machine readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the two units comprise a rasterization engine and a fragment shader.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a plurality of means for processing a graphics image; and

a depth testing means for receiving and processing data selected from one of two units based on a selection value.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the two units comprise a rasterization engine and a fragment shader.

15. A method comprising:

processing a graphics image using several graphics processing modules;

receiving a selection value; and

selectively switching data input to a depth engine from one of two units based on the selection value.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising performing a stencil test on each pixel to determine whether to discard the pixel, the stencil test comprising comparing a stored stencil value for each pixel against a reference value.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving at least one of an alpha test result and a fragment shader test result;

performing a stencil test on each pixel; and

determining whether to display the pixel.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising performing a depth test on each pixel to determine whether to discard the pixel, wherein the depth test comprises comparing a current z value of each pixel against a corresponding stored z value in a buffer.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving at least one of an alpha test result and a fragment shader test result;

performing a depth test on each pixel, wherein the depth test comprises comparing a current z value of each pixel against a corresponding stored z value in a buffer; and

based on the depth test, determining whether to display the pixel.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the modules comprise at least two of a command engine, a triangle position and z setup unit, a rasterization engine, an attribute setup engine, a pixel interpolation engine, a texture engine and a fragment shader.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the two units comprise a rasterization engine and a fragment shader.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the fragment shader is configured to perform at least one of modify z values and discard pixels.