Graphics display system using logic-enhanced pixel memory cells
First Claim
1. A graphics display system comprising:
- a display device including a plurality of individual picture elements (pixels), each said pixel being disposed at a predetermined position in a nominal display coordinate system;
processor means, responsive to data base signals representative of at least a portion of a visual three dimensional scene and perspective control signals applied thereto, for generating display coordinate data signals representative of said scene portion viewed from a perspective defined by said perspective control signals, said scene including at least one object, said display coordinate data signals comprising sequential representations of the spatial disposition and luminescent intensity of a plurality of component surfaces of said object in said scene portion;
preprocessor means, responsive to said display coordinate data signals, for selectively generating, in respect of each of said plurality of sequential component surfaces, respective coefficient signals indicative of coefficients of at least one equation representative of respective aspects of said each component surface;
image buffer means, responsive to said coefficient signals and including a respective individual cell corresponding to each said display device pixel, for determining, at each cell, the value of said equation in parallel at the positions of each said pixel, and selectively storing indicia of intensity values in each cell corresponding to a pixel within the component surface, which pixel is not obstructed from said perspective by any preceding sequential component surface; and
display control means, responsive to said stored intensity indicia, for controlling said display pixels in accordance with the intensity indicia stored in said image buffer means corresponding individual cell.
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Abstract
The present invention provides a relatively inexpensive raster-scan type graphics system capable of real time operation, utilizing logic-enhanced pixels within an image buffer, permitting parallel (simultaneous) calculations at every pixel. A typical implementation would be as custom VLSI chips. In the sequence of most general applications, each polygon is operated upon in sequence, and the image is built up as the polygons are processed without the necessity of sorting. With respect to each successive polygon, the following operations are effected: (1) all pixels within the polygon are identified; (2) the respective pixels which would be visible to the observer, that is, not obstructed by some previously processed polygon, are determined; and (3) the proper color intensities for each visible pixel are determined.
125 Citations
54 Claims
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1. A graphics display system comprising:
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a display device including a plurality of individual picture elements (pixels), each said pixel being disposed at a predetermined position in a nominal display coordinate system; processor means, responsive to data base signals representative of at least a portion of a visual three dimensional scene and perspective control signals applied thereto, for generating display coordinate data signals representative of said scene portion viewed from a perspective defined by said perspective control signals, said scene including at least one object, said display coordinate data signals comprising sequential representations of the spatial disposition and luminescent intensity of a plurality of component surfaces of said object in said scene portion; preprocessor means, responsive to said display coordinate data signals, for selectively generating, in respect of each of said plurality of sequential component surfaces, respective coefficient signals indicative of coefficients of at least one equation representative of respective aspects of said each component surface; image buffer means, responsive to said coefficient signals and including a respective individual cell corresponding to each said display device pixel, for determining, at each cell, the value of said equation in parallel at the positions of each said pixel, and selectively storing indicia of intensity values in each cell corresponding to a pixel within the component surface, which pixel is not obstructed from said perspective by any preceding sequential component surface; and display control means, responsive to said stored intensity indicia, for controlling said display pixels in accordance with the intensity indicia stored in said image buffer means corresponding individual cell. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. In graphics display apparatus of the type receptive of data base signals indicative of at least a portion of a scene, and including:
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a display device having a plurality of individual picture elements; processor means, responsive to said data base signals and control signals applied thereto, for generating display coordinate data signals representative of said scene portion viewed from a viewpoint defined by said control signals in a predetermined display coordinate system; and an image buffer, including at least one cell corresponding to each pixel in said display, for selectively storing indicia of at least one visual intensity value for said corresponding pixel, the improvement wherein; each of said cells includes individual processing means, responsive to signals indicative of said display coordinate data signals and control signals applied thereto, for cooperating in the determination of said intensity value for the corresponding pixel. - View Dependent Claims (4, 11)
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5. Graphics display apparatus of the type receptive of data base signals indicative of at least a portion of a scene, and including:
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a display device having a plurality of individual picture elements (pixels) processor means, responsive to said data base signal and control signals applied thereto, for generating display coordinate data signals representative of said scene portion viewed from a perspective defined by said;
control signals in a predetermined display coordinate system and an image buffer including at least one addressable cell corresponding to respective pixels in said display for selectively storing indicia of at least one visual intensity value for said corresponding pixel, the improvement wherein;said apparatus further comprises preprocessor means, responsive to said display coordinate data signals, for selectively generating respective coefficient data signals representative of the coefficients of predetermined equations associated with said display coordinate data; and said image buffer comprises; means, responsive to said coefficient data signals, for generating respective equation value signals corresponding to each operative coordinate in said display coordinate system; and at least one respective individual cell corresponding to each pixel in said display, said cell responsive to the equation value signals corresponding to the coordinates of said corresponding pixel, for cooperatively determining the intensity value of said corresponding pixel in said scene portion as viewed from said perspective. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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7. A method of generating a graphic display of a scene as viewed from a defined perspective utilizing a display device having a plurality of individual pixel elements, and a frame buffer including a respective cell corresponding to each said pixel, each said cell being capable of at least an enable state whereby said cell is receptive of data signals applied thereto and an inhibited state wherein said cell is not responsive to data signals applied thereto, said scene being represented by data signals defining a sequence of respective component surfaces of said scene in respect of spatial disposition and intrinsic visual intensity, comprising the steps of:
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(a) repeating in respect of each component surface in sequence; (a1) initializing the enable/inhibit state of each of said respective cells; (a2) generating signals indicative of the coefficients of an equation of an edge of said component surface as a function of the coordinates of said display device pixels; (a3) generating, from said edge coefficient signals, in parallel at each said cell, respective signals indicative of the respective value of said edge equation for each value of said coordinates of said pixels; (a4) selectively adjusting the enable/inhibit states of individual cells in accordance with the value of said edge equation at the coordinates of said corresponding pixel; (a5) repeating steps a2, a3, and a4 for each edge of said component surface; (a6) generating signals indicative of the coefficients of an equation indicative of the visual intensities of the respective pixels within said component surfaces as a function of the coordinates of said pixels; (a7) generating, in parallel at each said cell, from said intensity plane equation coefficients, respective signals indicative of the respective value of visual intensity for each value of coordinates of said pixels; (a8) selectively storing, in each of said cells in an enabled state, the respective value of visual intensity at the coordinates of the corresponding pixel; and (b) controlling said display device in accordance with the respective intensity values stored in said individual cells after repeating the above steps (a) in respect of all said component surfaces. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. Apparatus for generating a graphic display of a scene as viewed from a defined viewpoint, comprising:
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means for generating sequential sets of data signals defining a sequence of respective component surfaces of said scene in respect of spatial disposition and intrinsic visual intensity; a display device having a plurality of individual pixel elements; a frame buffer including a respective cell corresponding to each said pixel element, each said cell being capable of at least an enabled state whereby said cell is receptive of data signals applied thereto and an inhibited state wherein said cell is non-responsive to data signals applied thereto; means, responsive to said data signal sets, for initializing the enable/inhibit state of each said respective cells in respect of each sequential component surface; means, responsive to said data signal sets, for generating, in sequence, signals indicative of the coefficients of equations representative of the respective edges of said defined component surface as a function of the coordinates of said display device pixels; means at each of said cells responsive to said edge coefficient signals, for generating, for each said edge equation in sequence, sets of signals indicative of the respective valeus of said edge equation at the respective coordinates of said pixels; means, for selectively adjusting the enable/inhibit states of individual cells in accordance with the value of said edge equation at the coordinates of said corresponding pixel; means, at said cells responsive to each said data signal set in sequence, for generating, in parallel, signals indicative of the coefficients of an equation indicative of the visual intensities of the respective pixels within said defined component surface as a function of the coordinates of said pixels; means, responsive to said intensity equation coefficient signals, for generating a set of signals indicative of the respective values of said intensity at the coordinates of said pixels; means for selectively storing, in each of said cells in an enabled state, the respective value of visual intensity of said defined component surface at the coordinates of the corresponding pixel; and means for controlling said display device in accordance with the respective intensity values stored in said individual cells after the data signal sets in respect of all said component surfaces have been responded to. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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12. A system for displaying an image on a display, said display including a plurality of respective display elements, said system comprising:
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display parameter calculating means for calculating at least one display parameter, said calculating means comprising; (1) an array of respective cells, each of said display elements associated with at least one of said cells, each of said respective cells comprising; (a) adding means for calculating an intensity value for the display element associated with said cell in response to information transmitted to said cell, and (b) means for storing said calculated intensity value; and (2) multiplying means for transmitting said information representing an image to be displayed, comprising distinct combination of data input thereto, to each of said cells; and means for controlling said plurality of display elements in response to said stored intensity values. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method for displaying an image on a display having a plurality of respective display elements, said method comprising the steps of:
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(1) deriving a plurality of different signals representing corresponding different portions of an object to be displayed from at least one value specifying said object; (2) applying a unique combination of said plural signals to an input of each cell in an array of respective cells, each of said display elements associated with at least of one of said cells; (3) calculating, at each of said cells, an intensity value for the display element associated with said cell in response to at least one said combination of signals applied thereto by said applying step (2); (4) storing said calculated intensity value at each of said cells; and (5) controlling said plurality of display elements in response to said stored intensity values. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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Specification