Memory efficient cell texturing for advanced video object generator

• US 4,692,880 A
• Filed: 11/15/1985
• Issued: 09/08/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Chandler, Jimmy E., Economy, Richard, Merz, Donald M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Perkey, W. B.
• Application Number:
  US06/798,313
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 364/521, 364/522, 364/526, 340/724, 340/725, 340/728, 340/729, 340/731, 340/747, 340/703, 434/38, 434/43, 358/103, 358/104, 358/80, 382/49, 382/52, 382/54, 382/55
• US Class Current: 345/587
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/50 Lighting effects

Abstract

An improved advanced video object generator with a more efficient cell texturing memory is disclosed. The advanced video object generator includes a data memory for storing cell-by-cell object data for a plurality of objects for retrieval and processing for video display. A vector processor calculates object transformations for translating operator inputs into image orientation control signals for calculating pixel-by-pixel image data. Cell texture address logic determines the memory location to be accessed for retrieval of cell texture data for display. Output logic provides the cell texture data to a span processor which translates the cell texture data into pixel-by-pixel display data for display on a video display device. The disclosed improvement includes at least one data memory hardware map having a plurality of nxn memory locations for storing n² cell sets of cell texture data. The cell texture output logic reads out two independent n² cell sets simultaneously which are blended.

Claims

1. An improved advanced video object generator including data memory means for storing cell-by-cell object data for a plurality of objects for retrieval and processing for video display, vector processing means for calculating object transformations for translating operator inputs into image orientation control signals for calculating pixel-bypixel image data, cell texture address means for determining the memory location to be accessed for retrieval of cell texture data for display, cell texture output means for outputing said cell texture data, span processing means for translating said cell texture data into pixel-by pixel display data, and video monitor means for displaying images of objects comprising pixel-by-pixel displays of said display data, the improvement comprising:

at least one memory hardware map coupled to said data memory means, said at least one memory map having a plurality of n×

n memory locations for storing n² cell sets of cell texture data;

means for reading out two independent n² cell sets simultaneously coupled to said cell texture output means, each of the two independent n² cell sets indicative of corresponding object data at respectively different levels of detail;

means for blending the data in said two independent n² cell sets, the means for blending coupled to the means for reading out two independent n² cell sets;

wherein each of said two independent n² cell sets are allocated to a respective subspan at the respective levels of detail for simultaneously obtaining data for a plurality of pixel calculation paths, said cell texture address means including means for addressing the memory locations of an n×

n cell set by a single subspan address or the single subspan address plus one.

2. A method for retrieving data for cell texturing an image to be displayed, the image formed from a plurality of pixels and the data oriented in a cell map, wherein the cell map includes a plurality of cell sets, each cell set having a respective plurality of cell memory sections, comprising:

allocating a cell set to a subspan, wherein the subspan inludes a plurality of members arranged in a square array, each of the members corresponding to a respective predetermined one of the plurality of pixels and further wherein the address of the subspan is the address of a predetermined corner of the array;

limiting the size of the subspan to less than the size of the allocated cell set;

calculating the address of the subspan wherein the address of the subspan is in the form of an X, Y coordinate pair;

determining the contents of the respective cell memory sections surrounding the center of the respective corresponding member of the subspan; and

modulating the color of the respective predetermined one of the plurality of pixels in response to the contents of the respective cell memory sections surrounding the respective corresponding member,

wherein data for each of the respective predetermined one of the plurality of pixels is simultaneously obtained from the cell map.

3. The method as in claim 2, wherein the cell set is an n×

n array and the subspan is an n/2×

n/2 array.

4. The method as in claim 3, wherein the address of the predetermined corner includes the smallest value of both X and Y for the corners of the array.

5. The method as in claim 4, wherein the cell memory sections of the one of the cell sets are addressable by the X, Y coordinate pair, an (X+1), Y coordinate pair an X, (Y+1) coordinate pair, or an (X+1, (Y +1) coordinate pair.

6. The method as in claim 2, wherein the respective cell memory sections surrounding the members include the four adjacent memory sections surrounding each respective member.

7. A method for retrieving data for texturing an image to be displayed, the data indicative of color and oriented in a plurality of cell maps corresponding to respective levels of detail, each cell map including a plurality of cell sets having a respective plurality of cell memory sections, comprising:

allocating cell sets of a cell map having a first predetermined level of detail to a first subspan, wherein the first subspan includes a plurality of first members, each of the plurality of first members corresponding to a respective predetermined one of the plurality of pixels;

allocating cell sets of a cell map having a second predetermined level of detail to a second subspan, wherein the second subspan includes a plurality of second members, each of the plurality of second members corresponding to one of the respective predetermined one of the plurality of pixels;

limiting the size of the first and second subspan to less than the size of the respective allocated all sets;

calculating the address of the first and second subspan wherein the address of the first and second subspan is in the form of a respective X, Y coordinate pair; and

determining the contents of the respective cell memory sections surrounding the centers of the respective corresponding first and second members of the first and second subspan, respectively; and

controlling each of the respective predetermined one of the plurality of pixels in response to the contents of the respective cell memory sections surrounding the center of the corresponding one of the plurality of first and second members,

wherein data for each of the respective predetermined one of the plurality of pixels is simultaneously obtained from the cell maps having the first and second predetermined level of detail.

8. The method as in claim 7, wherein the step of controlling further includes blending the contents of the respective cell memory sections surrounding the respective corresponding one of the plurality of first and second members.