Matrix multiplication circuit for graphic display
First Claim
1. A matrix multiplication apparatus for a graphic display which transforms line segments into a dot pattern and displays a graphic picture corresponding to the dot pattern, the matrix multiplication apparatus comprising:
- multiplication means for multiplying transformation matrices with each other and for multiplying a coordinate matrix with a transformation matrix;
matrix-storing means for storing bit data representative of the elements of the transformation matrices so as to provide multiplicands and multipliers; and
a processor for controlling the multiplication means and the matrix-storing means, said processor including means for supplying bit data representative of the elements of the coordinate matrices to the multiplication means as multiplicands;
the multiplication means comprising a plurality of groups of serial multiplicators, each multiplicator processing in sequence a predetermined bit length not less than a bit length of the coordinate matrix element and less than a bit length of the transformation matrix element, each multiplicator having a direct-connection terminal for receiving the multipliers from the matrix-storing means and a cascade terminal, first change-over means for connecting the plurality of multiplicators of the different groups in a cascade connection at the cascade terminals so as to receive the multiplicands representative of the transformation matrix elements from the matrix-storing means in sequence and for enabling the multiplicators to operate independently of each other to receive the multiplicands representative of the coordinate matrix elements from the processor in sequence, second change-over means connected between the matrix-storing means and respective ones of the direct-connection terminals for multiplexing the different multipliers fed from the matrix-storing means so as to enable the cascade-connected multiplicators to process the different multipliers, and addition means for adding the results of the multiplications obtained by the multiplicators belonging to the same groups;
the matrix-storing means being directly connected to the multiplication means and comprising random access memories having a predetermined number of blocks corresponding to the number of transformation matrix elements, each block being divided into at least one area which stores whole bits of one element of one transformation matrix, high address setting means for designating the area, and low address setting means for serially reading out the bit data representative of the transformation matrix element stored in the designated area from the least significant bit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A matrices elements memory is constituted by random access memories, and its addresses are divided into a high address and a low address. The high address specifies areas holding matrix elements, and the low addresses of the matrix elements are designated sequentially bit-by-bit, starting from the least significant bit, so as to enable serial reading. A calculation unit consists of pairs of serial multiplicators which are either used in a cascade connection or independently as independent multiplicators, in order to correspond to the data length of a multiplicand.
30 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A matrix multiplication apparatus for a graphic display which transforms line segments into a dot pattern and displays a graphic picture corresponding to the dot pattern, the matrix multiplication apparatus comprising:
- multiplication means for multiplying transformation matrices with each other and for multiplying a coordinate matrix with a transformation matrix;
matrix-storing means for storing bit data representative of the elements of the transformation matrices so as to provide multiplicands and multipliers; and
a processor for controlling the multiplication means and the matrix-storing means, said processor including means for supplying bit data representative of the elements of the coordinate matrices to the multiplication means as multiplicands;
the multiplication means comprising a plurality of groups of serial multiplicators, each multiplicator processing in sequence a predetermined bit length not less than a bit length of the coordinate matrix element and less than a bit length of the transformation matrix element, each multiplicator having a direct-connection terminal for receiving the multipliers from the matrix-storing means and a cascade terminal, first change-over means for connecting the plurality of multiplicators of the different groups in a cascade connection at the cascade terminals so as to receive the multiplicands representative of the transformation matrix elements from the matrix-storing means in sequence and for enabling the multiplicators to operate independently of each other to receive the multiplicands representative of the coordinate matrix elements from the processor in sequence, second change-over means connected between the matrix-storing means and respective ones of the direct-connection terminals for multiplexing the different multipliers fed from the matrix-storing means so as to enable the cascade-connected multiplicators to process the different multipliers, and addition means for adding the results of the multiplications obtained by the multiplicators belonging to the same groups;
the matrix-storing means being directly connected to the multiplication means and comprising random access memories having a predetermined number of blocks corresponding to the number of transformation matrix elements, each block being divided into at least one area which stores whole bits of one element of one transformation matrix, high address setting means for designating the area, and low address setting means for serially reading out the bit data representative of the transformation matrix element stored in the designated area from the least significant bit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
- multiplication means for multiplying transformation matrices with each other and for multiplying a coordinate matrix with a transformation matrix;
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4. A matrix multiplication apparatus of a graphic display for multiplying transformation matrices with each other and for multiplying a coordinate matrix with a transformation matrix, the matrix multiplication apparatus comprising:
- matrix-storing means for storing the transformation matrices, the matrix-storing means comprising random access memories for storing bit data representative of the elements of the transformation matrices, high address setting means for designating the memories storing the elements of one transformation matrix, and low address setting means for reading out multipliers in the form of serial bit data stored in the designated memories in the order from the least significant bit to the most significant bit;
data bus means for providing multiplicands in the form of long bit data representative of the elements of another transformation matrix and in the form of short bit data representative of the elements of one coordinate matrix; and
multiplication means directly connected to the matrix-storing means for receiving the multipliers and connected to the data bus means for sequentially receiving the multiplicands, the multiplication means comprising a plurality of serial multiplicators for multiplying the same multiplicand of one matrix with the different multipliers of another matrix in one sequence, each multiplicator processing a predetermined bit length of the multiplicand not less than a bit length of the short bit data and less than a bit length of the long bit data, first change-over means operative when the multiplication means receives the long bit data to cascade-connect a predetermined number of the serial multiplicators so that the cascade-connected multiplicators can process the long bit data, and operative when the multiplication means receives the short bit data to enable the plurality of multiplicators to operate independently of each other so that the independent multiplicators can process the short bit data, second change-over means connected between the matrix-storing means and respective ones of the multiplicators for multiplexing the different multipliers fed from the matrix-storing means so as to enable the cascade-connected multiplicators to process the different multipliers with the same multiplicand, and addition means connected to the multiplicators for adding the multiplication products. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
- matrix-storing means for storing the transformation matrices, the matrix-storing means comprising random access memories for storing bit data representative of the elements of the transformation matrices, high address setting means for designating the memories storing the elements of one transformation matrix, and low address setting means for reading out multipliers in the form of serial bit data stored in the designated memories in the order from the least significant bit to the most significant bit;
Specification