Architecture and apparatus for image generation
First Claim
1. An image generation system, comprising:
- (a) a plurality of geometry processors for receiving primitives and translating said primitives to screen coordinates to provide primitive screen data; and
,(b) a rasterizer associated with each of said geometry processors for computing pixel values from said primitive screen data, said rasterizer comprising an enhanced memory device, said enhanced memory device corresponding to a selected set of screen coordinates,(i) said enhanced memory device having for each of said selected screen coordinates,processing means for computing pixel values to provide a computed pixel value,storage means associated with each of said processing means for storing data, and,a compositor buffer associated with each of said processing means for storing said computed pixel value, and(ii) said enhanced memory device further having,input means for receiving pixel values from a corresponding enhanced memory device associated with a different one of said plurality of geometry processors,compositor means for compositing said stored computed pixel value and the pixel value received by said input means to determine a composited pixel value; and
output means operably associated with said compositor means for outputting said composited pixel value.
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Abstract
A system for image generation comprising a plurality of renderers, each having a geometry processor and a rasterizer, that operate in parallel to compute pixel values for a set of primitive objects that comprise the image to be rendered. The geometry processor transforms graphics primitive objects from their native object coordinates to screen coordinates. The rasterizer consists of an array of enhanced memory devices having a processor and memory for each pixel in a region of a screen. The processors and their associated memories operate in SIMD fashion on screen space primitive descriptions to compute and store pixel values for an entire such region. The enhanced memory devices further comprise compositors for combining their pixel values, for example, based on a visibility test, with those from a corresponding memory device of another rasterizer. The image generation system may further comprise shaders, which compute pixel colors based on pixel values computed in the plurality of renderers, and video frame buffers, which store these pixel colors and refresh a raster display device. The shaders and frame buffers consist of a renderer with additional memory devices that store texture and image data. Also disclosed are enhanced memory devices and rasterizers for use in the present image generation system.
115 Citations
42 Claims
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1. An image generation system, comprising:
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(a) a plurality of geometry processors for receiving primitives and translating said primitives to screen coordinates to provide primitive screen data; and
,(b) a rasterizer associated with each of said geometry processors for computing pixel values from said primitive screen data, said rasterizer comprising an enhanced memory device, said enhanced memory device corresponding to a selected set of screen coordinates, (i) said enhanced memory device having for each of said selected screen coordinates, processing means for computing pixel values to provide a computed pixel value, storage means associated with each of said processing means for storing data, and, a compositor buffer associated with each of said processing means for storing said computed pixel value, and (ii) said enhanced memory device further having, input means for receiving pixel values from a corresponding enhanced memory device associated with a different one of said plurality of geometry processors, compositor means for compositing said stored computed pixel value and the pixel value received by said input means to determine a composited pixel value; and output means operably associated with said compositor means for outputting said composited pixel value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An image generation system, comprising:
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(a) primitive processing means for generating primitive screen data; and
,(b) a plurality of rasterizers associated with said primitive processing means for computing pixel values from said primitive screen data, said rasterizer comprising an enhanced memory device, said enhanced memory device corresponding to a selected set of screen coordinates, (i) said enhanced memory device having for each of said selected screen coordinates, processing means for computing pixel values to provide a computed pixel value, storage means associated with each of said processing means for storing data, and, compositor buffer associated with each of said processing means for storing said computed pixel value, and (ii) said enhanced memory device further having, input means for receiving computed pixel values from a corresponding enhanced memory device associated with a different one of said plurality of geometry processors, compositor means for compositing said stored computed pixel value and the pixel value received by said input means to determine a composited pixel value; and output means operably associated with said compositor means for outputting said composited pixel value. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An image-generation system, comprising:
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(a) a plurality of geometry processors for receiving primitives for a selected region of a screen and translating said primitives to screen coordinates to provide primitive screen data; and
,(b) a rasterizer associated with each of said geometry processors for computing pixel values from said primitive screen data, said rasterizer comprising, image generation control means for receiving said primitive screen data from said geometry processors and converting said primitive screen data to command information; a plurality of enhanced memory devices, each of said enhanced memory devices corresponding to a selected set of screen coordinates, (i) each of said enhanced memory devices having for each of said selected screen coordinates, processing means for receiving said command information and computing pixel values to provide a computed pixel value, storage means associated with each of said processing means for storing data, and, compositor buffer associated with each of said processing means for storing said computed pixel value, and (ii) each of said enhanced memory devices further having, input means for receiving computed pixel values from a corresponding one of said enhanced memory devices associated with a different one of said plurality of geometry processors, compositor means for compositing said stored computed pixel value and the pixel value received by said input means to determine a composited pixel value, and output means operably associated with said compositor means for outputting said composited pixel value; and said rasterizer further comprising image composition network control means operably associated with each of said compositor means for synchronizing said compositors such that data is output by said output means after all pixel values have been calculated for said selected region. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A rasterizer for computing pixel values from primitive screen data in an image generation system comprising:
a plurality of enhanced memory devices, each of said enhanced memory devices corresponding to a selected set of screen coordinates, (i) each of said enhanced memory devices having for each of said selected screen coordinates, a processing means for computing pixel values to provide a computed pixel value, a storage means associated with each of said processing means for storing data, and, a compositor buffer associated with each of said processing means for storing said computed pixel value, and (ii) each of said enhanced memory devices further having, input means for receiving computed pixel values, compositor means for compositing said stored computed pixel value and the pixel value received by said input means to determine a composited pixel value; and output means operably associated with said compositor means for outputting said composited pixel value. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. An enhanced memory chip for use in an image generation system comprising:
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a plurality of processing means for computing pixel values to provide a computed pixel value, a storage means associated with each of said processing means for storing data, a compositor buffer associated with each of said processing means for storing said computed pixel value, and input means for receiving computed pixel values, compositor means for compositing said stored computed pixel value and the pixel value received by said input means to determine a composited pixel value; and output means operably associated with said compositor means for outputting said composited pixel value. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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Specification