Graphics system and process for blending graphics display layers

• US 5,874,967 A
• Filed: 09/17/1997
• Issued: 02/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: West, R. Michael P., Stratz, Stephen J., Evans, Edward K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen S.
• Application Number:
  US08/931,926
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 345/113, 345/114, 345/153, 345/433, 345/435, 345/431, 345/432, 345/340, 345/342, 345/343, 345/344, 345/345
• US Class Current: 345/629
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/20 Processor architectures; Processor configuration, e.g. pipelining
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/00 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/503 Blending, e.g. for anti-aliasing

Abstract

A graphics system comprising a format processor for receiving display data including pixel data and color-blending information for at least two (2) separate display layers, a color blender and color processors. The pixel data includes color information for the display layers. The color-blending information determines weighting factors for use in blending the colors of the display layers. The format processor outputs separate streams of pixel data, one for each display layer, as well as the weighting factors. Each stream of pixel data outputted by the processor is inputted into a corresponding color processor that assigns colors to a particular display layer according to the color information in the corresponding pixel data. The color blender blends the colors assigned to the display layers according to the weighting factors.

Claims

1. A graphics system, comprising:

a format processor for receiving display data including pixel data and color-blending information, said format processor separating said pixel data for at least two (2) display layers, said pixel data including color information for said at least two (2) separate display layers, said color-blending information determining weighting factors and if the colors of said at least two (2) display layers are to be blended or if only a predetermined display layer is to be selected, said format processor outputting the separated pixel data for said at least two (2) display layers and said weighting factors;

a color processor for each of said at least two (2) display layers, each color processor receiving pixel data from said format processor that corresponds to one of said at least two (2) display layers, each color processor assigning colors to said at least two (2) display layers according to the color information in the pixel data;

a color-blender control responsive to said color blending information weighting factors, said color-blender control outputting a control signal indicating that the colors of said at least two (2) display layers are to be blended if the weighting factors are of a predetermined value or if a predetermined display layer is to be displayed if the weighting factors are outside said predetermined value; and

a color blender for blending the colors assigned to the display layers according to said weighting factors, said color blender including a controller responsive to said control signal for either enabling said color blender to blend the colors of said at least two (2) display layers if the weighting factors are of said predetermined value or for selecting the predetermined display layer if said color blending information determines that only that particular display layer is to be displayed if the weighting factors are outside said predetermined value, and outputting either the blended colors or the predetermined display layer to a display device.

2. The graphics system according to claim 1 further including a storage device for storing the weighting factors, said weighting factors being applied to the colors of said at least two display layers.

3. The graphics system according to claim 2 further including a serializer for receiving serial display data having a first width and a first rate and converting the serial display data into serial display data having a second width and a second rate for input into said processor and said storage device.

4. The graphics system according to claim 1 further including means for converting the blended colors produced by said color blender into signals representative of the primary colors used in a display device.

5. The graphics system according to claim 1 wherein the blended colors produced by said color blender are the weighted average of the colors of said at least two (2) display layers.

6. A process for displaying graphic display layers, comprising the steps of:

a) providing display data for at least two (2) display layers including pixel data and color-blending information, said pixel data including color information for said at least two (2) display layers, said color-blending information determining weighting factors for said at least two (2) display layers and if the colors of said at least two (2) display layers are to be blended or if only a predetermined display layer is to be selected;

b) separating the pixel data into separate display layers;

c) assigning colors to each of said at least (2) display layers according to the color information in the pixel data;

d) determining from the color blending information weighting factors if the colors of said at least two (2) display layers are to be blended if the weighting factors are of a predetermined value or if a predetermined display layer is to be selected if the weighting factors are outside said predetermined value;

e) blending the colors assigned to said at least two (2) display layers according to said weighting factors if it is determined in step (d) that the weighting factors are of said predetermined value indicating that the colors of said at least two (2) display layers are to be blended;

f) selecting the predetermined display layer if it is determined in step (d) that the weighting factors are outside said predetermined value indicating that only that particular display layer is to be displayed; and

g) outputting either the blended colors or the predetermined display layer to a display device.

7. The process according to claim 6 wherein the blended colors produced by said blending step (d) are the weighted average of the colors of said at least two (2) display layers, the weighted average being based on the weighting factors.

8. The process of claim 6 further including the step of displaying the blended colors representing said at least two (2) display layers.

9. The process of claim 6 further including the step of displaying the selected predetermined display layer.

10. A device for displaying interacting graphical information on a display device, comprising:

a serializer for receiving serial display data for at least two (2) display layers, the received serial data having a first width and a first data rate, said serializer converting the received serial data into serial data having a second width and a second data rate;

a format processor for receiving and separating the converted serial display data, said display data including pixel data and color-blending information, said pixel data including color information for said at least two (2) display layers, said color-blending information determining weighting factors and if the colors of said at least two (2) display layers are to be blended or if only a predetermined display layer is to be selected, said format processor outputting the separated pixel data for said at least two (2) display layers and said weighting factors;

a storage device for storing said weighting factors;

a color processor for each of said at least two (2) display layers, each color processor receiving pixel data from said format processor that corresponds to one of said at least two (2) display layers, each color processor assigning colors to one of said at least two (2) display layers according to the color information in the pixel data;

a color-blender control responsive to said color blending information weighting factors, said color-blender control outputting a control signal indicating that the colors of said at least two (2) display layers are to be blended if the weighting factors are of a predetermined value or if a predetermined display layer is to be displayed if the weighting factors are outside said predetermined value;

a color blender for blending the colors assigned to the display layers according to said weighting factors to produce a predetermined color that is the weighted average of the colors of said at least two (2) display layers, said color blender having a controller responsive to said control signal for either enabling said color blender to blend the colors of said at least two (2) display layers if the weighting factors are of said predetermined value or for selecting the predetermined display layer if said color blending information determines that only that particular display layer is to be displayed if the weighting factors are outside said predetermined value; and

means for converting the predetermined color produced by said color blender into signals representing primary colors and outputting either the blended colors or the predetermined display layer to the display device.