Caching and coherency control of multiple geometry accelerators in a computer graphics system
First Claim
1. A computer graphics system for rendering graphics primitives based upon primitive data, including vertex states and property states, received from a host computer through a graphics interface, the system comprising:
- a plurality of geometry accelerators configured to process the primitive data to render graphics primitives from one or more vertex states in accordance with the property states currently-maintained in each said geometry accelerator;
a distributor configured to divide the primitive data into chunks of primitive data and to distribute each of said chunks of primitive data to a current geometry accelerator recipient including, a state controller, interposed between the host computer and said plurality of geometry accelerators, configured to send primitive data to said plurality of geometry accelerators; and
a driver configured to control said state controller to set a value of a dependent property state to a value of a determining property state and to forward said value of said dependent property state to one or more of said plurality of geometry accelerators.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A computer graphics system for rendering graphics primitives based upon primitive data received from a host computer through a graphics interface. The primitive data may include vertex state and property state values. The computer graphics system includes a plurality of geometry accelerators configured to process the primitive data to render graphics primitives. The graphics primitives are rendered from one or more vertex states in accordance with the property states currently maintained in the rendering geometry accelerator. A distributor divides the primitive data into chunks of primitive data and distributes each of the primitive data chunks to a current geometry accelerator recipient. In one aspect of the invention, the distributor includes a state controller interposed between the host computer and said plurality of geometry accelerators. The state controller is configured to store and resend selected primitive data to the plurality of geometry accelerators based upon whether the one or more vertices of a graphics primitive are contained in more than one of the chunks of primitive data. A driver, based upon the occurrence of function calls that cause certain dependent property states to have values determined by the value assigned to a determining property state, controls the state controller to provide values of the determining property state to the geometry accelerators for values of said deponent property states.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A computer graphics system for rendering graphics primitives based upon primitive data, including vertex states and property states, received from a host computer through a graphics interface, the system comprising:
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a plurality of geometry accelerators configured to process the primitive data to render graphics primitives from one or more vertex states in accordance with the property states currently-maintained in each said geometry accelerator; a distributor configured to divide the primitive data into chunks of primitive data and to distribute each of said chunks of primitive data to a current geometry accelerator recipient including, a state controller, interposed between the host computer and said plurality of geometry accelerators, configured to send primitive data to said plurality of geometry accelerators; and a driver configured to control said state controller to set a value of a dependent property state to a value of a determining property state and to forward said value of said dependent property state to one or more of said plurality of geometry accelerators. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A computer graphics system for rendering graphics primitives based upon primitive data, including vertex states and property states, received from a host computer through a graphics interface, the system comprising:
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a plurality of geometry accelerators configured to process the primitive data to render graphics primitives from one or more vertex states in accordance with the property states currently-maintained in each said geometry accelerator; a distributor configured to divide the primitive data into chunks of primitive data and to distribute each of said chunks of primitive data to a current geometry accelerator recipient including, a state controller, interposed between the host computer and said plurality of geometry accelerators, configured to send primitive data to said plurality of geometry accelerators; and driver means for controlling said state controller to set a value of a dependent property state to a value of a determining property state and for forwarding said value of said dependent property state to one or more of said plurality of geometry accelerators, wherein the driver controls distribution of said property state values through writes to a linked state register stored in said state controller, and wherein said linked state register identifies which property states are said dependent property states and which of said property states are said determining property states. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for rendering graphics primitives based upon primitive data, including vertex states and property states, received from a host computer through a graphics interface, in a computer graphics system comprising the steps of:
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(a) receiving primitive data from the host computer; (b) dividing said primitive data into chunks of primitive data; (c) distributing each of said chunks of primitive data to a current geometry accelerator recipient; (d) processing said primitive data to render graphics primitives from one or more vertex states in accordance with said property states currently-maintained in each said geometry accelerator; and (e) distributing values of a determining property state to one or more of the geometry accelerators for a value of a depending property state which depends from the determining property state. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for rendering graphics primitives based upon primitive data, including vertex states and property states, received from a host computer through a graphics interface, in a computer graphics system comprising the steps of:
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(a) distributing chunks of primitive data to a current geometry accelerator recipient; (b) processing said primitive data to render graphics primitives from one or more vertex states in accordance with said property states currently-maintained in each said geometry accelerator; (c) distributing values of a determining property state to one or more of the geometry accelerators for a value of a depending property state which depends from the determining property state; (d) updating the dependent property state based upon the contents of the linked state register when the value of the determining property value is changed. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification