Data normalization techniques

• US 6,259,456 B1
• Filed: 02/18/1998
• Issued: 07/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Amies, Christopher, Gibson, Ian
• Primary Examiner(s): Tung, Kee M.
• Application Number:
  US09/025,614
• Time in Patent Office: 1,238 Days
• Field of Search: 345/501, 345/502, 345/507, 345/509, 345/202, 345/515, 345/513, 345/520, 345/150-155, 345/433, 345/418
• US Class Current: 345/619
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/3879 for non-native instruction execution, e.g. executing a command; for Java instruction set
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/3885 using a plurality of independent parallel functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/3897 with adaptable data path
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/20 Processor architectures; Processor configuration, e.g. pipelining
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/00 3D [Three Dimensional] image rendering

Abstract

A graphics processor for performing graphical operations on graphical objects that are represented in an external data format selected from a set thereof includes a first mapping unit adapted to map one or more groups of different ones of the set of external data formats to corresponding one or more internal data formats selected from a set of internal data formats, a calculator for performing graphical operations on the graphical objects when in the one or more internal data formats, and a second mapping unit adapted to map each internal data format in the set of internal data formats to an external data format selected from the set of external data formats after the graphical operations have been performed.

Claims

1. A graphics processor for performing graphical operations on graphical objects, the graphical objects being represented in an external data format selected from a set thereof, said graphics processor comprising:

a first mapping unit adapted to map one or more groups of different ones of the set of external data formats to corresponding one or more internal data formats selected from a set of internal data formats;

a calculator for performing graphical operations on the graphical objects when in the one or more internal data formats; and

a second mapping unit adapted to map each internal data format in the set of internal data formats to an external data format selected from the set of external data formats after the graphical operations have been performed.

2. A graphics processor according to claim 1, wherein the set of external data formats includes a continuous stream of data of up to four channels per quantum.

3. A graphics processor according to claim 2, wherein each of the four channels consists of 1-, 2-, 4-, 8-, or 16-bit samples.

4. A graphics processor according to claim 1, wherein the set of external data formats includes an unpacked bit stream format comprised of a sequence of words, each word containing a predetermined number of valid bits.

5. A graphics processor according to claim 1, wherein the set of internal data formats includes a 32-bit word format, in which each 32-bit word is comprised of four active-byte channels.

6. A graphics processor according to claim 1, wherein the set of internal data formats includes an unpacked byte, 32-bit word format, in which each 32-bit word is comprised of one active-byte channel.

7. A graphics processor according to claim 1, wherein said first and second mapping units are each configured to perform one or more of at least a byte substitution mapping operation, a byte land-swapping mapping operation, and a data replication mapping operation.

8. A graphics processor according to claim 1, wherein said first and second mapping units have access to a data manipulation register, which is configured to perform mapping operations.

9. A graphics processor according to claim 1, wherein said first and second mapping units are configured to perform the mapping operations on multiple data channels simultaneously.

10. A graphics processor according to claim 1, wherein said first and second mapping units are provided with mapping instructions from a central processing unit associated with said graphics processor.

11. A graphics processor for performing graphical operations on graphical objects, the graphical objects being represented in different external data formats selected from a set thereof, said graphics processor comprising:

a first organizer for mapping one or more groups of the different external data formats to corresponding one or more internal data formats selected from a set of internal data formats;

functional units for performing graphical operations on the graphical objects when in the one or more internal data formats; and

a second organizer for mapping each data format of the set of internal data formats to an external data format selected from the set of external data formats after the graphical operations have been performed.

12. A graphics processor for performing graphical operations on graphical objects, the graphical objects being represented in a plurality of different external data formats, said graphics processor comprising:

a first organizer for mapping the plurality of different external data formats to a corresponding internal data format, wherein said first organizer comprises;

a pack arrangement for discarding inactive byte channels of the plurality of different external data formats to produce the corresponding internal data format;

functional units for performing graphical operations on the graphical objects when in the corresponding internal data format; and

a second organizer for mapping the corresponding internal data format to an external data format of the plurality of different external data formats after the graphical operations have been performed.

13. A graphics processor as claimed in claim 12, wherein said first organizer further comprises a packed normalization arrangement for normalizing pixel values of the plurality of different external data formats.

14. A graphics processor as claimed in claim 12, wherein said first organizer further comprises an unpacked normalization arrangement for discarding inactive bytes of the plurality of different external data formats.

15. A graphics processor as claimed in claim 12, wherein said first organizer further comprises a lane swapping arrangement for rearranging and replacing channels of the corresponding internal data format.

16. A graphics processor as claimed in claim 12, wherein said first organizer further comprises a data replication arrangement for replicating data objects in the corresponding internal data format.

17. A graphics processor for performing graphical operations on graphical objects, the graphical objects being represented in a plurality of different external data formats, said graphics processor comprising:

a first organizer for mapping the plurality of different external data formats to a corresponding internal data format, wherein said first organizer comprises;

an unpack arrangement for placing bytes of the plurality of different external data formats into least significant bytes of words to produce the corresponding internal data format;

functional units for performing graphical operations on the graphical objects when in the corresponding internal data format; and

a second organizer for mapping the corresponding internal data format to an external data format of the plurality of different external data formats after the graphical operations have been performed.

18. A graphics processor as claimed in claim 17, wherein said first organizer further comprises a packed normalization arrangement for normalizing pixel values of the plurality of different external data formats.

19. A graphics processor as claimed in claim 17, wherein said first organizer further comprises an unpacked normalisation arrangement for discarding inactive bytes of the plurality of different external data formats.

20. A graphics processor as claimed in claim 17, wherein said first organizer further comprises a data replication arrangement for replicating data objects in the corresponding internal data format.

21. A graphics processor as claimed in claim 17, wherein said first organizer further comprises a lane swapping arrangement for rearranging and replacing channels of the corresponding internal data format.

22. A graphics processor for performing graphical operations on graphical objects, the graphical objects being represented in a plurality of different external data formats, said graphic processor comprising:

a first organizer for mapping the plurality of different external data formats to a corresponding internal data format, wherein said first organizer comprises;

a component selection arrangement for rearranging pixel components of the plurality of different external data formats in a predetermined order to produce the corresponding internal data format;

functional units for performing graphical operations on the graphical objects when in the corresponding internal data format; and

a second organizer for mapping the corresponding internal data format to an external data format of the plurality of different external data formats after the graphical operations have been performed.

23. A graphics processor as claimed in claim 22, wherein said first organizer further comprises a component substitution arrangement for substituting pixel components of the corresponding internal data format with a constant data value.

24. A graphics processor as claimed in claim 22, wherein said first organizer further comprises a packed normalization arrangement for normalizing pixel values of the plurality of different external data formats.

25. A graphics processor as claimed in claim 22, wherein said first organizer further comprises an unpacked normalisation arrangement for discarding inactive bytes of the plurality of different external data formats.

26. A graphics processor as claimed in claim 22, wherein said first organizer further comprises a lane swapping arrangement for rearranging and replacing channels of the corresponding internal data format.

27. A graphics processor as claimed in claim 22, wherein said first organizer further comprises a data replication arrangement for replicating data objects in the corresponding internal data format.