Graphics system interface

• US 6,466,218 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2001
• Issued: 10/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Moore, Robert, Cheng, Howard, Parikh, Vimal
• Primary Examiner(s): Chauhan, Ulka J.
• Application Number:
  US09/886,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20010043222A1 (withdrawn)
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 345/501-503, 345/422, 345/522, 345/545, 345/559, 345/567, 709/328
• US Class Current: 345/522
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/203 Image generating hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0875 with dedicated cache, e.g. instruction or stack
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/005 General purpose rendering architectures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/04 Texture mapping
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/32 Image data format

Abstract

An interface for a graphics system includes simple yet powerful constructs that are easy for an application programmer to use and learn. Features include a unique vertex representation allowing the graphics pipeline to retain vertex state information and to mix indexed and direct vertex values and attributes; a projection matrix value set command; a display list call object command; and an embedded frame buffer clear/set command.

Claims

1. A graphics system command stream for use in a graphics system having a buffer, the graphics system command stream being operable upon execution to clear a buffer, comprising:

a stream command 0×

614F followed by a pad, an alpha value and a red value;

a stream command 0×

6150 followed by a pad, a green value and a blue value; and

a stream command 0×

6151 followed by a 24-bit z value, wherein upon execution of the graphics command stream the buffer is cleared.

2. A computer readable storage medium encoded with executable instructions for clearing a buffer comprising:

a stream command 0×

614F followed by a pad, an alpha value and a red value;

a stream command 0×

6150 followed by a pad, a green value and a blue value; and

a stream command 0×

6151 followed by a 24-bit z value, wherein execution of the encoded instructions clears the buffer.

3. A graphics command stream decoder comprising:

a first decoding section decoding a stream command 0×

614F followed by a pad, an alpha value and a red value;

a second decoding section decoding a stream command 0×

6150 followed by a pad, a green value and a blue value; and

a third decoding section decoding a stream command 0×

6151 followed by a 24-bit z value.

4. A method of clearing a buffer in a graphics system using a graphics command stream, the method comprising:

generating a stream command 0×

614F followed by a pad, an alpha value and a red value;

generating a stream command 0×

6150 followed by a pad, a green value and a blue value; and

generating a stream command 0×

6151 followed by a 24-bit z value, wherein upon execution of the graphics command stream the buffer is cleared.