Extended precision visual system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for extending data width of a graphics processing channel in a computer graphics system, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a plurality of graphics processing channels having pre-defined output widths;
(b) combining at least a portion of an output from at least two of the plurality of graphics processing channels;
(c) defining at least one extended graphics processing channel with an extended data width, which is formed with output portions from the plurality of graphics processing channels, with an intensity step size within a graphics processing channel'"'"'s dynamic range that remains constant; and
(d) insuring that the intensity step size is always smaller than the intensity gradient when the intensity step size is larger than the minimum intensity step size.
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Abstract
A method for extending the data width of a graphics processing channel in a computer graphics system. The method includes the first step of providing a plurality of graphics processing channels having pre-defined output data widths or capacities. The next step is combining at least a portion of an output from at least two of the plurality of graphics processing channels. Another step is defining at least one extended graphics processing channel with an extended data width. The extended graphics processing channel is formed with output portions from the plurality of graphics processing channels.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method for extending data width of a graphics processing channel in a computer graphics system, comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a plurality of graphics processing channels having pre-defined output widths;
(b) combining at least a portion of an output from at least two of the plurality of graphics processing channels;
(c) defining at least one extended graphics processing channel with an extended data width, which is formed with output portions from the plurality of graphics processing channels, with an intensity step size within a graphics processing channel'"'"'s dynamic range that remains constant; and
(d) insuring that the intensity step size is always smaller than the intensity gradient when the intensity step size is larger than the minimum intensity step size. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for expanding the data width of a graphics processing channel, comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a plurality of graphics processing channels, each having a defined data width;
(b) combining the output of at least two graphics processing channels to create at least one extended precision channel having an increased data width that exceeds an output data width of any individual graphics processing channel;
(c) increasing the data width of the extended precision channel while keeping the intensity step size smaller than an intensity gradient.
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9. A method for increasing the data width of a graphics system for rendering polygons having polygon vertices and intensities associated with the polygon vertices, further comprising the step of:
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(a) providing a plurality of graphics channels having defined channel data widths;
(b) dividing the intensities of each polygon vertex into a base and an offset;
(c) creating at least one extended data width graphics channel by processing the base and offset through separate graphics channels;
(d) combining the results of the processing of the base and offset to produce an extended data width output for the polygons; and
(e) using the offset to represent the amount that each vertex varies in intensity from the base. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for increasing a data width of a graphics system having a plurality of graphics channels for rendering polygons, further comprising the step of:
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(a) dividing polygon vertex intensities into a base and offset;
(b) increasing a dynamic range by allowing base values to be specified at the vertices;
(c) processing the base and offset through separate graphics channels;
(d) combining the results of the base and offset processing to produce an extended data width output for the polygons; and
(e) insuring that an intensity step size is always smaller than the intensity gradient when the intensity step size is larger than the minimum intensity step size. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A method of increasing a dynamic range of a graphic system for rendering polygons, further comprising the step of:
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(a) providing a plurality of graphics channels;
(b) restricting the dynamic range for separate polygons to a subset of the graphic system'"'"'s entire dynamic range;
(c) increasing the dynamic range of the plurality of graphic channels by using a base and offset to represent the restricted dynamic range for separate polygons; and
(d) using the offset to represent the amount that each polygon vertex varies in intensity from the base. - View Dependent Claims (18)
dividing polygon vertex intensities into a base and an offset;
reducing the number of effective graphics processing channels by processing the base and offset through at least two graphics channels to define an extended data width channel; and
adding up the results of the base and offset for output to a display.
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19. A method of increasing a dynamic range of a graphics system for rendering polygons, further comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a plurality of graphics channels;
(b) increasing the dynamic range of the graphic channels by restricting the intensity vales of separate polygons to a subset of the graphics system'"'"'s dynamic range;
(c) dividing each polygon vertex intensity into a base and an offset;
(d) creating an extended precision channel by processing the base and offset through separate red, green, blue and alpha (RGBA) graphics channels to define an extended data width channel;
(e) using the offset to represent the amount that each vertex varies in intensity from the base. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A method for extending the data width of a graphics processing channel, comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a plurality of graphics processing channels that are hardware defined as 8-bit channels;
(b) combining output from at least two graphics processing channels;
(c) creating at least one extended data width channel having an increased output that provides at least 12-bits of data width output while keeping the intensity step size smaller than an intensity gradient. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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Specification