System and method for configuring graphics pipelines in a computer graphical display system

• US 6,920,618 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2001
• Issued: 07/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Walls, Jeffrey J., Daughenbaugh, Jason A., Lefebvre, Kevin T., Hoffman, Donley B., Schinnerer, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Sy D.
• Application Number:
  US10/028,868
• Publication Number:
  US 20030117441A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• Field of Search: 715/840, 715/700, 715735-736, 715/738, 715/764, 715771-772, 715/810, 715/825, 715835-836, 715/845, 715/961, 715/964, 715/965, 715/970, 715976-977, 345501-502, 345504-506, 345530-532, 345/545
• US Class Current: 715/840
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/005 General purpose rendering architectures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/52 Parallel processing

Abstract

A system and method for configuring a plurality of graphics pipelines in a computer graphical display system is disclosed. The method comprises displaying a graphical user interface to enable a user to graphically specify at least one parameter for a plurality of pipe rectangles of the computer graphical display system, each of the plurality of pipe rectangles being associated with at least one of the plurality of graphics pipelines, receiving the at least one parameter, and updating a compositor of the computer graphical display system in real-time based at least in part on the at least one parameter.

Claims

1. A system for configuring a plurality of graphics pipelines in a computer graphical display system, said system comprising:

a graphical user interface, comprising;

a plurality of jitter sample icons, each of said plurality of jitter sample icons corresponding to the number of jitter values in a plurality of jitter values used for a plurality of pipe rectangles of said computer graphical display system; and

a plurality of orientation icons, each of said plurality of orientation icons corresponding to a different orientation of said plurality of pipe rectangles based at least in part on the number of graphics pipelines in said computer graphical display system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein a jitter sample icon corresponding to one indicates no jittering of said plurality of pipe rectangles.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the maximum number of jitter values to which a jitter sample icon of said plurality of jitter sample icons corresponds is not greater than said determined number of graphics pipelines.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second graphical user interface, comprising;

a plurality of jitter point buttons, each jitter point button of said plurality of jitter point buttons corresponding to a jitter value of said plurality of jitter values; and

a jitter value window operable to enable said user to define said plurality of jitter values.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a display-enabling device for displaying a plurality of pipe rectangle boundary indicators associated with said plurality of pipe rectangles on a display device of said computer graphical display system.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising an x-position counter operable to store an x-coordinate value for a current pixel being rendered.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a y-position counter operable to store a y-coordinate value for a current pixel being rendered.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a pipe rectangle buffer operable to store an x-coordinate value for said plurality of pipe rectangles.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a pipe rectangle buffer operable to store a y-coordinate value for said plurality of pipe rectangles.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a comparator operable to receive input from an x-position counter and a pipe rectangle buffer, said x-position counter being operable to store an x-coordinate value for a current pixel being rendered, and said pipe rectangle buffer being operable to store an x-coordinate value for said plurality of pipe rectangles.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a multiplexor operable to receive a control input from said comparator, said multiplexor further operable to receive as input a pipe rectangle indicator pixel data and an input pixel data for said current pixel being rendered, wherein said multiplexor outputs said pipe rectangle indicator pixel data in response to said control input being equal to one and outputs said input pixel data in response to said control input being equal to zero.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a comparator operable to receive input from a y-position counter and a pipe rectangle buffer, said y-position counter being operable to store a y-coordinate value for a current pixel being rendered, and said pipe rectangle buffer being operable to store a y-coordinate value for said plurality of pipe rectangles.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a multiplexor operable to receive a control input from said comparator, said multiplexor further operable to receive as input a pipe rectangle indicator pixel data and an input pixel data for said current pixel being rendered, wherein said multiplexor outputs said pipe rectangle indicator pixel data in response to said control input being equal to one and outputs said input pixel data in response to said control input being equal to zero.