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Graphics renderer and method for rendering 3D scene in computer graphics using object pointers and depth values

  • US 9,922,450 B2
  • Filed: 12/12/2016
  • Issued: 03/20/2018
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2001
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A graphics renderer for rendering a scene having an image plane divided into a set of one or more tiles, the renderer comprising:

  • a tiling unit configured to;

    receive data for a plurality of objects,calculate the tiles overlapped by each object,derive a depth range for each object, andwrite for each object an object pointer into per-tile lists stored in a memory only for tiles that are overlapped by the object, each object pointer containing information on the depth range of the object;

    a fetch unit configured to;

    read the object pointers for objects identified in the tile list for a tile being rendered,perform a depth range test for each object identified for the tile being rendered to compare the depth range of the object with a received depth range for the tile, andread, from a memory, parameter data only for objects that pass the depth range test;

    a rendering processor configured to render each tile of the set of one or more tiles using the object pointers and parameter data fetched by the fetch unit for each tile to render the scene, wherein the rendering processor is configured to calculate per-pixel depth values for each object rendered as part of rendering a tile; and

    a range generation unit configured to compute a depth range for a tile being rendered by the rendering processor that represents the range of depth values for objects that have been processed for that tile, and to feed back computed depth ranges to the fetch unit for the tile being rendered by the rendering processor for use in depth range tests for objects identified in the tile list for that tile.

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