Tile-based graphics
First Claim
1. A method of processing data in a tile-based graphics system having a rendering space sub-divided into a plurality of tiles with which graphics data items are associated, the method comprising:
- fetching, from a graphics data memory into a cache, graphics data items which are to be used in processing one of the tiles; and
reading the graphics data items from the cache for use in processing said one of the tiles, wherein the method further comprises;
determining indicators for the graphics data items, wherein, for each of the graphics data items, the indicator for that graphics data item is indicative of the number of tiles with which that graphics data item is associated;
decrementing the count of the number of tiles with which a particular graphics data item is associated, when a tile with which that particular graphics data item is associated has been processed;
determining which of the graphics data items in the cache to evict based on the determined indicators, such that the graphics data items to evict from the cache are determined in dependence on the numbers of tiles with which the graphics data items are associated as indicated by the determined indicators; and
evicting the determined graphics data items from the cache.
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Abstract
A tile-based graphics system has a rendering space sub-divided into a plurality of tiles which are to be processed. Graphics data items, such as parameters or texels, are fetched into a cache for use in processing one of the tiles. Indicators are determined for the graphics data items, whereby the indicator for a graphics data item indicates the number of tiles with which that graphics data item is associated. The graphics data items are evicted from the cache in accordance with the indicators of the graphics data items. For example, the indicator for a graphics data item may be a count of the number of tiles with which that graphics data item is associated, whereby the graphics data item(s) with the lowest count(s) is (are) evicted from the cache.
36 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of processing data in a tile-based graphics system having a rendering space sub-divided into a plurality of tiles with which graphics data items are associated, the method comprising:
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fetching, from a graphics data memory into a cache, graphics data items which are to be used in processing one of the tiles; and reading the graphics data items from the cache for use in processing said one of the tiles, wherein the method further comprises; determining indicators for the graphics data items, wherein, for each of the graphics data items, the indicator for that graphics data item is indicative of the number of tiles with which that graphics data item is associated; decrementing the count of the number of tiles with which a particular graphics data item is associated, when a tile with which that particular graphics data item is associated has been processed; determining which of the graphics data items in the cache to evict based on the determined indicators, such that the graphics data items to evict from the cache are determined in dependence on the numbers of tiles with which the graphics data items are associated as indicated by the determined indicators; and evicting the determined graphics data items from the cache. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A tile-based graphics system having a rendering space sub-divided into a plurality of tiles with which graphics data items are associated, the tile-based graphics system comprising a processing unit comprising:
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fetching logic configured to fetch, from a graphics data memory into a cache, graphics data items which are to be used in processing one of the tiles; reading logic configured to read the graphics data items from the cache for use in processing said one of the tiles; determining logic configured to; determine indicators for the graphics data items, wherein, for each of the graphics data items, the indicator for that graphics data item is a count of the number of the number of tiles with which that graphics data item is associated; and decrement the count of the number of tiles with which a particular graphics data item is associated, when a tile with which that particular graphics data item is associated has been processed; and
eviction logic configured to;determine which of the graphics data items in the cache to evict based on the determined indicators, in dependence on the numbers of tiles with which the graphics data items are associated as indicated by the determined indicators, and evict the determined graphics data items from the cache. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A processing block of a tile-based graphics system having a rendering space sub-divided into a plurality of tiles with which graphics data items are associated, the processing block comprising:
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fetching logic configured to fetch, from a graphics data memory into a cache, graphics data items which are to be used in processing one of the tiles; determining logic configured to; determine indicators for the graphics data items, such that for each of the graphics data items, the indicator for that graphics data item is a count of the number of tiles with which that graphics data item is associated, and decrement the count of the number of tiles with which a particular graphics data item is associated, when a tile with which that particular graphics data item is associated has been processed; reading logic configured to read the graphics data items from the cache for use in processing said one of the tiles; and eviction logic configured to; determine which of the graphics data items in the cache to evict based on the determined indicators, in dependence on the numbers of tiles with which the graphics data items are associated as indicated by the determined indicators, and evict the determined graphics data items from the cache.
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Specification