Method of and apparatus for processing graphics

• US 9,965,886 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2007
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arm Norway As (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Arm Norway As (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sorgard, Edvard, Ljosland, Borgar, Nystad, Jorn, Blazevic, Mario, Langtind, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Amini, Javid A
• Application Number:
  US11/987,265
• Publication Number:
  US 20080150950A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,814 Days
• Field of Search: 345501
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/40 Filling a planar surface by adding surface attributes, e.g. colour or texture
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/005 General purpose rendering architectures
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/30 Control of display attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/36 characterised by the display of a graphic pattern, e.g. using an all-points-addressable [APA] memory
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/39 Control of the bit-mapped memory
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/393 Arrangements for updating the contents of the bit-mapped memory
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/397 Arrangements specially adapted for transferring the contents of two or more bit-mapped memories to the screen simultaneously, e.g. for mixing or overlay G09G5/02 takes precedence

Abstract

A graphics processor includes a graphics object list building unit that determines the location of each draw call in a scene to be rendered and generates a list of draw calls for each sub-region (tile) that the scene to be rendered is divided into. The draw call lists are stored in a memory. A graphics object selection unit of a renderer of the graphics processor then determines which draw call is to be rendered next by considering the draw call list stored in the memory for the sub-region (tile) of the scene that is currently being rendered.

Claims

1. An apparatus for sorting graphics data for processing in a graphics processing system, the apparatus comprising:

a processor for sorting graphics descriptors that relate to or have associated with them a location or locations in a scene to be rendered into a plurality of lists, each list for a particular area or sub-region of the scene, each graphics descriptor being something other than a primitive of the scene to be rendered,

wherein the graphics descriptors comprise one or more of graphics descriptors that are non-primitive-based descriptions of objects to be rendered or of graphics processes to be performed.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the areas or sub-regions of the scene comprise visible and non-visible areas of the scene.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the graphics descriptors comprise an indication of graphics processing to be performed in a particular scene location or area.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the graphics descriptors comprise:

higher order descriptions of objects to be rendered, higher level descriptions of objects to be rendered or pre-primitive descriptions of objects to be rendered.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the graphics descriptors comprise draw calls.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a processor for using the sorted graphics descriptors to perform a culling operation before the scene is rendered.

25. A 3D graphics processor including the apparatus of claim 1.

2. An apparatus for processing graphics data for processing in a graphics processing system, the apparatus comprising:

a processor for preparing a plurality of lists of graphics descriptors, each list for a respective area or sub-region of a scene to be rendered, each graphics descriptor being something other than a single primitive of the scene to be rendered,

wherein the graphics descriptors comprise one or more of graphics descriptors that comprise precursor descriptions of objects to be rendered that precede primitive level descriptions of the objects.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the areas or sub-regions of the scene comprise sub-regions that the scene is divided into for rendering purposes.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the graphics descriptors comprise an indication of graphics processing to be performed in a particular scene location or area.

8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the graphics descriptors comprise:

higher order descriptions of objects to be rendered, higher level descriptions of objects to be rendered or pre-primitive descriptions of objects to be rendered.

10. The apparatus of claim 2, comprising a processor for using the graphics descriptor lists when rendering the scene for display.

12. An apparatus for processing graphics data for processing in a graphics processing system, the apparatus comprising:

a processor for dividing a scene to be rendered into a plurality of areas for rendering purposes and for comparing the positions or locations of graphics descriptors of a scene to be rendered with the position or locations of the areas that the scene has been divided into for rendering purposes, each graphics descriptor being something other than a primitive of the scene to be rendered,

wherein the graphics descriptors comprise one or more of graphics descriptors that define a graphics processing procedure that generates a set of primitives at a given location in the scene to be rendered.

13. A method of sorting graphics data for processing in a graphics processing system, the method comprising:

sorting with a processor graphics descriptors that relate to or have associated with them a location or locations in a scene to be rendered into a plurality of lists, each list for a particular area or sub-region of the scene, each graphics descriptor being something other than a primitive of the scene to be rendered,

wherein the graphics descriptors comprise one or more of graphics descriptors that represent objects to be rendered and that are to be converted to primitive-based descriptions of the objects in the future.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the areas or sub-regions of the scene comprise visible and non-visible areas of the scene.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the graphics descriptors comprise an indication of graphics processing to be performed in a particular scene location or area.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the graphics descriptors comprise:

higher order descriptions of objects to be rendered, higher level descriptions of objects to be rendered or pre-primitive descriptions of objects to be rendered.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the graphics descriptors comprise draw calls.

23. The method of claim 13, comprising using the sorted graphics descriptors to perform a culling operation before the scene is rendered.

24. A computer program stored on a non-transitory storage medium comprising computer software code portions for performing the method of claim 13 when the program is run on a data processor.

14. A method of processing graphics data for processing in a graphics processing system, the method comprising

preparing with a processor, for one or more areas or sub-regions of a scene to be rendered, a list of graphics descriptors, each graphics descriptor being something other than a single primitive of the scene to be rendered,

wherein the graphics descriptors comprise draw calls.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the areas or sub-regions of the scene comprise sub-regions that the scene is divided into for rendering purposes.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the graphics descriptors comprise an indication of graphics processing to be performed in a particular scene location or area.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the graphics descriptors comprise:

higher order descriptions of objects to be rendered, higher level descriptions of objects to be rendered or pre-primitive descriptions of objects to be rendered.

22. The method of claim 14, comprising using the graphics descriptor lists when rendering the scene for display.