Quantized ray intersection testing with definitive hit detection

A method, comprising:

• performing, by a computing system, an intersection test based on traversal of an acceleration data structure that includes hierarchically-arranged bounding volumes for a graphics scene, wherein:
• the intersection test operates on:
• reduced-precision representations of rays that are quantized versions of initial representations of the rays;
• and
• reduced-precision representations of primitives that are quantized versions of initial representations of the primitives;
• and
• the intersection test generates a first result for a first ray and a first primitive that indicates that a line coincident with the first ray definitively intersects the first primitive;
• and
• recording, by the computing system, an intersection for the first ray with the first primitive, based on the first result, without performing an intersection test for the first ray using the initial representation of the first ray and the first primitive.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon design information that specifies a design of at least a portion of a hardware integrated circuit in a format recognized by a semiconductor fabrication system that is configured to use the design information to produce the circuit according to the design, wherein the design information specifies that the circuit includes:

• test circuitry configured to:
• perform an intersection test based on traversal of an acceleration data structure that includes hierarchically-arranged bounding volumes for a graphics scene, wherein:
• the intersection test operates on:
• reduced-precision representations of rays that are quantized versions of initial representations of the rays;
• and
• reduced-precision representations of primitives that are quantized versions of initial representations of the primitives;
• and
• the intersection test generates a first result for a first ray and a first primitive that indicates that a line coincident with the first ray definitively intersects the first primitive;
• and
• graphics processing circuitry configured to record an intersection for the first ray with the first primitive, based on the first result, without performing an intersection test for the first ray using the initial representation of the first ray and the first primitive.