Back to results
US 12,755,331 B2Granted
Storing graphics processing primitive information
AssigneeArm Limited
InventorRafał Stepuch
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeArm Limited
InventorRafał Stepuch
Estimating the term…
A tile-based graphics processing system is disclosed. The graphics processing system is operable to generate a render output by generating and storing primitive information representative of positions of primitives to be processed to generate the render output, and reading and using the primitive information to identify primitives to process to generate a rendering tile of the render output. The tile-based graphics processing system stores primitive information in a set of linked blocks of memory space, at least one block of which comprises links to at least two other blocks, at least one of which does not comprise any links to any other blocks.
A method of operating a tile-based graphics processing system that is operable to generate a render output by generating and storing primitive information representative of positions of primitives to be processed to generate the render output, and reading and using the primitive information to identify which primitives to process to generate a rendering tile of the render output;
A method of operating a tile-based graphics processing system that is operable to generate a render output by generating and storing primitive information representative of positions of primitives to be processed to generate the render output, and reading and using the primitive information to identify which primitives to process to generate a rendering tile of the render output;
A tile-based graphics processing system that is operable to generate a render output by generating and storing primitive information representative of positions of primitives to be processed to generate the render output, and reading and using the primitive information to identify which primitives to process to generate a rendering tile of the render output;
A tile-based graphics processing system that is operable to generate a render output by generating and storing primitive information representative of positions of primitives to be processed to generate the render output, and reading and using the primitive information to identify which primitives to process to generate a rendering tile of the render output;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
Drawings are temporarily unavailable. Open the PDF at USPTO
From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
General purpose image data processing: memory management
General purpose image data processing: processor architectures; Processor configuration, e.g. pipelining
Two-dimensional [2D] image generation: drawing from basic elements
Indexing scheme for image generation or computer graphics: bounding box
About 17 years 8 months of term left · ends 21 Jun 2044 (estimated)
The technology described herein relates to computer graphics processing, and in particular to tile-based graphics processing.
Graphics processing is normally carried out by first splitting a scene (e.g. a 3-D model) to be displayed into a number of similar basic components or “primitives”, which primitives are then subjected to the desired graphics processing operations. The graphics “primitives” are usually in the form of simple polygons, such as triangles, quadrilaterals, points, lines, or groups thereof.
Each primitive is usually defined by and represented as a set of vertices (e.g. three vertices in the case of triangular primitive). Typically, the set of vertices to be used for a given graphics processing output (e.g. frame for display) will be stored as a set of vertex data defining the vertices, e.g. the relevant attributes for each of the vertices. These attributes will typically include position data and other, non-position data (varyings), e.g. defining colour, light, normal, texture coordinates, etc, for the vertex in question.
Embodiments of the technology described herein will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 shows an exemplary graphics processing system;
FIG. 2 shows an exemplary tile-based graphics processor;
A first embodiment of the technology described herein comprises a method of operating a tile-based graphics processing system or graphics processor that is operable to generate a render output by generating and storing primitive information representative of positions of primitives to be processed to generate the render output, and reading and using the primitive information to identify primitives to process to generate a (each) rendering tile of the render output; the method comprising: generating primitive information for a set of primitives to be processed to generate a render output; and storing the primitive information in a set of linked blocks of memory space; wherein at least one block of memory space of the set of linked blocks of memory space (is a linking block that) comprises links to at least two other blocks of memory space of the set of linked blocks of memory space, and at least one block of memory space of the at least two other blocks of memory space (is a non-linking block that) does not comprise any links to other blocks of memory space of the set of linked blocks of memory space.
A second embodiment of the technology described herein comprises a tile-based graphics processing system or graphics processor that is operable to generate a render output by generating and storing primitive information representative of positions of primitives to be processed to generate the render output, and reading and using the primitive information to identify primitives to process to generate a (each) rendering tile of the render output; the graphics processing system comprising: a generating circuit configured to generate primitive information for a set of primitives to be processed to generate a render output; and a storing circuit configured to store primitive information generated by the generating circuit in a set of linked blocks of memory space; wherein at least one block of memory space of the set of linked blocks of memory space (is a linking block that) comprises links to at least two other blocks of memory space of the set of linked blocks of memory space, and at least one block of memory space of the at least two other blocks of memory space (is a non-linking block that) does not comprise any links to other blocks of memory space of the set of linked blocks of memory space.
The technology described herein relates to tile-based graphics processing. Thus, in embodiments, a (the) render output, e.g. frame (image) to be displayed, is generated by separately generating each rendering tile of plural rendering tiles that the render output is divided into, and combining the separately generated rendering tiles.