Random Accessible Lossless Parameter Data Compression for Tile Based 3D Computer Graphics Systems
AssigneeImagination Technologies Limited
InventorXile Yang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided for compressing vertex parameter data in a 3D computer graphic system, where the vertex parameter data is a data block relating to a plurality of vertices used for rendering an image. The data relating to each vertex includes multiple byte data relating to at least one parameter. The parameters include X, Y and Z coordinates and further coordinates for texturing and shading. The multiple byte data is divided into individual bytes and bytes with corresponding byte positions relating to each vertex are grouped together to form a plurality of byte blocks.
Claims20
A method of compressing data in a processing system, the data comprising a plurality of data items, wherein each of the data items comprises multiple bytes of data, the method comprising:
- grouping together individual bytes with corresponding byte significance from the multiple-byte data of the plurality of data items to form a plurality of byte blocks;
- and
- compressing at least one of the byte blocks using a compression algorithm.
Apparatus configured to compress data in a processing system, wherein the data comprises a plurality of data items, wherein each of the data items comprises multiple bytes of data,
- wherein the apparatus is configured to group together individual bytes with corresponding byte significance from the multiple-byte data of the plurality of data items, to form a plurality of byte blocks;
- and
- wherein the apparatus comprises at least one compression unit configured to compress at least one of the byte blocks using a compression algorithm.
A method of decompressing compressed data in a processing system to provide decompressed data, the decompressed data comprising a plurality of data items, wherein each of the data items comprises multiple bytes of data, wherein the compressed data comprises a plurality of byte blocks of compressed data, each of the byte blocks containing data relating to individual bytes with corresponding byte significance from the multiple-byte data of the plurality of data items, the method comprising:
- for each of a plurality of the byte blocks of compressed data, decompressing the byte block to provide a decompressed byte block;
- and
- reassembling a data item of the decompressed data by merging together bytes from the decompressed byte blocks relating to that data item.
An apparatus for decompressing data in a processing system, the decompressed data comprising a plurality of data items, wherein each of the data items comprises multiple bytes of data, wherein the compressed data comprises a plurality of byte blocks of compressed data, each of the byte blocks containing data relating to individual bytes with corresponding byte significance from the multiple-byte data of the plurality of data items, the apparatus comprising:
- at least one decompression unit configured to, for each of a plurality of the byte blocks of compressed data, determine a decompression algorithm for the byte block and decompress the byte block using the decompression algorithm to provide a decompressed byte block;
- wherein the apparatus is configured to reassemble a data item of the decompressed data by merging together bytes from the decompressed byte blocks relating to that data item.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.