Ray Intersection Data Structure with Many-to-Many Mapping between Bounding Regions and Primitives

A method, comprising:

• accessing, by a graphics processor, data for multiple graphics primitives in a graphics scene to be rendered;
• generating a spatially organized data structure wherein nodes of the data structure indicate graphics primitives or coordinates of bounding regions in the graphics scene;
• and
• traversing the spatially organized data structure to determine whether rays in the graphics scene intersect with primitives and shading intersected primitives based on the determination;
• wherein the spatially organized data structure includes a node with a bounding region for which multiple primitives are indicated as children;
• and
• wherein the spatially organized data structure includes a primitive for which multiple nodes, corresponding to different bounding regions, are indicated as parents.

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:

• one or more graphics processors configured to:
• access data for multiple graphics primitives in a graphics scene to be rendered;
• generate a spatially organized data structure wherein some nodes of the data structure indicate graphics primitives and some nodes indicate coordinates of bounding regions in the graphics scene, wherein:
• the spatially organized data structure includes a node with a bounding region for which multiple primitives are indicated as children;
• and
• the spatially organized data structure includes a primitive for which multiple nodes, corresponding to different bounding regions, are indicated as parents;
• and
• traverse the spatially organized data structure to determine whether rays in the graphics scene intersect with primitives;
• and
• shade intersected primitives based on the determination.