# US 2026/0148488 A1 · Spatio-temporal noise masks and sampling using vectors for image processing and light transport simulation systems and applications > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2026/0148488 A1 - Document ID: US20260148488A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/959,599 - Filed: 2024-11-25 - Published: 2026-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2021-06-02 - Assignees: NVIDIA Corporation - Applicants: NVIDIA Corporation - Inventors: Alan Robert Wolfe - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20260148488A1 ## CPC - G06T 15/04: Texture mapping - G06T 5/20: using local operators - G06T 5/60: using machine learning, e.g. neural networks - G06T 5/70: Denoising; Smoothing - G06T 7/44: using image operators, e.g. filters, edge density metrics or local histograms - G06T 11/10: Texturing; Colouring; Generation of textures or colours (retouching, inpainting or scratch removal G06T5/77) - G06T 15/506: {Illumination models} - G06T 2207/10024: Color image - G06T 2207/20081: Training; Learning - G06T 2207/20084: Artificial neural networks [ANN] - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract Apparatuses, systems, and techniques to generate blue noise masks for real-time image rendering and enhancement. In at least one embodiment, a vector-valued noise mask is generated and applied to one or more images to generate one or more enhanced images for image processing (e.g., real-time image rendering). In at least one embodiment, the noise mask includes vector values per pixel and is able to handle the temporal domain (e.g., add time to the spatial domain) to improve image quality when rendering images over multiple frames. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method comprising: obtaining a plurality of pixels by performing an importance sampling operation using values associated with a set of pixels; generating a blue noise mask by at least swapping at least one first pixel of the plurality of pixels and at least one second pixel of the plurality of pixels; and rendering an image using the blue noise mask. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: displaying the image. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein swapping the at least one first pixel and the at least one second pixel comprises: repeating swapping first and second pixels of at least one pair of pixels of the plurality of pixels and computing an energy value for the plurality of pixels until the energy value has a desired energy value. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the importance sampling operation is performed using one or more random values produced using a probably density function. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: generating the values associated with the set of pixels based at least in part on a quantities of light reflected by the set of pixels. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the light is reflected by the set of pixels toward a virtual camera. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: improving the blue noise mask by swapping first and second pixels of at least one pair of pixels of the plurality of pixels. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein swapping the at least one first pixel and the at least one second pixel comprises performing a pre-defined number of swaps. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: storing the plurality of pixels as vector values comprising two or more dimensions. ### Claim 10 A processor comprising: one or more circuits to: perform an importance sampling operation using one or more values associated with a set of pixels of an image, wherein a plurality of pixels includes the set of pixels; swap a first pixel of the plurality of pixels with a second pixel of the plurality of pixels; obtain a blue noise mask using the swapped first and second pixels; and render the image based on the obtained blue noise mask. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The processor of claim 10, further comprising one or more additional circuits to: repeat the swapping of the first and second pixels of at least one pair of pixels of the plurality of pixels and computing an energy value for the plurality of pixels until the energy value has a desired energy value. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The processor of claim 10, further comprising one or more additional circuits to: improve the blue noise mask by swapping first and second pixels of at least one pair of pixels of the plurality of pixels; ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The processor of claim 10, wherein the importance sampling operation is performed using one or more random values produced using a probably density function. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The processor of claim 10, wherein the light is reflected by the set of pixels toward a virtual camera. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon one or more instructions, which if performed by one or more processors, cause one or more processors to perform operations comprising: performing an importance sampling operation on one or more values corresponding to a first set of pixels of an image texture, wherein a plurality of pixels include the first set of pixels and a second set of pixels; swapping the first set of pixels with the second set of pixels; obtaining a blue noise mask based on the swapped first and second sets of pixels; and displaying the image texture for the image using the blue noise mask. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the importance sampling operation is performed using one or more random values produced using a probably density function. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein swapping the first set of pixels comprises: repeating swapping first and second pixels of at least one pair of pixels of the plurality of pixels and computing an energy value for the plurality of pixels until the energy value has a desired energy value. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the light is reflected by the set of pixels toward a virtual camera. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein swapping the at least one first pixel and the at least one second pixel comprises performing a pre-defined number of swaps. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, having stored thereon one or more further instructions, which if performed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform further operations comprising: improving the blue noise mask by swapping first and second pixels of at least one pair of pixels of the plurality of pixels.