Graphics processor, system and method for generating screen pixels in raster order utilizing a single interpolator

A graphics processor comprising:

• a transformation processor for producing a set of transformed data according to a set of instructions from a set of raw data describing at least one three-dimensional object within a bounded space extending from a display screen;
• a rasterizer coupled to the transformation processor for identifying portions of the transformed data mapping a pre-defined area of the display screen in parallel and for sequentially rendering the identified portions of the transformed data in a pre-determined refresh order, the refresh order being the order that screen data is provided to the display screen to generate a screen image, the processor further including
• a processor array including a plurality of primitive processors, each of the plurality of primitive processors for processing a corresponding portion of the transformed data and for identifying whether the corresponding portion of the transformed data intersects the pre-defined area;
• and
• a single interpolator coupled to the rasterizer for determining a visible portion of the identified portions associated with the pre-defined area and characterizing the pre-defined area according to transformed data associated with the visible portion.

A graphics processor system comprising:

• a graphics processor including:
• a transformation processor for producing a set of transformed data according to a set of instructions from a set of raw data describing at least one three-dimensional objects within a bounded space extending from a display screen;
• a rasterizer coupled to the transformation processor for identifying portions of the transformed data mapping a pre-defined area of the display screen in parallel and sequentially rendering the identified portions of the transformed data in a pre-determined refresh order, the refresh order being the order that screen data is provided to the display screen to generate a screen image, the rasterizer further including
• a processor array including a plurality of primitive processors, each of the plurality of primitive processors processing a corresponding portion of the transformed data and identifying whether the corresponding portion of the transformed data intersects the pre-defined area;
• a single interpolator coupled to the rasterizer for determining a visible portion of the identified portions associated with the pre-defined area, characterizing the pre-defined area according to transformed data associated with the visible portion, and providing rasterized data including the visible portions;
• and
• a display producing an image by scanning the rasterized data in the refresh order.

A method for producing a graphics image including the steps of:

• obtaining data describing a three-dimensional object within a space bounded in two directions x,y, the space including a reference plane in the x,y directions, the reference plane including an identifiable area, the three-dimensional object having a plurality of surface portions;
• transforming the data into a plurality of geometric data blocks describing a plurality of geometric surfaces, the plurality of geometric surfaces describing the plurality of surface portions of the three-dimensional object;
• identifying a plurality of geometric data blocks which map a portion of the plurality of geometric surfaces onto the identifiable area of the reference plane, the geometric data blocks being identified in parallel in a plurality of primitive processors, each primitive processor processing a corresponding one of the plurality of geometric data blocks;
• and
• identifying a visible data block defining a geometric surface that is nearest to the identifiable area along an axis extending perpendicularly from the area of those surfaces described by the identified geometric data blocks, the visible data block being identified by a single interpolator.