Method and apparatus for rapidly rendering and image in response to three-dimensional graphics data in a data rate limited environment

Abstract

An image rendering apparatus that comprises an input path through which the rendering apparatus can receive three-dimensional graphics data, a pixel/depth buffer, a reference buffer and a rendering engine. The three-dimensional graphics data include polygon data and additionally include texture data defining a texture. The texture data include texture size data and sets of pattern data. The pattern data in each of the sets represent the texture with a different resolution. The pattern data constitute a majority of the texture data. The pixel/depth buffer and the reference buffer respectively include first memory cells and second memory cells that correspond to the pixels of a rendering screen. The rendering engine performs an initial rasterizing operation using only the polygon and texture size data to generate and to store in the reference buffer, for each of the pixels of the rendering screen, a texture identifier, a layer depth value indicating a texture resolution, and texture coordinates. The rendering engine also identifies, in response to the texture identifier, the layer depth and the texture coordinates stored in the reference buffer for each of the rendering screen pixels, the ones of the pattern data required to render the image. The rendering engine acquires via the path those of the pattern data identified as being required to render the image. Finally, the rendering engine generates image data representing the image using the pattern data acquired via the path. The path has a data transfer rate substantially smaller than the data transfer rates between the rendering engine and the buffers.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.