Methods and apparatus for performing image rendering and rasterization operations

A computer program product for implementing, in a computer system including a processing unit and a display device for displaying an image, the display device having a plurality of pixels, each including a plurality of pixel sub-components, a method of generating luminous intensity values to be applied to the plurality of pixel sub-components in preparation for displaying the image on the display device, the computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable medium carrying computer executable instructions for implementing the method, the computer executable instructions, when executed, performing the steps of:
• mapping a first set of one or more samples of the image data that geometrically represents the image to a first pixel sub-component of a pixel of the plurality of pixels so as to generate a first portion of the bitmap that corresponds to the first pixel sub-component;
• mapping a second set of one or more samples of the image data to a second pixel sub-component of the pixel so as to generate a second portion of the bitmap that corresponds to the second pixel sub-component;
• mapping a third set of one or more samples of the image data to a third pixel sub-component of the pixel so as to generate a third portion of the bitmap that corresponds to the third pixel sub-component, the first, second, and third sets of one or more samples being sampled from spatially different and non-overlapping regions of the image data;
• and
• generating first, second, and third independent luminous intensity values that correspond, respectively, to the first, second, and third pixel sub-components and are based, respectively, on the first, second, and third sets of one or more samples.

A system capable of displaying an image, the system comprising:

• a display device for displaying the image, the display device having a plurality of pixels, each including a plurality of pixel sub-components;
• a processing unit;
• and
• a readable medium carrying executable instructions that, when executed by the processing unit, enable the system to perform a method of generating a bitmap in preparation for displaying the image on the display device, the method comprising the steps of:
• mapping a first set of one or more samples of image data that geometrically represents the image to a first pixel sub-component of a first pixel of the plurality of pixels so as to generate a first portion of the bitmap that corresponds to the first pixel sub-component of the first pixel;
• mapping a second set of one or more samples of the image data to a second pixel sub-component of the first pixel so as to generate a second portion of the bitmap that corresponds to the second pixel sub-component of the first pixel, the second set of one or more samples being sampled from a spatially different region of the image data than the first set of one or more samples, the second set of one or more samples having a size that is different from the size of the first set of one or more samples;
• and
• generating first and second independent luminous intensity values that correspond, respectively, to the first and second pixel sub-components and are based, respectively, on the first and second sets of one or more samples.

In a computer system including a processing unit and a display device for displaying an image, the display device having a plurality of pixels, each including a plurality of pixel sub-components, a method of generating a bitmap from image data that geometrically represents the image in preparation for displaying the image on the display device, the method comprising the steps of:

• mapping a first set of one or more samples of the image data that geometrically represents the image to a first pixel sub-component of a first pixel of the plurality of pixels so as to generate a first portion of the bitmap that corresponds to the first pixel sub-component of the first pixel;
• mapping a second set of one or more samples of the image data to a second pixel sub-component of the first pixel so as to generate a second portion of the bitmap that corresponds to the second pixel sub-component of the first pixel, the second set of one or more samples being sampled from a spatially different region of the image data than the first set of one or more samples, the second set of one or more samples having a size that is different from the size of the first set of one or more samples;
• and
• generating first and second independent luminous intensity values that correspond, respectively, to the first and second pixel sub-components and are based, respectively, on the first and second sets of one or more samples.

In a computer system including a processing unit and a display device for displaying an image, the display device having a plurality of pixels, each including a plurality of pixel sub-components, a method of generating a bitmap from image data that geometrically represents the image in preparation for displaying the image on the display device, the method comprising the steps of:

• mapping a first set of one or more samples of the image data that geometrically represents the image to a first pixel sub-component of a first pixel of the plurality of pixels so as to generate a first portion of the bitmap that corresponds to the first pixel sub-component of the first pixel, the step of mapping the first set including, as part of a weighting operation, a step of determining the number of samples to be included in the first set of one or more samples as a function of a first weighting factor;
• mapping a second set of one or more samples of the image data to a second pixel sub-component of the first pixel so as to generate a second portion of the bitmap that corresponds to the second pixel sub-component of the first pixel, the step of mapping the second set including, as part of the weighting operation, a step of determining the number of samples to be included in the second set of one or more samples as a function of a second weighting factor;
• mapping a third set of one or more samples of the image data to a third pixel sub-component of the first pixel so as to generate a third portion of the bitmap that corresponds to the third pixel sub-component of the first pixel, the step of mapping the third set including, as part of the weighting operation, a step of determining the number of samples to be included in the third set of one or more samples as a function of a third weighting factor, wherein:
• the second weighting factor causes the number of samples included in the second set of one or more samples to be greater than the number of samples included in the first set and greater than the number of samples included in the third set;
• and
• the first, second, and third sets of one or more samples are sampled from spatially different regions of the image data;
• and
• generating first, second, and third independent luminous intensity values that correspond, respectively, to the first, second, and third pixel sub-components and are based, respectively, on the first, second, and third sets of one or more samples.