US 6,898,692 B1 · Method and apparatus for SIMD processing using multiple queues

Abstract

A method of processing data relating to graphical primitives to be displayed on a display device using region-based SIMD multiprocessor architecture, has the shading and blending operations deferred until rasterization of the available graphical primitive data is completed. For example, the method may comprise the steps of: a) defining a data queue having a predetermined number of locations therein; b) receiving fragment information belonging to an image to be displayed by the pixel; c) determining whether the fragment information belongs to an opaque image or to a blended image; d) if the fragment information relates to a blended image, storing the fragment information on the next available location in the queue; e) if the fragment information relates to an opaque image, clearing the locations of the queue and storing the fragment information in the first location in the queue; f) repeating steps b) to e) for new fragment information until fragment information is stored in all the locations in the data queue or until no further fragment information is available; and g) processing in turn fragment information stored in the locations of the queue to produce respective pixel display values.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A method of processing data items in a single instruction multiple data (SIMD) processing architecture having a plurality of processing elements for processing data, the method comprising:

for each processing element defining a data queue having a plurality of queue positions;
receiving a new data item for at least one processing element in the architecture;
storing the data item in the next available queue position in the queue defined for the processing element concerned;
receiving and storing further data items until a predetermined condition is met;
and
processing the first data item in each queue using the associated processing element, all of the processing element operating according to the same single instruction, thereby producing respective result data items.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for SIMD processing using multiple queues

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for SIMD processing using multiple queues

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims24