System and method for calculating partial differential equations in a hardware graphics pipeline

A hardware graphics pipeline-implemented method for generating a solution to a partial differential equation in a hardware graphics pipeline, comprising:

• receiving input in the hardware graphics pipeline;
• processing the input to generate the solution to the partial differential equation utilizing the hardware graphics pipeline;
• and
• generating output utilizing the hardware graphics pipeline for display;
• wherein the solution to the partial differential equation is generated utilizing the hardware graphics pipeline for enhancing graphics processing operations performed by the hardware graphics pipeline;
• wherein the input includes a local area of textures;
• wherein the local area of textures is filtered utilizing a filter including a plurality of elements;
• wherein the local area of textures is used to sample a texture map to generate a modified local area of textures;
• wherein the processing further includes determining whether the solution has converged;
• wherein the determining whether the solution has converged includes calculating errors and concluding that the solution has converged based on the calculation of the errors;
• wherein the determining whether the solution has converged further includes summing the errors, and concluding that the solution has conversed if the sum of errors is less than a predetermined amount.

A hardware graphics pipeline-implemented method for generating a solution to a partial differential equation in a hardware graphics pipeline, comprising:

• receiving input in the hardware graphics pipeline;
• processing the input to generate the solution to the partial differential equation utilizing the hardware graphics pipeline;
• and
• generating output utilizing the hardware graphics pipeline for display;
• wherein the solution to the partial differential equation is generated utilizing the hardware graphics pipeline for enhancing graphics processing operations performed by the hardware graphics pipeline;
• wherein the input includes a local area of textures;
• wherein the local area of textures is used to sample a texture map to generate a modified local area of textures;
• wherein the processing further includes determining whether the solution has converged;
• wherein the determining whether the solution has converged includes calculating errors and concluding that the solution has converged based on the calculation of the errors;
• wherein the determining whether the solution has converged further includes summing the errors, and concluding that the solution has converged if the sum of errors is less than a predetermined amount.

A system comprising:

• a hardware graphics pipeline processing input to generate a solution to partial differential equations;
• wherein the solution to the partial differential equations is generated utilizing the hardware graphics pipeline for enhancing graphics processing operation performed by the hardware graphics pipeline;
• wherein the graphics processing operation performed by the hardware graphics pipeline is enhanced by determining a location of surfaces or objects for rendering purposes utilizing the solution to the partial differential equation generated utilizing the hardware graphics pipeline;
• wherein the input includes a local area of textures used to sample a texture map to generate a modified local area of textures;
• wherein the processing further includes determining whether the solution has converged;
• wherein the determining whether the solution has converged includes calculating errors and concluding that the solution has converged based on the calculation of the errors;
• wherein the determining whether the solution has converged further includes summing the errors, and concluding that the solution has conversed if the sum of errors is less than a predetermined amount.

A system, comprising:

• means for receiving input in a hardware graphics pipeline;
• and
• means for processing the input to generate a solution to a partial differential equation utilizing the hardware graphics pipeline;
• wherein the solution to the partial differential equation is generated utilizing the hardware graphics pipeline for enhancing graphics processing operations performed by the hardware graphics pipeline;
• wherein the graphics processing operations performed by the hardware graphics pipeline are enhanced by determining a location of surfaces or objects for rendering purposes utilizing the solution to the partial differential equation generated utilizing the hardware graphics pipeline;
• wherein the input includes a local area of textures used to sample a texture map to generate a modified local area of textures;
• wherein the processing further includes determining whether the solution has converged;
• wherein the determining whether the solution has converged includes calculating errors and concluding that the solution has converged based on the calculation of the errors;
• wherein the determining whether the solution has converged further includes summing the errors, and concluding that the solution has conversed if the sum of errors is less than a predetermined amount.

A hardware graphics pipeline-implemented method for computing a solution to partial differential equations in a hardware graphics pipeline, comprising:

• receiving boundary conditions;
• computing the solution to the partial differential equations utilizing a relaxation operation involving the boundary conditions, at least some of the computing done in the hardware graphics pipeline;
• determining whether the solution has converged;
• if the solution has not converged, repeating the computing and the determining;
• and
• generating output utilizing the hardware graphics pipeline for display;
• wherein the solution to the partial differential equations is generated utilizing the hardware graphics pipeline for enhancing graphics processing operations performed by the hardware graphics pipeline;
• wherein the graphics processing operations performed by the hardware graphics pipeline are enhanced by determining a location of surfaces or objects for rendering purposes utilizing the solution to the partial differential equation generated utilizing the hardware graphics pipeline;
• wherein input to the hardware graphics pipeline includes a local area of textures used to sample a texture map to generate a modified local area of textures;
• wherein the determining whether the solution has converged includes calculating errors and concluding that the solution has converged based on the calculation of the errors;
• wherein the determining whether the solution has converged further includes summing the errors, and concluding that the solution has converged if the sum of errors is less than a predetermined amount.

A hardware graphics pipeline-implemented method for computing a solution to a partial differential equation in a hardware graphics pipeline, comprising:

• receiving boundary conditions in the form of at least one of geometry and textures;
• computing the solution to the partial differential equation utilizing a relaxation operation involving the boundary conditions, at least some of the computing done in the hardware graphics pipeline;
• determining whether the solution has converged by:
• calculating errors,
• summing the errors, and
• concluding that the solution has converged if the sum of errors is less than a predetermined amount;
• if the solution has not converged, repeating the computing and determining;
• if the solution has converged, incrementing a time value;
• repeating the foregoing operations using the incremented time value;
• and
• generating output utilizing the hardware graphics pipeline for display;
• wherein the solution to the partial differential equation is generated utilizing the hardware graphics pipeline for enhancing graphics processing operations performed by the hardware graphics pipeline;
• wherein the graphics processing operations performed by the hardware graphics pipeline are enhanced by determining a location of surfaces or objects for rendering purposes utilizing the solution to the partial differential equation generated utilizing the hardware graphics pipeline;
• wherein input to the hardware graphics pipeline includes a local area of textures used to sample a texture map to generate a modified local area of textures.

A hardware graphics pipeline-implemented method for generating a 3-D graphics image, comprising:

• receiving a first input into a hardware graphics pipeline;
• processing the first input to generate a solution to a partial differential equation utilizing the hardware graphics pipeline;
• receiving a second input into the hardware graphics pipeline;
• rendering the 3D graphics image utilizing the hardware graphics pipeline for display, wherein the rendering utilizes the second input and the result of the processing of the first input;
• wherein the solution to the partial differential equation is generated utilizing the hardware graphics pipeline for enhancing graphics processing operations performed by the hardware graphics pipeline;
• wherein the graphics processing operations performed by the hardware graphics pipeline are enhanced by determining a location of surfaces or objects for rendering purposes utilizing the solution to the partial differential equation generated utilizing the hardware graphics pipeline;
• wherein at least one of the first input and the second input includes a local area of textures used to sample a texture map to generate a modified local area of textures;
• wherein the processing further includes determining whether the solution has converged;
• wherein the determining whether the solution has converged includes calculating errors and concluding that the solution has converged based on the calculation of the errors;
• wherein the determining whether the solution has converged further includes summing the errors, and concluding that the solution has converged if the sum of errors is less than a predetermined amount.