# US 7,466,319 B1 · System and method for fast gradient pixel clears in graphics rendering > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,466,319 B1 - Document ID: US7466319B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 10/163,793 - Filed: 2002-06-06 - Granted: 2008-12-16 - Earliest claimed: 2002-01-08 - Assignees: 3Dlabs Inc., Ltd. - Inventors: Dale L. Kirkland; James L. Deming; William C. McKnight - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7466319B1 ## CPC - G09G 5/04: using circuits for interfacing with colour displays - G09G 5/395: Arrangements specially adapted for transferring the contents of the bit-mapped memory to the screen (G09G5/399 takes precedence) - G09G 2310/04: Partial updating of the display screen - G09G 2320/0666: for control of colour parameters, e.g. colour temperature - G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00) ## Abstract A system and method of maintaining a gradient in a plurality of pixels of a graphics display, such as a color or intensity gradient, where each pixel has an X coordinate, Y coordinate, and other pixel data that includes a fast-clear bit The pixels are filled on the display to create a gradient based upon the X or Y coordinates of the pixels, or a combination thereof, and when performing a pixel data operation, such as a read operation, the pixel data for a pixel with an activated fast-clear bit is ignored. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A graphics display system comprising a display including a plurality of pixels, each pixel having a X coordinate and a Y coordinate and data therefore wherein the plurality of pixels generate a gradient on the display, and the data for each pixel including a fast-clear bit that indicates if the data of that pixel is ignored in a pixel data operation on the system, wherein if the pixel data is ignored, a clear value of the pixel is used to maintain the gradient on the display without a constant refresh of the pixel data, wherein the clear value is dependent on at least one coordinate of the pixel. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the gradient is maintained by the Y coordinate data for each pixel. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the gradient is maintained by the X coordinate data for each pixel. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the gradient is maintained by a combination of X coordinate data and Y coordinate data for each pixel. ### Claim 5 A graphics display system comprising a display including a plurality of pixels, each pixel having a X coordinate and a Y coordinate and data therefore wherein the plurality of pixels generate a gradient on the display, and the data for each pixel including a fast-clear bit that indicates if the data of that pixel is ignored in a pixel data operation on the system, and if the data for a pixel is ignored in a pixel data operation, that pixel retaining pixel data such that the gradient is maintained on the display; wherein the pixel data operation is a write operation, and upon a write operation of data to a pixel, the fast-clear bit of that pixel is reset such that a subsequent pixel data operation will not ignore the data of that pixel. ### Claim 6 A graphics display system comprising a display including a plurality of pixels, each pixel having a X coordinate and a Y coordinate and data therefore wherein the plurality of pixels generate a gradient on the display, and the data for each pixel including a fast-clear bit that indicates if the data of that pixel is ignored in a pixel data operation on the system, and if the data for a pixel is ignored in a pixel data operation, that pixel retaining pixel data such that the gradient is maintained on the display; wherein the pixel data operation is a read operation, and upon a read operation of data to a pixel, if the fast-clear bit of that pixel indicates that the pixel data is to be ignored, the pixel data is ignored in response to the read operation. ### Claim 7 A graphics display system comprising a display including a plurality of pixels, each pixel having a X coordinate and a Y coordinate and data therefore wherein the plurality of pixels generate a gradient on the display, and the data for each pixel including a fast-clear bit that indicates if the data of that pixel is ignored in a pixel data operation on the system, and if the data for a pixel is ignored in a pixel data operation, that pixel retaining pixel data such that the gradient is maintained on the display; wherein the pixel data operation is a read-modify-write operation, upon the read portion of the pixel data operation to a pixel, if the fast-clear bit of that pixel indicates that the pixel data is to be ignored, the pixel data is ignored in response to the read portion and then the fast-clear bit of that pixel is reset such that a subsequent pixel data operation will not ignore the data of that pixel. ### Claim 8 A graphics display system comprising a display including a plurality of pixels, each pixel having a X coordinate and a Y coordinate and data therefore wherein the plurality of pixels generate a gradient on the display, and the data for each pixel including a fast-clear bit that indicates if the data of that pixel is ignored in a pixel data operation on the system, and if the data for a pixel is ignored in a pixel data operation, that pixel retaining pixel data such that the gradient is maintained on the display; wherein the pixel data operation is a write-update operation in which some of the data of a pixel is written to, upon a write-update operation of data to a pixel, and if the update data affects the pixel data coordinate for a color gradient in the display, then the fast-clear bit of that pixel is reset such that a subsequent pixel data operation will not ignore the data of that pixel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of pixels maintains a color gradient on the display. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of pixels maintains an intensity gradient on the display. ### Claim 11 A graphics display system comprising a display including a plurality of pixels, each pixel having a means for maintaining a gradient on the display while otherwise allowing fast clears of pixel data, by using a clear value to maintain the gradient on the display without a constant refresh of the pixel data when the pixel data for a pixel is ignored. ### Claim 12 A method of maintaining a gradient in a plurality of pixels of a display, each pixel having a X coordinate and a Y coordinate and data therefore, the method comprising the steps of: filling the plurality of pixels on a display to create a gradient thereupon; selectively activating a fast-clear bit in the data for each pixel; selectively performing a pixel data operation on one or more of the plurality of pixels of the display; and ignoring pixel data for a pixel with an activated fast-clear bit when performing a pixel data operation; wherein if the pixel data is ignored, a clear value of the pixel is used to maintain the gradient on the display without a constant refresh of the pixel data, wherein the clear value is dependent on at least one coordinate of the pixel. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the step of filing of the pixels to create a gradient on the display is creating the gradient based upon Y coordinate data for each pixel. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the step of filing of the pixels to create a gradient on the display is creating the gradient based upon X coordinate data for each pixel. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the step of filing of the pixels to create a gradient on the display is creating the gradient based upon a combination of X coordinate and Y coordinate data for each pixel. ### Claim 16 A method of maintaining a gradient in a plurality of pixels of a display, each pixel having a X coordinate and a Y coordinate and data therefore, the method comprising the steps of: filling the plurality of pixels on a display to create a gradient thereupon; selectively activating a fast-clear bit in the data for each pixel; selectively performing a pixel data operation on one or more of the plurality of pixels of the display; and ignoring pixel data for a pixel with an activated fast-clear bit when performing a pixel data operation; wherein the step of selectively performing a pixel data operation is performing a write operation, and further comprising the step of, upon a write operation of data to a pixel, deactivating the fast-clear bit of that pixel such that a subsequent pixel data operation will not ignore the data of that pixel. ### Claim 17 A method of maintaining a gradient in a plurality of pixels of a display, each pixel having a X coordinate and a Y coordinate and data therefore, the method comprising the steps of: filling the plurality of pixels on a display to create a gradient thereupon; selectively activating a fast-clear bit in the data for each pixel; selectively performing a pixel data operation on one or more of the plurality of pixels of the display; and ignoring pixel data for a pixel with an activated fast-clear bit when performing a pixel data operation; wherein the step of selectively performing a pixel data operation is performing a read operation, and further comprising the step of, upon a read operation of data to a pixel, ignoring the pixel data in response to the read operation if the fast-clear bit of that pixel is activated. ### Claim 18 A method of maintaining a gradient in a plurality of pixels of a display, each pixel having a X coordinate and a Y coordinate and data therefore, the method comprising the steps of: filling the plurality of pixels on a display to create a gradient thereupon; selectively activating a fast-clear bit in the data for each pixel; selectively performing a pixel data operation on one or more of the plurality of pixels of the display; and ignoring pixel data for a pixel with an activated fast-clear bit when performing a pixel data operation; wherein the step of selectively performing a pixel data operation is performing a read-modify-write operation, and further comprising the steps of: upon the read portion of the pixel data operation to a pixel, ignoring the pixel data in response to the read operation if the fast-clear bit of that pixel is activated; and deactivating the fast-clear bit of that pixel such that a subsequent pixel data operation will not ignore the data of that pixel. ### Claim 19 A method of maintaining a gradient in a plurality of pixels of a display, each pixel having a X coordinate and a Y coordinate and data therefore, the method comprising the steps of: filling the plurality of pixels on a display to create a gradient thereupon; selectively activating a fast-clear bit in the data for each pixel; selectively performing a pixel data operation on one or more of the plurality of pixels of the display; and ignoring pixel data for a pixel with an activated fast-clear bit when performing a pixel data operation; wherein the step of selectively performing a pixel data operation is performing a write-update operation in which some of the data of a pixel is written to, and further comprising the step of, upon a write-update operation of data to a pixel, if the update data affects the pixel data coordinate for the gradient on the display, then deactivating the fast-clear bit of that pixel such that a subsequent pixel data operation will not ignore the data of that pixel. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the step of filling the plurality of pixels is filling the plurality of pixels to create a color gradient on the display.