US 9,959,665 B2Granted

Zero pixel culling for graphics processing

AssigneeQUALCOMM Incorporated

InventorsNagarjuna Duvvuru, Tao Wang, Jian Liang, Chunlin Wang

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Abstract

A graphics processing unit (GPU) may include a triangle setup engine (TSE) configured to determine coordinates of a triangle, rotate coordinates of the triangle based on an angle. To rotate the coordinates, the TSE generates coordinates of the triangle in a rotated domain, and determines coordinates of a bounding box in the rotated domain based on the coordinates of the triangle in the rotated domain. The TSE determines a first plurality of parallel scanlines in the rotated domain, and a second plurality of parallel scanlines in the rotated domain. The first and second pluralities of scanlines are perpendicular. The TSE determines whether the bounding box coordinates are located within two adjacent scanlines. If the bounding box coordinates are located within the two adjacent scanlines, the TSE removes the triangle from the scene.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A method performed by a graphics processing unit (GPU), the method comprising:

determining coordinates of a primitive in a first coordinate domain, wherein the primitive is part of a scene to be rendered by the GPU using multi-sample anti-aliasing;
rotating the coordinates of the primitive based on a 45 degree angle, wherein rotating the coordinates of the primitive generates coordinates of the primitive in a first rotated coordinate domain, the first rotated coordinate domain being different than the first coordinate domain;
determining coordinates of a first bounding box in the first rotated coordinate domain based on the coordinates of the primitive in the first rotated coordinate domain;
determining a first plurality of parallel scanlines in the first rotated coordinate domain;
determining a second plurality of parallel scanlines in the first rotated coordinate domain, wherein the second plurality of parallel scanlines is perpendicular to the first plurality of parallel scanlines;
determining whether the first bounding box coordinates in the first rotated coordinate domain are located within a first two adjacent scanlines of the first plurality of scanlines or within a second two adjacent scanlines of the second plurality of scanlines;
responsive to determining that the first bounding box coordinates are located within the first two adjacent scanlines or the second two adjacent scanlines:
removing the primitive from the scene such that subsequent rasterization computations for the primitive are not performed;
rotating the coordinates of the primitive based on a 63.5 degree angle, wherein rotating the coordinates of the primitive generates coordinates of the primitive in a second rotated coordinate domain, the second rotated coordinate domain being different than the first coordinate domain;
determining coordinates of a second bounding box in the second rotated coordinate domain based on the coordinates of the primitive in the second rotated coordinate domain;
determining a third plurality of parallel scanlines in the second rotated coordinate domain;
determining a fourth plurality of parallel scanlines in the second rotated coordinate domain, wherein the fourth plurality of parallel scanlines is perpendicular to the third plurality of parallel scanlines;
determining whether the second bounding box coordinates in the second rotated coordinate domain are located within a first two adjacent scanlines of the third plurality of scanlines or within a second two adjacent scanlines of the fourth plurality of scanlines;
and
responsive to determining that the second bounding box coordinates are located within the first two adjacent scanlines of the third plurality of scanlines or the second two adjacent scanlines of the fourth plurality of scanlines:
removing the primitive from the scene such that subsequent rasterization computations for the primitive are not performed.

13 more elements

An apparatus comprising:

a memory;
and
a graphics processing unit (GPU) in communication with the memory, the GPU configured to:
determine coordinates of a primitive in a first coordinate domain, wherein the primitive is part of a scene to be rendered by the GPU using multi-sample anti-aliasing;
rotate the coordinates of the primitive based on a 45 degree angle, wherein to rotate the coordinates of the primitive, the GPU is configured to generate coordinates of the primitive in a first rotated coordinate domain, the first rotated coordinate domain being different than the first coordinate domain;
determine coordinates of a first bounding box in the first rotated coordinate domain based on the coordinates of the primitive in the first rotated coordinate domain;
determine a first plurality of parallel scanlines in the first rotated coordinate domain;
determine a second plurality of parallel scanlines in the first rotated coordinate domain,
wherein the second plurality of parallel scanlines is perpendicular to the first plurality of parallel scanlines;
determine whether the first bounding box coordinates in the first rotated coordinate domain are located within a first two adjacent scanlines of the first plurality of scanlines or within a second two adjacent scanlines of the second plurality of scanlines;
responsive to determining that the first bounding box coordinates are located within the first two adjacent scanlines or the second two adjacent scanlines:
remove the primitive from the scene such that subsequent rasterization computations for the primitive are not performed;
rotate the coordinates of the primitive based on a 63.5 degree angle, wherein to rotate the coordinates of the primitive, the GPU is configured to generate coordinates of the primitive in a second rotated coordinate domain, the second rotated coordinate domain being different than the first coordinate domain;
determine coordinates of a second bounding box in the second rotated coordinate domain based on the coordinates of the primitive in the second rotated coordinate domain;
determine a third plurality of parallel scanlines in the second rotated coordinate domain;
determine a fourth plurality of parallel scanlines in the second rotated coordinate domain, wherein the fourth plurality of parallel scanlines is perpendicular to the third plurality of parallel scanlines;
determine whether the second bounding box coordinates in the second rotated coordinate domain are located within a first two adjacent scanlines of the third plurality of scanlines or within a second two adjacent scanlines of the fourth plurality of scanlines;
and
responsive to determining that the second bounding box coordinates are located within the first two adjacent scanlines of the third plurality of scanlines or the second two adjacent scanlines of the fourth plurality of scanlines:
remove the primitive from the scene such that subsequent rasterization computations for the primitive are not performed.

17 more elements

An apparatus comprising:

means for determining coordinates of a primitive in a first coordinate domain, wherein the primitive is part of a scene to be rendered using multi-sample anti-aliasing;
means for rotating the coordinates of the primitive based on a 45 degree angle, wherein the means for rotating the coordinates of the primitive comprises means for generating coordinates of the primitive in a first rotated coordinate domain, the first rotated coordinate domain being different than the first coordinate domain;
means for determining coordinates of a first bounding box in the first rotated coordinate domain based on the coordinates of the primitive in the first rotated coordinate domain;
means for determining a first plurality of parallel scanlines in the first rotated coordinate domain;
means for determining a second plurality of parallel scanlines in the first rotated coordinate domain, wherein the second plurality of parallel scanlines is perpendicular to the first plurality of parallel scanlines;
means for determining whether the first bounding box coordinates in the first rotated coordinate domain are located within a first two adjacent scanlines of the first plurality of scanlines or within a second two adjacent scanlines of the second plurality of scanlines;
means for removing the primitive from the scene, such that subsequent rasterization computations for the primitive are not performed, responsive to determining that the first bounding box coordinates are located within the first two adjacent scanlines or the second two adjacent scanlines;
means for rotating the coordinates of the primitive based on a 63.5 degree angle, wherein the means for rotating the coordinates of the primitive generates coordinates of the primitive in a second rotated coordinate domain, the second rotated coordinate domain being different than the first coordinate domain;
means for determining coordinates of a second bounding box in the second rotated coordinate domain based on the coordinates of the primitive in the second rotated coordinate domain;
means for determining a third plurality of parallel scanlines in the second rotated coordinate domain;
means for determining a fourth plurality of parallel scanlines in the second rotated coordinate domain, wherein the fourth plurality of parallel scanlines is perpendicular to the third plurality of parallel scanlines;
means for determining whether the second bounding box coordinates in the second rotated coordinate domain are located within a first two adjacent scanlines of the third plurality of scanlines or within a second two adjacent scanlines of the fourth plurality of scanlines;
and
means for removing the primitive from the scene, such that subsequent rasterization computations for the primitive are not performed, responsive to determining that the second bounding box coordinates are located within the first two adjacent scanlines of the third plurality of scanlines or the second two adjacent scanlines of the fourth plurality of scanlines.

11 more elements

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause at least one processor to:

determine coordinates of a primitive in a first coordinate domain, wherein the primitive is part of a scene to be rendered by the at least one processor using multi-sample anti-aliasing;
rotate the coordinates of the primitive based on a 45 degree angle, wherein the instructions that cause the at least one processor to rotate the coordinates of the primitive cause the at least one processor to generate coordinates of the primitive in a first rotated coordinate domain, the first rotated coordinate domain being different than the first coordinate domain;
determine coordinates of a first bounding box in the first rotated coordinate domain based on the coordinates of the primitive in the first rotated coordinate domain;
determine a first plurality of parallel scanlines in the first rotated coordinate domain;
determine a second plurality of parallel scanlines in the first rotated coordinate domain,
wherein the second plurality of parallel scanlines is perpendicular to the first plurality of parallel scanlines;
determine whether the first bounding box coordinates in the first rotated coordinate domain are located within a first two adjacent scanlines of the first plurality of scanlines or within a second two adjacent scanlines of the second two adjacent scanlines;
responsive to determining that the first bounding box coordinates are located within the first two adjacent scanlines or the second plurality of adjacent scanlines:
remove the primitive from the scene such that subsequent rasterization computations for the primitive are not performed;
rotate the coordinates of the primitive based on a 63.5 degree angle, wherein rotating the coordinates of the primitive generates coordinates of the primitive in a second rotated coordinate domain, the second rotated coordinate domain being different than the first coordinate domain;
determining coordinates of a second bounding box in the second rotated coordinate domain based on the coordinates of the primitive in the second rotated coordinate domain;
determine a third plurality of parallel scanlines in the second rotated coordinate domain;
determine a fourth plurality of parallel scanlines in the second rotated coordinate domain, wherein the fourth plurality of parallel scanlines is perpendicular to the third plurality of parallel scanlines;
determine whether the second bounding box coordinates in the second rotated coordinate domain are located within a first two adjacent scanlines of the third plurality of scanlines or within a second two adjacent scanlines of the fourth plurality of scanlines;
and
responsive to determining that the second bounding box coordinates are located within the first two adjacent scanlines of the third plurality of scanlines or the second two adjacent scanlines of the fourth plurality of scanlines:
remove the primitive from the scene such that subsequent rasterization computations for the primitive are not performed.

14 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/805,088Filed 21 Jul 2015
Published: US 2017/0024926 A126 Jan 2017
Granted: 1 May 2018
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

G06T 15/40
Geometric effects: hidden part removal
G06T 11/40
Two-dimensional [2D] image generation: filling planar surfaces by adding surface attributes, e.g. adding colours or textures
G06T 15/005
Three-dimensional [3D] image rendering: general purpose rendering architectures
G06T 2200/04
Indexing scheme for image data processing or generation, in general: involving 3D image data