Abstract: A 3D graphics rendering pipeline is used to carry out data comparisons for motion estimation in video data encoding. Video data for the pixel block of the video frame currently being encoded is loaded into the output buffers of the rendering pipeline. The video data for the comparison pixel blocks from the reference video frame is stored as texture map values in the texture cache of the rendering pipeline. Once the sets of pixel data for comparison have been stored, the rendering pipeline is controlled to render a primitive having fragment positions and texture coordinates corresponding to the data values that it is desired to compare. As each fragment is rendered, the stored and rendered fragment data is compared by fragment compare unit and the determined differences in the data values are accumulated in an error term register.

Abstract: An array of texture data elements (texels) is subdivided into a plurality of 8×4 texture element blocks, each of which 8×4 texture element blocks encodes two 4×4 texture element sub-blocks 3, 4. Each encoded texture data block includes data indicating a method to be used to generate a set of color values to be used for the texture elements that the encoded data block represents, and data indicating a method to be used for generating the colors of the individual texture elements using that generated set of colors. As well as the individual texture data blocks, a header data block encoding a base set of colors is generated. This base color set defines a set of colors that is used to generate the colors to be used when reproducing each individual encoded texture data block.

Abstract: A graphics processing platform includes a rasteriser 50 that receives primitives representing an image to be displayed for processing. The rasteriser 50 determines which sets of sampling points of the image include sampling points that are covered by a given primitive, and then generates a fragment for rendering for each set of sampling points found to include a sampling point that is covered by the primitive and passes those fragments to a renderer 51 for rendering. The renderer 51 carries out rendering operations on the fragments that it receives, and stores the rendered fragment data in tile buffers 52. The rendered fragment data is stored in multiple copies in the appropriate sample positions in the tile buffers 52, so as to provide a separate set of fragment data for each individual sample position taken of the image. The data from the tile buffers 52 is input to a downsampling unit 53, and thence output to a frame buffer 54 of a display device 55 for display.

Abstract: A graphics processing platform includes a rasteriser 50 that receives primitives representing an image to be displayed for processing. The rasteriser 50 determines which sets of sampling points of the image include sampling points that are covered by a given primitive, and then generates a fragment for rendering for each set of sampling points found to include a sampling point that is covered by the primitive and passes those fragments to a renderer 51 for rendering. The renderer 51 carries out rendering operations on the fragments that it receives, and stores the rendered fragment data in tile buffers 52. The rendered fragment data is stored in multiple copies in the appropriate sample positions in the tile buffers 52, so as to provide a separate set of fragment data for each individual sample position taken of the image. The data from the tile buffers 52 is input to a downsampling unit 53, and thence output to a frame buffer 54 of a display device 55 for display.

Abstract: A distribution medium (20) for providing an application to a host system (4) includes an interface element (21) for interfacing with the host (4), a memory or storage module (22) that stores application code representing the application and a hardware element (23). The hardware element (23) directly accesses application content stored in the memory (22), processes that application content to transform it to another form, and then provides the transformed content to the host system (4).

Abstract: An array of texture data elements (texels) is subdivided into a plurality of 8×4 texture element blocks, each of which 8×4 texture element blocks encodes two 4×4 texture element sub-blocks 3, 4. Each encoded texture data block includes data indicating a method to be used to generate a set of colour values to be used for the texture elements that the encoded data block represents, and data indicating a method to be used for generating the colours of the individual texture elements using that generated set of colours. As well as the individual texture data blocks, a header data block encoding a base set of colours is generated. This base colour set defines a set of colours that is used to generate the colours to be used when reproducing each individual encoded texture data block.

Abstract: A graphics processor 20 includes a graphics object list building unit 28 that determines the location of each draw call in a scene to be rendered and generates a list of draw calls for each sub-region (tile) that the scene to be rendered is divided into. The draw call lists are stored in a memory 23. A graphics object selection unit 29 of a renderer 22 of the graphics processor 20 then determines which draw call is to be rendered next by considering the draw call list 26 stored in the memory 23 for the sub-region (tile) of the scene that is currently being rendered.

Abstract: A graphic rendering pipeline has a number of different rendering units and receives fragments for rendering. A renderer stated word cache is used to store rendering state data to be used to configure the rendering units when they render a fragment. Each rendering unit includes a functional block which carries out a rendering operation on a received fragment and a renderer state word interface that can be used to look up the required rendering state data from the renderer state word cache. Each fragment is provided to the rendering pipeline with fragment data that indicates, inter alia, a fragment index, a renderer state word index, and other fragment data that is necessary to render the fragment. When a rendering unit of the rendering pipeline receives a fragment to be rendered, it firstly uses the renderer state word index associated with the fragment to look-up, using its renderer state word interface, the relevant rendering state data from the renderer state word cache.

Abstract: A graphics processing platform includes a rasteriser 50 that receives primitives representing an image to be displayed for processing. The rasteriser 50 determines which sets of sampling points of the image include sampling points that are covered by a given primitive, and then generates a fragment for rendering for each set of sampling points found to include a sampling point that is covered by the primitive and passes those fragments to a renderer 51 for rendering. The renderer 51 carries out rendering operations on the fragments that it receives, and stores the rendered fragment data in tile buffers 52. The rendered fragment data is stored in multiple copies in the appropriate sample positions in the tile buffers 52, so as to provide a separate set of fragment data for each individual sample position taken of the image. The data from the tile buffers 52 is input to a downsampling unit 53, and thence output to a frame buffer 54 of a display device 55 for display.

Abstract: A 3D graphics rendering pipeline is used to carry out data comparisons for motion estimation in video data encoding. Video data for the pixel block of the video frame currently being encoded is loaded into the output buffers of the rendering pipeline. The video data for the comparison pixel blocks from the reference video frame is stored as texture map values in the texture cache of the rendering pipeline. Once the sets of pixel data for comparison have been stored, the rendering pipeline is controlled to render a primitive having fragment positions and texture coordinates corresponding to the data values that it is desired to compare. As each fragment is rendered, the stored and rendered fragment data is compared by fragment compare unit and the determined differences in the data values are accumulated in an error term register.

Abstract: A scene 50 to be rendered is divided into plural individual sub-regions or tiles 51. The individual sub-regions 51 are also grouped into differing groups of sets of plural sub-regions. There is a top level layer comprising a set 54 of 8×8 sub-regions which encompasses the entire scene area 50. There is then a group of four 4×4 sets of sub-regions 53, then a group of sixteen 2×2 sets of sub-regions 52, and finally a layer comprising the 64 single sub-regions 51. A primitive list building unit takes each primitive 80 in turn, determines a location for that primitive, compares the primitive's location with the locations of the sub-regions 51 and the locations of the sets of sub-regions 52, 53 and 54, and allocates the primitive to respective primitive lists for the sub-regions and sets of sub-regions accordingly.

Abstract: A slave device (20) communicates with a host system (21) via a host communications bus (22). The host system (21) includes one (or more) processing units that can act as bus masters and send access requests for slave resources on the slave device (20) via the communications bus (22). The slave device platform (20) includes a memory management unit (23), a programmable central processing unit (24) and one or more slave resources (25). The memory management unit (23) acts as an address translating device, and accepts requests with virtual addresses from the master device or devices on the host system (21), translates the virtual addresses used in the access requests to the “internal” physical addresses of the slave's resources and forwards the accesses of the appropriate physical resources (25).