Texture Memory Patents (Class 345/552)
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Patent number: 7598967Abstract: A transform engine is configured to rotate, and/or rotate and translate, one or more polygons in response to screen orientation. Thus, when texture data obtained from a pre-rotated image is applied to a rotated polygon from an image, a rotated version of the image is generated in response to screen orientation. Alternatively, a user may select a rotation to re-orient the image to a screen view position. Batch processing of data changes is utilized to render a plurality of changes together.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2007Date of Patent: October 6, 2009Assignee: NVIDIA CorporationInventor: Abraham B. de Waal
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Patent number: 7593025Abstract: A transform engine is configured to rotate, and/or rotate and translate, one or more polygons in response to screen orientation. Thus, when texture, obtained from a pre-rotated image is applied to a rotated polygon used to render such an image, a rotated version of such an image is generated in response to screen orientation. Alternatively, a user may select a rotation to re-orient an image to a screen view position.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2007Date of Patent: September 22, 2009Assignee: NVIDIA Corp.Inventor: Abraham B. De Waal
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Patent number: 7593019Abstract: An object collation method comprising a registration procedure for registering the registered data of a registered object in a database, and a collation procedure for collating the input image of a target object with the registered data. The registration procedure includes a step of storing the three-dimensional shape of the registered object and a texture space defined by a texture group indicating the luminance and/or color information of each position of the object surface under various illumination conditions. The collation procedure includes the steps of: generating an illumination fluctuation space defined by the image group under the various illumination conditions, at the location and position of the target object in the input image from the three-dimensional shape and the texture space; and collating the target object and the registered object based on the distance between the illumination fluctuation space and the input image.Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 2007Date of Patent: September 22, 2009Assignee: NEC CorporationInventor: Rui Ishiyama
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Patent number: 7589740Abstract: A planetarium apparatus of this invention memorizes a plurality of texture image data expressing conditions of a surface of an object in a picture memory by relating to the range of a distance from a viewpoint to the object. One of the texture image data in the picture memory is read out in accordance with a distance from the viewpoint to the object and by adjusting its size a texture image on the basis of the texture image data read out is pasted to an area of the entire image occupied by the object. Further, a remaining portion is formed as a real time image. In consequence, when a take-off from, or a landing onto, the surface of a celestial body is represented, a picture in which the condition of surrounding cosmic space is reproduced in real time, and the surface pattern of the celestial body from which a take off, or onto which a landing can both be displayed with a high degree of quality.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2006Date of Patent: September 15, 2009Assignee: Konica Minolta Planetarium Co., Ltd.Inventor: Masaki Suda
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Patent number: 7589741Abstract: Circuits, methods, and apparatus provide for the storage of texture descriptors in a graphics memory. Since the texture descriptors are stored in a graphics memory, they do not need to be stored in the graphics processor itself, thus reducing graphics processor circuitry and cost. This allows more textures to be associated with each graphics primitive, thereby improving image realism.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2007Date of Patent: September 15, 2009Assignee: NVIDIA CorporationInventors: Christopher D. S. Donham, Alexander L. Minkin
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Patent number: 7583269Abstract: The 3D window system utilizes hardware accelerated window system rendering to eliminate the pixel copy step of 3D window system output redirection. The 3D window system includes a window server that directs the window system device driver graphics routines to render into the texture memory of a graphics device.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 2005Date of Patent: September 1, 2009Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.Inventor: Deron D. Johnson
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Patent number: 7583277Abstract: A transform engine is configured to rotate, and/or rotate and translate, one or more polygons in response to screen orientation. Thus, when texture, obtained from a pre-rotated image is applied to a rotated polygon used to render such an image, a rotated version of such an image is generated in response to screen orientation. Alternatively, a user may select a rotation to re-orient an image to a screen view position.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2007Date of Patent: September 1, 2009Assignee: NVIDIA CorporationInventor: Abraham B. De Waal
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Patent number: 7580042Abstract: In systems and methods for graphic reproduction of an image including textural information, multiple rows or blocks of texture data can be retrieved from system memory in response to the single read command. In this manner, efficient use of system bus is achieved, and an increase in the texture cache hit ratio is realized, leading to more efficient system operation, and reduced system bus usage for texture data retrieval.Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 2006Date of Patent: August 25, 2009Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Young-Jin Chung, Kil-Whan Lee
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Patent number: 7580046Abstract: A transform engine is configured to rotate, and/or rotate and translate, one or more polygons in response to screen orientation. Thus, when texture, obtained from a pre-rotated image is applied to a rotated polygon used to render such an image, a rotated version of such an image is generated in response to screen orientation. Alternatively, a user may select a rotation to re-orient an image to a screen view position.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2007Date of Patent: August 25, 2009Assignee: NVIDIA CorporationInventor: Abraham B. De Waal
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Patent number: 7576751Abstract: A pixel center position that is not covered by a primitive covering a portion of the pixel is displaced to lie within a fragment formed by the intersection of the primitive and the pixel. X,y coordinates of a pixel center are adjusted to displace the pixel center position to lie within the fragment, affecting actual texture map coordinates or barycentric weights. Alternatively, a centroid sub-pixel sample position is determined based on coverage data for the pixel and a multisample mode. The centroid sub-pixel sample position is used to compute pixel or sub-pixel parameters for the fragment.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2006Date of Patent: August 18, 2009Assignee: NVIDIA CorporationInventors: Rui M. Bastos, Michael J. M. Toksvig, Karim M. Abdalla
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Patent number: 7570271Abstract: A system maintains data from different resolution levels of an image in textures of a graphics processing unit (GPU). Image data is organized into multiple resolution layers of an image. Data from the lower resolution level(s) is used to process an image while higher resolution data is loaded. In one embodiment, a first resolution representation of the image having a lowest resolution level using data resident in the GPU memory is drawn prior to drawing a portion of a second resolution representation having a higher resolution level using data resident in the GPU memory.Type: GrantFiled: February 10, 2006Date of Patent: August 4, 2009Assignee: Adobe Systems IncorporatedInventor: Jonathan Brandt
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Patent number: 7570273Abstract: Method and apparatus for a graphics pipeline is described. More particularly, a transform engine is configured to rotate, and/or rotate and translate, one or more polygons in response to screen orientation. Thus, when texture, obtained from a pre-rotated image is applied to a rotated polygon used to render such an image, a rotated version of such an image is generated in response to screen orientation. Alternatively, a user may select a rotation to re-orient an image to a screen view position.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2002Date of Patent: August 4, 2009Assignee: Nvidia CorporationInventor: Abraham B. de Waal
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Publication number: 20090189909Abstract: Graphics processing units (GPUs) are used, for example, to process data related to three-dimensional objects or scenes and to render the three-dimensional data onto a two-dimensional display screen. One embodiment, among others, of a unified cache system used in a GPU comprises a data storage device and a storage device controller. The data storage device is configured to store graphics data processed by or to be processed by one or more shader units. The storage device controller is placed in communication with the data storage device. The storage device controller is configured to dynamically control a storage allocation of the graphics data within the data storage device.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 25, 2008Publication date: July 30, 2009Applicant: VIA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventors: Jeff Jiao, Timour Paltashev
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Patent number: 7567254Abstract: A method and system for synthesizing texture using upsampled pixel coordinates and a multi-resolution approach. The parallel texture synthesis technique, while based on a neighborhood matching technique having order-independent texture synthesis, extends that approach in at least two areas, including efficient parallel synthesis and intuitive user control. Pixel coordinates are upsampled instead of pixel colors, thereby reducing computational complexity and expense. These upsampled pixel coordinates then are jittered to provide texture variation. The jitter is controllable, such that a user has control over several aspects of the jitter. In addition, each neighborhood-matching pass is split into several sub-passes to improve correction. Using sub-passes improves correction speed and quality. The parallel texture synthesis system and method disclosed herein is designed for implementation on a parallel processor, such as a graphics processing unit.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2005Date of Patent: July 28, 2009Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Sylvain Lefebvre, Hugues H. Hoppe
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Patent number: 7564460Abstract: Systems and methods for utilizing intermediate target(s) in connection with computer graphics in a computer system are provided. In various embodiments, intermediate memory buffers in video memory are provided and utilized to allow serialized programs from graphics APIs to support algorithms that exceed the instruction limits of procedural shaders for single programs. The intermediate buffers may also allow sharing of data between programs for other purposes as well, and are atomically accessible. The size of the buffers, i.e., the amount of data stored in the intermediate targets, can be variably set for a varying amount of resolution with respect to the graphics data. In this regard, a single program generates intermediate data, which can then be used, and re-used, by an extension of the same program and/or any number of other programs any number of times as may be desired, enabling considerable flexibility and complexity of shading programs, while maintaining the speed of modem graphics chips.Type: GrantFiled: July 16, 2002Date of Patent: July 21, 2009Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Michele B. Boland, Charles N. Boyd, Anantha R. Kancherla
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Patent number: 7561165Abstract: A texturizing system for texturizing electronic representations of objects includes a texture library, a texture engine and a graphical user interface module. A source texture may be stored in the library with an associated unique identifier. The source texture may be manipulated with the graphical user interface module to form a complex texture. Manipulations to form the complex texture may be captured and stored in the texture library as a transformation procedure with a unique identifier. The unique identifier of either the complex texture or the source texture may be associated with a surface of an electronic representation of an image. When the electronic representation is displayed, the transformation procedure is performed and the surface associated with the transformation procedure may be texturized.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2003Date of Patent: July 14, 2009Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbHInventors: Marek Strassenburg-Kleciak, Philipp Harald Nagel
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Publication number: 20090160857Abstract: A unified compression/decompression architecture is disclosed for reducing memory bandwidth requirements in 3D graphics processing applications. The techniques described erase several distinctions between a texture (compressed once, and decompressed many times), and buffers (compressed and decompressed repeatedly during rendering of an image). An exemplary method for processing graphics data according to one or more embodiments of the invention thus begins with the updating of one or more tiles of a first image array, which are then compressed, using a real-time buffer compression algorithm, to obtain compressed image array tiles. The compressed image array tiles are stored for subsequent use as a texture. During real-time rendering of a second image array, the compressed image array tiles are retrieved and decompressed using a decompression algorithm corresponding to the buffer compression algorithm.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 27, 2008Publication date: June 25, 2009Inventors: Jim Rasmusson, Tomas Akenine-Moller, Petrik Clarberg, Jon Hasselgren, Jacob Munkberg
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Publication number: 20090160855Abstract: The description relates to surgical computer systems, including computer program products, and methods for cumulative buffering for surface imaging. A display image is buffered that has been saved from a previous update. A model representing a tool is subtracted from the buffered display image. The subtracted display image is displayed using a CSG technique at a fixed angle. The subtracted display image is saved. This process is repeated so that the displayed image is cumulatively changed with each change in location of the model representing the tool.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2007Publication date: June 25, 2009Applicant: MAKO Surgical Corp.Inventor: Min Wu
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Patent number: 7551178Abstract: An apparatus according to an example embodiment of the present invention, may process data of a present span. During processing, data corresponding to an address of the start data of the next span may be prefetched from the external memory device based on information related to the presently processed data. The prefetched data may store in the cache memory.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2006Date of Patent: June 23, 2009Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Young-Jin Chung, Kil-Whan Lee, Mahn-Gee Park
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Publication number: 20090147017Abstract: Various embodiments of shader processing systems and methods are disclosed. One method embodiment, among others, comprises a dependent texture read method executed using a multi-threaded, parallel computational core of a graphics processing unit (GPU). Such a method includes generating a dependent texture read request at logic configured to perform shader computations corresponding to a first thread, and sending shader-calculated, texture-sampling related parameters corresponding to the first thread to a texture pipeline while retaining at the logic all other shader processing related information corresponding to the first thread.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 6, 2007Publication date: June 11, 2009Applicant: VIA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventor: Yang (Jeff) Jiao
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Patent number: 7542043Abstract: Methods and apparatus for subdividing a shader program into regions or “phases” of instructions identifiable by phase identifiers (IDs) inserted into the shader program are provided. The phase IDs may be used to constrain execution of the shader program to prohibit texture fetches in later phases from being executed before a texture fetch in a current phase has completed. Other operations (e.g., math operations) within the current phase, however, may be allowed to execute while waiting for the current phase texture fetch to complete.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 2005Date of Patent: June 2, 2009Assignee: NVIDIA CorporationInventors: John Erik Lindholm, Brett W. Coon, Gary M. Tarolli
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Patent number: 7538773Abstract: A method of determining pixel parameters, wherein the pixel parameters were clamped to a valid range. The method includes a step of accessing a geometric primitive comprising a plurality of vertices wherein each vertex has associated therewith a plurality of parameters including a pair of texture coordinates. During rasterization of said geometric primitive performed in a rasterization module of graphics pipeline, a respective pair of texture coordinates for each pixel of said geometric primitive are computed using interpolation. Each computed texture coordinate includes an integer portion and a fractional portion. Only the fractional portions of said texture coordinates are propagated to a downstream data fetch module of said graphics pipeline.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2004Date of Patent: May 26, 2009Assignee: Nvidia CorporationInventor: Edward A. Hutchins
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Publication number: 20090128575Abstract: Provided are methods for managing texture data. The methods include preloading a first plurality of texture descriptor values from a memory location in a first buffer located in a first logic block, wherein the first buffer is further configured to receive data corresponding to non-texture functions performed in the first logic block and preloading the first plurality of texture descriptor values from a memory location into a second buffer in a second logic block if the first buffer is full. The methods further include utilizing the first plurality of texture descriptor values, within the second logic block, to perform a shader calculation, and loading, dynamically, a second plurality of texture descriptor values from memory into the first buffer, wherein the first logic block requires additional data. Additionally, the methods can include writing, if the first buffer is full, the second plurality of texture descriptor values over a portion of the first plurality of texture descriptor values.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 20, 2007Publication date: May 21, 2009Applicant: VIA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventors: Fred Liao, Yijung Su, Yiping Chen, Mark Zheng
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Patent number: 7532221Abstract: A method and system for rendering three-dimensional graphics, including text, provides a compressed texture bitmap. The compressed texture bitmap may represent multiple symbols, each comprised of multiple pixels. Each pixel in the texture bitmap may store information for more than one value, including values for compressed pixels corresponding to multiple distinct symbols. For example, the compressed texture bitmap may have n-bit pixels (e.g., 16-bit pixels) that each store up to m (e.g., four) n/m-bit (e.g., 4-bit) compressed values. Multiple pixels can be stored in a single texture using, for example, distinct red, green, blue, and alpha (RGBA) channels associated with each pixel. The compressed texture bitmap may be configured for unpacking by a conventional pixel shader, such as a pixel shader that does not typically perform bitwise operations. The unpacking may include isolating a pixel associated with a desired value using a masking operation in the pixel shader.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2004Date of Patent: May 12, 2009Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventor: Michael Scott Wetzel
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Patent number: 7532220Abstract: An apparatus for mapping primitives of a 3D graphics model from a texture space to a screen space. The apparatus includes a texture memory for storing texture maps. A resampler resamples, for each primitive, data from a texture map that corresponds to the primitive to corresponding pixel data defining a portion of a display image that corresponds to the primitive. The texture space resampler and/or the screen space resampler is operative to select a resampling algorithm for performing the resampling from a respective set of at least two distinct resampling algorithms. The selection is done in dependence on a size of the primitive.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 2004Date of Patent: May 12, 2009Assignee: NXP B.V.Inventors: Bart Gerard Bernard Barenbrug, Kornelis Meinds
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Patent number: 7528843Abstract: Systems and methods for dynamically canceling texture fetches may improve texture mapping performance. A shader program compiler inserts condition code writes and condition code comparison operations for shader program instructions that contribute to a texture read instruction and do not need to be executed if certain conditions are met. During execution of the shader program, the inserted condition codes are used to compute a dynamic writemask that indicates if the texture data resulting from the texture read is unnecessary. The dynamic writemask is used to cancel unnecessary texture fetches during execution of the shader program.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 2005Date of Patent: May 5, 2009Assignee: NVIDIA CorporationInventors: Mark J. Kilgard, Rui M. Bastos, Johnny S. Rhoades, Cass W. Everitt, Wei-Chao Chen
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Patent number: 7518616Abstract: A graphics accelerator for processing a graphical image includes a texture buffer for storing texture maps and data relating to the texture maps stored in the texture buffer, and a texture processor that performs texturing operations on the graphical image. The texture processor includes a fetching engine that retrieves texture packets, where each texture packet is stored in the texture buffer and associated with a texture map. Each texture packet includes data relating to the location of its associated texture map in the texture buffer.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 1999Date of Patent: April 14, 2009Assignee: 3DLabs, Inc. Ltd.Inventor: Stephen W. Edwards
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Patent number: 7518615Abstract: A floating point rasterization and frame buffer in a computer system graphics program. The rasterization, fog, lighting, texturing, blending, and antialiasing processes operate on floating point values. In one embodiment, a 16-bit floating point format consisting of one sign bit, ten mantissa bits, and five exponent bits (s10e5), is used to optimize the range and precision afforded by the 16 available bits of information. In other embodiments, the floating point format can be defined in the manner preferred in order to achieve a desired range and precision of the data stored in the frame buffer. The final floating point values corresponding to pixel attributes are stored in a frame buffer and eventually read and drawn for display. The graphics program can operate directly on the data in the frame buffer without losing any of the desired range and precision of the data.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2000Date of Patent: April 14, 2009Assignee: Silicon Graphics, Inc.Inventors: John M. Airey, Mark S. Peercy, Robert A. Drebin, John Montrym, David L. Dignam, Christopher J. Migdal, Danny D. Loh
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Vehicle navigation apparatus and method with traveling direction indication at guidance intersection
Patent number: 7502685Abstract: A vehicle navigation apparatus is provided which can reliably guide a vehicle along a guidance route when the vehicle approaches an intersection of interest at which it is to make a turn even if another intersection exists between a vehicle position and the intersection of interest. A controller determines whether or not another intersection exists between the vehicle position and the next guidance intersection (an intersection at which the vehicle is to make a turn) when the vehicle reaches a predetermined distance from the guidance intersection. If another intersection is determined to exist, an intersection guidance map with an arrow indicative of the guidance route colored in a predetermined color is displayed on a display device. In one embodiment, if another intersection does not exist between the vehicle and the guidance intersection, the color of the arrow displayed is changed to a different color.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 2005Date of Patent: March 10, 2009Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.Inventor: Hikaru Nakamura -
Patent number: 7495675Abstract: Methods, systems and apparatus, including computer program products, for processing a computer graphics illustration having pieces of artwork.Type: GrantFiled: May 1, 2007Date of Patent: February 24, 2009Assignee: Adobe Systems IncorporatedInventors: Lubomir D. Bourdev, Stephen N. Schiller, Martin E. Newell
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Patent number: 7492373Abstract: Apparatus, systems and methods for reducing memory bandwidth to texture samplers via re-interpolation of texture coordinates includes at least one texture sampler coupled to at least one shader core where the texture sampler is at least capable of generating texture map addresses by re-interpolating pixel fragment block texture coordinates from starting data and attribute deltas associated with the block.Type: GrantFiled: August 22, 2005Date of Patent: February 17, 2009Assignee: Intel CorporationInventor: Stephen Junkins
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Patent number: 7483035Abstract: Provided are methods, systems, and graphics processing apparatus, for improving graphics system performance using a data dependent slot and set selection technique for receiving texture data into an L2 cache for providing a high utilization of system resources in a diverse texture processing environment.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2005Date of Patent: January 27, 2009Assignee: Via Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Jianming Xu
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Patent number: 7477261Abstract: A system, method and apparatus to provide flexible texture filtering. A programmable texture filtering module is introduced into the graphics processing pipeline of a graphic coprocessor and graphic processor integrated with the host. A program from a defined instruction set may then be loaded into texture processing cores to process texture data consistent with the program.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2006Date of Patent: January 13, 2009Assignee: Intel CorporationInventor: Kim Pallister
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Patent number: 7466318Abstract: Systems and methods for avoiding unnecessary uncovered texture fetches may improve texture mapping performance. A shader program compiler performs data-flow analysis to determine if texture fetches may be required for pixels that are not covered by a graphics primitive fragment. A graphics driver then determines which texture maps do not require texels for uncovered neighbor pixels, dependent on texture filter mode information, thereby avoiding unnecessary uncovered texture fetches.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2005Date of Patent: December 16, 2008Assignee: NVIDIA CorporationInventor: Mark J. Kilgard
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Patent number: 7456835Abstract: A graphics processing unit can queue a large number of texture requests to balance out the variability of texture requests without the need for a large texture request buffer. A dedicated texture request buffer queues the relatively small texture commands and parameters. Additionally, for each queued texture command, an associated set of texture arguments, which are typically much larger than the texture command, are stored in a general purpose register. The texture unit retrieves texture commands from the texture request buffer and then fetches the associated texture arguments from the appropriate general purpose register. The texture arguments may be stored in the general purpose register designated as the destination of the final texture value computed by the texture unit. Because the destination register must be allocated for the final texture value as texture commands are queued, storing the texture arguments in this register does not consume any additional registers.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2006Date of Patent: November 25, 2008Assignee: Nvidia CorporationInventors: John Erik Lindholm, John R. Nickolls, Simon S. Moy, Brett W. Coon
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Patent number: 7436411Abstract: A method and apparatus to generate one or more graphics textures of a video image, wherein graphics textures have differing resolutions, and to render the video image as a graphics texture using the one or more graphics textures of differing resolutions. The one or more graphics textures have different resolutions, for example, a base resolution and one or more scaled resolutions. The graphics texture may be rendered and displayed on a surface of a multi-dimensional graphics object that may be manipulated on a display.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2006Date of Patent: October 14, 2008Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Carl S. Marshall, Ram Rao, Christopher Cormack, Suresh Rangarajulu, Peter Munguia
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Publication number: 20080234924Abstract: Disclosed is a service provision system including a server which includes application service programs, selects a program corresponding to profile data according to a service start request, and transmits rendering information selected by a data request; an in-vehicle information terminal which includes first profile data representing a terminal specification and performs a rendering process using a texture in the terminal by a rendering command; and a portable information device which includes second profile data representing a device specification, identifies a connection status with the terminal, and transmits the data request using the first or second profile data.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 19, 2008Publication date: September 25, 2008Inventor: MANABU KATOU
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Patent number: 7425966Abstract: A pixel center position that is not covered by a primitive covering a portion of the pixel is displaced to lie within a fragment formed by the intersection of the primitive and the pixel. X,y coordinates of a pixel center are adjusted to displace the pixel center position to lie within the fragment, affecting actual texture map coordinates or barycentric weights. Alternatively, a centroid sub-pixel sample position is determined based on coverage data for the pixel and a multisample mode. The centroid sub-pixel sample position is used to compute pixel or sub-pixel parameters for the fragment.Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 2004Date of Patent: September 16, 2008Assignee: NVIDIA CorporationInventors: Rui M. Bastos, Michael J. M. Toksvig, Karim M. Abdalla
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Publication number: 20080218527Abstract: A method for improving hit rates of a cache memory for storing texture data during graphics rendering is disclosed. In response to a request for a mipmap block from a first mipmap to render a texture, a determination is made whether or not the mipmap block from the first mipmap is already stored in a cache memory. If the mipmap block from the first mipmap is already in the cache memory, the mipmap block from the first mipmap already in the cache memory is utilized to render the texture. Otherwise, if the mipmap block from the first mipmap is not in a cache memory, another determination is made whether or not a bias value associated with the mipmap block from the first mipmap is set. If a bias value associated with the mipmap block from the first mipmap is not set, then the mipmap block is obtained from the first mipmap to render the texture.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 9, 2007Publication date: September 11, 2008Inventor: Ian D. Romanick
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Patent number: 7423653Abstract: A method of displaying a graphical texture comprises determining whether an update exists for a particular content element from among one or more content elements, wherein each content element is associated with one or more textures; if an update exists for the particular content element, performing the steps of determining a particular texture from among the one or more textures with which the information is associated; obtaining the particular texture, wherein the particular texture is generated based on the particular content element; and displaying the particular texture.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2004Date of Patent: September 9, 2008Assignee: Three-B International LimitedInventors: David Gettman, David Brownlee, Leslie Peters, Nicole Morris
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Publication number: 20080211823Abstract: A three-dimensional (3D) graphic accelerator accessing an external memory storing a plurality of texture data is provided. The 3D graphic accelerator may include a texture cache storing the texture data, a geometry processing unit generating texture status information, and a texture processing unit generating a texture address to access the texture cache and outputting one or more texels from the texture data of the texture cache. The texture cache receives the texture address from the texture processing unit and generates a control signal for reading a part or all of a series of texture data from the external memory in accordance with the texture status information when a cache miss occurs.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 27, 2007Publication date: September 4, 2008Inventors: Young-Jin Chung, Kil-Whan Lee
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Publication number: 20080211824Abstract: There is provided a portable communication terminal capable of switching between icon display and non-display. Processes executed by a control unit of a portable phone which is an aspect of the portable communication terminal comprises the steps of detecting, during the execution of an icon-bar displaying process, a press of an operation key, terminating outputting icon data if the operation key is associated with the icon-bar non-display function and if there is already no icon bar being displayed, detecting a press of the operation key, and executing the icon-bar displaying process if the operation key is associated with the icon-bar display function and if there is no icon bar being displayed.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 14, 2008Publication date: September 4, 2008Inventors: Masanori Honda, Takayuki Hayashi, Hiroki Ishii, Xiaobing Li
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Publication number: 20080204466Abstract: Techniques for dynamically configuring a texture cache are disclosed. During a texture mapping process of a three-dimensional (3D) graphics pipeline, if the batch is for single texture mapping, the texture cache is configured as a n-way set-associative texture cache. However, if the batch is for multi-texture mapping the n-way set-associated texture cache is divided into at n/M-way set-associative sub-caches where n and M are integers greater than 1 and n is divisible by M.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 22, 2007Publication date: August 28, 2008Inventor: Chun Yu
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Patent number: 7417639Abstract: There are provided a drawing device and an information processing apparatus which are capable of reading out texture data from a memory at a high speed. A storage circuit stores respective information items of each of texture pixels constituting the texture data and at least one texture pixel in a vicinity of the each of the texture pixels, in a continuously-accessible region thereof. An address calculation circuit calculates, based on texture coordinates corresponding to each pixel of the polygons, an address where a corresponding set of the information items are stored. A readout circuit reads out the corresponding set of the information items from the address calculated by the address calculation circuit. A synthesis circuit synthesizes the corresponding set of the information items read out by the readout circuit. A drawing circuit draws, based on texture pixel information synthesized by the synthesis circuit, a corresponding pixel of the polygons.Type: GrantFiled: April 3, 2002Date of Patent: August 26, 2008Assignee: Fujitsu LimitedInventor: Hidefumi Nishi
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Publication number: 20080192063Abstract: Provided is a system for managing multiple contexts in a decentralized graphics processing unit. The system includes multiple control units that can include a context buffer, a context processor, and a context scheduler. Also included is logic to receive multiple contexts, logic to identify at least one of the contexts, and logic to facilitate communication among the control units.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 8, 2007Publication date: August 14, 2008Applicant: VIA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventors: Qunfeng (Fred) Liao, Yang (Jeff) Jiao, Yijung Su
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Publication number: 20080192057Abstract: An input stream of graphics primitives may be converted into to a predetermined output stream of graphics primitives by a processor in a graphics pipeline. The processor recognizes a predetermined sequence pattern in the input stream of graphics primitives to the processor. The processor determines whether the recognized sequence pattern can be converted into the one of the plurality of predetermined output streams of graphics primitives. If so, the processor identifies a number of vertices in the recognized sequence pattern and reorders the vertices into a predetermined output pattern. Thereafter, the processor outputs the predetermined output pattern corresponding to one or more graphics processing components.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 8, 2007Publication date: August 14, 2008Applicant: VIA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventors: Boris Prokopenko, Hsilin (Stephen) Huang, Ping Chen
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Patent number: 7411592Abstract: A technique for graphically processing perimeter information includes determining a polar representation of the perimeter of an object to define polar perimeter information, storing the polar perimeter information, retrieving the stored polar perimeter information using an overlay, and applying the retrieved polar perimeter information to provide a graphical effect within a scene (such as, but not limited to, a shadow effect).Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 2005Date of Patent: August 12, 2008Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventor: Sean E. Dunn
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Patent number: 7400330Abstract: An indirection texture magnification system and method for producing high-resolution indirection texture results. The system and method uses an indirection texture, designed for use with a low-resolution texture image, and a high-resolution texture image, which is a higher-resolution version of the low-resolution texture image. The indirection texture magnification system and method re-interprets an indirection texture computed for a low-resolution image so that a higher-resolution image can be used with the same indirection texture. This generates additional samples and allows the generation of a magnified, high-resolution indirection texture result. The indirection texture magnification system and method takes three or more neighboring pixel coordinates stored in an indirection texture and offsets those pixel coordinates in order to access the higher-resolution image with an increased precision.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2005Date of Patent: July 15, 2008Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Sylvain Lefebvre, Hugues H. Hoppe
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Patent number: 7400331Abstract: The invention provides texture mapping techniques that facilitate interactive painting of a three-dimensional virtual surface by a user in object space, without requiring global parameterization. The texture mapping techniques feature rendering texture for a given virtual object using a plurality of composite textures, each formed by blending collapsible texture layers. Texture coordinates in texture space are derived using information determined at the time of surface mesh generation. The invention features dynamic texture allocation and deallocation, allowing a user to interactively modify the shape of a painted, three-dimensional model. Finally, the invention features an architecture for combined graphical rendering and haptic rendering of a virtual object, allowing a user to experience force feedback during the painting of the object in object space.Type: GrantFiled: June 26, 2006Date of Patent: July 15, 2008Assignee: SensAble Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Jonathan Levene, Marc Midura, Joshua Handley
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Patent number: 7397480Abstract: Systems and methods for displaying volume data on an arbitrary three-dimensional polygonal surface are disclosed. For each polygon in the polygonal surface, a two-dimensional texture tile is created and these texture tiles are combined to form texture atlases. Each texture atlas is allocated a specific amount of memory in a texture cache. Each polygon in the polygonal surface may be scan-converted and the resulting texels may be placed in the texture cache. Voxels that do not intersect any polygon in the polygonal surface may not be scan-converted. This method may result in reduced use of texture cache.Type: GrantFiled: November 28, 2006Date of Patent: July 8, 2008Assignee: Landmark Graphics CorporationInventor: Sean Spicer