Abstract: According to an aspect of an embodiment, operations may comprise accessing a set of vehicle poses of one or more vehicles; for each of the set of vehicle poses, accessing a high definition (HD) map of a geographical region surrounding the vehicle pose, with the HD map comprising a three-dimensional (3D) representation of the geographical region, determining a measure of constrainedness for the vehicle pose, with the measure of constrainedness representing a confidence for performing localization for the vehicle pose based on 3D structures surrounding the vehicle pose, and storing the measure of constrainedness for the vehicle pose; and for each of the geographical regions surrounding each of the set of vehicle poses, determining a measure of constrainedness for the geographical region based on measures of constrainedness of vehicle poses within the geographical region, and storing the measure of constrainedness for the geographical region.

Abstract: Techniques to characterize driving scenarios for autonomous vehicles characterize a path in a driving scenario according to metrics such as narrowness and effort. The scenarios may be characterized using a tree-based or tensor-based approach.

Abstract: In an embodiment, an augmented reality display provides an expanded eye box and enlarged field of view through the use of holographic optical elements. In at least one example, an incoupling element directs an image into a waveguide, which transmits the image to a set of outcoupling gratings. In one example, a set of holographic optical elements opposite the outcoupling elements reflect the image to the user with an enlarged field of view while maintaining an expanded eye box.

Abstract: Head-mounted Displays (HMDs) are commonly used for virtual reality, mixed reality, and augmented reality. HMDs are, by definition, worn on the head of a user to provide a display in the line of sight of the user. By viewing the display, the user is able to experience one of the aforementioned types of reality. Oftentimes, HMDs are configured to integrate live video captured from the user's perspective, especially in the case of the HMD providing augmented reality where a virtual environment is combined with video of the real world. The present disclosure provides a configuration for a HMD having an array of image sensors to accurately capture image data to form the live video from the user's perspective.

Abstract: In various examples, operations include obtaining, from a machine learning model, feature classifications that correspond to features of objects depicted in images of a geographical area in which the images are provided to the machine learning model. The operations may also include annotating the images with three-dimensional representations that are based on the obtained feature classifications. Further, the operations may include generating map data corresponding to the geographical area based on the annotated images.

Abstract: A receiver receives communications over a communication channel, which may distort an incoming communication signal. In order to counter this distortion, the frequency response of the receiver is manipulated by adjusting several frequency response parameters. Each frequency response parameter controls at least a portion of the frequency response of the receiver. The optimal values for the frequency response parameters are determined by modifying an initial set of values for the frequency response parameters through one or more of stochastic hill climbing operations until a performance metric associated with the receiver reaches a local maximum. The modified values are displaced through one or more mutation operations. The stochastic hill climbing operations may subsequently be performed on the mutated values to generate the final values for the frequency response parameters.

Abstract: Personalized coaching is provided to users of an application, such as players of an electronic gaming application. Data can be obtained that demonstrates how skilled users utilize an application, such as how professional players play a game. This data can be used to train a machine learning model for the game. Gameplay data for an identified player can be obtained, and related information provided as input to the trained model. The model can infer one or more actions or strategies to be taken by the player in order to achieve a determined goal. The information can be conveyed to the player using visual, audio, or haptic guidance during gameplay, or can be provided offline, such as with video or rendered replay of the game session. The types of advice or coaching given can vary depending upon factors such as the goals, skill level, and preferences of the player, and can update over time.

Abstract: A texture processing pipeline in a graphics processing unit generates the surface appearance for objects in a computer-generated scene. This texture processing pipeline determines, at multiple stages within the texture processing pipeline, whether texture operations and texture loads may be processed at an accelerated rate. At each stage that includes a decision point, the texture processing pipeline assumes that the current texture operation or texture load can be accelerated unless specific, known information indicates that the texture operation or texture load cannot be accelerated. As a result, the texture processing pipeline increases the number of texture operations and texture loads that are accelerated relative to the number of texture operations and texture loads that are not accelerated.

Abstract: An integrated circuit such as, for example a graphics processing unit (GPU), includes a dynamic power controller for adjusting operating voltage and/or frequency. The controller may receive current power used by the integrated circuit and a predicted power determined based on instructions pending in a plurality of processors. The controller determines adjustments that need to be made to the operating voltage and/or frequency to minimize the difference between the current power and the predicted power. An in-system reinforced learning mechanism is included to self-tune parameters of the controller.

Abstract: Enhanced techniques applicable to a ray tracing hardware accelerator for traversing a hierarchical acceleration structure are disclosed. For example, traversal efficiency is improved by combining programmable traversals based on ray operations with per-node static configurations that modify traversal behavior. The per-node static configurations enable creators of acceleration data structures to optimize for potential traversals without necessarily requiring detailed information about ray characteristics and ray operations used when traversing the acceleration structure. Moreover, by providing for selective exclusion of certain nodes using per-node static configurations, less memory is needed to express an acceleration structure that includes, for example, different geometric levels of details corresponding to a single object.

Abstract: Compressed data is oftentimes beneficial for reducing the computing resources required, for example, to transmit and store data. The compression of data is particularly useful when dealing with sparse data (data that includes numerous zeros or near-zero values) and only non-zero values above a certain threshold have significance. When dealing with compressed data, oftentimes the data needs to be decompressed for processing (e.g., by deep learning networks or other applications configured to operate on sparse, or other uncompressed data). Instructions are disclosed for supporting the decompression of compressed data by a processing unit such as a CPU and GPU.

Abstract: In various embodiments, a finite aperture omni-directional camera is modeled by aligning a finite aperture lens and focal point with the omni-directional part of the projection. For example, each point on an image plane maps to a direction in camera space. For a spherical projection, the lens can be orientated along this direction and the focal point is picked along this direction at focal distance from the lens. For a cylindrical projection, the lens can be oriented along the projected direction on the two dimensional (2D) xz-plane, as the projection is not omni-directional in the y direction. The focal point is picked along the (unprojected) direction so its projection on the xz-plane is at focal distance from the lens. The final outgoing ray can be constructed by sampling of a point on this oriented lens and shooting a ray from there through the focal point.

Abstract: When an image is projected from 3D, the viewpoint of objects in the image, relative to the camera, must be determined. Since the image itself will not have sufficient information to determine the viewpoint of the various objects in the image, techniques to estimate the viewpoint must be employed. To date, neural networks have been used to infer such viewpoint estimates on an object category basis, but must first be trained with numerous examples that have been manually created. The present disclosure provides a neural network that is trained to learn, from just a few example images, a unique viewpoint estimation network capable of inferring viewpoint estimations for a new object category.

Abstract: In various examples, a voltage monitor may determine whether the voltage supplied to at least one component of a computing system is safe using two sets of thresholds—e.g., a high-frequency over-voltage (OV) threshold, a high-frequency under-voltage (UV) threshold, a low-frequency OV threshold, and a low-frequency UV threshold. A high-frequency voltage error detector may compare the supplied or input voltage to the high-frequency OV and UV thresholds and a low-frequency voltage error detector that may filter the supplied voltage to remove or reduce noise and then may compare the filtered voltage to the low-frequency OV and UV thresholds. Upon detecting a voltage error, a safety monitor may cause a change to an operating state of the at least one component.

Abstract: Disclosed approaches may leverage the actual spatial and reflective properties of a virtual environment—such as the size, shape, and orientation of a bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) lobe of a light path and its position relative to a reflection surface, a virtual screen, and a virtual camera—to produce, for a pixel, an anisotropic kernel filter having dimensions and weights that accurately reflect the spatial characteristics of the virtual environment as well as the reflective properties of the surface. In order to accomplish this, geometry may be computed that corresponds to a projection of a reflection of the BRDF lobe below the surface along a view vector to the pixel. Using this approach, the dimensions of the anisotropic filter kernel may correspond to the BRDF lobe to accurately reflect the spatial characteristics of the virtual environment as well as the reflective properties of the surface.

Abstract: Ray tracing hardware accelerators supporting motion blur and moving/deforming geometry are disclosed. For example, dynamic objects in an acceleration data structure are encoded with temporal and spatial information. The hardware includes circuitry that test ray intersections against moving/deforming geometry by applying such temporal and spatial information. Such circuitry accelerates the visibility sampling of moving geometry, including rigid body motion and object deformation, and its associated moving bounding volumes to a performance similar to that of the visibility sampling of static geometry.

Abstract: A system calibrates one or more sensors mounted to an autonomous vehicle. From the one or more sensors, the system identifies a primary sensor and a secondary sensor. The system determines a reference angle for the primary sensor, and based on that reference angle for the primary sensor, a scan-start time representing a start of a scan and a scan-end time representing an end of a scan. The system receives, from the primary sensor, a primary set of scan data recorded from the scan-start time to the scan-end time. The system receives, from the secondary sensor, a secondary set of sensor data recorded from the scan-start time to the scan-end time. The system calibrates the primary and secondary sensors by determining a relative transform for transforming points between the first set of scan data and the second set of scan data.

Abstract: Various embodiments disclose a system that includes a first source processor that generates a first stream of graphics data, a second source processor that generates a second stream of graphics data, a display device that displays at least one of the first stream of graphics data and the second stream of graphics data, and a timing controller that is coupled to the first source processor and the second source processor and receives a first control signal to enter into a self-refresh state, in response, enters into the self-refresh state, causes the display device to display a first frame stored in memory, wherein the first frame includes at least a portion of data included in the first stream of graphics data, receives a second stream of graphics data, exits the self-refresh state, and causes the display device to display the second stream of graphics data.

Abstract: Some systems compress data utilized by a user mode software without the user mode software being aware of any compression taking place. To maintain that illusion, such systems prevent user mode software from being aware of and/or accessing the underlying compressed states of the data. While such an approach protects proprietary compression techniques used in such systems from being deciphered, such restrictions limit the ability of user mode software to use the underlying compressed forms of the data in new ways. Disclosed herein are various techniques for allowing user-mode software to access the underlying compressed states of data either directly or indirectly. Such techniques can be used, for example, to allow various user-mode software on a single system or on multiple systems to exchange data in the underlying compression format of the system(s) even when the user mode software is unable to decipher the compression format.

Abstract: Operations may comprise obtaining a plurality of light detection and ranging (LIDAR) scans of a region. The operations may also comprise identifying a plurality of LIDAR poses that correspond to the plurality of LIDAR scans. In addition, the operations may comprise identifying, as a plurality of keyframes, a plurality of images of the region that are captured during capturing of the plurality of LIDAR scans. The operations may also comprise determining, based on the plurality of LIDAR poses, a plurality of camera poses that correspond to the keyframes. Further, the operations may comprise identifying a plurality of two-dimensional (2D) keypoints in the keyframes. The operations also may comprise generating one or more three-dimensional (3D) keypoints based on the plurality of 2D keypoints and the respective camera poses of the plurality of keyframes.