Abstract: An image is generated that includes ray traced pixel data and rasterized pixel data. A synergistic processing unit (SPU) uses a rendering algorithm to generate ray traced data for objects that require high-quality image rendering. The ray traced data is fragmented, whereby each fragment includes a ray traced pixel depth value and a ray traced pixel color value. A rasterizer compares ray traced pixel depth values to corresponding rasterized pixel depth values, and overwrites ray traced pixel data with rasterized pixel data when the corresponding rasterized fragment is “closer” to a viewing point, which results in composite data. A display subsystem uses the resultant composite data to generate an image on a user's display.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for rendering three-dimensional graphics using a streaming render-cache with a multi-threading, multi-core graphics processor are disclosed. The graphics processor includes a streaming render-cache and render-cache controller to maintain the order in which threads are dispatched to the graphics engine, and to maintain data coherency between the render-cache and the main memory. The render-cache controller blocks threads from being dispatched to the graphics engine out of order by only allowing one sub-span to be in-flight at any given time.

Abstract: A method for compressing font instruction data. The method includes analyzing a set of pixel-per-em values and fractional pixel shifts contained in font instruction for each glyph in a font data set to construct a database of values. The pixel-per-em values and fractional pixel shifts are converted into operational codes and argument values and these values are compressed into a compressed data stream including a series of multiple-bit words representing font instruction specifications for each glyph in the font data. In addition, fixed environmental variable values are set for each glyph based on the font instruction data. When a glyph is to be rendered using the compressed font instruction, the compressed instruction is decompressed and only relevant multiple-bit word or words corresponding to font instruction specifications for the respective glyph are executed, but not any of the 16-bit words corresponding to font instruction for the fixed environmental values.

Abstract: A method and system for accessing texture data is disclosed. The method includes the step of storing a low resolution version of a block of texture data in a low latency memory and storing a high resolution version of the block of texture data in high latency memory. Upon a request for the high resolution version of the block of texture data, the high resolution version is fetched from the high latency memory to the low latency memory. The low resolution version is subsequently accessed from the low latency memory until the high resolution version is fetched into the low latency memory.

Abstract: Embodiments of graphics systems and methods are disclosed. In one method embodiment, among others, a graphics method comprises receiving a first command having a first screen region, receiving a second command having a second screen region, and replacing the first command and the second command with a single command having one of the first screen region and the second screen region if the first screen region encompasses the second screen region or the second screen region encompasses the first screen region, respectively.

Abstract: A method is provided for reducing or eliminating degradation effects in a display 22, 22? of a portable device 10 and a portable device for performing such a method. The method comprises the steps of presenting particles 410 of a particle system 400 on the display 22, 22? and moving the particles 410 in the particle system 400 so that the display 22, 22? is substantially uniformly utilized.

Abstract: In accordance with a level of importance of a character, a weight is provided for the character. For example, a character operated by a player is provided with a weight heavier than those provided for other characters, and other characters are provided with the respective weights lighter than that provided for the character operated by the player. Based on the weights and positions of the characters placed in a predetermined area, a position of a sight point of a virtual camera is determined. Thus, it is possible to generate a display image in which a plurality of characters in a virtual space are placed on a screen in a balanced manner.

Abstract: The object-oriented approach used by the present invention provides the ability to develop and manage Internet transactions. Local applications can be accessed using any workstation connected to the Internet regardless of the workstation's configuration. Some or all of a Web page can be generated dynamically using input received in a returned page, generated at runtime, or retrieved from an external data source (e.g., database or electronic mail system). When the Web page definition is rendered, the information contained in template(s), declaration file(s), and object(s) are used to generate standard definitions. State information is maintained across transactions. Using state information, virtual applications, sessions, transactions, and pages can be implemented. Self-contained modules, or components, provide the ability to share implementations and create multi-content documents. Event objects can be used to assist in event handling management.

Abstract: An apparatus, medium, and method for correcting color of an image. The apparatus may includes a user interface which displays each of N reference patches, removes non-gray components from the displayed N reference patches, according to the characteristics of a user's visual system, and outputs the reference patches from which the non-gray components have been removed as adjusted reference patches, a table generator which generates at least one lookup table that has, as addresses, color component values for a current image and stores color component values of the adjusted reference patches as data, and a color corrector which addresses the at least one lookup table using the color component values of the image to read data corresponding to correction information for the color component values of the image and outputs the read data as the result of the correcting of color of the image.

Abstract: In a case where a position and/or orientation of a shooting viewpoint is calculated by using information about image coordinates of markers placed in a scene, the present invention enables a user to easily determine positions of the markers so that the position and orientation can be calculated more accurately. Information about markers placed in a physical space is obtained and area information about mixing accuracy between a physical space image and a virtual space image is obtained based on the information about the markers, so that a virtual space image is generated in accordance with the obtained area information.

Abstract: A display controller includes a memory storing at least three frames of image data, a write starting address register to which a write starting address is set, a read starting address register to which a read starting address is set, and a rotation control section performing control for reading out from the memory image data corresponding to an image whose orientation is rotated. When writing of the image data to the area designated by the write starting address is completed, the write starting address is updated and the previous value of the updated write starting address is set to the read starting address register. The image data corresponding to the rotated image is read out by the rotation control section 40 from an area of the memory designated by the read starting address, and then supplied to a display driver.

Abstract: Methods for texture image management are provided. An embodiment of a method for texture image management comprises the following steps. A texture image is acquired from a non-writable memory device. The received texture image is directly applied to a fragment.

Abstract: Mechanisms are provided for the sharing of graphics adapter resources among multiple partitions in a virtual machine environment. A first mechanism allows for the sharing of graphics adapter resources so that one partition, a video service partition, containing a graphics proxy process, can use this graphics proxy process to offer graphics adapter resources to another partition, a video client partition. The graphics proxy process controls access time by any given partition to the graphics adapter resources. In one aspect, it uses a time bank to control access time, and the time bank controls how long a virtual graphics adapter offered to the video client partition can access the graphics adapter resources. A second mechanism synchronizes virtual memory in the video client partition to virtual memory in the video service partition. A third mechanism allows for multiple video client partition overlays using a pixel-shader-based virtual overlay mechanism.

Abstract: A multi-chip graphics system includes a master chip and a slave chip coupled by an interlink. The slave chip performs pixel processing in parallel with the master chip, improving the performance of the master chip. In one embodiment, an individual graphics processing unit (GPU) chip includes a normal operational mode, a master mode, and a slave mode to permit an individual GPU chip to be used as individual processor or to be utilized as part of a master/slave pair.

Abstract: In an image reproducing method capable of displaying annotations in virtual space constituted by a group of real panoramic images, if an object for which an annotation is to be displayed falls within the field of view at the position of the observer, the object is adopted as the display position of the annotation. If the object is not within the field of view, then the direction of forward travel of the observer is adopted as the annotation display position. If the object is in a state of transition, then the annotation display position is decided by interpolation.

Abstract: A shader program capable of execution on a GPU is analyzed for constant expressions. These constant expressions are replaced with references to registers or memory addresses on the GPU. A preshader is created that comprises two executable files. The first executable file contains the shader program with the each constant expression removed and replaced with a unique reference accessible by the GPU. The first file is executable at the GPU. A second file contains the removed constant expressions along with instructions to place the values generated at the associated reference. The second executable file is executable at a CPU. When the preshader is executed, an instance of the first file is executed at the GPU for each vertex or pixel that is displayed. One instance of the second file is executed at the CPU. As the preshader is executed, the constant expressions in the second file are evaluated and the resulting intermediate values are passed to each instance of the first file on the GPU.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are described for application broadcasting. For one embodiment, pixel data being broadcast from a moderator to one or more participants is divided into tiles. Display data is generated for each tile. Each display data segment (segment) contains the pixel data for the tile, and also contains a tile identifier. The segments are periodically evaluated. If the pixel data has changed, the segment is replaced with the most recent segment corresponding to that tile. A time indicator is also included within each segment for each tile indicating the time at which the segment was updated. A participant DPS requests data from the server and provides the time indicator for the last segment it received. The server then transmits the current segment for each tile that has been updated subsequently. This allows presentation at the participant's DPS of the most current version of the moderator's display screen.

Abstract: Surfaces can be decorated with texture tiling and/or texture painting using one or more sample textures, such as BTFs. In a described implementation of texture tiling, a patch-based BTF synthesis algorithm is utilized. In an example embodiment, a mesh of a target surface is re-sampled to produce a dense mesh such that there is a one-to-one correspondence between vertices of the dense mesh and pixels of an image. Patch matching is then employed with a working image that corresponds to a working patch. In an example embodiment, the patch matching is effectuated using translations and rotations of the sample texture. In a described implementation of texture painting, irregular feature(s) of a sample texture are synthesized onto a target surface. In an example embodiment, user-specified constraints as to a desired foreground feature of a sample texture and an intended foreground region of a targeted surface are factored into a graphcut operation.

Abstract: A multi-chip graphics system includes a master chip and a slave chip coupled by an interlink. The slave chip performs a graphics processing operation in parallel with the master chip, improving the performance of the master chip. In one embodiment, an individual graphics processing unit (GPU) chip includes a normal operational mode, a master mode, and a slave mode to permit an individual GPU chip to be used as individual processor or to be packaged as part of a master/slave pair.

Abstract: Rendering of a partially translucent object is performed using a set of parameter maps derived from data measuring reflectance and transmittance of light received at the surface of the partially translucent object. Data is captured from an actual object being modeled, rather than estimated based on internal structure and composition. Parameter maps relating albedo, thickness variation, and specular intensity and roughness are stored as textures to facilitate rendering. In addition, realistic illumination from high energy sources such as sunlight is effected by separating light into low frequency and high frequency components. Low frequency components are rendered by precomputed radiance transfer. High frequency components, which are not modeled well by precomputed radiance transfer, are modeled using a light visibility convolution integral to generate light visibility maps for positions of the high frequency light source.